"Colorado’s Supreme Court on Monday struck down local government prohibitions on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, handing oil and gas companies a victory in a lengthy battle over energy production in the environmentally conscious state."

"Federal prosecutors in Brazil filed a 155 billion-real ($43.5 billion) civil lawsuit on Tuesday against iron miner Samarco and its owners, Vale SA and BHP Billiton, for a collapsed tailings dam in November that killed 19 people and polluted a major river."

"Talks between the US and EU over the wide-ranging TTIP trade deal are likely to grind to a halt, according to France's trade minister."

"The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined a request from shareholders seeking to revive their class action lawsuit against BP claiming the British oil company misrepresented its safety procedures prior to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill."

"On Monday authorities in Honduras arrested four people in connection with the murder of influential environmental activist Berta Cáceres two months ago."

"The Dutch chapter of the environmental activist group Greenpeace leaked on Monday what it called a trove of documents from the talks over a proposed trade deal between the European Union and the United States."

"Kenya's president set fire to thousands of elephant tusks and rhino horns on Saturday, destroying a stockpile that would have been worth a fortune to smugglers and sending a message that trade in the animal parts must be stopped."

"Halliburton and Baker Hughes, two major oil services companies, have called off their planned $35 billion merger, citing difficulties in obtaining approval from regulators as well as sharply lower energy prices."

"The bison could soon become the national mammal of the United States. Legislation approved by Congress would elevate the bison to a stature approaching that of the bald eagle, long the national emblem. There has not been an official mammal of the United States."