Anti-Keystone protestors in Washington DC in November 2011. Photo by tarsandaction / CC BY 2.0

Just one day after the President’s call to action on climate change, today environmentalists are gathering outside the White House to protest the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline—a project that supports what climatologist James Hanson calls “one of the dirtiest, most carbon-intensive fuels on the planet.”

The President made a clear call to action last night, urging a bipartisan effort to combat climate change. Yet there are steps Obama can take today to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, whether or not Congress acts.

A wolverine in Dakota County, Minnesota. Photo by guppiecat / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

It’s as good a time as ever to think about endangered species. The Fish and Wildlife Service currently faces a backlog of several hundred - from moths to gophers, chickens, and fish – that are awaiting potential listing under the Endangered Species Act. Recently, the agency announced its plan to tackle this creature collective - just another piece of news on the endangered species front, where stories have abounded over the last few weeks. From the wolverine to the whooping crane, all kinds of furry and feathered creatures scampered across our radar. Here are some highlights.

Photo: Michael Berman

Photographer Michael Berman has spent untold hours over the last three decades hiking and surveying the terrain of Gila Wilderness Area, capturing subtle yet intricate details of the southwest New Mexico ecosystem with his large-format camera. Berman, a Guggenheim Fellow, presents a collection of these intriguing photographs in his new book Gila: Radical Visions, The Enduring Silence. 

Next time you loan a book from your public library, consider checking out some seeds, too. Yes, you read that right. More than two-dozen libraries across the country, including 15 in California, now let patrons borrow DIY plants along with copies of The Great Gatsby and Moby Dick. As NPR’s The Salt reported last week, this new offering could be a way to entice more people into the brick-and-mortar book buildings. Plus, it fosters community and makes accessible all different types of seeds.

Photo: Ian/CC BY-NC 2.0

Update: We've selected the finalists. Now vote for your top pick below.

Every week we post a funny animal photo that’s begging for a caption. Join in the fun! You’ve got til 11:59 pm (Eastern time) on Sunday to enter your suggestion (click “Read more” below). On Monday we’ll choose our three favorite captions and list them under the image.

Oiled sargassum in the Gulf of Mexico, 2010. [Photo: NOAA/CC BY 2.0]

With the federal civil trial against BP scheduled to begin on February 25, Audubon and other environmental groups have mounted a letter campaign to urge the government to fine the company the maximum amount possible for the Gulf Oil Spill. So far more than 100,000 people have sent letters. Audubon, the National Wildlife Federation, and the Environmental Defense Fund will deliver the letters on Wednesday, February 13.

Can you identify this species? Don’t let first impressions fool you. (Hint: Check out the bird’s brow.) The shot was taken in April 2011 in Glacier National Park.

Click through for the answer and a quiz about this stunning species.

Lead researcher Ljerka Ostojic with an Eurasian Jay (Photo Credit: Julia Leijola/ CC-BY-NC-SA)

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and perhaps guys looking to impress their gal should clue in to the behavior of male jays: Eurasian jays can interpret changes in what their mates desire—when it comes to food, anyway. 

The U.S. has long relied on coal plants for energy. But times are changing, a new report says. Photo by United Nations Photo / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The 1990s are back. We’re not talking about the striking fashions or the Backstreet Boys (though both are reemerging). Turns out that after being on the rise for more than a decade, carbon dioxide emissions in the United States have fallen to mid-1990s levels, a new report says.