Can you hear the science screaming, Clarice?: In his first few weeks as Secretary of State, John Kerry hasn't been afraid of calling climate change a threat to our nation. At a recent reception for the conservation of Antarctica's Ross Sea, Kerry explained that since it threatens the oceans and food supply, climate change is a matter of economic and national security, as well as a matter of environmental concern. “The science is screaming at us, literally,” he said. Well, maybe not "literally," but we hear you, Kerry. Now, hear us: actions speak louder than words. The Hill

Scenic outlook: The impressive panoramas at our national parks are crisper than they’ve been in decades, thanks to legislation like the Clean Air Act and the 1990 acid rain program. A recent report found that both air quality and visibility have gotten better in the parks over the past 20 years. Scientists have been keeping track of the data with photographs, so you can see the difference for yourself. And for those who might miss that artsy, hazy look to their vacation pics ... well, there's always Instagram. Pacific Standard

Operation: Iraqi (Oil) Freedom: On the tenth anniversary of the war in Iraq, an industry analyst declares that the biggest thing at stake during the battle was access to oil, saying the evidence lies in who has been extracting Iraq’s liquid gold. At the start of the war, strictly national companies were at the drill, but today, the West’s big players (BP, Chevron, Shell, ExxonMobile) have taken over. As Iraqi citizens reflect on whether they’re better or worse off now, one clear victor in this conflict, she says, is Big Oil. CNN

Car Talk: In 2010, Congress asked the National Research Council to figure out just how tough cutting vehicle emissions and fuel use by 80 percent by 2050 might be. The answer just came in: “very challenging.” No kidding (though the country has been making progress in this area). The report also says that market forces alone won’t make our goal a reality, but a group effort that includes new technologies, subsidies, and policies will be key. Scientific American

Home, sweet, dead whale: Not surprisingly, huge whales take a long time to decay after they die. What is surprising is the mini-ecosystem of creatures that forms, living in the bones and feeding off the carcasses' blubber. This unique habitat seems to host some very specific animals, and researchers digging into a whalefall from 2010 have identified nine new species. National Geographic

Potential windfalls: We have a rough idea about how much oil, gas, and coal is left out there to extract, but we’ve spent less time quantifying how much renewable energy we could harness. Luckily, the research firm Bloomberg New Energy Finance has stepped in, recently calculating how much wind and biofuel energy the United States and Brazil could generate over the next few decades. And the results are pretty promising! Quartz

Survival of the Fattest: Polar bears have it rough lately, but some are faring a bit better than others: the fatties. For Hudson Bay-dwelling bears, shorter winters with less ice have meant more time on land, and less time on the sea ice hunting for seals. Sadly, bears that don't bulk up when they can have less of a chance of making it to next hunting season. The Guardian

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