Japan A Shiny Green Gem at G-8

Whether or not the world's leading economies are able to work out a comprehensive greenhouse reduction plan during their meetings, at least one nation will be able to shine a bright light down the path to green existence. The G-8 summit in Japan has highlighted the host country's particular green nature - and demonstrated the economic benefit of its conservation efforts and environmental investments over the years.

Global Warming Will Make Heat Waves Unbearable

If you really hate the cold, you may not mind a warming world with average temperatures a few degrees higher. But no one looks forward to 120 degrees. By the end of this century, though - according to a new study - the high end temp for once-in-a-generation heat waves will rise twice as fast as everyday average temperatures.

The Buzz About Disappearing Bees

Most people are happy not to have bees around; but that could soon change along with the climate. Vanishing bees (already a cause of concern in the US) could soon bother people world-wide since a third of global food production - and around two-thirds of major crops - depends on animal pollination, mainly by bees.

Why Can't We Be More Like....Slovakia?

America tops a lot of lists - both good and bad - but the list of most climate-responsible nations is not one of them. A new study that ranks countries based on how much they are doing to combat climate change puts Slovakia and Latvia near the top.

Turning The Everglades Back Into The Everglades

It's irritating to say the least: spending time and money to put something back the way you found it. But that's what Florida residents are faced with: the state's proposed billion dollar purchase of repeatedly fertilized Everglade lands might require a decade and billions more dollars to 'rehabilitate'.

Where Have All The Penguins Gone?

There are a countless reasons to care about climate change - but if there are hold-outs who still refuse to worry, they have met their match: cute animals are impossible to ignore. Penguin populations have plummeted at one of the world's most important breeding colonies, a decline directly linked to climate change, pollution and other environmental concerns.

Georgia Refuses To Get Any Warmer

Apparently Georgia doesn't want to join its capital city - HOTlanta - in embracing inordinate warmth: the state just staked a significant claim in the battle against greenhouse emissions. A Georgia state court ruled that plans must be halted in the construction of a coal-burning power plant unless its carbon-dioxide emissions are limited - a decision which marks the first time a judge applied an earlier U.S. Supreme Court decision on industrial greenhouse emissions.

Insurance Bets On Future Weather

Most weather predictions should probably come from meteorologists; but insurance companies are also proving to be useful weather vanes - especially since scientists can't make up their minds. The jury of weather researchers is still out on whether rising sea temperatures will cause more hurricanes along American coastlines; but insurers are raising premiums for coastal properties - or abandoning coastal areas altogether.

Flood Waters Rinse Away Old Energy Assumptions

When the waters recede from the recent Midwestern floods, something besides waterlogged land will see the light of day: a basic reality of the changed and changing environment will be unearthed. The record storms and flooding throughout the Midwest have highlighted a new economic hazard: an America grown more reliant on corn to make its fuel has basically assumed the many vulnerabilities of the crop itself."

Bad News With a Green Lining

Lost jobs should not be cause for celebration; but when auto-makers downsize there's often an environmental upside. That's one way of looking at Chrysler's decision to significantly reduce its workforce of minivan and pickup-truck manufacturers: the sharp drop in orders for these relative gas-guzzlers reflects a dramatic shift in demand to more fuel-efficient vehicles.