The climate change lexicon. “Staycation … a portmanteau that combines “stay” and “vacation” and refers to a holiday that takes place either at or near home.” With gas well above $4 per gallon this summer, and with airlines raising prices and canceling flights because of high fuel costs, it’s not too surprising to find a word like “staycation” gaining a toehold in the North American lexicon. — Grist

Waiting for the next (inevitable) apocalypse. Monday marks the 100th anniversary of the moment when something roared through the empty skies over Siberia and exploded, blasting forests for hundreds of square miles. More such incoming space rocks are inevitable. Are we ready? No. Last year, scientists at the Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico did some simulations (here’s one virtual Tunguska-like fireball) and proposed that the object, most likely an asteroid, could well have been just a few dozen yards across. — Dot Earth, NYT

Is fair trade coffee really fair? I’ve often wondered whether ethical coffee is just a marketing gimmick. Early last year, I went to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to check out my own favourite brand. Now some Dutch researchers have done some peer-reviewed worrying for me. — Fred’s Footprint

Penguins signal trouble ahead. The dwindling march of the penguins is signaling that the world’s oceans are in trouble, scientists now say. Penguins may be the tuxedo-clad version of a canary in the coal mine, with generally ailing populations from a combination of global warming, ocean oil pollution, depleted fisheries, and tourism and development, according to a new scientific review paper. — MSNBC