An environment is a complex of surrounding circumstances, conditions, or influences in which a thing is situated or is developed, or in which a person or organism lives, modifying and determining its life or character.

• In biology, ecology, and environmental science, an environment is the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors that surround and act upon an organism or ecosystem.

• The natural environment is such an environment that is relatively unaffected by human activity.
  • environmentalism is a concern with the preservation of the natural environment, especially from human pollution, and the ethics and politics associated with this.

More on [ Environment ]

BBC News | Science & Environment | World Edition

Leaders 'likely' to go to summit
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:50:48 -0000
At least 40 world leaders are likely to attend December's UN climate summit in a bid to secure a new global treaty.
Studies 'overstate species risks'
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:25:37 -0000
Some large-scale studies appear to overestimate the threats of climate change on biodiversity, a study suggests.
Minister 'backs adviser autonomy'
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:24:37 -0000
The government will produce guidelines on the independence of its scientific advisers, Science Minister Lord Drayson says.

NYT > Environment

Rules on Modified Corn Skirted, Study Says
By ANDREW POLLACK Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:34:42 -0000
As many as 25 percent of the American farmers growing genetically engineered corn are no longer complying with federal rules intended to maintain the resistance of the crops to damage from insects.
Democrats Push Climate Bill Through Panel Without G.O.P. Debate
By JOHN M. BRODER Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:50:25 -0000
The move suggested that President Obama and Democratic supporters of the bill will have serious problems assembling the votes needed to enact it when it comes to the Senate floor.
California Water Overhaul Caps Use
By JENNIFER STEINHAUER Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:12:43 -0000
Lawmakers passed bills to address a protracted drought in the biggest water overhaul since the 1960s.

ENN: Climate

Climate Summit to host 40 heads of state
Some 40 heads of state plan to attend a U.N. meeting in December in Copenhagen meant to agree a global warming deal, the U.N. climate chief said on Friday.
U.N. Climate Treaty May Need Year-Long Extension
A U.N. climate treaty may need an extra year beyond a December deadline to agree details, delegates at U.N. talks said on Thursday even as a U.S. Senate committee approved a carbon-capping bill. The Nov. 2-6 meeting of 175 nations in Spain, turned gloomy about salvaging a strong deal after two years of negotiations.
Geoengineering Being Discussed in Washington
Dr. Ken Caldeira, of the Carnegie Institution of Washington provided a balanced look at the potential benefits and also the costs and possible harm that geoengineering techniques could offer in our quest to find a “Magic Bullet” to counter global warming. Can global warming be mitigated by a technological fix such as injecting light-blocking particles into the atmosphere or chemically “scrubbing” excess greenhouse gases from the atmosphere? Department of Global Ecology scientist Ken Caldeira addressed this question in his testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology in a hearing titled “Geoengineering: Assessing the Implications of Large-Scale Climate Intervention” on November 5, 2009.

L.A. Times - Environment

Senate panel OKs sweeping climate bill
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
Democrats bypass a Republican boycott and approve a plan to limit greenhouse gases. The GOP wanted more cost analysis. Backers say the move gives the U.S. credibility ahead of talks in Copenhagen. In a move that stoked optimism for global climate negotiations but raised tempers on Capitol Hill, Democrats on a key Senate committee swept aside a Republican boycott Thursday to pass a far-reaching plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
Dow agrees to address pollution at Midwest site
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
The chemical firm is a major employer in the Michigan region but is responsible for fouling a river valley. Every spring, Dow Chemical sponsors a fishing tournament "celebrating all things walleye" on the river that flows past its sprawling world headquarters.
Developer ordered to pay settlement for draining Huntington Beach wetland
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
Beachfront Village LLC agrees to pay the $250,000 penalty for draining, filling in and leveling a marsh next to the Cabrillo Mobile Home Park. It also must restore the environmentally sensitive area. A developer was ordered Thursday to pay coastal regulators a $250,000 settlement for draining a Huntington Beach wetland and trying to build a parking lot in its place.

National Geographic News

APOCALYPSE PICTURES: 10 Failed Doomsday Prophecies
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0000
Just as some people today believe a Maya calendar pinpoints 2012 as the end of the world as we know it, people through centuries and across cultures have long forecast our collective doom.
New Type of Supernova Discovered
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0000
A star explosion that blazed as bright as ten billion suns but faded away within 20 days might be the first proof of a theoretical new class of supernova, astronomers suggest.
Even Babies Have "Accents," Crying Study Finds
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0000
Newborn babies start learning language in the womb—and are born with accent-like intonations, a new study of crying babies says.

USDA - Natural Resources

Statement from Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Regarding Animal Health and 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Influenza

Response to Drudge Item on Recovery Act Funding

Remarks by First Lady Michelle Obama at the U.S. Department Of Agriculture


The Economist: The environment

Religion and climate change: Sounding the trumpet
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:01:12 -0000
A link-up between faith and greenery brings unlikely people together ENVIRONMENTALISM is a hard corner to fight in Louisiana, a state where oil, gas and chemical companies are big in the economy and politics. But it takes a lot to frighten Albertha Hasten, a larger-than-life campaigner for poor citizens, and above all for fellow African-Americans, who in her view suffer disproportionately from contamination of the air, water and soil. In her small, rickety home town of White Castle, the tap-water often comes out “blacker than me”, she has complained. Mrs Hasten fights the cause of communities affected by oil spills in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and she makes indignant phone calls to the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC, to say federal pollution standards are being violated. And like many people in and around New Orleans, she fears the city could again be threatened if sea levels rise and hurricanes become even more frequent as a result of climate change. ...
Climate change and public opinion: (Not yet) marching as to war
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:01:12 -0000
Even as politicians and protesters gear up for a fateful climate-change meeting in Denmark, some of their fellow citizens have little stomach for a fight IF THE forthcoming United Nations meeting in Copenhagen truly is a precious chance to save the planet from rising seas and advancing deserts, then one might expect voters all over the world to be egging on their leaders to make bold decisions. That is the impression created by a wave of eye-catching demonstrations—such as the globally co-ordinated protest on October 24th that called, ambitiously, for carbon concentration in the atmosphere to be kept at 350 parts per million (see above). But awkwardly, there are clear signs in several democracies of sentiment moving in the other direction. ...
Agriculture and satellites: Harvest moon
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:01:12 -0000
Artificial satellites are helping farmers boost crop yieldsFOR farmers, working out the optimal amount of seed, fertiliser, pesticide and water to scatter on a field can make, or break, the subsequent harvest. Regular laboratory analyses of soil and plant samples from various parts of the field can help—but such expertise is costly, and often unavailable. A new and cheaper method of doing this analysis, though, is now on offer. Precise prescriptions for growing crops can be obtained quickly, and less expensively, by measuring electromagnetic radiation reflected from farmland. The data are collected by orbiting satellites.The spectrum of this radiation—which can be in the form of either natural sunlight or artificial radar—can reveal, with surprising precision, the properties of the soil, the quantity of crop being grown, and the levels in those crops of chlorophyll, various minerals, moisture and other indicators of their quality. If recent and forecast weather data are added to the mix, detailed maps can be produced indicating exactly how, where and when crops should be grown. The service usually costs less than $15 per hectare for a handful of readings a year, and can increase yields by as much as 10%. ...

Reuters: Environment

Forty leaders plan to attend climate talks: U.N.
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:56:11 -0500
BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - About 40 world leaders plan to go to Copenhagen next month to boost the chances of clinching a U.N. climate deal, the United Nations said Friday as preparatory talks wound down with scant progress.
EU to fight for tuna protection at global talks
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:53:57 -0500
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Fishing nations must cut the amount of Atlantic bluefin tuna they catch and protect porbeagle and thresher sharks, European fisheries commissioner Joe Borg said on Friday ahead of international talks.
Study suggests peat CO2 credits more valuable
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:03:29 -0500
JAKARTA (Reuters) - An Indonesia-based study shows carbon-rich tropical peat lands trap more greenhouse gases than first thought, driving up their potential value on the carbon market and strengthening a case for their protection.

PR-inside.com News

Hydropower Energy Technologies Analysed in New Global Research Report
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:21:29 -0000
The report “Hydropower Energy Technologies Worldwide” available at http://www.reportbuyer.com/go/SBI00057 presents an in-depth analysis of the development, applications, products, manufacturers, and trends in the development of the hydropower resources in the United States and around the world. This 176 page report includes both primary and secondary research. Secondary research data has been obtained from government sources, trade association publications, business journals, and company literature. Topics include the full gamut of hydropower generation, from conventional hydropower to newer wave energy and hydrokinetic technologies, from very large systems providing electricity to millions of people to the smallest systems suitable for a single family. Accounting
History of Air Conditioning
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:20:06 -0000
Air conditioning is a relatively modern invention, but the cooling of buildings is not. The circulation of aqueduct water through walls to cool certain houses, this is known to been applied in Ancient Rome. Over history as early as 1758 two professors of chemistry at Cambridge University, Benjamin Franklin and John Hadley were conducting experiments to explore the principle of rapidly cooling objects. They confirmed that alcohol and ether could freeze an object past the freezing point of water. The first electrical air conditioning unit was invented after many years of experimenting, and in 1902 by Willis Haviland Carrier in Buffalo New
SGS Exhibits at the Korea Green Energy Show 2009
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:42:27 -0000
The Korea Green Energy Show 2009, which took place in Seoul from October 13 to 16, is the most important exhibition dedicated to the energy industry in Korea. The energy event provided an excellent occasion to present energy-related products and technologies and successfully gathered energy experts and practitioners to share their knowledge and experience within the industry. The participation in this event was a good opportunity for SGS Industrial Services not only to stay up-to-date with new technologies and the latest developments in the energy industry, but also to demonstrate its Wind Energy Services throughout the project life cycle of wind

NPR Topics: Environment

Gore Urges Obama To Take Lead On Climate Change
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:06:00 -0500
In his new book, Al Gore argues that consumers have "all the tools we need" to solve climate change. But unless the United States takes a leadership role, "it would be impossible to resolve this crisis," he tells NPR.
Can Oceans Survive The Human Appetite For Seafood?
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500
Faced with declining fish stocks, many nations are looking for sustainable ways to have their fish — and eat it too. But how much fishing is too much? Oceanographer Sylvia Earle discusses this and other topics in her book The World is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean's Are One.
A Trip To Sumatra To Hear a Gibbon's Call
Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:51:00 -0500
The Gibbon, a smaller member of the primate family, is well-known for its long arms and hands. Its speed makes it difficult to see, but its distinctive call is easy to identify. A trip to the rainforests of Indonesia by plane from New York, followed by a crumbling 30-year-old propeller plane, and by foot finally yielded a call from the elusive gibbon.

UN News Centre - Environment, Shelter

UN calls for strengthening of environmental laws in armed conflict
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Environmental protection laws in times of conflict should be clarified, strengthened and enforced o better protect States' natural assets during times of war, according to a report released today by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
UN official still hopeful for strong climate deal as latest talks end
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500
As the last negotiating session before next month's United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen concluded today, a senior official with the world body called on countries to push ahead to deliver on a strong international agreement to tackle global warming.
SEAL THE DEAL: Climate change illustrates need for better water management
Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Water is at the centre of many of the worst natural disasters. Too much of it and there are floods that inundate homes and cropland and displace thousands of people. Too little of it, and there can be droughts that ruin harvests and destroy the livelihoods of entire communities.

Environment

Designing and Implementing Large Scale Energy Efficient Lighting Programs (Part 2)
B-SPAN On March 31April 2, 2009, the World Bank held Energy Week 2009 in the spirit of gathering field specialists, practitioners and policymakers to discuss energy and development issues. The conference was organized by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), The Energy and Mining Sector Board and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). The objective of this event was to enable leading energy experts to provide and exchange solutions and insights towards the current challenges in global energy issues.
Designing and Implementing Large Scale Energy Efficient Lighting Programs (Part 1)
B-SPAN On March 31April 2, 2009, the World Bank held Energy Week 2009 in the spirit of gathering field specialists, practitioners and policymakers to discuss energy and development issues. The conference was organized by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), The Energy and Mining Sector Board and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). The objective of this event was to enable leading energy experts to provide and exchange solutions and insights towards the current challenges in global energy issues.
Energy Transport Joint Plenary 1 Technology and Energy Innovations for Clean Transport
B-SPAN On March 31April 2, 2009, the World Bank held Energy Week 2009 in the spirit of gathering field specialists, practitioners and policymakers to discuss energy and development issues. The conference was organized by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), The Energy and Mining Sector Board and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). The objective of this event was to enable leading energy experts to provide and exchange solutions and insights towards the current challenges in global energy issues.

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