Planetary Ruin

In a conversation with Scott Sagan last week, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright discussed a wide range of international conflicts facing the next president, as well as her experience as a high-powered woman in politics.

As Sagan, a professor of political science, and Albright rhetorically toured the globe, pausing at hot spots to probe serious policy issues, Albright delivered her advice with a dose of humor.

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Adopting a climate-friendly lifestyle needn’t require drastic changes or major sacrifices.

People in the developed world, as well as some rapidly developing countries and cities - from Manchester and Manhattan to Moscow and Mumbai - can start right away to “Kick the C02 Habit”, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says.

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The European Union is currently debating waste management targets that could significantly increase recycling rates throughout Europe.

Legislators on the European Parliament’s Environment Committee overwhelmingly supported reforms earlier this year that would halt the steady rise in the region’s garbage. By 2012, waste production would have to stabilize at 2009 levels, the committee recommended.

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Toyota Motor Corp said on Friday it has developed an advanced fuel-cell vehicle that can run for 830 km (516 miles) on a single tank of hydrogen and in temperatures as low as 30 degrees Celsius below freezing (-22 F).

The zero-emission FCHV-adv will be leased to government agencies, among other possible users, in Japan starting later this year, a spokeswoman said.

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Chronic pollution in Mexico City, which stains the sky yellow and can trigger government warnings to stay indoors, could be killing off residents’ sense of smell, scientists say.

Tests showed people in Mexico City — a sprawling metropolis crammed with around 20 million people and 4 million cars — struggled to sniff out everyday odors like coffee and orange juice compared to residents of a nearby town.

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