Climate cliff: The president mentions climate change! Again! And even plans to have a national conversation about it! Right after he fixes the economy ... That's ok, we're sure all of those problematic chemical reactions taking place in the atmosphere will wait. Politico, Associated Press

Billions Please: BP is expected to plead guilty later today to federal criminal charges related to the Deepwater Horizon disaster. If the oil company does settle, it may face the largest U.S. criminal penalty ever (currently held by Pfizer with a $1.3 billion fine for marketing fraud). Even so, the settlement may not be as high as fines still expected under the Clean Water Act, which have been speculated at $21 billion. Reuters, New York Times

Tree leaves: These eucalyptus groves won't be for koalas. No, they're full of genetically modified eucalyptus trees that grow 40 percent faster than normal ... and they're in Brazil. A biotech company wants permission to commercially grow the eucalyptus as a source for power and paper. It's not worried about the tree's invasive tendencies or its thirst for nutrients and water. Nah ... won't be a problem at all, according to the people who could profit from the project. The Guardian

Jumbo shrimp impacts: Since 1980, shrimp farming has lead to the destruction of about a fifth of the world's mangroves, which help protect coastlines and sustain real, non-farmed sea life. Reuters

Piggyback rides: Fracking isn't just reviving the natural gas industry. All that newly available gas means that plants that manufacture glass, steel, toys, and -- oh yeah -- petrochemicals are sprouting up like weeds in states like Louisiana. Washington Post

Panda gigante: Researchers found what could be the bones of an ancient ancestor of giant pandas in northeastern Spain. The fossils are 12 million years old, which would pre-date China's oldest panda fossils a few million years. CNN

Future perfect: One day, all of those huge wind turbine blades that we send up into the sky are going to need to be replaced, creating a significant waste problem. One possible solution: Make them out of biodegradable plastics. FastCoExist

Schnitzel, anyone?: Wild boar are taking over Berlin. Thousands of them. And they're hungry. NPR

Tips: @OnEarthMag (tag it #greenreads)
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