The Top 11 Environment Stories of 2011

7. Japan Quakes; Nuke Power Stays Steady: This year enthusiasm for nuclear power in some developed nations seemed to vanish after Japan's nuclear disaster. But while those countries recoil from atomic energy, others are committing to a nuclear future.
9. The Year's Worst Natural Disasters: In 2011, at least 10 major weather disasters struck the United States alone, inflicting more than $45 billion in damages. Here, a survey of the epic floods, droughts, and other natural calamities that terrorized the planet.
15. Lessons From the Great Japanese Quake: The magnitude 9 earthquake that shook Japan on March 11 dragged parts of the country 15 feet eastward and moved some seafloor transponders up to 230 feet, the largest earthquake-induced surface displacement ever recorded.
21. New Fracking Worries: Methane Leaks, Radioactive Water: Yes, hydraulic fracturing can actually contaminate water, study confirms.
29. Yellowstone's Oil Spill: ExxonMobil pipeline bursts beneath the Yellowstone River in Montana, spilling 40,000 gallons of oil into the pristine area.
36. Forests Stage A Comeback: Some forests have rebounded... but the news isn't all good.
39. Ocean Microbes Clean Up Gulf Mess: Natural bacteria help eliminate methane from the Deepwater Horizon blowout, but more bad stuff remains behind.
46. Solar Power in Peril: Solar in trouble after a recent mini-boom.
84. Wild Weather, 1; Sports, 0: Extreme weather events have helped diminish many sporting events.
89. Weather Moves Continents: Accelerated monsoons in Himalayas have weathered rock, increasing speed of India's tectonic plate.
100. Arctic Ice Hits Record Lows: Study records lowest measurement of ice yet; environmentalists (and polar bears) not pleased.