U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the climate bill approved Thursday by the House Energy Committee is 'not enough' to stem warming to the degree hoped for in the next climate treaty.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said he expected the eight committees with partial jurisdiction over the new House climate bill to act swiftly.

Some people are starting to weigh the environmental costs of caskets and other trappings of traditional funerals. And they have found alternatives.

"The Michigan Legislature may soon create a fund to loan schools money to build windmills, solar panels or other sources of alternative energy."

"Nearly 200 million acres of public lands, mostly in the West, could become prime generators of emissions-free electricity by extracting steam heat from the earth's core to drive electric turbines."

"For some of its beverages, The Coca-Cola Company is introducing a new type of plastic bottle made partially from plants."

"Gov. Chris Gregoire on Thursday ordered [Washington] state to reach agreement with its single largest polluter to cut greenhouse-gas emissions by half over the next 15 years."

"Australia lifted protection levels on Friday for the world's largest surviving marsupial carnivore, the Tasmanian devil, listing the animal as endangered due to a deadly facial tumour outbreak."

"U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a 'green new deal' on climate change on Thursday and urged for a final push in negotiations ahead of a key summit to be held in Copenhagen in December."

"A new $6 million federal grant could be the first step toward declaring a public health emergency in asbestos-contaminated Libby, Mont., the state's senior senator said Thursday."