The quake Thursday morning caused power outages and buildings to sway hundreds of miles to the north. Local news reports said at least one person was injured.

Right here, right where we live, are creatures so extraordinarily spooky, in landscapes so deeply strange, they might as well be on the Planet Zantar.

It's a fairly big deal that Wal-Mart announced plans to reduce 20 million tons of greenhouse-gas emissions from its suppliers by 2015. But Bradford Plumer wonders if this could really offset the company's damage.

There may be no polar bears at the South Pole, but there sure is a lot of ice. In fact, more than 90 percent of the Earth's glacial ice is in Antarctica. Now, new research shows the continent's ice is melting in more places than previously known. Host Guy Raz speaks to scientist Jane Ferrigno of the U.S. Geological Survey about the Antarctic Peninsula's ice retreat.

It's been a tough winter for Florida's tomato crop. A devastating freeze last month wiped out production by 70 percent. The state provides almost all of the tomatoes consumed in the U.S. during this time of year. Farmers are struggling, and soon consumers will notice it too.

The earthquake that struck Chile Saturday morning unleashed 500 times as much energy as last month's disastrous earthquake in Haiti. More than 100 people have been reported dead after the temblor. NPR's Guy Raz and Richard Harris discuss the scientific mechanics of the quake.

An enormous iceberg in Antarctica plowed into a peninsula made of ice and snapped it off, creating a second gigantic iceberg. The new 48-mile-long floating island of ice could make life difficult for the penguin colony made famous by the movie March of the Penguins.

With global threats like ocean warming and acidification, it's a tough time to be a coral. Marine ecologists John Bruno and Elizabeth Selig analyzed over 8,000 coral surveys from all over the world to see if local management through Marine Protected Areas had any positive effect on coral.

The government is expected to decide next month whether a private developer can build the country's first offshore wind farm off Cape Cod, Mass. The project has been on a winning streak with court victories and state approvals, but it hasn't won the support of local officials or American Indians.

When it comes to climate change, some look at the facts presented and see a coming catastrophe, while others see a hoax. This difference in interpretation, social scientists say, has more to do with each individual's existing outlook than with the facts.

Some local chapters of environmental groups find themselves battling their national leadership over issues like natural gas. The national groups see natural gas as a less-harmful alternative to coal. But local groups fear the damage that gas production could bring to their fresh water and landscapes.

California's towering redwoods depend on coastal fog for much of their yearly water supply. But in a new study scientists report that the long-term health of these iconic trees may be in danger as weather changes could contribute to fewer days in the mist.

California is about to enact a law that requires new buildings to meet green standards. But advocates of historic preservation say these standards encourage the demolition of old buildings, while some environmentalists say the law isn't progressive enough.

A new study says paying less for hospital care doesn't necessarily mean you get lower-quality care. The study's lead author, Dr. Lena Chen, a clinical lecturer at the University of Michigan Health System, says they would like to understand why there is a "huge range" in costs between hospitals.

Climate scientists are on the defensive after doubt was cast on their objectivity. Most say the evidence for a warming world is still as strong as ever. But some now acknowledge they need to do some housecleaning and improve their public relations skills so skeptics don't glom on to mistakes.

George Lakoff, a professor of linguists at the University of California, Berkeley, and a specialist in "framing" the way language shapes the way we think, tells host Guy Raz that the future of climate change legislation depends on the words used to explain it.

Last year, Democrat Henry Waxman of California helped pass a climate change bill in the House of Representatives, the American Clean Energy and Security Act; its fate is unclear. On the Senate side, Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington and Republican Olympia Snowe of Maine have proposed a climate change bill as well, called the Carbon Limits and Energy for America's Renewal, or CLEAR. Host Guy Raz speaks with each of them about the possibility of climate change legislation passing through Congress this year.

On Tuesday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and other state officials announced a lawsuit challenging the EPA in federal court for its recent finding that CO2 is a pollutant. The state is a major contributor of the gas, and Perry says the EPA's ruling threatens Texas businesses, farms and even churches.

Yvo de Boer resigning after nearly four years in which governments struggled without success to agree on a new global warming deal. His departure takes effect July 1, five months before 193 nations are due to reconvene in Mexico for another attempt to reach a binding accord.

So Volkswagen has this new concept car — give it two gallons of gas, and it will go 416 miles without a stop. But German engineers, meet your fuel-efficiency master: the honeybee.