"Despite their tiny size, plant plankton found in the world's oceans  are crucial to much of life on Earth. They are the foundation of the bountiful marine food web, produce half the world's oxygen and suck up harmful carbon dioxide. And they are declining sharply."

"The past decade was the hottest ever recorded, part of an unequivocal pattern of warming dating back 50 years, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report declared on Wednesday."

"Federal officials now estimate that more than 1 million gallons of oil may have spilled into the Kalamazoo River through Battle Creek, and the governor is sharply criticizing clean-up efforts as 'wholly inadequate.'"

"The State Department said it would delay its decision on a permit for a contentious $7 billion pipeline project intended to deliver crude oil from the oil sands of the province of Alberta in Canada, to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast."

"Crews were working Tuesday to contain and clean up more than 800,000 gallons of oil that poured into a creek and flowed into the Kalamazoo River in southern Michigan, coating birds and fish."

"Appalachian coal-mining interests have donated more than $60,000 to the US Senate campaign of Republican Carly Fiorina, the former HP chief executive who's said she's 'not sure' that climate change is occurring. First reported by California Watch,  the donations are the latest indication that California is a key battleground in the political war over climate change."

"The failure of climate legislation in the Senate last week is a blunt reminder of a basic truth, experts say: The nation's energy policies are historically driven by state and regional interests that will trump national agendas in all but the most compelling circumstances.

"Two roaring wildfires in southern California prompted at least 2,300 evacuations and a state of emergency late Tuesday."

"The largest oil spill in U.S. history has unleashed a gusher of at least 250 class-action lawsuits that could eventually encompass millions of victims in a legal battle expected to stretch on for decades."

"House and Senate Democratic leaders introduced bills on Tuesday responding to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, with provisions to overhaul the federal regulation of offshore drilling, lift liability limits on companies responsible for damaging spills and funnel more money to spill-related research and restoration projects."