"Almost four years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has failed to clarify the responsibilities of different agencies that would respond to such disasters, according to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office."

"Scientists are closing in on an inescapable conclusion: Pesticides may be a cause of Parkinson's disease."

"Royal Dutch Shell has agreed a $15.5 million out-of-court settlement in a case accusing it of complicity in human rights abuses in Nigeria."

AFP profiles Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

An ambitious Chinese plan for a national smart grid could provide an opening for US-China technological cooperation.

A closer look at the climate bill approved by the House Energy Committee reveals some surprising and paradoxical impacts -- some negating the pollution control the bill is supposed to achieve.

"Seawater algae -- a cousin to pond scum -- may someday become a significant source of fuel for military jets and airliners...."

"The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments Wednesday on whether the Canadian corporation Barrick Gold will be allowed to construct and operate an open pit gold mine on Mt. Tenabo in Nevada."

"The Environmental Impact Report for a major expansion at the Chevron Refinery in Richmond, California is inadequate, a Contra Costa County Superior Court judge has ruled in a case brought by environmental, community, and public health groups."