SAN FRANCISCO -- Vinod Khosla's professional genesis followed the classic Silicon Valley model. After earning an MBA at Stanford University, Khosla co-founded Sun Microsystems, then moved quickly to the dominant venture firm in the high-tech space, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Once there, he launched two more successful firms and then started his own operation, Khosla Ventures. Then a new passion took hold as Khosla sought to develop start-up firms focused on alternative energy. Along the way, he has built himself a reputation as a maverick thinker, jumping into debates on topics ranging from stem-cell research to climate change.

Researchers studying which transport system contributes most to climate change have found the biggest offender to be cars.

Vanishing Arctic sea ice could cause microscopic marine plants known as phytoplankton, a critical food source for much of the marine ecosystem, to bloom explosively and die earlier in the season, a development that could be disastrous for migratory wildlife, Stanford scientists say.

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. -- Homes here could begin to resemble racecars, preparing them for stiffer winds associated with climate change. Aerodynamic attachments to their roofs, similar to car fins, could help howling hurricane winds skip over coastal homes -- rather than tearing off their lids and dumping rain into bedrooms and kitchens.

NEW YORK -- Wall Street bankers and activists aligned in the battle against climate change are urging philanthropists to further match their investments to their charitable activities and put more money to work toward developing clean energy and carbon markets.

Southeast Asia and the South Pacific island nations face a growing threat from malaria and dengue fever as climate change fosters mosquito breeding grounds and as climate-change refugees begin to migrate, carrying the diseases in their blood.

A significant number of people worldwide are concerned about the slow pace of their governments' moves toward renewable energy and want their leaders to do more, even if that means higher utility bills, according to a global opinion poll released this week.