United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has visited Antarctica on a climate change fact-finding mission. He is the first UN leader to make an official visit to the frozen continent.

In many parts of Europe wild animals like bears and wolves are making a comeback, and in one country the bear population is flourishing.

Humanity is changing Earth's climate so fast and devouring resources so voraciously that it is poised to bequeath a ravaged planet to future generations, the United Nations warned in its most comprehensive survey of the environment.

Energy poses one of the greatest threats facing humanity this century, the world's leading academies of science warned, highlighting the peril of oil wars and climate change driven by addiction to fossil fuels.

President Bush went fishing Saturday. Before he did, he took action to protect migratory birds and two species of fish. President Bush went fishing off the coast of Maryland's Eastern Shore under clear blue skies. The trip was to recognize America's recreational fishers who contribute more than $40 billion annually to the U.S. economy.

Scientists in Britain have found that the Atlantic Ocean is soaking up less carbon dioxide than it was previously. The amount of CO2 it absorbs has fallen by half in the past 10 years.

A study by an industry group representing tanker operators says carbon dioxide emissions from the global shipping industry have risen dramatically.

Australia and other owners of the Antarctic territories may be ill-prepared to face a major environmental challenge to the continent, according to a Queensland University of Technology academic.

A new survey into the world's greenest and most livable countries has concluded that out of 141 countries reviewed, Finland is the greenest.

Environmentalists say overuse of the Earth's resources is causing the world to go into ecological debt. Researchers have been trying to pinpoint the date in each year when all the resources generated in that year are used up.

Americans remain pessimistic about the state of the environment and want prompt action taken to improve its health, according to the second annual ''America's Report Card on the Environment''-a national public opinion survey conducted by the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University in collaboration with the Associated Press.

The New South Wales Government has agreed to stop logging activities in sections of some Riverina state forests after a five-day protest. Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald says Forests New South Wales will refrain from logging 11 forest compartments nominated by the National Parks Association (NPA).