World's 10 Most Polluted Places

Country KOs GM deal with manufacturer over environmental worries

(NEWSER) - Beijing will halt GM’s sale of the Hummer brand to a Chinese machinery firm over pollution concerns, according to Chinese state radio. The purchase would run counter to the government’s goal of reducing pollution caused by manufacturing, the BBC reports. The Chinese firm shrugged off the report. “The fact that it is from an article from a state media organization does not mean it is government policy,” the company said in a statement. More»

Prague, Poland among adventurous destinations for thrifty travelers

(NEWSER) - The ever-pricier euro is sending determined travelers east, past the Eiffel Tower, to overlooked treasures like Prague's Old Town Square. Check out cheaper, Eastern European must-sees as recommended by Forbes:

1. Peterhof State Museum-Reserve, St. Petersburg, Russia: These palaces and 18th-century gardens rival those of Versailles.
2. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Plitvice Lakes, Croatia: Nature lovers can camp among 16 lakes, a dozen waterfalls, and 140 species of birds.

China outlaws use, manufacture of thin, disposable bags starting in June

(NEWSER) - The Chinese government says it will prohibit stores from distributing free, disposable plastic bags starting this June, reports the AP. Amid growing fears about the environmental future of the world's largest nation, Beijing is asking people to use baskets or cloth carriers instead of the thin plastic bags that been dubbed "white pollution," as they clog garbage dumps and litter the landscape. More»

The dollar may be down—but that isn't keeping Americans from spending their money abroad

(NEWSER) - Money may not be flowing the way it once did, but Americans are traveling more than ever. Forbes Traveler lists the top 20 destinations for Yankee jetsetters:

1. Mexico
2. Canada
3. UK

Polluting businesses told to clean up or get lost in many provinces

(NEWSER) - When its lake turned green and sludge poured from taps, the longtime home of China’s chemical industry closed 1,340 polluting factories, becoming the standard-bearer for a green wave now sweeping China, the Washington Post says. For the first time, the central government has given its provinces weapons to fight polluters and has vowed to cut discharges 10% by 2010. More»