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U.S. President Barack Obama, right, smiles after a group of children waved flags and flowers to cheer him during a welcome ceremony Wednesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. In a surprise agreement late Tuesday, China agreed to a first-ever target for capping its carbon emissions, while the United States pledge to cut faster than previously planned.

U.S. President Barack Obama, right, smiles after a group of children waved flags and flowers to cheer him during a welcome ceremony Wednesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. In a surprise agreement late Tuesday, China agreed to a first-ever target for capping its carbon emissions, while the United States pledge to cut faster than previously planned. Andy Wong/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Andy Wong/AP

Asia

China Agrees To Greenhouse Gas Cap; U.S. Will Accelerate Cuts

The unexpected breakthrough by the world's two largest polluters reflected both nations' desire to display a united front, and could inspire other reluctant developing countries to follow suit.

Fishermen Ed Stewart (left) and Tannis Goodsen mend groundfishing nets on Merrill Wharf, in Portland, Maine, last November.

Fishermen Ed Stewart (left) and Tannis Goodsen mend groundfishing nets on Merrill Wharf, in Portland, Maine, last November. Robert F. Bukaty/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Robert F. Bukaty/AP

The Salt

Regulators Ban Cod Fishing In Gulf Of Maine As Stocks Dwindle WGBH

The federal government is shutting down cod fishing in the Gulf of Maine for the next six months. But fishermen, who now face an uncertain future, dispute the government's cod counts.

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Oil, carried here by the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, is fundamental to the state's economy. But Alaskans also face the effects of climate change in their daily lives.

Oil, carried here by the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, is fundamental to the state's economy. But Alaskans also face the effects of climate change in their daily lives. Al Grillo/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Al Grillo/AP

Republican Sweep Highlights Climate Change Politics In Alaska

GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is set to head the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. It can be easier for her oil-reliant state to adapt to the changing climate rather than address its causes.

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Edgar Meadows has been growing Bloody Butcher corn, an heirloom variety, for generations. The name Bloody Butcher refers to the flecks of red mixed onto the white kernels, like a butcher's apron, Meadows says.

Edgar Meadows has been growing Bloody Butcher corn, an heirloom variety, for generations. The name Bloody Butcher refers to the flecks of red mixed onto the white kernels, like a butcher's apron, Meadows says. Roxy Todd/West Viginia Public Broadcasting hide caption

itoggle caption Roxy Todd/West Viginia Public Broadcasting

The Salt

On The Trail To Preserve Appalachia's Bounty Of Heirloom Crops WVPB

With some 1,500 heirloom fruits and vegetables under cultivation, Appalachia is the most diverse foodshed in the U.S., Canada and northern Mexico. Among them is a beloved corn called Bloody Butcher.

Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Peru's Minister of Environment, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Chairman Rajendra Pachauri and Renate Christ, Secretary of the IPCC present the Synthesis Report during a news conference in Copenhagen on Sunday.

Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Peru's Minister of Environment, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Chairman Rajendra Pachauri and Renate Christ, Secretary of the IPCC present the Synthesis Report during a news conference in Copenhagen on Sunday. Scanpix Denmark/Reuters/Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Scanpix Denmark/Reuters/Landov

The Two-Way

U.N.: End Greenhouse Emissions By 2100 Or Risk 'Irreversible' Damage

A new report says that if human-produced, heat-trapping gases aren't phased out by the end of the century, there will be "severe, pervasive and irreversible" consequences.

Mount Etna erupted on March 28, 1983. Lava flows destroyed homes and tourist destinations causing millions of dollars' worth of damage. Teams scrambled to divert the massive flow.

Mount Etna erupted on March 28, 1983. Lava flows destroyed homes and tourist destinations causing millions of dollars' worth of damage. Teams scrambled to divert the massive flow. Courtesy of John Lockwood hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of John Lockwood

Around the Nation

Diverting Lava Flow May Be Possible, But Some Hawaiians Object

Slow-moving lava from the Kilauea volcano is stalled near the village of Pahoa in Hawaii. One volcanologist says redirecting the flow might be feasible but would carry political and cultural risks.

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Farms outside Baghdad as seen from a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter. Much of Iraq's soil has a high salt content because of flooding and poor drainage.

Farms outside Baghdad as seen from a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter. Much of Iraq's soil has a high salt content because of flooding and poor drainage. Jim Gordon/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Flickr hide caption

itoggle caption Jim Gordon/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Flickr

The Salt

Who Should Pay To Fix The World's Salt-Damaged Soils?

The area of land no longer suitable for farming because of salt degradation is rising quickly. Scientists argue the private sector should help fund efforts to reverse it since it relies on the crops.

These scuba divers are among the 2 million tourists who visit the Great Barrier Reef each year. They contribute about $5.6 billion to Australia's economy, according to the Queensland government.

These scuba divers are among the 2 million tourists who visit the Great Barrier Reef each year. They contribute about $5.6 billion to Australia's economy, according to the Queensland government. Steve Dorsey for NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Steve Dorsey for NPR

Parallels

As Great Barrier Reef Ails, Australia Scrambles To Save It

One Australian report estimated the reef had lost more than half its coral since 1985. The government is considering a new 35-year plan to rescue the reef, but some say it falls short.

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