MNN - Mother Nature Network

GUESS WE CAN: Since speculation is more fun than waiting patiently, the eco-punditry is aflame today as Obama's picks for his environment and energy team loom (he's expected to announce them this week). Here's the recent buzz on top candidates for the main three posts (see the AP's full list of Cabinet aspirants here):

• EPA administrator: Lisa Jackson, former head of New Jersey's Dept. of Environmental Protection, or Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board (Sources: The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Washington Post)
• Interior secretary: Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva, California Rep. Mike Thompson or Kevin Gover, director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian (Sources: The Washington Independent, The Eureka (Calif.) Times-Standard and Politico)
• Energy secretary: Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, former Indiana Rep. Philip Sharp, former EPA administrator Carol Browner, former Edison International chairman John Bryson, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory director Steven Chu, or former assistant energy secretary Dan Reicher. (Sources: The Detroit News, AP, CNN and The San Francisco Chronicle)

POZNAN: The Independent sums up what's at stake at the dress rehearsal for 2009's Copenhagen summit. (Source: The Independent)

ALL THINGS MUST PASS: Wildlife crossings that go over or under major roads are gaining popularity as data show they reduce car-animal collisions and help maintain larger, more connected terrain for roaming. (Source: The Christian Science Monitor) 

SOLAR FOOD: Rice farmers, wineries and other California agricultural businesses are increasingly using their state's ample sunshine to power their operations. (Source: AP)

GREENER THUMBS: Relatively little spending to educate poor farmers in places like Brazil can reap huge rewards in their farms' efficiency and productivity, often meaning the difference between scraping by and rolling in crops, especially as arid regions heat up faster. (Source: The Guardian)

NO SUGAR TONIGHT: The U.S. Sugar Corp. has agreed to sell its land in the Everglades to the state of Florida for $1.34 billion, furthering Gov. Charlie Crist's plan to rehabilitate the swampy ecosystem. (Source: The New York Times)