Who, who, who knows? Snowy owls are showing up in the strangest places, like tropical Hawaii. Could climate change, lemming shortages, or a boom in owlets be to blame? It’s a mystery, one that makes birdwatchers happy and scientists worry. New York Times

The keystone of the Keystone protest: If you’ve been thanking President Obama for nixing the Keystone XL pipeline, you should thank this guy, too. Boston Globe

The dragon’s fire: The Chinese New Year arrived with the usual bang of fireworks, adding to the haze of notoriously smoggy Beijing. The bright side? This year the city began banning the most polluting pyrotechnics and publishing hourly air pollution levels. Guardian

Half empty: A new study links lead exposure to pessimism. The bright side? There isn’t one. Environmental Health News

Attention-starved: Typically, starvation is a strong motivator. So why aren't climate discussions addressing agriculture strategies that could help feed communities in the future? NPR’s The Salt

Trunk talk: Elephants have their own language, which scientists are trying to decode. Beyond the obvious difficulties of understanding a different species, many elephant calls and rumblings are inaudible to the human ear. 60 Minutes

Mad Men: Presidential campaign ads have been slinging mud about Solyndra and unemployment. President Obama is responding with his own ad, which points to 2.7 million jobs created by other clean energy companies. InsideClimate News

Happy Monday: Your office building may be bad for you. Scientific American

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Image: Elephant in Tanzania by Mirko Eggert/Flickr