"By the end of the month, the federal Environmental Protection Agency will probably declare that Texas' air permitting program lacks adequate public participation and transparency."

"Exide Technologies' decision last month not to seek state permission to expand production at its Frisco lead smelter doesn't mean public health concerns are over."

"Three new studies show a link between Scotchgard-type chemicals in ground water and high cholesterol in human blood. 3M says its studies have shown no such a link."

"MÉRIDA, Mexico -- Connectivity is a message reverberating in multiple work sessions as the week-long 9th World Wilderness Congress concludes. A new declaration, The Message of Mérida, demands that the UN climate conference next month make the connection between climate and wilderness and 'recognize that it is necessary to address both the climate change and biodiversity extinction crises.'"

"At little noticed talks last week in Port Ghalib, Egypt, climate advocates were hoping to seal a global agreement for the phase down of super greenhouse gases and give next month's Copenhagen climate talks a can-do running start. But the annual meeting of the 198 nations of the Montreal Protocol began on a note of contention that five days of discussions could not overcome."

"While America turns away from dirty energy, Texas could soon have 12 new coal-fired power plants. What gives?"

"President Obama and other world leaders have decided to put off the difficult task of reaching a climate change agreement at a global climate conference scheduled for next month, agreeing instead to make it the mission of the Copenhagen conference to reach a less specific 'politically binding' agreement that would punt the most difficult issues into the future."