With almost 7 million acres already burned this summer and the end of wildfire season still many weeks away, 2012 is shaping up to be the worst wildfire year on record, federal data show. Forest officials predict an abnormally long fire season this year due to the summer's severe drought. Go to story #1

The Antarctic Peninsula is warming faster than almost any other place on Earth. Temperatures there have risen by nearly 5 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 50 years, with dramatic results, including the rapid collapse of several floating ice shelves. For scientists, understanding the role man-made climate change has played is tricky. But a 1,200-foot ice core drilled off the northeastern tip of the peninsula in 2008 could help scientists put modern warming in context. Go to story #2