<p>The European Union postponed a planned extension of rules requiring airlines to pay for carbon emissions to and from non-EU destinations. Climate commissioner Connie Hedegard proposed "stopping the clock for one year" due to progress made in negotiations on a global carbon emissions deal, but she added that the tax would be reintroduced if the International Civil Aviation Organization did not make progress by this time next year.

<p>The European Union postponed a planned extension of rules requiring airlines to pay for carbon emissions to and from non-EU destinations. Climate commissioner Connie Hedegard proposed "stopping the clock for one year" due to progress made in negotiations on a global carbon emissions deal, but she added that the tax would be reintroduced if the International Civil Aviation Organization did not make progress by this time next year.

<p>The European Union postponed a planned extension of rules requiring airlines to pay for carbon emissions to and from non-EU destinations. Climate commissioner Connie Hedegard proposed "stopping the clock for one year" due to progress made in negotiations on a global carbon emissions deal, but she added that the tax would be reintroduced if the International Civil Aviation Organization did not make progress by this time next year.

<p>Australia formally declared vast tracts of ocean protected areas as part of efforts to create the world's largest marine reserve. The new reserve will total over 2.3 million kilometers, completing a 3 million kilometer ring around Australia's coasts. The Coral Sea, home to dozens of coral reefs and marine species, will also be protected. As part of the deal, Australia will pay fishermen around $100 million to compensate for the impacts of the reserve, and fishermen will have until July 2014 before restrictions on fishing practices take effect.

<p>As Western governments lift sanctions on an increasingly open and democratic Myanmar, the influx of foreign capital and the development it brings will threaten the nation's natural resources, experts warn. Home to the world's largest tiger preserve and impressive biodiversity, the nation's brutal human rights record brought sanctions that protected remote areas by preventing development. This protection is now threatened, as China and Japan make plans to open transportation corridors through Myanmar's jungles.

<p>As Western governments lift sanctions on an increasingly open and democratic Myanmar, the influx of foreign capital and the development it brings will threaten the nation's natural resources, experts warn. Home to the world's largest tiger preserve and impressive biodiversity, the nation's brutal human rights record brought sanctions that protected remote areas by preventing development. This protection is now threatened, as China and Japan make plans to open transportation corridors through Myanmar's jungles.