As crazy as it may seem, some people think global warming is a hoax perpetrated by environmentalists who want to scare people into sending donations, or liberals who want to promote big government and more regulation. If you've ever encountered one of these hardcore skeptics and have found yourself lost for cogent arguments, be sure to read this article.

Honeybee colonies are dying or disappearing in record numbers, with potentially devastating effects on agriculture and food supplies. What is causing the dramatic decline of honeybee populations in the U.S. and elsewhere, and what is being done to solve the problem?

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Sunscreen has a simple job. It is supposed to make it possible for you to enjoy being outside on a sunny day without risking a painful sunburn or, worse, skin cancer. But it turns out not all sunscreen products are a day at the beach. Many sunscreens fail to shield you from harmful UV radiation and may contain chemicals that can lead to other serious health problems.

Not all sunscreens are created equal, so it pays to find out which sunscreen products offer solid protection without putting your health at risk in other ways. Learn more about a new generation of sunscreens that are both safe and effective.

May is National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Awareness Month, which makes this an especially good time to learn how to choose a sunscreen that can help protect you from one of the most common, and most preventable, forms of cancer.

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A powerful earthquake in central China on Monday killed more than 10,000 people, and the death toll is expected to increase as rescue workers continue to pull bodies from homes, schools, factories and other buildings in the areas hit hardest by the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that shook Sichuan Province.

The earthquake may prove to be an environmental disaster as well as a human tragedy.

China Earthquake Also Puts Environment at Risk
Two chemical plants in Shifang city were destroyed, burying hundreds of people and spilling 80 tons of ammonia. Wenchuan County is home to 112,000 people as well as the Wolong Nature Reserve, the world’s leading research and breeding facility for endangered giant pandas that are native to China. The fate of the reserve and the citizens of Wenchuan County is unknown, because the area was at the epicenter of the earthquake, which knocked out all roads and communication services.

As many as 900 students may have been buried when several schools collapsed, and thousands of people were killed or injured in counties throughout the province. Authorities are worried that landslides and other damage may prevent relief and rescue workers from reaching people who need help, which could result in many more deaths.

China Earthquake Shock Waves Felt Throughout Asia
At least seven additional earthquakes, all measuring between 4.0- and 6.0-magnitudes, occurred within three hours after the initial quake at 2:28 p.m. local time, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported. China's Seismological Bureau said the earthquake affected more than half of China’s provinces, cities and towns. Shocks were felt as far away as Beijing, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand.

In 1976, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit the northern Chinese city of Tangshan and killed 255,000 people. That tragedy was the most devastating death toll from an earthquake in the last four centuries and the second largest in recorded history, according to the USGS.

Also Read:

• Death toll in China earthquake up to nearly 9,000 – Associated Press
• Thousands Killed by Huge China Quake – CNN.com
• Thousands Dead in 7.8 Earthquake in China -- About.com World News

More About China and the Environment:

• Cross-Border Pollution: A Growing International Problem
• China Unveils Climate Change Plan Designed to Balance Environment and Economy
• China Toxic Chemical Spill Flowing Toward Russia
• China to Invest $175 Billion in Environmental Protection Over Five Years
• China Latest Nation to Commit to Energy-Efficient Lighting
• China Bans Production, Sale and Use of Plastic Bags
• Who’ll Stop the Rain? China to Open Chemical Umbrella Over Beijing for Olympics

Water covers 70 percent of the Earth's surface, yet billions of people lack access to clean water. Population growth in many water-stressed countries, plus excess water use in developed countries, is shrinking water resources worldwide and raising fears about water scarcity.

Many scientists and world leaders believe the most serious potential shortage facing the world today is not fuel, or even food, but water. Water is the one thing no living thing can do without for long, and there is no substitute.

Learn more about the growing worldwide water crisis and what you can do to help.

_{Photo courtesy of Linda Badner}

Most researchers agree that even small changes in temperature are enough to send hundreds if not thousands of already struggling species into extinction unless we can stem the tide of global warming.

And time may be of the essence: A 2003 study published in the journal Nature concluded that 80 percent of some 1,500 wildlife species sampled are already showing signs of stress from global warming and climate change.

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Deforestation may have magnified the devastating effects of the cyclone that hit Myanmar (formerly Burma) over the weekend, according to Surin Pitsuwan, secretary general of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). The destruction of mangrove forests, which serve as a natural defense against storms that sweep in from the sea, left coastal areas in Myanmar exposed to the cyclone.

"Encroachment into mangrove forests, which used to serve as a buffer between the rising tide, between big waves and storms and residential areas; all those lands have been destroyed," Surin told the AFP news agency. "Human beings are now direct victims of such natural forces."

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Forget those old songs about romantic walks under beautiful city lights. Light pollution, defined as excess or obtrusive light at night, increases women's risk of breast cancer significantly, wastes energy, and disrupts the migration and breeding cycles of many birds and animals. Learn more about the health risks of light pollution and how you can avoid them.

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From a human perspective, ozone is both helpful and harmful, both good and bad. In the upper atmosphere, ozone protects all life on Earth from damaging radiation. At ground level, ozone is toxic and corrosive, a threat to human health, plants and marine life.

With summer just around the corner and temperatures starting to rise, both the good and bad qualities of ozone will be more apparent. Learn more about the good and bad of ozone.

Researchers have known for years that exposure to excessively-loud noise can cause changes in blood pressure as well as changes in sleep and digestive patterns -- all signs of stress on the human body. And the European Commission, which governs the European Union, considers living near an airport to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke.

Learn the health effects of airport noise and pollution, and what citizen's groups are trying to do about these problems.

_{Photo by Matt Teague}