Florida’s top environmental official is praising the latest ruling in a long-running legal battle with Georgia over the river system they share with Alabama. Margie Menzel reports.

Environmental stewardship and sustainability have become global issues. In response, the University of Florida has teamed with Lee County to create what they’re calling a “green committee”. WGCU’s John Davis has more.

The Florida Department of Environmental protection has been awarded a two-and-a-half million dollar federal grant to help restore the state’s coastal communities. Trimmel Gomes reports.

The U.S. Environmental protection Agency, which has been blasted in the press by politicians and environmentalists in recent months for not doing enough to address global warming, is also failing to protect the Everglades. That’s according to a recent ruling made by a federal judge. Trimmel Gomes has more.

A team of scientists from Louisiana is in the Gulf of Mexico right now gathering data on what has become known as “the dead zone.” It’s a layer of saltwater with such low oxygen levels that it can’t support marine life. Some computer models show this season’s “dead zone” may be the largest ever measured. Bobbie O’Brien reports.

National Geographic “Explorer in Residence” Dr. Sylvia Earle is in Sarasota this week receiving an award from the Mote Marine Laboratory. She’s been studying life in the planet’s oceans for more than half a century. WGCU’s John Davis has more.

The deadline to get a free tree from the City of Sarasota is approaching. All city residents have to do is pledge to care for the sapling. WGCU’s Mike Kiniry has more on Sarasota’s Green Canopy Program.

Florida’s environmental groups see President Bush’s move to lift the ban on offshore drilling as a threat to the state’s thousands of miles of beaches. Some even say it’s all a ploy to undermine real solutions. Trimmel Gomes reports.

The Everglades received another push toward restoration this week. It’s part of a collaborative effort between the South Florida Water Management District and the Miccosukee Indian Tribe. Luis Hernandez has more on efforts to restore an eight-thousand acre piece of the River of Grass to its once natural beauty.

Scientists from around the world are meeting in Fort Lauderdale this week to talk about ongoing threats to coral reefs. Governor Charlie Crist marked the event by signing a bill that will phase out the dumping of sewage into the ocean, which some say is damaging the reef system. Trimmel Gomes reports.