France to rethink carbon tax plan
A new carbon tax set for the new year in France has been struck down, in a blow to President Nicolas Sarkozy.

'Back to nature' cuts flood risks
Reconnecting flood-plains to rivers will help reduce the risk of future flooding, a study by US researchers suggests.

Plant chemical 'manipulates' ants
Acacia plants have chemical control over the armies of ants that guard them, scientists discover.

Disinfectants 'train' superbugs
Disinfectants could effectively train bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics, scientists suggest.

Ancient whale sucked mud for food
An ancient "dwarf" whale fed by sucking small animals out of the seafloor mud with its short snout and tongue.

Genes 'drive deadly brain cancer'
Scientists have discovered two genes that appear responsible for one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer.

Esa satellite senses Earth's pull
Europe's Goce satellite returns remarkable new data on the way the pull of gravity varies across the Earth.

The tracking devices that connect a UK zoo and Antarctic penguins
Penguins at a Leicestershire zoo are helping scientists with a new project to track the movements of their cousins in Antarctica.

Indian sand Santa sculptures spread green message
Well-known Indian sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik creates 100 Santa Clauses on a beach in the tourist town of Puri.

Climate in crisis
World leaders must make amends for failing to deliver

Musical impact
Scientists turning to music to put across their messages

Good to talk
Technology tackles uncracked problem in games design

The long view
How climate has shaped human history

2009 highlights
From space smash-ups to climate shockwaves

Green Christmas - a seasonal message
Father Christmas delivers a special message about his hopes for a green Christmas and the coming year.

Climate deal needs rainforests
The Copenhagen summit cannot afford to leave the world's rainforests outside of a global climate agreement.

Troubleshooters that block cancer
A family of "limpet-like" proteins play a crucial role in repairing DNA damage which can lead to cancer, two studies show.

'Switch' could block Huntington's
A "molecular switch" that can prevent Huntington's disease developing is found in mice.

Memory mechanism 'decoded'
Scientists believe they have uncovered one of the mechanisms that enable the brain to form memories.

Bird-like dinosaur was 'venomous'
A bird-like dinosaur that prowled an ancient forest 125 million years ago used venom to subdue its prey, a new theory says.

Obama says climate dismay valid
US President Barack Obama says disappointment at the outcome of the climate summit is justified.

'Bumper year' for botanical finds
Almost 300 species - including giant trees and tiny fungi - have been described for the first time by UK botanists in 2009.

Deer poaching incidents increase
Latest figures say the number of reported incidents of deer poaching have doubled in the past year.