A decade-long decline in the ice covering the Arctic Sea is continuing, according to new U.S. data, and other measurements give fresh indications that the area's ice cap is thinning as well.

Carbon dioxide finding could trigger U.S. clampdown

The Environmental Protection Agency has sent the White House a proposed finding that carbon dioxide is a danger to public health, a step that could trigger a clampdown on emissions of greenhouse gases across a wide swath of the economy.

PepsiCo Inc. is reducing the amount of plastic it uses to package its bottled water in the U.S., in the latest step by a beverage company to portray itself as environmentally conscious as bottled water sales slip.

Oil companies have gained control over billions of gallons of water from rivers in the western U.S. in preparation for future efforts to extract oil from shale deposits under the Rocky Mountains, according to a new report by an environmental group that opposes such projects.

AT&T Inc. will spend up to $565 million over 10 years on alternative-fuel vehicles for its corporate fleet, the most significant investment by a U.S. company in transportation powered by natural gas.

The European Union voted for punitive antidumping tariffs on imports of U.S. biodiesel for six months, according to EU officials, threatening an industry that saw $1.5 billion in sales to Europe last year.

BEIJING

Chinese lawmakers passed new food-safety legislation meant to tighten supervision of manufacturers and impose tougher penalties on those who make bad products as the government seeks to restore public confidence after a spate of problems with tainted food.

ROYAL Dutch Shell, censured twice by Britain's ad police for exaggerating its commitment to green issues, is hoping to avoid controversy in its latest ad campaign. It isn't clear if it has succeeded.

TO GET ahead in India's increasingly competitive auto market, Toyota Motor Corp. is building a new plant and freshening its lineup. It has also made an unusual investment: It opened a school.