Updates.

• Position: Brief article

See "ChevronTexaco on Trial," January/February 2004, p. 10

Forest Fight Indigenous peoples in Ecuador's Amazon continue to battle oil giant Texaco (now Chevron) over contamination of pristine forests. The case has developed into the world's largest environmental lawsuit, with US$27 billion in potential damages.

See "Trade and Consequences," November/December 2005, p. 23

Shipshape Shores In June, California put in place the world's toughest restrictions on smog from ships, requiring reductions of more than 80 percent of soot from vessels out to 38 kilometers from shore.

See "The Irony of Climate," March/April 2005, p. 18

Dust Ball A July study reported that particles from a huge dust storm in China's Taklimakan desert in 2007 circled the globe in less than 13 days, suggesting planet-wide impacts from regional desertification.

See "The Shape of Forests to Come?" May/June 2005, p. 22

Tree Sponge? A June study from Purdue University shows that a new American chestnut hybrid would not only bring back the near-extinct tree, but also act as a sponge for greenhouse gases. In tests, the chestnut grew faster and absorbed more atmospheric carbon than five...