Last week it was the penguins, now it’s the kangaroos. According to research by Australian scientists, kangaroos could also become extinct this century if temperatures rise only two degrees Celsius. Researchers at James Cook University issue yet another warning about global warming’s effect on animals.

Speaking of global warming, let’s follow the Brits. British energy and climate minister Ed Miliband said Thursday he endorsed proposals to reduce Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. This legally-binding pledge makes the UK the “the first country to commit to severe cuts in the production of carbon dioxide and other gases responsible for global warming.

Coming off the final presidential debate, we all heard Sen. Obama’s and Sen. McCain’s views on their proposed energy policies. To most people’s surprise, both candidates endorse nuclear power, at varying degrees, to gain oil independence from the Middle East. A recent New York Times article lays out their nuclear ideas.

On the presidential front, good news for bikers from avid cyclist: George W. Bush. Before the president leaves office, the Bush administration plans to give mountain bikers more access to national parks and other public lands. On Tuesday, the National Park Service confirmed that it is “preparing a rule that will allow decisions about some mountain bike trails to be made by park managers instead of federal regulators in Washington, a process that can take years.”

Before you eat your next bite of sushi, do you know if it’s “sustainable?” According to the sustainability guides published by three conservation groups, mackerel (aji or sawara) is fine but best-selling, fatty bluefin tuna (toro) are out. The “ocean-friendly” books produced by the Blue Ocean Institute, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Environmental Defense Fund lists whether the seafood is caught by sustainable methods. The guides list the fish by their English and Japanese names. “The three new cards will be officially unveiled Oct. 22 at Tataki Sushi and Sake Bar, which the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Ken Peterson described “as the only fully sustainable sushi restaurant in the United States.” Now, you can be eco-conscious to the last sushi bite.

Now about those oceans…. Does less ice lead to more water? University of Edinburgh scientists announced a plan Thursday to survey a fragile part of an Antarctic ice shelf this year to determine if it will crack off in coming decades and have an impact on global sea levels. Other portions of this ice shelf have already broken off in 1995 and 2002. The U.N. Climate Plan said that rising world sea levels, fueled by global warming, could cause more powerful storms, heatwaves, floods and droughts.

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