The rise in the number of glaciers belied the impact of the global warming phenomena in this region with the scientist pointing out that the impact of global warming has never been a factor in the climate of the border state with the state being landlocked and surrounded by the mountainous landscape on all sides.

The People's Republic of China has banned free plastic shopping bags in a move to take effect from June 1, 2008. The decision made by the Chinese Cabinet, the State Council, is intended to reduce the amount of plastic bags used in China, currently being estimated at three billion per day.

A team of biologists have developed a model mapping the control circuit governing a whole free living organism. This is an important milestone for the new field of systems biology and will allow the researchers to model how the organism adapts over time in response to its environment.

Research carried out in the Department of Social Psychology and Methodology of Behaviour Sciences of the University of Granada has shown that the level of academic training is not related to the ecological awareness of people, despite the great proliferation of programs designed to educate and increase social awareness of the environment.

European Union wants smaller, cleaner cars. Car makers will in the future be made to pay if they fail to slash the vehicles' emissions of carbon dioxide. Brussels has unveiled controversial proposals to impose fines on all new cars sold in Europe that exceed a set limit for CO2. The fines will start in 2012 and rise sharply every year.

A US-European standoff headed toward a compromise solution late on Friday at the UN climate conference, breaking a deadlock over how ambitious the goal should be in negotiating future cutbacks in global-warming gases, the UN climate chief said.

Nigeria has more oil than any other African country. But it can't keep the lights on, writes Samantha Chang.

We can disguise environmentally harmful practices and dress them up in words to help ease our consciences, argues Albert Bandura of the Department of Psychology at Stanford University, but such practices will have a negative impact on the planet and the quality of life of future generations, no matter how we label them.

For the first time in five years the United States has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions in the world's biggest polluting country fell by 1.5 per cent last year, the first decline since 2001, and only the third reduction since 1990.

Controversial hemp farmer Ulf Hammarsten of Sweden, has been awarded an environmental prize by officials Laholm for fighting all the way to the EU (European Union) courts against the ban on the cultivation of industrial hemp.

Greenpeace urged European Union Wednesday to reject the use of two biotech corn crops. The environmental group staged a protest at EU headquarters, arguing the crops pose a major risk to insects like butterflies and could damage local ecosystems.

The Chinese government has rejected concerns its massive Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydroelectric project in the world, is a threat to the Yangtze River's environment and people. Despite criticism, they say the dam is actually a positive force on the environment and has improved the lives of locals.