Soot reduction ‘could help to stop global warming’ (Independent) Governments could slow global warming dramatically, and buy time to avert disastrous climate change, by slashing emissions of one of humanity's most familiar pollutants – soot – according to Nasa scientists. A study by the space agency shows that cutting down on the pollutant, which has so far been largely ignored by climate scientists, can have an immediate cooling effect – and prevent ... [News Source]

Last great greenhouse climate change to be studied (NZPA via Yahoo!Xtra News) World authorities on the history of climate change are converging on Wellington for a conference on the greenhouse climate of the Paleogene period, 65 to 35 million years ago. [News Source]

Amazing discovery of green algae which could save the world from global warming (Daily Mail: World News) Melting icebergs, so long the iconic image of global warming, are triggering a natural process that could delay or even end climate change, British scientists have found. [News Source]

A sea of troubles, The worries begin at the surface, where an atmosphere newly laden with man-made carbon dioxide interacts with the briny. The sea has thus become more acidic, making life difficult, if not impossible, for marine organisms with calcium-carbonate shells or skeletons. [News Source]

In Obama’s team, 2 camps on climate. As President Obama seeks to find a balance between his environmental and economic goals, he may have to resolve conflicting views among some of his top advisers. [News Source]

Paradise lost on Maldives’ rubbish island. It may be known as a tropical paradise, an archipelago of 1,200 coral islands in the Indian Ocean. But the traditional image of the Maldives hides a dirty secret: the world's biggest rubbish island. [News Source]

Solar industry remains hot. The amount of electricity generated in the state by solar energy soared in 2008, and applications for rebates under the state's Million Solar Roofs program reached record levels in the last five months of the year. [News Source]

Fears of more Valley drought grow. A bad omen -- La Niña -- is starting to appear on the equator in the Pacific Ocean, adding to worries about a third drought year in California. The vast blob of cool water that alters global storm patterns helped create a record dry spell last March and April in California. [News Source]

Melting at the top of the world. Global warming is having a dramatic impact in the Himalayas, where the glaciers are melting at a rapid pace. One local mountain climber has started a campaign to educate villagers and trekkers alike about the effects of climate change on the mountains. [News Source]

Mass. launches effort to protect communities from rising sea levels. Massachusetts is kicking off an innovative pilot program to defend the state's 78 coastal communities against rising sea levels and fiercer storms brought on by global warming. [News Source]

Forecaster: 2008 showed Las Vegas warming up. Last year, Las Vegas was hotter and drier than normal — and it was the fourth warmest year on record, according to the National Weather Service. [News Source]