"Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has begun an aggressive campaign to block President Obama’s climate change agenda in statehouses and courtrooms across the country, arenas far beyond Mr. McConnell’s official reach and authority."

"A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee debated Wednesday whether to undercut the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s rule on disposing of coal ash, a toxic byproduct of burning coal. The debate came just a day before the Sierra Club announced a new lawsuit against Dominion Power over coal ash pits leaking into the Elizabeth River, 25 miles outside Virginia Beach."

"The town of James Island has gone on record against drilling for oil and natural gas off the South Carolina coast."

"Democrats in the Legislature continued their multi-front effort to block a $225 settlement with Exxon Mobil in a pollution case in which the state originally sought $8.9 billion."

"In response to a dire fourth year of drought, Gov. Jerry Brown and members of the state Legislature announced a plan Thursday to accelerate $1 billion in bond money for water recycling projects and delivery of emergency supplies to hard-hit communities."

"The number of seabirds, including gulls, puffins and auklets, has dropped significantly in the Gulf of Alaska and northeast Bering Sea, a possible consequence of warmer waters, according to a preliminary federal analysis of nearly 40 years of surveys."

"President Obama signed an executive order on Thursday to set new goals for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of federal agencies, his latest use of his executive authority to address the root causes of climate change and press private companies and foreign governments to follow suit."

"Arctic sea ice this year is the smallest in winter since satellite records began in 1979, in a new sign of long-term climate change, U.S. data showed on Thursday."

"A Florida Department of Environmental Protection land manager says he was sent home and formally reprimanded for speaking about climate change and the Keystone XL pipeline at an inter-agency meeting last month."

"SAN LORENZO -- What are now seedlings will play a key role in an experiment that could be an environmental triple win -- improving water quality and protecting against sea level rise while providing wildlife habitat."