Royal Dutch Shell, one of the world's largest suppliers of oil and natural gas, has announced that it intends to move away from the exploitation of unconventional energy resources, such as those in Canada's oil sands, and back towards conventional oil and gas exploration.

Yesterday, musicians, actors, and activists embarked on an extreme effort to raise awareness of the global water crisis and financial support for safe drinking water projects. The celebrities, who include Jessica Biel and Emile Hirsch, just began ascending Mount Kilimanjaro – the highest peak in Africa – in a remarkable campaign named “Summit on the Summit”. It is an unprecedented show of celebrity support for this crucial health and development challenge.

There's been some banter in the last few weeks about replicating the techniques of the popular "Cash for Clunkers" program in the form of a "Cash for Caulkers" program. The idea is to both prop up the economy while also increasing the energy efficiency of American homes. But the program also comes at a time when oil prices are beginning to creep upward again - as of today, they're at about $75 per barrel.

Via Dan Drezner, who kiddingly notes that the timing is convenient for James Cameron, scientists have discovered a "super-Earth" planet, 40 light years away, that is water-rich.

Here's CNN with the details:

Things are heating up in Copenhagen as the Climate Change Conference enters its second and final week. Negotiations are scheduled to end on Friday, by which time participants are hoping to have a treaty ready to bring back to their home countries. However, progress has stalled on a number of points of contention.

The lack of access to drinkable water in the developing world is a problem that will continue to inhibit growth, development, and improvements in health in these countries. Fortunately, there are some great technologies being developed that address this problem on a micro level. I've put together a short video that highlights some of the ones that I find to be the most interesting. I hope you enjoy it.

On Thursday, November 19, please join CSIS and partners in commemorating World Toilet Day. While many people who have access to a toilet might consider this a humorous concept, the global sanitation crisis necessitates that a spotlight be shined on both the severity of the problem and the promising solutions. Join us on the lawn of the United States Capitol to learn about, and give voice to, the 2.5 billion people who lack access to a toilet and the 1.8 million people who die annually as a result.

When looking at developing countries and the myriad of issues that face them, it often becomes a daunting task coming up with ways to benefit those in need. Many however have lived up to the task and have found the little things that make a big difference. The latest in this is a new combination of older technologies that create an inexpensive and environmentally friendlier way of bringing light where there was once darkness.

A new craze that has engulfed our nation over the last few years has been the development and purchasing of hybrid vehicles. Cars such as the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight have raised many questions as to why we still have vehicles on the road that average less that 15 miles per gallon while the Prius and Insight are able to reach over 50. Such conversations have stirred such debate and have contributed to the research, funding and development of other vehicle types including purely electric vehicles.

For many of us, water is a resource that we all too often take for granted. It flows freely and abundantly from our faucets and is usually so clean that there is little to worry about when it comes to quality. But for most of the world, clean water is so precious and scarce that people are willing to fight over it. Here at CSIS, we've examined the importance of water through our Global Water Futures Project, looking at everything from its impact on health to political stability. And it looks like the media has started to take notice as well.