Short people know the sad litany all too well: Numerous studies show that they probably earn less than taller colleagues. They get fewer dates as well as fewer promotions. Their bosses are probably taller than they are--in fact, more than half of U.S. CEOs clock reach six-feet- (183-centimeters-) plus.

In its waning days, the Bush administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  has essentially halted all new construction of coal-fired power plants until the government can figure out what to do about climate-change-causing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In a ruling yesterday (pdf) on a petition to build a new 110-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Bonanza, Utah, the EPA decided that it could no longer grant permits for such new construction until it determines what is needed to limit CO2 emissions.

 Stanford University biologist Sharon Long, a science advisor to the Barack Obama campaign, talks about science in the upcoming administration. Plus we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Websites related to this episode include www.sciam.com/report.cfm?id=election2008

Dear EarthTalk: My wife and I drive more than 20,000 miles a year in our recreational vehicle (RV) which gets about seven miles to the gallon, but high fuel prices are eating into our nest egg. Are there more fuel efficient ways to enjoy the RV lifestyle?     -- Walter Hendricks, Tampa, Florida [More]

LOVE AND WEATHER | October 27th 2008

"I've always had a real envy of frigid boys", explains Rivka Galchen, author of "Atmospheric Disturbances", in an audio interview with The Economist ...

From ECONOMIST.COM