FINANCE: Self-Policing of Extractive Industries a "Dismal" Failure Charles Fromm WASHINGTON, 9 Mar (IPS) - An international initiative that seeks to reform how governments profit from their natural resources should not reduce its existing standards of membership solely because candidate countries have been reluctant or incapable of meeting them, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday. more...   BIODIVERSITY: CITES Faces Political Storm over Tuna Ban Matthew Berger WASHINGTON, 6 Mar (IPS) - The vast majority of the species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, live on land, but as marine species come under increasing pressure from unsustainable fishing and a range of climate change-related threats that focus is beginning to shift. more...   ENERGY: Coal-Fired Power on the Way Out? Analysis by Lester R. Brown* WASHINGTON, 24 Feb (IPS) - The past two years have witnessed the emergence of a powerful movement opposing the construction of new coal-fired power plants in the United States. Initially led by environmental groups, both national and local, it has since been joined by prominent national political leaders and many state governors. more...   ENVIRONMENT: Tsunami of E-Waste Could Swamp Developing Countries Stephen Leahy UXBRIDGE, Canada, 22 Feb (IPS) - The mighty mountains of hazardous electronic waste are growing by about 40 million tonnes a year globally. In China, India and South Africa, those mountains are expected to grow 200 to 500 percent in the next decade, a new report warns. more...   U.S.: Nuke Plants Back in Vogue, as Climate Bill Stalls Matthew Berger WASHINGTON, 16 Feb (IPS) - After decades of debate, the United States is poised to build its first new nuclear reactors since the early 1970s. more...   Q&A: "Sustainability Issues Are Economic Issues" Anna Shen interviews MINDY LUBBER, president of Ceres NEW YORK, 16 Feb (IPS) - Fresh from a whirlwind tour of non-stop meetings at the World Economic Forum in Davos and a U.N .investor summit on climate risk attended by George Soros, Al Gore, and 500 of the world's most powerful institutional and private investors, Mindy Lubber has a full plate. more...   CLIMATE CHANGE: The Day After Tomorrow Might Have Been Yesterday Matthew Berger WASHINGTON, 12 Feb (IPS) - When the 2004 film "The Day After Tomorrow" depicted the northern United States buried under tens of feet of snow following an abrupt change in global climate patterns, it cemented the association in the public consciousness between climate change and extreme weather events. more...   U.S.: Gas Prices, Economy Raise Stakes for Cleaner Cars Kathryn Barry NEW YORK, 10 Feb (IPS) - The Chinese auto industry surpassed the U.S. in car sales last year, according to a recent report, raising the question of whether this represents a bump in the road for the U.S. auto industry or a long-term shift to other means of transportation. more...   U.S.: Gas Prices, Economy Raise Stakes for Cleaner Cars Kathryn Barry NEW YORK, 10 Feb (IPS) - The Chinese auto industry surpassed the U.S. in car sales last year, according to a recent report, raising the question of whether this represents a bump in the road for the U.S. auto industry or a long-term shift to other means of transportation. more...   BIODIVERSITY: Conservation Groups Pounce on Year of the Tiger Matthew Berger WASHINGTON, 10 Feb (IPS) - The Lunar New Year that begins Sunday will mark the start of the Chinese Zodiac's Year of the Tiger, but conservationists are saying 2010 will have much more than symbolic significance for the Asian big cat. more...