Public

"Isle Royale in Lake Superior used to be too cold for deer ticks. But not anymore."

"It's not yet lights out: Republicans have revived their effort to crush energy-saving lightbulbs, with a vote in the House of Representatives as early as Friday."

"With a handful of Democratic votes, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed a bill Wednesday that limits the EPA's ability to regulate coal ash and says coal ash residue deserves little more scrutiny and regulation than municipal trash."

"The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee has approved a restrictive spending bill for Fiscal Year 2012 that allows uranium mining on public lands adjacent to the Grand Canyon, prohibits funding for the U.S. EPA to set greenhouse gas standards, and exempts oil and utility companies from the Clean Air Act."

"Everybody knows what the tea party members oppose. High taxes. Big government. Obama's health care plan. High-speed rail. Now, for at least some local tea party members, there's one more to add: manatee protection."

As stocks of many fish species in the oceans are reduced or depleted by overfishing, aquaculture is increasing rapidly worldwide as a way of filling the gap. But that growth has been accompanies by serious environmental costs.

"The amount of lead allowed in toys and other children's products sold in the U.S. will soon be reduced to one of the lowest limits in the world. The move was praised by consumer advocates but denounced by critics worried about job losses and shuttered businesses."
 

"Last month's health warning from the Department of Health and Human Services' National Toxicology Program has set off a bruising battle with the makers of styrene, a chemical compound derived from crude oil."

"China on Thursday issued a second batch of quotas for exports of rare earths this year -- virtually making up for previous cuts -- after its commerce minister met with his EU counterpart to discuss this and other thorny issues between the two trading partners."