For most of its nearly four-decade history, Earth Day has been a call to safeguard such precious resources as clean air and water for future generations, resources put at increasing risk by pollution.

By David Ivanovich, Houston Chronicle Oct. 28--WASHINGTON -- China's electricity grid was near the breaking point in the spring of 2004. Facing repeated blackouts, Chinese exporters, clustered in the southern province of Guangdong, fired up their own diesel-powered generators.

WASHINGTON _ The oil and gas industry is watching some of its longtime friends slowly slip away. High energy prices and election-year politics have made many lawmakers in Washington wary of stepping up for big oil companies that are under fire from consumers.