House Science Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) announced that he would retire at the end of this Congress. Gordon faced a strong GOP challenge. The Science Committee has jurisdiction over several key environmental issues.

"It is not easy to reinvent the wheel, but researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are giving it their best shot."

"Hispanic farmworkers in California poisoned by pesticides are demanding that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency exercise greater control over toxic substances used in agriculture."

"As environmental concerns threaten to derail natural gas drilling projects across the country, the energy industry has developed innovative ways to make it easier to exploit the nation's reserves without polluting air and drinking water." But are they used?

The first robot to cross the Atlantic Ocean is a prototype that may offer dramatic new opportunities for measuring the ocean's properties at various depths -- a key to better understanding of climate change, as well as an aid to hurricane prediction, fishing, and shipping.

"Exxon Mobil, the world’s largest publicly traded oil and gas producer, said Monday that it had agreed to buy XTO in an all-stock deal valued at $31 billion, the biggest oil and gas deal in four years."

"Millions of households across America are taking a first step into the world of the 'smart grid,' as their power companies install meters that can tell them how much electricity they are using hour by hour -- and sometimes, appliance by appliance. But not everyone is happy about it."

"The Department of the Interior will undertake an experimental initiative to improve the management of Glen Canyon Dam and the Colorado River as it flows through Grand Canyon National Park, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced Thursday during the Colorado River Water Users Association conference."

"Architects of Senate energy and climate legislation reiterated their support for nuclear power and offshore drilling yesterday in an effort to garner the support of moderate Democrats and Republicans."

"Mercury exposure in the United States increases with age, then starts tapering off when people turn 50, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in a study released today."