Ashland To Have Largest Biomass Plant In Midwest (Northland’s News Center) Xcel Energy announced plans Tuesday to drastically reduce global warming, water, and air pollution. [News Source]

Mayor takes on Houston’s biggest refinery over emissions. Mayor Bill White is formally challenging the city's largest refinery and one of the nation's largest emitters of benzene to publicly defend its emissions of the carcinogen before receiving another permit from the state. [News Source]

Obama-sponsored mercury-storage bill sent to President Bush. Stockpiles of toxic mercury kept by industry soon will be stored safely in the United States instead of ending up on the world market where it might pollute the environment. [News Source]

Ozone pollution more dangerous to some. In a study of 2.7 million deaths across 48 U.S. cities, researchers found that death rates tended to rise on days when ozone pollution increased -- with the older adults being most at risk. [News Source]

Mold has gotten a head start in Galveston. It can make your throat cough, eyes itch, head pound, or leave you alone. The menace is mold, and it's ravaging water-damaged homes and buildings all over Galveston in the island's latest battle wrought by Hurricane Ike. [News Source]

Alberta researchers claim their machine removes CO2 from air. A team of University of Calgary researchers say they have built a simple machine that can capture carbon dioxide right out of the air, and that could operate anywhere on the planet. [News Source]

U of C team unveils machine to capture carbon dioxide. A team of University of Calgary researchers say they have built a simple machine that captures carbon dioxide out of the air and could operate anywhere on the planet. [News Source]

Researcher says device scrubs CO2 from atmosphere. A University of Calgary climate change scientist says he has built a device that can capture trace levels of greenhouse gas and pump out clean air. [News Source]

Cameco’s Blind River refinery marks 25th anniversary. The Blind River refinery is the world’s largest commercial uranium refinery and Canada’s only refining and conversion facility. [News Source]

County idling law languishes in committee. Anyone running a vehicle for more than three minutes while parked would be subject to a maximum $250 fine under a proposal being considered by the Westchester County Board of Legislators. [News Source]

Climate change a problem: survey. Fifty-four percent of South Africans think that climate change is problem, a survey by the Human Sciences Research Council has found. [News Source]