Rig Runs Aground in Alaska, Reviving Fears About Arctic Drilling

One of Shell Oil’s two Arctic drilling rigs is beached on an island in the Gulf of Alaska, threatening environmental damage from a fuel spill and calling into question Shell’s plans to resume drilling in the treacherous waters north of Alaska in the summer.

Fiscal Cliff Deal Extends Wind Tax Credits One Year

The wind energy industry in the U.S. breathed a sigh of relief as Congress passed a fiscal cliff deal on Tuesday that included an extension of the wind energy tax credits for wind projects that start in 2013.

West Antarctic Ice Sheet Warming Twice Earlier Estimate

US researchers say they found the first evidence of warming during the southern hemisphere's summer months. They are worried that the increased melting of ice as a result of warmer temperatures could contribute to sea-level rise.

Gas Prices Hit Record High in 2012

Annual gas prices hit a record high in 2012, the AAA motor club said Monday. On average, the national gas price for the year was $3.60 per gallon, eclipsing last year’s record of $3.51 per gallon. AAA attributed the increase to weather events and global turmoil.

Chernobyl Mammals Tracked in Snow

Scientists studying the ecology of the Chernobyl exclusion zone in Ukraine have made the most of freezing conditions there - using footprints in the snow to study the population of mammals. (Slideshow)

Emerald Coal Sued In Pennsylvania For Allegedly Polluting Waterways

A citizens' group has sued a longwall mining company in southwestern Pennsylvania, claiming it is polluting key waterways — including at least one high-quality fishing stream — that feed the Monongahela River.

12 Eco-Stories to Restore Your Faith in Humanity

We often hear people complaining that there is much more bad news in the media than good news. This is even frequently the case with eco-news. Looking back over 2012, it turns out that there were plenty of upbeat eco-stories this year that demonstrate how individuals, schools, companies and even cities are making positive impacts. Click through to see a dozen stories that might just help restore your faith in humanity.

Leading Environmentalist Rebecca Tarbotton of Rainforest Action Network Dies at 39

In case you missed the sad news, Leading environmentalist and human rights champion Rebecca "Becky" Tarbotton, executive director of the organization Rainforest Action Network (RAN), has died at the age of 39. Tarbotton was vacationing in Mexico with her husband and passed away after a swimming accident.

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A Christmas Day tornado touched down west of downtown Mobile, Ala., on Tuesday afternoon, during a live weather broadcast.

At least one man is dead as severe winter storms struck across the country on Christmas day, bringing heavy snow, dangerous conditions, and even tornadoes to several regions. A tornado touched down in Alabama, damaging homes and knocking down power lines and trees. In Texas, a 25-year-old man was killed after high winds knocked a tree onto his truck. Others were injured and a dozen buildings were damaged when a tornado struck Louisiana, and homes were damaged in a Mississippi storm. Quarter-sized hail pelted western Louisiana, and in Oklahoma, icy roads led to a 21-car pileup. There were, however, no injuries. Travelers in the Gulf Coast are being warned to stay home due to the severe weather conditions. Parts of Indiana, Kentucky and Arkansas are expecting between 4 to ten inches of sleet and snow and Christmas winds could hit between 70 and 80 mph.

Here in Michigan, the local weather says that snow is expected to reach us at around noon today, with blizzard conditions possible.

Stay safe and warm wherever you are.

Hilarity ensued in response to Randall's tale of the “crazy ass honey badger.” Watch what the walruses have to say about their disappearing habitat as Randall narrates.

In the last 30 years, we’ve lost as much as three-quarters of the floating sea ice cover at the top of the world. The volume of that sea ice measured by satellites in the summer, when it reaches its smallest, has shrunk so fast that scientists say it’s now in a ‘death spiral’.

For over 800,000 years, ice has been a permanent feature of the Arctic ocean. It’s melting because of our use of dirty fossil fuel energy, and in the near future it could be ice free for the first time since humans walked the Earth. This would be not only devastating for the people, polar bears, narwhals, walruses and other species that live there - but for the rest of us too.

The ice at the top of the world reflects much of the sun’s heat back into space and keeps our whole planet cool, stabilizing the weather systems that we depend on to grow our food. Protecting the ice means protecting us all.

If you'd like to sign Greenpeace's petition asking to have the Arctic declared a global sanctuary, free from things like drilling for oil, you can do so here.

The Arctic ice we all depend on is disappearing. Fast. Soon it could be ice free for the first time since humans walked the Earth. This would be not only devastating for the people, polar bears, narwhals, walruses and other species that live there - but for the rest of us too.

Oil companies are using melting sea ice to drill for more of the oil that is causing global warming in the first place. In fact, Shell’s Arctic fleet will be arriving any day now to begin exploratory drilling off the coast of Alaska this summer. That's just madness. It's time for us to take back sanity from those who have lost the plot.

Our leaders won't listen to her, but they'll listen to you. What do you have to say to those who want to destroy the Arctic?

Greenpeace, Jude Law, Radiohead and hundreds of thousands of people around the world are coming together to demand we save the Arctic from oil drilling, industrial fishing and militarization. Join us at http://www.savethearctic.org