"At a fall retreat, board members of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the environmental advocacy group, listened as a political consultant gave a critique of the green movement."

"Big Corn and Big Sugar are locked in a legal and public relations fight in the US over a plan to change the name of a corn-based sweetener that has gotten a bad name."

"The federal spending bill before Congress is a no-spending bill for the Energy Department when it comes to enforcing new efficiency standards for light bulbs. But the new standards for light bulbs — signed into law in 2007 — would remain in place, meaning the effort to stem the new rules might mean little at the end of the day."

A rider attached to the payroll tax bill would set a 60-day deadline for the Obama administration to make a postponed decision on the Keystone XL pipeline. A deal on the bill had seemed done as the weekend began, but comments by House Speaker John Boehner on a Sunday talk show seemed to signal that GOPers were going back on the deal.

"BOSTON -- A group of animal rights activists sued the U.S. government Thursday to challenge the constitutionality of a rarely used law they say treats them like terrorists if they cause a loss in profits for businesses that use or sell animal products."

"SAN FRANCISCO — California Gov. Jerry Brown railed Thursday against politicians who doubt climate change, calling them 'political lemmings' and the chief obstacle in the fight against global warming."

"The Environmental Protection Agency is expected Friday to approve a tough new rule to limit emissions of mercury, arsenic and other toxic substances from the country's power plants, according to people with knowledge of the new standard."

"The shutdown-averting budget bill will block federal light bulb efficiency standards, giving a win to House Republicans fighting the so-called ban on incandescent light bulbs."

"WASHINGTON -- In exchanges that ranged from merely testy to caustic, four members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission told a House committee on Wednesday that their chairman had withheld information from them, berated the agency’s professional staff, reduced female employees to tears with abusive comments and created a 'chilled' atmosphere that was hurting the agency’s ability to function."

"WEST ALLIS, Wis.--Plans to develop an open-pit iron mine in northwestern Wisconsin are the latest flash point in a growing national debate that weighs the prospect of new jobs against concern about environmental damage."