Saudi Arabia

One of Canada's most prominent environmentalists toured the oil sands in northern Alberta recently and had one word to express what she saw: Mordor. Maude Barlow, who was recently appointed to advise the UN on water issues, said her visit to the oil sands reminded her of Tolkien's fictional blackened and barren wasteland.

For obvious reasons, most Westerners don’t view the Middle East as a very green place. Why would oil-producing companies have any interest in de-valuing their most precious resource, right? Turns out, though, that a small yet significant move towards alternative energy is beginning in the region. While it might not become a world industry leader any time soon, the Middle East is playing its part.

A hacker broke into a federal Homeland Security Department telephone system during the weekend and racked up about $12,000 in calls to the Middle East and Asia.

The hacker made more than 400 calls on a Federal Emergency Management Agency voice-mail system Saturday and Sunday, according to FEMA spokesman Tom Olshanski. FEMA is the principal government agency for helping victims of natural disasters.

The agency is part of Homeland Security, which in 2003 put out a warning about such a vulnerability.

The tiny city of North Oaks, Minn., has two words for Google: Keep out. The town doesn't want images of its streets and homes on Street View in Google Maps. Google has agreed to take down the images.

The town's residents say it's a matter of privacy. The roads in this lakeshore community north of Minneapolis are privately owned and the city enforces its trespassing ordinance. The North Oaks Golf Club represents a substantial amount of the town's real estate. Residents say Google broke the law when it came onto private roads and took photos.