"Oil, the lifeblood of many countries that produce and sell it, appears to be rapidly turning into an ever-cheaper economic curse. A year ago, the international price per barrel of oil was about $103. By Monday, the price was about $42, roughly 6 percent lower than on Friday."

"As of this week, the average of the group of forecast models used to predict the intensity of El Niño are  calling for an event that would surpass the record-strong El Niño of 1997-1998."

Seasonal tropical cyclones were active across the globe. Danny peaked as a category 3 hurricane, then weakened to a tropical storm as it approached the Leeward Islands. Goni threatened major rains to the Hawaiian Islands. Goni left a trail of death and destructions in the Philippines.

"The natural world is abuzz with the sound of animals communicating — crickets, birds, even grunting fish. But scientists learning to decode these sounds say the secret signals of African elephants — their deepest rumblings — are among the most intriguing calls any animal makes."

"HOUSTON — With oil prices collapsing and companies in retrenchment, a federal auction in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday attracted the lowest interest from producers since 1986."

"According to preliminary data from NASA along with information from the Japan Meteorological Administration, July 2015 was the warmest month on record since instrument temperature records began in the late 1800s."

"Tropical storm Danny continues to spin about halfway between Africa and the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. This is the first named storm in the Atlantic since the final advisory was written for Claudette on July 14, a time span of more than a month."

"Islamic leaders from around the globe [Tuesday] will unveil a declaration calling on the world's 1.6 billion Muslims to embrace climate change action as part of their religious duty."

"July was the hottest on record globally as a large El Nino event gathered strength in the Pacific, making it more likely that 2015 will exceed last year as the warmest year recorded."

"Christopher Clark, who directs the bioacoustics research program at Cornell University, is among the world's best scientific listeners. His work has revealed how human-made noise is filling the ocean, making it harder for marine animals to hear their own world. But Clark didn't start out with much interest in whales at all."