Biggest Green News Stories Of 2010 (PHOTOS)

From the Gulf Oil Spill to the West Virginia Mining Disaster, 2010 saw its fair share of newsworthy events putting environmental issues in the spotlight. Although we witnessed many tragedies, there were also many signs of hope, from historic steps taken by the EPA to tackle big polluters to landmark initiatives by states doing their part to combat climate change.

We've listed some of the green news stories etched in our memories, but what about you? What events will you remember most from 2010?

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Gulf Oil Spill

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BP's horrendously huge oil spill in the Gulf Coast was the most searched topic on Yahoo's list this year. Whoever thought that Michael Jackson (most-searched in 2009) and the oil spill would have something in common? News broke on April 20, when in the Gulf of Mexico, BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded. 11 workers were killed, and oil began gushing into the ocean, creating a devastating leak that lasted for months. BP finally capped the well in July, but this was no success story. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was not just breaking news, but long-lasting news as well. The Justice Department has now sued BP and other companies for the oil spill, in an attempt to get billions of dollars for the damage caused. The lawsuit claims that the defendants failed to keep the well under control and did not use the best drilling technology to monitor the well. We now find ourselves lugging in tar-covered shrimp, assessing dying coral, and deep-cleaning our poisoned beaches. The effects of our oil-dependence will haunt us for years to come, as we slowly uncover just how much damage this spill has caused.

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BP's horrendously huge oil spill in the Gulf Coast was the most searched topic on Yahoo's list this year. Whoever thought that Michael Jackson (most-searched in 2009) and the oil spill would have something in common?

News broke on April 20, when in the Gulf of Mexico, BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded. 11 workers were killed, and oil began gushing into the ocean, creating a devastating leak that lasted for months. BP finally capped the well in July, but this was no success story.

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill was not just breaking news, but long-lasting news as well. The Justice Department has now sued BP and other companies for the oil spill, in an attempt to get billions of dollars for the damage caused. The lawsuit claims that the defendants failed to keep the well under control and did not use the best drilling technology to monitor the well.

We now find ourselves lugging in tar-covered shrimp, assessing dying coral, and deep-cleaning our poisoned beaches. The effects of our oil-dependence will haunt us for years to come, as we slowly uncover just how much damage this spill has caused.

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Watching Grass Grow Is More Newsworthy This Story Will Make History Beyond 2010

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Comments

[Kristi Dunn]

07:06 AM on 01/08/2011

Glad to see that due to the fact that the government does not do its job regulating the factory farm industry, many animals suffered and lost their lives only for their meat to be recalled and destroyed!

[Ron Booth]

11:01 AM on 12/31/2010

I tremble to consider what the consequences may have been if there had been no Earth Day 40 years ago, if the pressure from environmentalists had failed to eventually pressure government into finally giving the EPA some reasonable levels of enforcement powers.

People can bemoan big government all they want but if not for the EPA right about now we might all be walking around with gas masks on and be totally reliant on bottled water.

[Dewts]

11:36 AM on 12/31/2010

not likely.

and lol eathday.

[Ponderous]

04:17 PM on 12/29/2010

How interesting that not one of the stories has to do with THE EXTREME COLD WEATHER that has hit the globe 2 winters in a row - or the shoddy science behind the numbers that claim this year was warmer, or that the Antarctic shelf has shown no decrease in size, or that sea levels have not risen at all. Interesting how certain facts are picked and others ignored. THis has become a sham - it's not science - it's now a religion.

[ClimateHawk]

09:05 AM on 12/30/2010

So do you think all four of your items deserve a list on the top ten?

[jemdad99]

10:53 AM on 12/31/2010

2009 and 2010 are the warmest years on record. Yes, there places with extreme cold for short periods (days) but that is as meaningless as places with record heat for a few days. The science is there and proven. The earth is getting warmer. Even Exxon-Mobil does not debate this fact.

The most dangerous people in the world are those who translate their philosophy to reality and ignore facts (e.g. Ponderous, Republicans, Tea Party, Right Wingers, Neo-Cons, etc). The truth is that you and your clan are much more dangerous to the US than Bin-Laden.

[Dewts]

11:35 AM on 12/31/2010

exxonmobil and bp and co are all for carbon credits and cap and trade because it means a larger market share for them.

[Steph Monster]

03:59 PM on 12/29/2010

Wow! What about the haiti earthquake & pakistan flooding? http://www.fourgreensteps.com/infozone/featured/features/year-in-review-best-a-worst-eco-news-of-2010-

[ldelp84227]

02:46 PM on 12/29/2010

For almost a year congress had hearing after hearing about the chemicals in our products. Finally after 12 years with an illness to the many untested chemicals in our products legislation was introduced only to be derailed by the millions lobbyist and special interests spent to kill the legislation.

There was legislation in the Senate, the House, and a Cosmetic's Bill.

Even the President's Cancer Panel has determined many of the chemicals in our products cause Cancer. Why don't we see this info on mainstream media.

I listened to the Senate Hearings and the Senators admitted they have no idea what is in the hundreds and hundreds of chemicals on the market that have not been tested.

In this day with all that is going on how can they leave it up to companies making the decisions what chemicals are safe and not revealing what is in the formula.

I guess terrorists could just set up shop and put what ever they feel like in some product, but I guess no one has thought of that yet.

How can anything be more important than human life and our leaders allowing these companies to put us in danger. I am tired of suffering so companies can make millions.

I don't expect anything to change soon even if legislation was passed. These things take years, meanwhile the sick wait and wait and no help from our leaders, etc.

[mjc]

01:34 PM on 12/29/2010

Unfortunately....not an adequate word in this case for this event....no amount of money coming from BP or its partners on the rig will EVER bring back the wildlife and ocean flora to the state it was before this disaster. Still, there should be some amount that punishes them for the criminal neglect and every control known applied to any of the other rigs in any place in the oceans.

[jemdad99]

10:55 AM on 12/31/2010

Agreed. The entire BP executive suite and corporate board should be put on trial -- and hopefully convicted and given long prison sentences. We could release a few pot smokers to make room for them.

[Jerome Biggums]

03:00 PM on 12/31/2010

I agree as well, here is an idea of how to stop the next set of disasters

Give the military funds to regulatory agencies... end both wars, put the returning military personnel into regulator training programs and give them nice cushy regulator jobs... with that many people watching over our well being instead of a misplaced need for security, maybe our food, environment, health, and financial systems would not be such a mess...

**** Dream ended ***
hello 112th congress