"One of BP's attempts to curb payouts for what it says are 'fictitious' and 'absurd' claims related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has failed after a legal appeal was rejected by a U.S. court."

"Sens. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) are pressuring administration officials to act quickly on railway transports of crude oil in the wake of multiple explosive derailments."

"The record cold U.S. temperatures may have a silver lining - killing off some tree-eating forest pests that have spread dangerously as the general climate warms up, scientists said."

"The group 350.org, one of the loudest voices against the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada, will boost its focus on natural gas and coal exports."

"A group of liberal Senate Democrats hopes to play political offense on climate change in 2014."

"WASHINGTON — Researchers at Harvard say they have developed a new battery technology that can store energy at lower cost, a development that Energy Department officials say could pave the way for a new generation of batteries."

"While the East Coast is digging out from a major winter storm, the West Coast is praying for rain. The state just finished one of the driest years on record, and that has water managers, farmers and others worried."

"WASHINGTON -- '60 Minutes' last Sunday ran a segment on what it described as the 'crash' of the clean tech industry, detailing perceived failures in government support for the development of clean energy and other advanced technology. That segment has been widely criticized for leaving out crucial information about the state of the clean tech sector and over-emphasizing governmental failures."

"The Obama administration responded Wednesday to conservatives who say the historic cold snap affecting the United States proves that climate change is not real."

"The giants of the U.S. food industry who have spent millions fighting state-by-state efforts to mandate new labels for genetically modified organisms are taking a page from their opponents and pushing for a federal GMO law."