Scientists are now saying that this summer could be the first in recorded history that the Arctic Circle may have an unobstructed full waterway that can be traversed unimpeded by ice from one end to the other. This could also spark a rise in ocean levels for coastal regions across the Atlantic Basin.

Honeybees are vanishing at alarming rates across the United States and researchers are struggling to pinpoint the exact cause of the decline. So far it is estimated that at least 36 percent of the colonies have vanished which is double that of a normal winter die-off.

2000 square kilometers of Kenya’s Tana River Delta, inhabited by 350 species of birds, lions, elephants, rare sharks and reptiles, is about to be converted to sugar cane production over the objections of conservationists and local communities.

Whalers and conservationists consider backing off a 22-year-old international hunting moratorium in order to curb unregulated whaling that’s in defiance of the ban.

The Beijing Olympics are putting a strain on already-tight water supplies, says a new report from NGO Probe International. Preparations for the Games have sucked up 52 billion gallons of water above normal consumption this year, in a city that already consumes more water than is naturally supplied. Beijing’s two main reservoirs are at less than 10 percent of capacity, and, not helping matters, rainfall in the past decade has been 28 percent lower than the historical average.

Around the world, pockets of land lie fallow that could help meet the world’s ever-growing energy demands. Some of this former agricultural land was once pasture grazed by cattle, and some was cropland that was abandoned for greener fields or because of changing needs. Now, research published in ES&T (DOI 10.1021/es800052w) maps abandoned agricultural land worldwide and finds enough available to grow crops for ethanol or other energy uses to meet up to 8% of the world’s current energy demand. Most importantly, planting these crops would not take away land now used to grow food and would not contribute to deforestation.

On June 26th California legislatures introduced a detailed plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels in 12 years by requiring more energy-efficient appliances and buildings, lowering vehicle emissions and generating 33 percent of its energy from renewable sources. Under the plan the greatest source of reductions would come from capping emissions from utilities, industrial facilities and other businesses, while allowing them to use permits to emit authorized amounts of pollutants. The companies could buy and sell these permits with their counterparts in seven Western states and three Canadian provinces.

In a related story to the above — In an effort to make riding bus and rail lines even more appealing, the U.S. House of Representatives this week moved to provide $1.7 billion to help transit agencies pay higher fuel costs, limit fare hikes and expand service. California would receive about $266 million. The bill now goes for approval by the U.S. Senate then off to the White House for the President’s signature. There isn’t expected to be much to hold up the bill on its route to President Bush.