Two Greenpeace activists, dubbed the 'Tokyo Two' by the group, were given suspended sentences by a Japanese court after they conducted a private investigation into what they said was the illegal sale of whale meat.

Hurricane Earl reached North Carolina late Thursday afternoon with wind speeds of 110 mph compared to the 140 mph the prior day, dropping the hurricane to a category 2 strength which will most likely continue to decline by tomorrow night, becoming a tropical storm as it moves up the Atlantic seaboard.

Oil rig explosion reports are so far unclear about whether a Mariner Energy facility south of Vermillion Bay has caused an oil leak. The rig is in shallow water, and no injuries are confirmed.

Hurricane Earl path prompts tropical-storm or hurricane warnings from North Carolina to Hull, Mass. Earl, packing 140 m.p.h. winds, is slated to brush Cape Hatteras overnight.

Hurricane Earl is now a Category 4 hurricane. Long Island and the Northeast could be affected by the projected Hurricane Earl path. But the forecast's margin of error is still as many as 300 miles.

Plastic bags from grocery stores and pharmacies would be banned starting in 2012 under a new bill before the senate. Critics of the bill say recycling programs, not bans, are the answer.

Conservation was never a top priority in New Orleans, but Katrina changed that. The city is now an incubator for new home building featuring natural resources and sustainable architecture.

The City of Reno has ok'd the construction of eight solar projects that will generate enough electricity to power 1000 homes under AB 186, a Nevada state law passed in October 2009 which allows for third-party ownership of renewable energy generation systems.

A judge on Monday scheduled hearings in an Asian carp case for September - a decision that will allow five Midwestern states to call on expert testimony. The five states are seeking to close two Chicago canals in a bid to stop Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes.

Axial Vector Energy Corp. (Otc: AXVC) is set to debut its latest high-efficiency aviation engine at the AUVSI Unmanned Systems North America show in Denver on Tuesday.  The Company says its M2P engine can achieve operating efficiencies of 12% gain and can burn standard fuel, making it more cost effective as well.

The University of Georgia says their latest study suggests upto 80% of the oil spilled in the Gulf of Mexico from the BP oil rig collapse is still present and remains a threat to the ecosystem.

Water disputes have joined territorial disputes as a flashpoint between India and Pakistan, which both control parts of the Kashmir region. As both countries race to build a dam there, they could fight hard for control of the major rivers.

China mudslides blocked roads and bridges on Sunday, leaving rescuers today to dig with shovels and their bare hands, occasionally finding survivors. Authorities expect the official death toll of 127 to rise.

Pakistan floods have already affected as many as 12 million people and destroyed or damaged more than 600,000 homes, say Pakistani officials. That's already worse than the 2005 earthquake, but monsoon season is only half over.

Static kill, which began Tuesday, will attempt to force the oil back into its reservoir. But BP won't know if static kill worked - and the Gulf oil spill is over - until it finishes its relief well.