The Pakistan floods have affected more people than the Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake and the Haiti earthquake put together. The United Nations appeal for Pakistan remains less than 60 percent funded. Substantial additional amounts have been pledged — but pledges don’t buy clean water or sanitation. Read more»

In humanitarian role, US military tries to win over hearts and minds in Pakistan, where massive floods have affected almost one-fourth of the country over the last three weeks, killing more than 1,600 people and displacing millions. Read more»

Preliminary tests show that a lack of oxygen in part of the Gulf of Mexico caused thousands of fish to die, according to Louisiana authorities quoted by the Los Angeles Times. Read more»

SANTIAGO, Chile — In his first conversation with the trapped miners through a remote phone device on Monday, Chile Mining Minister Laurence Golborne learned what the miners wanted most: Food, toothbrushes and beer. They also wanted to sing the national anthem. Read more»

In the wake of Pakistan's devastating floods, a refugee crisis swells. Pakistan's freak floods, brought about by heavy rains that began in July, have affected more than 20 million people. More than 1,600 have died and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Read more»

With an area the size of Italy now underwater and largely inaccessible, Pakistan needs immediate massive relief that the United States has the logistics capability and resources to provide. The scale of the disaster is so vast that even large international aid agencies are struggling to reach many areas. Read more»

Just how much of the oil spilled in the Gulf is still there? Depends on what the meaning of "is" is. NOAA is hedging some of its estimates, and not in a good way. About three-quarters of the oil that spilled into the Gulf from BP’s ruptured well is still in the environment. Read more»

The beleaguered BP Texas City refinery faces two lawsuits: "BP collects... fines like speeding tickets," says an attorney who's represented BP workers. "A million dollars doesn't register on the BP corporate books... They look at a million-dollar fine as a nuisance and the cost of doing business." Read more»

Raging floodwaters have inundated almost one-fourth of Pakistan, forcing the country’s military to switch its focus from fighting the Taliban in the country’s restive northern tribal belt to a massive rescue and relief effort. Read more»

Having the largest solar power plant in the world in our backyard is not just a reminder of solar's limitless potential. It is a testament to the fact that solar is a technology and economic driver that doesn't need to wait for tomorrow. It already is here, bringing benefits to our state and nation. Read more»

The deadly forest fires ravaging the Russian countryside have wiped out a quarter of Russia's grain crop, prompting the country to ban all wheat exports as of Sunday and inflaming worries of a global food crisis. Read more»

A decade-old environmental assessment by offshore drilling regulators called for more research on Corexit dispersant, warned that deepwater spills were difficult to stop, and cautioned that such spills could "permanently cover water bottoms and wetlands." Read more»

Some sustainable savvy can turn the back-to-school frenzy into an educational opportunity. Read more»

BP appears to be delaying decisions about the validity of many claims for damages from the Gulf oil spill, leaving claimants frustrated by bureaucratic obstacles and confusing requests for more documentation. Read more»

It's Day 101 of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf, and you might be feeling pretty hopeful that soon enough, you won't have to think about oil spills for a while. Not so fast. On Tuesday, another spill was detected in the Gulf - the result of a boat's colliding with an out-of-use wellhead in Barataria Bay. Read more»