I know a woman who is relentlessly, ridiculously optimistic. Everything is always for the best.

Depending on where you live, you may have genuine energy choice – but in most states, you probably don’t. And if that sounds like a mixed message, welcome to the wonderful world of alternative energy in a deregulated market with a loophole you could drive an SUV through.

The passing of Pluto as a planet was bad enough, but now the girl who grew up and old, the girl most famous for naming Pluto, has also passed to the other side.

We’re happy to learn that George Whitesides has won the inaugural Dreyfus Prize in the Chemical Sciences.

Half of the electricity generated in the United States and nearly one-third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from burning coal, and both of those numbers are predicted to rise, according to Department of Energy projections. The Backyard Climate Blog explains.

Several interactive/multimedia/real-time swine flu tracking pages have popped up in the recent days. Please weigh in on what you like/dislike about the ones mentioned below.

Before you start digging that hole, aren’t you wondering where to get the tree? The Arbor Day Foundation has you covered.

Ah, Earth Day, that glorious time of year when we gather to celebrate the planet and recommit ourselves to its preservation - if only it weren’t for that awkward moment when we pull up in front of the flapping green banners and compost bins to park the car.

Trolling the web today, we found a decent primer on the issue of seafood and pitfalls like overfishing or the unintended effects of aquaculture.

Image: Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna, courtesy NOAA

It may be hard to believe, but while much of the eastern U.S. was digging out from a series of snowstorms, Earth as a whole was experiencing its ninth warmest February on record.

Image: 2007 US heat wave, courtesy: NASA