On Our Radar: Obama on Climate Change In his second inaugural address, President Obama declares that the nation must respond to the threat of climate change because a "failure to do so would betray our children and future generations." A week after air pollution reached toxic levels in Beijing, the city proposes rules that would increase fines for vehicle emissions and force more factories to shut down when smog reaches dangerous levels. More than 800 scientists and engineers from around the world gather in New Orleans to discuss the repercussions of BP's 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill on ecosystems and people in the gulf region. The Times-Picayune The wind in the willows: scientists report that willow trees cultivated for green energy can yield up to five times more biofuel if they grow diagonally, or in windy conditions.