'Top US official describes the BP oil spill as 'one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time'

As oil continues gushing from the ocean floor into the Gulf of Mexico, with no sign of stopping until a new well is finished this August, scientists, environmentalists and local residents are beginning to reckon with the reality of a massive annihilation of sea creatures and wildlife.

The Copenhagen climate talks hit trouble tonight as a number of African countries indicated their leaders would refuse to take part in the final summit unless significant progress was made in the next three days.

Today 56 newspapers in 45 countries take the unprecedented step of speaking with one voice through a common editorial. We do so because humanity faces a profound emergency.
Unless we combine to take decisive action, climate change will ravage our planet, and with it our prosperity and security. The dangers have been becoming apparent for a generation.

Europe and the US are concerned that China may soon set a carbon target that marks a step back from its current efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With two weeks remaining until the Copenhagen climate talks, negotiators were hoping the world's biggest emitter would unveil a sufficiently progressive goal to increase momentum in the US and developing nations.