National (U.S.)

"Forests of dead beetle-kill could be speeding regional climate change, increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfalls across the American West."

"The Interior Department said Tuesday that it would investigate a decision made by the Bush administration to grant low royalty rates for oil shale development in the Rocky Mountains."

"Columbia University’s dual masters program in environmental journalism has been suspended, according to the school’s Web site ...." The reason: "the current weakness in the job market for environmental journalists,"

Some think Rush Limbaugh's call for New York Times reporter Andy Revkin to kill himself may have a detrimental effect on civil discourse in the U.S.

"In a split decision, a federal appeals court has upheld the convictions of six animal-rights activists charged under a terrorism statute with using their Web site to incite threats and vandalism against a company that tests products on animals."

Chamber of Commerce switching sides on climate? Some major media initially swallowed a hoax yesterday by the anti-corporate pranksters calling themselves the Yes Men. The event occurred at a time when the Chamber was in political disarray.

"The Energy Department has concluded in an internal audit that it does not properly track whether manufacturers that give their appliances an Energy Star label have met the required specifications for energy efficiency."

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson declares in an NPR interview: "EPA is back on the job working on behalf of the American people for public health, for environmental quality."

"The Obama administration rejected a proposed endangered species listing today for Alaska's spotted seals, saying the animals would adapt to climate change. Environmentalists, who had petitioned for the listing by citing threats to the seal from Arctic oil and gas development and melting sea ice, expressed outrage over the decision."

"The National Park Service has approved a plan to restrict the number of snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park to fewer than half last winter’s limit."