"Dozens of red flags suggest that a wide range of pollutants are playing a role in millions of birth defects that strike worldwide every year. But little is being done to understand or control exposures."

"U.S. Conference of Mayors President Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels says that by Friday, 1,000 mayors, representing 85 million Americans, will have signed the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement."

General Electric is the latest company to complain about the policies of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in opposition to climate change legislation. “The Chamber does not speak for us on climate legislation, but we are still a member,” said GE spokesman Peter O'Toole.

"HONG KONG -- Companies that import solar panels to the United States are facing up to $70 million in unexpected tariffs."

"The natural gas industry is moving to disclose information about chemicals used in controversial extraction technologies in the wake of spills at drilling sites in Pennsylvania and as New York is proposing new regulations."

"WEST PALM BEACH -- The city's sewage treatment plant has pumped untold millions of gallons of poorly treated wastewater onto wetlands adjacent to wells used to supplement the city's drinking water supply. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cited the city with 117 pollution violations."

Missouri "allowed tourists at the Lake of the Ozarks to swim in waters that officials knew were infested with harmful E. coli bacteria for two weeks at the beginning of the summer tourist season, Gov. Jay Nixon said Wednesday."

"As kids, many of us come to see snakes as frightening, evil creatures. In some places, that ingrained fear has taken a toll on the snake population. ... Some folks ... are trying to improve one snake's image - before it disappears."

"The Obama administration on Wednesday moved to curtail the practice of mountaintop mining to extract coal, angering mining companies that said the move threatens thousands of jobs."

"Nike announced Wednesday that it would resign from the board of the United States Chamber of Commerce, becoming the latest company to break with the group over climate policy."

"Green-technology firms attracted the largest share of venture capital in the third quarter, with global investments rising to $1.59 billion, according to a survey released Wednesday by Cleantech Group and Deloitte & Touche."

"Solar photovoltaic module production world-wide almost doubled in 2008, according to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre's eighth Annual Photovoltaics Status Report."

"Great Lakes water levels could drop by up to two feet by the turn of the century as temperatures rise, according to a recent series of reports released by the Union of Concerned Scientists."

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) is blocking Senate confirmation of Paul Anastas to head EPA's Office of Research and Development -- demanding that EPA have the National Academy of Sciences review its assessment of formaldehyde risks.

"Unwilling to wait for Congress to act, the Obama administration announced on Wednesday that it was moving forward on new rules to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from hundreds of power plants and large industrial facilities."