Spring comes early for Max the stork
GENEVA (AFP) - Max the stork, currently the oldest animal being tracked by satellite, is flying north after a remarkably short winter sojourn in southern Spain, a natural history museum in Switzerland said Wednesday.

Amazon deforestation seen surging
Deforestation of the Amazon has surged in recent months and is likely to rise in 2008 for the first time in four years, a senior Brazilian government scientist said on Wednesday. The rise raises questions over Brazil’s assertion that its environmental policies are effectively protecting the world’s biggest rain forest, whose destruction is a major source of carbon emissions that drive global warming.

Norway’s lawmakers agree deal to slash greenhouse gas emissions
Oslo - Norway’s red-green government and three opposition parties Thursday agreed on a long-term climate strategy aimed at slashing greenhouse gas emissions.

Hybrid school buses hit the road
You’ve got to be careful with the accelerator because hybrid school buses like to go. Dan Taghon, the director of transportation for the Sigourney Community School District in southeast Iowa, said his district’s new hybrid bus has been running routes since Jan. 3. And Taghon, who drives the bus on one of the district’s six routes, said he likes the 65-passenger machine powered by an electric motor and a V-8 diesel engine.

Google’s Philanthropy Funds Renewable Energy, Electric Cars
MOUTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 18, 2008 — Google’s philanthropic arm has announced more than $25 million in new grants and investments, about half of which will go to climate change efforts.

HP Releases Green Supply Chain Guidelines
LONDON, Jan. 18, 2008 — The guidelines for multinational companies are designed to help them promote strong CSR and environmental practices amongst small and medium-sized businesses within their supply chain.

Wal-Mart to Open Energy-Efficient Supercenter
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Jan. 17, 2008 — The world’s largest retailer plans to open a store in Illinois next week that will use 25 percent less energy than a conventional Supercenter.

TerraPass Launches Carbon Calculator for Businesses
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 17, 2008 — The Carbon Balanced Business Program is a free online carbon tool that calculates emissions from on-site energy use, off-site server energy use, company vehicles, business travel, and employee commuting.

SC Johnson Launches Greenlist Product Labels
RACINE, Wis., Jan. 18, 2008 — The Greenlist logo, which will adorn product labels beginning this month, is based on a patented process that rates 95 percent of the raw materials used in SC Johnson’s products. Greenlist products contain fewer volatile organic compounds.

China’s Yangtze River dries up to lowest level on record
Beijing - An exceptionally dry winter has left the water level in stretches of China’s longest river, the Yangtze, at the lowest on record, state media said on Thursday.