Is world oil production peaking? Quite possibly. Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) show a pronounced loss of momentum in the growth of oil production during the last few years. After climbing from 82.90 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2004 to 84.15 mb/d in 2005, output only increased to 84.80 mb/d in 2006 and then declined to 84.62 mb/d during the first 10 months of 2007.

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.

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.

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.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush hosted the Dalai Lama on Tuesday despite China's warning that U.S. plans to honor the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader could damage relations between Beijing and Washington.

The White House talks were held on the eve of a congressional award ceremony for the Dalai Lama, but the Bush administration took pains to keep the encounter with the president low-key in a bid to placate China.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Mississippi River, storied in American culture and commerce, needs more federal government action if it is once again to be clean enough for fishing and swimming, scientists said on Tuesday.

In a report issued by the National Research Council, the scientists called on the Environmental Protection Agency to take a more aggressive role in enforcing the Clean Water Act, which aims to make U.S. waters "fishable and swimmable."

ROGERS, Arkansas (Reuters) - President George W. Bush said on Monday his administration's approach of emphasizing voluntary approaches to address climate change was working and he denounced Kyoto-style mandatory caps as "bad policy."