Study: Tropical rain band shifting north

Earth's most prominent rain band, near the equator, has been moving north at an average rate of almost a mile a year for three centuries, likely because of a warming world, scientists say.

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The environmental toll of plastics. From cell phones and computers to bicycle helmets and IV bags, plastic has molded society in many ways that make life both easier and safer. But it also has left harmful imprints on the environment and perhaps human health, according to a new compilation of articles by scientists from around the world. [News Source]

Drax protesters ‘not criminals.’ Environmental protesters who ambushed a coal train as it approached a power station told a jury Wednesday they believe they are not criminals. Louise Hemmerman, 31, said she took the action she did on the train because she had got nowhere pursuing the usual protest routes. [News Source]

Climate’s smoky spectre. Recent research suggests that lowly soot particles--black carbon-- could be responsible for a large fraction of Arctic warming. In SE Asia, studies suggest that it is choking the moisture supply for the Indian monsoons and contributing to the retreat of mountain glaciers that provide fresh water for more than a billion people. [News Source]

Sinking finances throw Iceland’s ‘hydrogen-based economy’ into the freezer. The financial crisis that brought Iceland to the brink of bankruptcy has postponed this volcanic island's ambitious dream of ditching fossil fuels and transforming itself into the world's first hydrogen-based economy. [News Source]

American chestnut’s revival may combat climate change. The American chestnut tree, which towered over eastern U.S. forests before succumbing to a deadly fungus in the early 20th century, appears to be an excellent sponge for greenhouse gases, according to a new study. [News Source]

Sea level rise: It’s worse than we thought. Scientists are more than a little astonished at the rate at which our planet's frozen frontiers seem to be responding to global warming, as more ice is sliding into the ocean, causing sea levels to rise faster and faster. [News Source]

An insurance plan for climate change victims. As Western governments dither at the negotiating table over how to help the world's poorest people cope with climate change, some unlikely saviours have stepped up to the plate: the giants of the global insurance industry. [News Source]

ExxonMobil continuing to fund climate sceptic groups, records show. The world's largest oil company is continuing to fund lobby groups that question the reality of global warming, despite a public pledge to cut support for such climate change denial, a new analysis shows. [News Source]

More animals than ever in danger of becoming extinct. The extinction crisis facing the world's wildlife could be even worse than previously thought, according to the latest analysis. Nearly one third of amphibians and coral, more than one in eight birds and nearly a quarter of mammals are threatened with extinction. [News Source]

Tennessee: Climate game changer. Two new reports say climate change spells significant challenges for landscapes, wildlife and people in Tennessee, Georgia and the entire Southeast United States. [News Source]