Coral growth since 1990 in Australia's Great Barrier Reef has fallen to its lowest rate for 400 years, in a troubling sign for the world's oceans, researchers said on Thursday.

Several Japanese firms will kick off new projects to build geothermal power plans this year for the first time in nearly two decades, the Nikkei business daily reported on Saturday.

Some states – including Michigan – already see renewable energy as their future: It's the only sector that appears to be making room for more employees despite the recession.

The amount of electricity generated in the state by solar energy soared in 2008, and applications for rebates under the state's Million Solar Roofs program reached record levels in the last five months of the year.

Can a remedy serve for both global warming and poverty?

Subtle rises in temperature make for wild weather; "exceptionally unusual" becomes the new normal.

Recent research shows that melting icebergs in the ocean around Antarctica may actually slow global warming. The iron particles they carry feed algae blooms that suck up CO2. Could man-made algae blooms in the frigid waters help combat climate change?

Starting in 2011, state regulators want retailers to sell only the most energy-efficient models of power hungry LCD and plasma sets. The industry opposes the new rules and warns of higher prices.

A recent report from Ceres shows that many companies are still "largely ignoring climate change." The study, which included 63 of the world's largest consumer and information technology companies, reveals that only 11 have their boards receive climate-specific updates from management.

Japan's Nissan Motor Co and NEC Corp will invest at least $1.1 billion to make lithium-ion batteries for about 200,000 electric and hybrid cars annually in 2011 or later, the Nikkei business daily said on Monday.

A trove of oil shale may be a boon. But the science to extract fuel is imperfect, and locals worry about their water supplies, which ultimately feed Southern California reservoirs.

With a hearty "All Aboard," Phoenix launched a sleek new $1.4 billion light-rail system on Saturday amid uncertainty people will hop out of their cars and onto the train.

Japan plans to bring back subsidies for solar panel equipment from January, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry said on Wednesday, as the world's fifth-biggest emitter struggles to cut its greenhouse gas emissions.

Arguments of 2009: Can Copenhagen save the planet? At the last full-scale United Nations conference on global warming, in Bali, the man in charge broke down and wept. Expect three furious arguments between now and then.

Editorial opinion: If the Obama administration is to meet its twin objectives of reducing the consumption of foreign oil and cutting emissions, it needs to curb the nation's demand for energy. It is time for the president-elect and Congress to think seriously about imposing a tax on gasoline.

A plan to build the United States' first offshore wind farm took another step forward on Tuesday, after the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection approved its proposed undersea cables to transmit power to the mainland.

So what about Africa? The continent’s lack of electricity is a big deterrent to foreign investors, as demand for power grows by 8% a year. Some experts think the Rift Valley, which stretches from the northern end of the Red Sea down to Mozambique, is ideal for generating geothermal power.

UK energy regulator Ofgem is proposing reforms to the regulatory framework for electricity transmission network to speed up the connection of renewable and other low-carbon electricity generation.

EDF Energies Nouvelles has announced the commissioning and official opening of the La Narbonnaise solar photovoltaic power plant in the Aude region of France. With capacity of 7 megawatts, the solar farm – built in 2008 – is the largest solar power plant currently in operation in mainland France.

The electric grid may be able to handle more wind and solar power – way more – than previously thought, according to a new preliminary study.