NIGERIAN OIL CLEANUP: The Nigerian government has established a governing council to oversee the cleanup of 50 years of oil spills in the Niger Delta. The restoration plans, announced Wednesday, also include the creation of a trust fund that will provide upwards of $10 million to clear the delta.

ANTARCTIC ABUNDANCE: A team of scientists led by Monash University has discovered that Antarctic life is far more diverse than previously thought. The Antarctic continent and Southern Ocean, generally believed to be icy, inhospitable, and mostly home to whales, seals, and penguins, is in fact rich with land micro-organisms and seafloor species of sea spider and isopod.

CARBON REDUCTION COMMITTMENT: The Obama administration has finalized new regulations requiring states to cut carbon emissions from power plants by 32 percent before 2030, the first-ever standards of their kind.

OCEAN GRAB: Russia has officially staked a claim to a large expanse of the Arctic Ocean. If the United Nations accepts Russia's claim, the waters, which include the North Pole, will be under Russia’s economic jurisdiction regarding matters like drilling and fishing.

ORANGE IS THE NEW POLLUTION: The Animas River turned orange on Thursday when an abandoned mine released 1 million gallons of wastewater in Colorado. Health officials are warning Durango residents that the spill may contaminate water quality for miles.