By Elaine Lies

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's whaling fleet is set to depart on Sunday for an annual hunt that this year for the first time will take humpback whales -- a perennial favorite among whale-watchers -- sparking protests from activists.

The world must not miss its second chance to take a radically different approach to energy consumption.

There is a strong sense of déjà vu in the bleak picture that the International Energy Agency (IEA) –– sometimes described as "the rich world's energy watchdog" –– painted last week of likely global energy consumption over the next two decades, and its consequences for climate change.

By Joe Ortiz

VALENCIA, Spain (Reuters) - Delegates at crucial U.N. talks on the causes and effects of global climate change are making slow progress with an agreement still some way off, sources close to the discussions said on Thursday.

By Dmitry Solovyov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A fuel oil spill from a Russian tanker into the Black Sea is killing dolphins and the nearby Sea of Azov may suffer heavy pollution if urgent measures are not taken, Russia's environment watchdog said on Thursday.

Commercial Fishing and Climate Change May Soon Cause Extinction

One instrument that can help in the environmental restructuring of the economy is ecolabeling. Labeling products that are produced with environmentally sound practices lets consumers vote with their wallets.

PUNTARENAS, Costa Rica (Reuters) - Endangered sea turtles accidentally caught by fishermen off Latin American coasts usually die but innovative hooks that are too big to swallow are increasingly saving the reptiles' lives.

BRISBANE (Reuters) - Greenpeace climate activists on Thursday shut down a coal-fired power station north of Sydney to protest against government climate change policies. A team of 15 activists from the environment watchdog entered and shut down the Munmorah power station, about 110 kilometers north of Sydney, during the early morning.

OSLO (Reuters) - Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to former Vice President Al Gore and the U.N. climate panel widens a definition of peacemaking and will raise pressure for the world to agree a new deal to combat global warming.

MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - A French explorer unveiled plans on Friday to fly over the Arctic in an airship to measure the ice cap amid concern at the pace it is melting.

Jean-Louis Etienne (www.jeanlouisetienne.fr) said his 10,000 kilometer (6,214 mile) journey will serve as a benchmark for monitoring the impact of global warming on the North Pole.