After getting major concessions in return for bare acquiescence on the House climate bill, the nation's main agribusiness lobby declared it will try to kill climate legislation altogether in the Senate, using conservative rhetoric about a federal "power grab" and expressing doubt about whether human activities are causing global warming.

"Newly released federal documents have revealed some potentially inconvenient truths about the environmental impact of Alberta's oilsands industry, along with the risks and economic costs of the Harper government's climate change strategy."

Al Armendariz, the new EPA Regional Administrator for Texas and surrounding states, comes from a background as an environmental activist.

"Former San Joaquin Valley congressman Richard Pombo will formally announce his comeback bid Tuesday, igniting a heated competition to replace retiring Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa."

"A beef industry group has challenged a ruling by U.S. environmental regulators that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health, saying the move would hurt agriculture."

"EPA Administrator Lisa Perez Jackson and Sen. David Vitter, R-La., reached a Christmas Eve accord that will give the National Academy of Sciences a role in the EPA's review of the risks of formaldehyde, and allowed the Senate to confirm Paul Anastas as the EPA's director of research and development."

House Science Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) announced that he would retire at the end of this Congress. Gordon faced a strong GOP challenge. The Science Committee has jurisdiction over several key environmental issues.

"For eight months, the Quebec government has been holding on to a report that explores the link between asbestos-related cancer and Canada's only community that still mines the substance."

"A scientist who is one of the central figures in the uproar over pirated e-mails from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit announced Tuesday that he is stepping down as the unit's director while the university investigates the incident."

"Firing back at recent industry charges that the Obama administration is not promoting domestic energy development, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today announced that his department has scheduled 38 onshore oil and gas lease sales for 2010."