National (U.S.)

"The U.S. drilling frenzy is over. What’s not is the boom in oil production."

"Earlier this month the U.S. Navy's research office rented out a conference center in Washington, D.C., to show off some of its hottest new technology."

Small pilotless remote-controlled "drones," which have promise for many kinds of environmental journalism, are finally coming under tentative regulation from the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA released proposed rules Sunday.

"The government on Friday approved the commercial planting of genetically engineered apples that are resistant to turning brown when sliced or bruised."

Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of the Southern Company, is building a so-called "clean coal" plant in Mississippi. The cost has ballooned from the original estimate of $1.8 billion to the current $6.17 billion (and counting). As the residents of rural Kemper County can tell you, that is just the beginning. It will strip mine lignite from 48 square miles of timber and pasture land.

"All the recent declarations that 2014 was the hottest year on record seems to have prompted a spate of panic denial among climate change contrarians, denialists and ideologues."

"A task force representing Iowa and 11 other states said Thursday it needs another 20 years to reduce the size of a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico by two-thirds."

"A revised environmental review of a contested Arctic oil lease makes drilling in the area far more likely, a development that has infuriated environmentalists."

"The US south-west and the Great Plains will face decade-long droughts far worse than any experienced over the last 1,000 years because of climate change, researchers said on Thursday."

"We’ve begun to expect unusual flavors like chili, salt, and lavender in chocolate. But there might be another surprising addition to your Valentine’s Day sweets: heavy metals."