Peabody Energy Corp., one of the world’s largest coal miners, said the industry will continue to rely on China and other developing nations as the U.S. uses less.

Here’s what the St. Louis company expects for the coal market in 2012:

Demographers aren't known for their sense of humor, but the ones who work for the United Nations recently announced that the world's human population will hit 7 billion on Halloween this year. Since censuses and other surveys can scarcely justify such a precise calculation, it's tempting to imagine that the UN Population Division, the data shop that pinpointed the Day of 7 Billion, is hinting that we should all be afraid, be very afraid.

Last month, when coal execs read the report linking birth defects to mountaintop removal mining, they weren't exactly thrilled. One rebuttal, penned by four attorneys with the firm Crowell & Moring, which represents the National Mining Association, accused the study's authors of using cherry-picked and misleading data. But that apparently wasn't convincing enough, so they went a step further and employed a discredited stereotype about inbreeding in West Virginia.

"The study failed to account for consanquinity [sic], one of the most prominent sources of birth defects," the attorneys' statement said. It then went on to advertise the firm's services to coal companies looking to "counter unfounded claims of injury or disease" from potential lawsuits sparked by the study.

The Bureau of Land Management says there are 1,800 oil wells on public and tribal land in North Dakota and asked for public opinion Wednesday on the industry’s method of hydraulic fracturing those wells.

Hydraulic fracturing is coming under increased public and government scrutiny and about 250 people attended a forum in Bismarck on Wednesday, one of three the BLM will hold by Monday – here, in Colorado and Arkansas.

We have yet to realize the true devastation of the 9.0 Magnitude earthquake, and resulting tsunami, that struck the north Pacific coast of Japan on March 11. All over the world, hearts go out to those affected by this tragedy. Now is the perfect time to do a project that can help give the people in Japan support during this time of need.

As in the past, groups are encouraged to support organizations that have active relief programs on the ground in Japan. Groups can donate to the Red Cross through their online website, or by texting REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 from your phone. Donations to the Red Cross will be focused on providing first aid, emotional support and relief items. Save the Children, an organization focused on creating safe shelter for children, is also working in Japan. Donations to Save the Children can be made online through their website, or by texting JAPAN to 20222 to donate $10 from your phone.

The electromagnetic radiation emitted by a cellular phone's antenna appears to activate nearby regions of the brain to unusually high levels, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. that is likely to spark new concerns about the health effects of wireless devices.

Public may be more likely to accept responsibility for climate change and support mitigation action if they see it as a threat to human health, suggests research