The hazy skies over the 2008 Summer Olympics have placed Beijing's air quality at the top of news headlines for more than a month. However, outdoor air pollution, whether in the form of visible haze or invisible ozone and carbon monoxide, is a problem in nearly every country in the world.

Many vulnerable species are facing reduced numbers because the adaptations that have served them for thousands of years make them unable to survive small changes in temperature or precipitation. When faced with climate change and other threats to their habitat, some species may not be able to relocate quickly enough to save them from extinction. A new technique called assisted colonization may prove to be an innovative solution.

Speaking before an enthusiastic crowd at a sold-out DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., former Vice President Al Gore issued a challenge to "repower America." Gore's challenge is undoubtedly ambitious: he wants the entire U.S. electricity sector to shift to zero-carbon sources like wind, solar, and geothermal in the next 10 years.

The impacts of climate change are already being felt, especially in the most fragile and marginal ecosystems around the world. In particular, coral reefs, which are extremely sensitive to changes in the temperature and acidity of the water in which they form, are being destabilized by a changing ocean environment. Several scientific studies have demonstrated that many of the world's coral reefs are precariously close to total failure. A new study, while confirming this conclusion, does offer some hope.

As the Olympic Games approach, China has come under fire for its environmental track record. Tales of Beijing and other cities' infamous pollution and images of highly polluted lakes and rivers have met with demands for action, both within China and internationally, and have produced some meaningful results. Yet another environmental crisis looms: biological invasions. Indeed, while perhaps not as overt as choking smog or pea-green water, the ecosystems of this vast nation are increasingly threatened by invasive species.

Trash is a pervasive but unnoticed part of our lives. The great irony of waste management is that even the most efficient and well-run waste collection programs remain out of sight, ignored by the public that they serve. Only with failure does the omnipresence of trash really come to light. Today, many nations face a looming waste management crisis, as their landfills reach capacity and continue to degrade the environment. But new and innovative waste-collection and construction techniques – far cries from the dirty incinerators and vast landfills of the past – can help to reduce waste volume and minimize environmental and health impacts.

As world food prices reach record highs, concerns over agricultural productivity are mounting. Productivity growth has stagnated as the world’s population has continued to rise, and the wealth generated from economic development is further increasing demand for food. The use of food crops like corn and sugarcane for biofuels production exacerbates the situation. The United Nations estimates that agricultural output will have to rise 50 percent by 2030 to meet this increased demand