$7B Cleanup at Rocky Flats Said Finished
The Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant was shut down in 1992. The contractor says it has finished removing all the plutonium-tainted buildings and soil to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Now the certification period begins.
On plate or in tank? Europe vegoils in demand
Using vegetable oil as biofuel in vehicles has become so popular in Europe that the food industry is becoming concerned. Global crude oil prices have been higher than those of soy, palm and rape oil for the past 6 weeks.
Hybrids, diesels dominate economy list
The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy's fuel economy guide has only one gasoline-only car in the top ten, at tenth. The Honda Insight hybrid came first and the Toyota Prius hybrid second. The hybrid Ford Escape sport utility vehicle was the only American car in the top ten.
Supplies Delivered to Brazil After Drought
A long drought has caused the level of the Amazon to fall several feet, hampering relief efforts in an area where most travel is normally by river. One branch, the Solimoes River, dropped from 41 feet to five. Rains have begun to return, but it will be weeks before the rivers recover.
Hawaii Removes 125 Tons of Marine Debris
More than 125 tons of marine debris have been removed from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, most of it from commercial fishing boats, but some washed into the ocean from land. It damages coral ecosystems. Roughly 40 tons accumulate each year.
Red Tide Still a Problem in Fla. Panhandle
There are still patches of the red tide algal bloom scattered across the Florida Panhandle.
Erosion, forest loss add to hungry Malawi's woes
Around 5 million Malawians are in need of food aid, and many are collecting wood to cook with or for charcoal or cash, a practice which adds to erosion of soil and future starvation.
Black Bear
Photo courtesy of NPS
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Woman on Motorcycle Collides With Bear
The 250-pound black bear ran off. The woman was flown to hospital with a broken collarbone.
National Zoo's Panda Cub Takes First Steps
The National Zoo's 3-month-old giant panda cub has begun to walk, and its teeth are beginning to come in.
Japan to require microchips for 'dangerous' animals
Japan is concerned at the number of exotic pets such as pythons, crocodiles and giant salamanders that have escaped, and is considering regulating them more tightly and requiring owners to microchip them.
Man's House Found Filled With 300 Birds
Animal control officers found 300 living and dead birds in a house in California. 120 were dead and others were euthanized.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita stories
22,000 Katrina Evacuees Still Homeless
Nearly 250,000 Hurricane Katrina victims have been moved out of shelters, but more than 22,000 people remain. President Bush and FEMA had wanted them all out by Oct. 15. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad Allen said nobody would be forced out. At least 400,000 other Katrina victims currently living in hotels or with friends or family also need longer term temporary housing.
New Orleans Worries About Resident Exodus
Many poor people will not be returning to New Orleans, for one reason or another, and those who remain fear that there will be no room for them in the plans for rebuilding the city.
Doctors' Essays Describe Katrina Chaos
Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine contains a collection of essays by doctors about their experiences in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
When do you think that the bird flu will reach your country?
Index of topics in this series.
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