"US Interior Secretary Sally Jewell visited Utah's 'Bears Ears' last week in an attempt to resolve an increasingly contentious debate over whether to designate the San Juan County cultural landscape as a US National Monument."

"Despite praising automakers for recent gains in fuel economy, two federal agencies said on Monday that surging consumer demand for pickups and sport utility vehicles made it unlikely that the industry could meet the government’s ambitious projections a decade from now."

"Under new rules announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday, solid waste landfill operators must begin capturing methane emissions from their sites at levels one-third lower than current standards permit."

"A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the US Navy was wrongly allowed to use sonar in the nation’s oceans that could harm whales and other marine life."

"Republicans are divided over the future of a major international climate change program."

"Inland fish play critical roles in North American ecosystems and economics: In the U.S. alone in 2011, freshwater anglers spent more than $30 billion on their hobby, generating $73 billion in economic output. And fish help keep nature in balance as they feed on aquatic plants and animals and in turn provide sustenance to iconic species such as eagles, bears and osprey."

"As Indiana's governor, Mike Pence has been a strong coal advocate, opposed renewable energy standards and has enjoyed the support of the Koch brothers."

"Several destructive wildfires were raging across the Southwestern United States on Saturday, after consuming dozens of homes and forcing evacuations."

"Coal is looking at a starring role during the Republican national convention, as support for clean coal takes a step toward greater bipartisan support.

The fossil fuel was included in the draft political platform ahead of this week's convention in Cleveland.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who serves as the Republican National Committee's platform chairman, said the final platform would seek to lay out an agenda that reverses the "failed" policies of the Obama administration. Barrasso's state is home to one of the nation's largest coal regions."

"Making high-quality bio-diesel is hard. Getting paid $100 million to not make it was kind of a snap."