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

'Coldest place' found on the Moon
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:14:03 -0000
The coldest place in the Solar System yet measured by a spacecraft has been found to be on our Moon.
UK science faces funding cutbacks
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:36:44 -0000
The Science and Technology Facilities Council announces cuts in research funding that critics say could damage UK science.
Violence follows common patterns
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:16:19 -0000
Researchers uncover common patterns in the scale and timings of violent attacks across a variety of different conflicts.

NYT > Environment

Climate Talks Near Deal to Save Forests
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:52:24 -0000
Negotiators were closing in on a sweeping deal that would compensate countries for preserving forests and other natural landscapes.
Police Beat Back Massed Climate Protesters
By TOM ZELLER Jr. and JOHN M. BRODER Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:17:51 -0000
Police officers fired tear gas and wielded batons on Wednesday to beat back hundreds of demonstrators at the climate meeting.
Reporter’s Notebook: In Copenhagen, ‘To Be Elaborated’ Is a Stalemate
By ANDREW C. REVKIN and JOHN M. BRODER Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:24:11 -0000
The top United Nations climate official said the many disputes at the climate conference reflected the challenge of finding common ground among 193 countries.

ENN: Climate

Carbon capture ruled out of UN clean projects list
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) will not be added to the list of technologies that industrial countries can invest in to offset their emissions, after some countries expressed their reservations at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen. International climate negotiators have been debating whether to accept capturing CO2 from industrial installations and storing it underground (CCS) as a means of contributing to emission cuts. But they delayed any decisions until next year at the earliest, as no consensus was reached.
Ski Industry on the Front Lines of Global Warming
Over the past 16 years, the ski season has been steadily shrinking -- despite the fact resorts dramatically have improved their snowmaking, expanding it over a wider area and investing in technology that allows them to make snow at warmer temperatures. But according to the National Ski Areas Association, Western ski resorts have been losing nearly a day of skiing a year since 1990. Whether you call it global warming or climate change, warming temperatures -- last week's cold snap notwithstanding -- are having a serious long-range effect on skiing.
NASA Study Shows Major Groundwater Loss in California Since 2003
A new study released by NASA shows that the aquifers for California's primary agricultural region -- the Central Valley -- and its major mountain water source -- the Sierra Nevadas -- have lost nearly enough water combined to fill Lake Mead, America's largest reservoir. The findings, based on data from the NASA/German Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (Grace), reflect California's extended drought and increased rates of groundwater being pumped for human uses, such as irrigation.

L.A. Times - Environment

Developing nations hold the key to Copenhagen climate agreement
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800
Rich nations still hold some bargaining chips, but many negotiators and observers say key decisions by poor and emerging nations will make or break any deal. The world's poorest and fastest-growing developing nations appear, increasingly, to hold the fate of a new climate agreement in their hands. The choice they face is, deal or no deal?
U.N. chief weighs in on climate talk expectations
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he expects a final treaty to be signed by mid-2010. He also defends the U.N.'s role as the overseer of funding from developed to developing nations. As negotiations for a global climate change convention entered their final stages in Copenhagen, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sat down with Times Foreign Editor Bruce Wallace to discuss the prospects for a deal, and whether rich nations are looking to curb the United Nations' role in overseeing the billions of dollars that may be transferred from the developed to the developing world.
Climate change e-mail scandal underscores myth of pure science
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800
The East Anglia controversy serves as a reminder that when the politics are divisive and the science is sufficiently complex, the boundary between the two may become indiscernible. As two scholars with different political orientations but common concerns, we have each worked to challenge conventional wisdom that has undermined public understanding of the climate change problem. Many Republicans have been too reluctant to acknowledge strong evidence of human-caused warming and the need for prudent policies that could reduce its harmful effects. Democrats have let their own political judgments and values infect climate science and its interpretation, often understating the uncertainties about the timing and scale of future risks, and the tremendous costs and difficulties of effective action.

National Geographic News

SPACE PHOTOS THIS WEEK: Geminids, Two-Faced Moon, More
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0000
A superbright meteor pierces the California sky, Hubble unveils its "holiday wreath," dust helps solve a Saturn moon mystery, and more in our selection of the week's best space pictures.
Under Yellowstone, Magma Pocket 20% Larger Than Thought
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0000
The massive column of molten rock that feeds the park's volcano dives deeper and fills a magma chamber bigger than previous estimates, according to the most detailed model yet of the region's plumbing.
PHOTOS: Ten Environmental Losses of 2009
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0000
The environment—and the environmental movement—suffered significant setbacks in 2009, experts say. Among the lowlights: Lemurs became food, a lot of ice became water, and in the Caribbean some sharks became nonexistent.

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

The Copenhagen climate conference: Green enough?
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:34:43 -0000
Gloom and doom in a very big roomSome 35,000 asked to get in, but the convention centre holds only 15,000. I am one of those lucky 15,000, here to cover the opening of the Copenhagen climate conference (COP15), which is supposed to hash out some sort of agreement to follow the Kyoto protocol. ...
The Copenhagen talks: Seeking compromise
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:44:49 -0000
Slow, if any, progress is being made at the Copenhagen climate-change talksTHE Copenhagen climate conference is supposed to be making a fresh start, as ministers and heads of government prepare to arrive in the Danish capital in the coming days. Instead, it has endured a fresh stall. The meeting was to focus on two sparkling new texts that are notable at least for their concision. The draft statement for one of the two main “tracks” of discussion (on long term co-operation) has shrunk from 179 pages at the beginning of last week to six.But on Monday December 14th progress on the substantial discussions stuttered, more or less, to a halt as poorer countries, grouped as G77 and China, walked out temporarily. By the time things had started again some of the sessions were facing their first late-night negotiations. There will be a lot more. ...
The Copenhagen climate talks: Filthy lucre fouls the air
Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:59:12 -0000
Arguments over money dampened the euphoria that marked the start of talks on a global deal to limit greenhouse gases DESPITE the gloomy talk that preceded the UN climate conference, the opening was upbeat. Most big countries had vowed to cut or limit emissions during the previous few weeks. As delegates arrived, America’s Environmental Protection Agency announced that carbon-dioxide emissions were an “endangerment” to health. This allows Barack Obama to regulate them, whatever Congress does. The happiness did not last. On December 8th a draft agreement which had been discussed some weeks ago was leaked to the Guardian. It caused a furore. The “Danish text” had been circulated by the hosts, but not to all parties; and it seems to confirm the futility of moves towards the legally binding treaty that many still want. ...

Reuters: Environment

White House backs $5 bln clean energy tax credit
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:33:35 -0500
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday proposed a $5 billion expansion of a clean energy tax credit as the White House unveiled the latest part of its push to tackle double-digit U.S. unemployment.
U.S. joins $3.5 bln scheme to fight deforestation
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:12:33 -0500
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The United States has pledged $1 billion as part of a $3.5 billion scheme as initial financing toward slowing deforestation, a major contributor to climate change, a U.S. government statement said on Wednesday.
Danish police hold 240 climate protesters
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:49:27 -0500
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish police detained 240 people on Wednesday when protesters stormed barricades around a global climate summit and briefly broke through a police cordon, witnesses and a police spokesman said.

PR-inside.com News

Clean, Green Power For N.M. Entertainment Industry Through Jetstream Wind, Inc
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:28:55 -0000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Public Relations, Jetstream Wind, Inc. Phone: 505-467-8134 Email: publicrelations@jetstreamwind.com Website: http://www.jetstreamwind.com December 16, 2009 Clean, Green Power For N.M. Entertainment Industry Through Jetstream Wind Santa Fe, New Mexico – December 16, 2009 Jetstream Wind, Inc., a developer of breakthrough energy technology and milestone producer in the renewable energy industry, combines efforts and creates Remote Renewable Resources, LLC as a way to develop and generate clean, reliable and cost-effective power to remote and off-grid locations worldwide. Remote Renewable Resources, a sister corporation to Jetstream Wind, Inc. was formed in October of 2009, by Henry Herman, CEO of Jetstream Wind, Inc., Jeane Champion
Newly published market report: Angola Mining Report Q4 2009
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:26:18 -0000
The slump in global commodities prices is likely to have a severe impact on Angola's mining sector, with producers already beginning to scale back operations in the country. The diamond sector is likely to be the hardest hit, as demand falls and prices drop. In January 2009, Russian diamond company ALROSA announced that it was unlikely to resume exploration at its Catoca venture in Angola in 2009, due to the impact of the global downturn. However, the company has said that it has no plans to leave Angola. Angola was historically a major producer of diamonds, iron ore, gold and
Study: Ukraine petrochemicals output growth of 6.0% in 2009, rising to 8.0% per annum in 2011-2013
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:58:24 -0000
The Ukrainian chemicals and petrochemicals industries have reported a modest recovery from the collapse in January when the country's gas supply was cut off, but 2009 will still be a very difficult year for producers with a deep contraction in output expected followed by a slow recovery, according to BMI's latest Ukraine Petrochemicals Report. In Q109, sales by the chemicals and petrochemicals industries totalled UAH8.76bn, including UAH6.62bn of chemicals and UAH2.13bn of rubber and plastics products. Output of plastics totalled 76,500 tonnes in Q109. However, the plastics industry has recovered from the January low, when the petrochemicals sector effectively ground

NPR Topics: Environment

Answering Listeners' Questions On Climate Summit
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:00:00 -0500
Negotiators at the Copenhagen climate summit are facing an uphill task in their attempt to come up with a political agreement on global warming. Listeners ask how a developing nation is defined, about efforts by some countries to become carbon-free, the difference between global warming and climate change, and what to expect from the summit.
In China, The Green Rush Is On
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:03:00 -0500
China has emerged as the world's top producer of solar panels, and Western companies are eager to cash in on the country's urgent drive for renewable energy resources. It has the Obama administration worried.
In Copenhagen, Trees May Carry The Day
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:22:00 -0500
Climate negotiators in Copenhagen may snatch a small victory from the jaws of defeat Wednesday as they put the final touches on a deal that would pay countries to save carbon-absorbing forests.

UN News Centre - Environment, Shelter

UN embarks on low-carbon future by detailing its own emissions
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500
As one of its first steps towards reducing its greenhouse gas footprint, the United Nations - after one of the most wide-ranging and painstaking exercises in its history - announced today that it emits 1.7 million tons of carbon dioxide annually worldwide.
Ban calls for accelerated action in home stretch of Copenhagen climate talks
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Arriving in Copenhagen, Denmark, today to inject fresh energy into climate change talks, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon exhorted nations to ‘seal the deal' on an ambitious new agreement, warning that the well-being of all of the world's people is at stake.
Oceans acidifying rapidly due to carbon dioxide emissions, says UN-backed study
Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500
The levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would be much higher if oceans did not absorb the amount they do, but this has lead to their rising acidity levels, according to a new United Nations-backed study issued today.

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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