International

"Natural disasters caused $109 billion in economic damage last year, three times more than in 2009, with Chile and China bearing most of the cost, the United Nations said Monday."

"iPhone maker Apple was criticized by Chinese green groups for lax corporate oversight of its suppliers in China, leading to poor environmental and work safety standards that poisoned dozens of factory workers."

"That hamburger in the hand of so many Americans does have global implications. Our meat-eating habits can impact the tropical rainforests and savannas -- and ultimately the atmosphere. Livestock may contribute some 18 percent of greenhouse gases -- and that matters for both the 1 billion hungry and 1.6 billion overweight people on the planet."

"New figures issued on Thursday in Britain show that 2010 was the second-warmest year in the historical record. That comes on the heels of reports last week from two American agencies that 2010 was tied for the warmest year in the record books."

"Representative Edward Markey on Thursday asked Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to launch an immediate investigation into a $16 billion share-swap plan between BP and state-owned Russian oil firm Rosneft."

"Presidents Barack Obama and Hu Jintao of China, who is in Washington on an official state visit, said in a joint statement this afternoon that they 'view climate change and energy security as two of the greatest challenges of our time.' In an open letter today, U.S. environmental leaders urged the presidents to adopt 'a wartime-like mobilization' to cut greenhouse gas emissions."

"Fraudsters are targeting climate scientists with fake conferences in a bid to make cash and obtain details." Is it a ploy to plant spy programs on scientists' computers?

"The EV Cup -- the world's first circuit race series for zero-emission electric vehicles -- will hold its inaugural season of seven races this summer and fall."

Arch Coal's announcement of a second West Coast shipping terminal signals a trend toward increasing exports of strip-mined western coal to Asian nations like China, where demand outstrips supply. The implications for greenhouse emissions and accounting schemes for controlling them are huge.

A BP deal with the biggest Russian oil company to develop Arctic Oil could have huge geopolitical and environmental repercussions.