International

"It is no secret that the world’s oceans are swimming with plastic debris — the first floating masses of trash were discovered in the 1990s. But researchers are starting to get a better sense of the size and scope of the problem."

"UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stepped up his call for all nations rich and poor alike to fight global warming, seeking to break a dispute over which should move first to rein in fossil-fuel pollution."

"Negotiators pored over draft outlines for a UN pact to curb global warming on Monday, hoping for a breakthrough ahead of the arrival in Lima of ministers and the UN chief."

"HOUSTON — The price of crude oil continued to collapse on Monday, plunging to a five-year low, as oil giants began to scale back their drilling ambitions and pare the ranks of their workers."

"Prince William will begin his US tour by branding the illegal wildlife trade as one of the most “insidious forms of corruption” in the world. The Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge arrived in New York last night for a three-day visit that has generated much excitement among New Yorkers."

"LIMA -- Negotiators at U.N. climate talks in Lima are divided over whether governments should include finance and adaptation commitments in the national offers of action they are due to put forward early next year as the building blocks of a new global climate change deal."

Ravaged by the radioactive legacy of nuclear weapons testing, the Pacific Island of Enewetak is now threatened by sea level rise.

"China offered new details on its commitment to rein in greenhouse gases and called on rich nations to speed up delivery of the $100 billion in annual climate-related aid they’ve promised by 2020."

Parts of the Antarctic ice sheet are melting faster than anyone expected.

"The U.S. has no plans to strengthen its 'highly aggressive but achievable' pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions up to 28 percent over the next decade as it resumes negotiations that are to conclude with an international climate accord in 2015, the top U.S. climate negotiator said Dec. 1."