Topics at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Feb. 17-21, 2011 in Washington, D.C., include climate change, energy, health, oceans, national security, nanotechnology, GMOs, religion, space weather and many more.

Some light bulbs require special handling to reduce toxic exposures. EPA's latest guidance for old fluorescent bulbs that contain PCBs and current generation CFLs that contain mercury both provide important fodder for consumer-awareness stories.

Permittees and lessees of public lands are a key part of covering issues that involve grazing, hunting, public lands access, utility corridors, and related topics. The public comment period on BLM's proposal to identify these people closes Feb. 7, 2011.

SEJ's TipSheet lists the top 10 environmental subject areas we see coming up over the horizon — from environmental security, energy, and epigenetics to emerging climate issues, peak water, and more.

The President's Cancer Panel singled out radon, a radioactive gas found in water systems and leaching from soil into houses via foundation cracks, as one of America's "grossly underestimated" environmentally caused cancer risks.

The US Dept. of Agriculture says that 898 of these markets are open during some or all of the winter, even in many northern states. The USDA inventory is searchable by state and city, and considerable detail is provided for each market.

Two recent studies — one examining problems in urban and natural forests, and the other on microbial pests in various settings — reveal the latest knowledge on insect and microscopic invasive species.

The organization MAPLight has pulled together information on who the leading contributors were from Oct. 14, 2008 through Oct. 13, 2010. See which incoming committee chairs received the most money from industries such as oil and gas, agriculture, construction, insurance, electric utility and forest products, and more.

The US Environmental Protection Agency's Compliance and Enforcement information for 2010 is now online with data mapped and searchable by criteria such as state, city, zip code, and type of media affected (air, water, etc.).

The timing of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision to propose listing of the greater sage-grouse as a threatened or endangered species is coinciding with the presidential election and the rapid expansion of the influential oil and gas industry.