Environmental News Picks presents a summary of news regarding the environment, conservation, science, politics, and other interesting subject matter. The Conservation Report does not endorse any content found in these news picks, but the information is provided to put readers on notice of the various different beliefs and viewpoints. Comments, corrections, and suggestions are very much welcomed. Send your news tips and picks: .

ANIMALS: Top 10 Incredible Animal Videos: Readers’ Choice, Hamster powers environmentally friendly paper shredder: A design consultant has constructed an environmentally friendly paper shredder powered by a hamster running on its wheel.

BIOFUELS: JATROPHA JETLINER: New Zealand’s Biofuel Plane Uses 50-50 Blend

BIRDS: Report Finds Millions of Birds will be Lost from Tar Sands Development, Could Your Birds and Your Oil Be Coming From The Same Place?

CAPE WIND: State Agency Approves Cape Wind’s Waterways Application

CLIMATE CHANGE: Agencies’ report warns of faster climate change

COAL: 39 groups protesting coal ash rule change, Tennessee Coal Disaster Threatens Endangered Species, Tennessee Coal Ash Spill Before And After — And What’s Next, Erin Brockovich plans visit to Roane spill site, Governor On Coal Ash Spill: “Massive Disaster”, Landowners sue TVA for $165M over Tennessee dam break, claim property value harmed, TVA Executives Receive 6-Figure Bonuses: CEO Gets Bonus Of More Than $1 Million, Tennesseans With Sludge-Destroyed Property: “Clean Coal Is A Myth”

CONSUMERISM: The Seven Most Un-TreeHugger Products of 2008, Seven Overpackaging Sins

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT: Brown Fights New Bush Endangered Species Rules, California sues federal government over changes in Endangered Species Act: The state attorney general’s office says new rules put California’s threatened and endangered wildlife in greater danger and could cost the state more to protect the plants and animals on the list., California joins groups in species-act suit, California Sues U.S. Over Environmental Rule Changes

ENERGY: New York City To Get LED Street Lighting, Trees to Power Their own Wildfire Sensors: MIT researchers have discovered that trees carry a (small) charge. Now, green energy takes on new meaning with wildfire sensors powered by the woody plants themselves. Here’s how it works., Focus on Weatherization Is Shift on Energy Costs

ETHANOL: Ethanol sales top gasoline sales in a first in Brazil

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW: Environmental Lawyer Al Meyerhoff’s Chemical War On Cancer

FISHERIES: Bush Admin. Withdraws Proposed Regulations Overhauling Environmental Review of U.S. Fisheries

GAS TAX: Quote of the Day: New York Times on Why We Need A Gas Tax

GREEN: New popularity for Dr. Seuss’ ‘The Lorax’: Dr. Seuss’ spokesthing for the environment was ahead of the curve in 1971. Now, he’s a green kids favorite.

GREEN ADVERTISEMENT: 29 Disturbingly Creative Ads for the Environment

GREEN CONSTRUCTION: No Furnaces but Heat Aplenty in ‘Passive Houses’, a href=”http://www.rekitchen.com/cabinets/green-cabinets.html”>The Surprising Health Benefits of Green Cabinets

GREENING OF RELIGION: ‘Green Bible’ controversial

HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Child maid trafficking spreads from Africa to US

HYBRID TECHNOLOGY: Prius: It’s Not Just a Car, It’s an Emergency Generator

NATURAL GAS: Russia Cuts All Gas Supplies To Ukraine, Feds approve gas drilling plan for Montana

NUCLEAR FUSION: Scientists plan to ignite tiny man-made star: It is science’s star experiment: an attempt to create an artificial sun on earth — and provide an answer to the world’s impending energy shortage.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS: Urs Tinner, Suspect In World’s Biggest Nuclear Smuggling Ring, Is Freed From Prison

OBAMA: Greens mixed on Obama’s Interior, Agriculture picks

PUBLIC HEALTH: Study: ‘Virginity Pledges’ Are Ineffective

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Rail talk back with a bullet; two possible high-speed routes include Texas

RECYCLING: A rubbish life for LA marathon recycler, Consumer Guides for E-Cycling After the Holidays: Did you get a new gadget, TV or computer this holiday season? Here’s how to recycle the old one!

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Mapping Renewable Energy, Rooftop by Rooftop

RIVER HERRING: River Herring Populations Disappearing from Atlantic Seaboard

SHARKS: Australian snorkeller snatched by shark

SOLAR: Japan launches first solar cargo ship

WHALING: Greenpeace vs. Sea Shepherd: An Unfortunate Conflict, Whaling and international law

WIND POWER: Home Wind Turbines Offer Alternatives at the Grassroots Level, 5 Myths About Wind Energy

WTF?:: An NPR Reporter Becomes the News, As if Things Weren’t Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.: In Moscow, Igor Panarin’s Forecasts Are All the Rage; America ‘Disintegrates’ in 2010, Wisconsin Man Accused Of Stealing $625 Of Lobster, Beef: “Times Are Tough”

“Environmental News Picks” are made possible with help from Kevin.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::