"PORTLAND, Ore. — About 15 years ago, this environmentally conscious state with a fir tree on its license plates began pushing the idea of making renewable energy from the ocean waves that bob and swell on the Pacific horizon. But then one of the first test-buoy generators, launched with great fanfare, promptly sank. It was not a good start."

"Does an organic strawberry contain more vitamin C than a conventional one?"

"The numbers released quietly by the federal government this year were alarming. A ferocious germ resistant to many types of antibiotics had increased tenfold on chicken breasts, the most commonly eaten meat on the nation’s dinner tables. But instead of a learning from a broad national inquiry into a troubling trend, scientists said they were stymied by a lack of the most basic element of research: solid data."

"A 4,000-acre (1,620-hectare) wildfire in the Angeles National Forest in Southern California has forced the evacuation of some campsites as firefighters struggle to control the blaze, authorities said on Monday."

"CHARLOTTE, N.C. — President Obama consoled victims of Hurricane Isaac along the Gulf Coast on Monday and said officials from all levels of government will do everything they can to assess the damage from the storm and figure out how to help.

"Democrats want their national convention in Charlotte, N.C., to have a big effect on the 2012 election and a small footprint on the planet."

"ST. LOUIS -- Carol DeVaughan assumed her suburban St. Louis home simply was settling when cracks appeared in the walls. When she noticed huge gaps between her fireplace and ceiling, and that her family room was starting to tilt, DeVaughan knew she had bigger problems."

In the federal government’s efforts to help farmers and ranchers survive this year’s devastating drought, perhaps the most surprising step has been a dose of support for struggling producers of catfish."

"The last few days may have seen the demise of two reactor projects that had looked promising a few years ago, when the economy was strong and people worried about the high price of natural gas and the possibility of a price on carbon emissions."

"Energy companies were restoring offshore oil and natural gas production and restarting refineries on Sunday as the recovery from Hurricane Isaac shifted into high gear."