# World

Indiana Town Aims to be First in U.S. to run on 100% Bio-Energy

Biotown, USA may soon be the new nickname for Reynolds, Indiana. The town aims to become the first town in the US to receive all its power from 100% renewalbe energy.

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Deal Will Protect Minnesota Forests

Minnesota's North Woods backyard won't be under as much pressure from land developers thanks to a conservation effort announced Wednesday that provides extra protection for up to 50,000 acres of Minnesota forest.

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Loggerhead Turtle Nests Up 22% as Wildfire Burns Nearby

Nesting activity for the threatened Loggerhead Sea Turtle on Blackbeard Island in Georgia, has increased 22 percent over its 30-year average. Let's hope they survive a wildfire burning on the island since July 6.

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US, China Launch Clean Vehicle, Building Project

China and the United States, the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, launched a joint research effort today to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles and buildings. Committing an initial $15 million to the project, they will also focus on new technology to reduce and sequester carbon dioxide emissions from burning coal.

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Canada's Crime Rate Falls to Lowest in 40 Years

Canada's crime rate fell to its lowest in almost 40 years, Statistics Canada reported on Thursday, extending a positive two-decade trend.

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Logging Plummets in Monarch Butterfly Mexico Reserve

Good news for the Monarch butterflies and their wintering grounds in central Mexico: The clearing of forests used by the butterflies has dropped to just over one acre's worth of trees, compared to the hundreds of acres lost annually in the past.

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World's Richest Man to Helm Rescue for Crime-weary Acapulco

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim will spearhead a project to rescue the Pacific port of Acapulco, a once glamorous haunt of Hollywood stars that has lately become mired in violent crime. Slim, the world's richest man will be the president of a council that will pool funding for new hotel developments.

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At Last, a Year for State Budgets When the Sky is Not Falling

After a four-year run during which states had to close budget gaps of historic proportions, the term "surplus" is finally making a modest comeback in capitals. According to the Rockefeller Institute of Government, at least 45 states saw their revenues increase over the past year. Enough economic vital signs are headed in the right direction that the mood in most states is encouraging, and some legislatures will start reversing the most painful of their recent cuts as soon as this year.