Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has melted to its second lowest level since satellite observations began according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado. The extent of sea ice in the Arctic is down to 2.03 million square miles and the lowest point since 1979 is 1.65 million square miles set last September.
Canadian Maple Leaf Foods faces millions of dollars in demands from a class action lawsuit following an outbreak of listerosis (meat poisoning) linked to the company's Toronto meat plant and which allegedly is responsible for the death of at least 15 people.
An aerial survey by United States government scientists in Alaska's Chukchi Sea has recently found at least nine polar bears swimming in open water, with one at least 60 miles from shore, raising concern among wildlife experts about their survival, reports Science Daily.
A major initiative that involves mapping out the geological resources in Canada's Arctic was announced with great media display this week in Ottawa. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said state-of-the-art geological science and technology will be used to map the energy and mineral potential of the North.
Australia has backed Chinese aluminum giant Chinalco's recent purchase of an 11% stake in Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto.
Have you ever noticed that herds of grazing animals all face the same way? Images from Google Earth have confirmed that cattle tend to align their bodies in a north-south direction.
Real median household income in the United States climbed 1.3% between 2006 and 2007, reaching 50,233 US dollars according to a report released Tuesday by the US Census Bureau. This is the third annual increase in real median household income.
Challenging the widely-held view that fossil fuel subsidies benefit the poor, a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, calls for cutting back on such mechanisms to curb on greenhouse gas emissions and propel economic growth.
The World Bank said improved economic estimates showed there were more poor people around the world than previously thought while also revealing successes in the fight to overcome extreme poverty.
OPEC is likely to keep oil output policy unchanged at its meeting in September as prices remain high despite a sharp fall from July's peak, a source from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said on Monday.