In Case You Missed It: The Week of May 13-19

The Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee took up a “clean energy” bill proposed by the Committee’s Chairman, Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), that would require utilities to derive a defined portion of their electricity from technologies that emit fewer greenhouse emissions than coal.

Hawaii became the first state to ban plastic bags at the point of sale after Honolulu County joined the state’s other three counties in enacting a plastic bag ordinance.

Vermont became the first state to ban hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.

NOAA reported to Congress that a record six populations of fish returned to healthy levels in 2011.

The Obama administration appealed a federal district court ruling that the EPA illegally vetoed a major mountaintop removal coal mining project in West Virginia.

The New York Times reported on some of the latest battles over coastal erosion, including one in Rhode Island and another in Hawaii.