International

"As the Arctic melts and organic matter decays, vast stores of carbon in the permafrost will be released triggering an unstoppable feedback system."

"What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic. That will be a key message over the next two years when the United States holds the rotating chair of the Arctic Council, a group that fosters cooperation between the eight countries sharing the Arctic region."

"For the better part of the last century, crude oil prices have swung like a pendulum, pushing and pulling the fortunes of nations. More often than not, global supplies of the volatile commodity were controlled by the rulers of desert domains who would otherwise have been powerless had it not been for the oil that bubbled beneath their thrones." Not any more.

"John Kerry is heading north. On Friday, the U.S. Secretary of State will travel to the Canadian Arctic city of Iqualuit, Nunavut, where he will take temporary reins of the Arctic Council, a forum that could ultimately determine the fate of the Arctic."

Phyllis Omido, a Kenyan mother, started a campaign to shut down a battery-recycling operation after her 2-1/2-year-old son was diagnosed with lead poisoning. She is one of six recipients worldwide of the prestigious Goldman Prize."

"Storm surge thrown onshore by tropical systems can kill, destroy property and reshape coastlines. Here’s another negative for the list: Depending on the makeup of the soil and local infrastructure, it can also contaminate water deep in the ground."

"Honduras is the deadliest place for environmental activists with scores of Hondurans killed defending land rights and the environment from mining, dam projects and logging, a campaign group said on Monday."

"Twenty-five major oil companies, oil-producing nations and development institutions agreed on Friday to end the practice of routine flaring of natural gas by 2030 at thousands of oil production sites around the world."

"The first three months of 2015 were the warmest start to any year on record, according to new data released from NASA on Wednesday."

"BP shareholders voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to publish regular updates on how its strategies were affecting climate change from next year, making it one of the first global oil companies to disclose such details."