Stern special in Climactic Change. For those of you in need of something meatier to chew on than Paris Hilton’s energy and climate policy, check out the latest issue of Climatic Change. Not your average silly season read, the August issue takes as its theme the Stern review on the economics of climate change and features a series of invited editorial essays on the topic. — Climate Feedback

Let’s handcuff the property cops. Susana Tregobov dries clothes on a line behind her Maryland townhouse, saving energy and money. But now her homeowners association has ordered her to bring in the laundry. Tregobov and her husband plan to fight for their right to a clothesline, but the odds are against them. Twenty percent of Americans now live in homes subject to rules set by homeowner associations, or HOAs. These private imitation governments have sweeping powers to dictate almost any aspect of a member’s property, from the size of the residence down to changes in trim color and the placement of a basketball hoop. — Grist

Bush Administration’s parting shot at endangered species. In what critics bill as a “parting shot” for industry friends, the Bush Administration is trying to change the way the Endangered Species Act is executed and take decision-making about wildlife out of the hands of expert biologists. Under the proposal, federal agencies would be able to determine for themselves whether or not projects will encroach upon threatened or endangered species. Currently, they have to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service, which employs experts to study, develop recovery plans for and assess the impact of projects on endangered wildlife.  — The Daily Green

Humans implicated in extinction of Tassie prehistoric animals. Research by UK and Australian scientists has provided the first evidence that Tasmania’s giant kangaroos and marsupial ‘rhinos’ and ‘leopards’ were still roaming the island when humans first arrived. The findings suggest that the mass extinction of Tasmania’s large prehistoric animals was the result of human hunting, and not climate change as previously believed. — Science Daily