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The practices of feeding farm animals low doses of antibiotics is helping breed lethal new super-bacteria that are resistant to treatment when they infect humans.

"China on Friday defended the role played by premier Wen Jiabao at climate change talks in Copenhagen this month after a barrage of international criticism blaming China for obstructing negotiations."

"A $93 million court settlement requiring Duke Energy, one of the America's largest electric power companies, to eliminate sulfur dioxide emissions from a coal-fired plant in Indiana, was reached Tuesday, state and federal officials said."

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [Tuesday] finalized a rule setting stricter exhaust emission standards and cleaner fuel standards for large marine diesel engines on large U.S.-flagged ships, a part of the agency’s long-term strategy to reduce harmful marine diesel emissions."

"A proposal to move large amounts of wind and solar power out of the Southwest by linking the three separate North American electricity grids with state-of-the-art switching terminals and superconducting cables is now in hands of federal regulators."

"A county board in central California approved the expansion of the largest toxic-waste dump in the West, despite concerns about an increase in birth defects in a nearby farming town."

The nuclear industry may get a shot in the arm -- as the Energy Department is set to announce $18.5 billion in new loan guarantees.

After a perceived shortage of gasoline refineries a few years ago, five U.S. refineries have shut down this year. Refiners seem convinced that -- even after the economy recovers -- demand will not grow much.