Environment

20111115-205726-pic-336133459.jpg

NASA "We need each other more than ever before," says NASA's Jim Green of the imperiled partnership with the European Space Agency.

20111115-164621-pic-222525948.jpg

German fashion designer Anke Domaske (right) - with seamstress Tatjana Berthold at their studio in Hanover, Germany - is the designer of an award-winning new textile made entirely from milk that is environmentally friendly and soothing for people with skin allergies. Called "Qmilch," the fabric drapes and folds like silk but can be washed and dried like cotton. (Associated Press)

Iran Nuclear_Star(1).jpg

**FILE** The Bushehr nuclear power plant, outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran, is seen here on Aug. 20, 2010. (Associated Press)

20111114-211313-pic-209570405.jpg

An artisan ice sculptor from Harbin, China, works Thursday to create a wreath using blocks of green and crystal clear ice. It's one of the many ice carvings in the "Merry Madagascar" show set to open Friday at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at National Harbor. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

20111114-211313-pic-70272681.jpg

An artisan ice sculptor from Harbin, China, works on a wall of crystal clear ice as he and others carve out a huge ice slide, and as others on their team work to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this year's “ICE!” show in Oxon Hill on Thursday. (Rod Lamkey Jr./The Washington Times)

ICE_2351

An artisan ice sculptor from Harbin, China works to create a wreath using blocks of green and crystal clear ice as he and others from his team work to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in Oxon Hill, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. 40 men from Harbin, China return here to create a frozen wonderland, complete with an ice slide and characters from the movie. These men are a part of the team which creates the famous Harbin Ice Festival in Harbin, China every year. Some of the sculptures are comprised of colored ice blocks, yielding brilliant tones and deep hues for highlights and accents. Others are illuminated internally by some of the exhibit's 1,400 specially designed LED tube lights, evoking the ice lanterns of old. Others are engineered to support the presence of thousands of visitors over the exhibit's lifespan. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2349

Artisan ice sculptors from Harbin, China work on the huge ice slide as they work to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in Oxon Hill, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2348

Patterns form in the crystal clear blocks of ice, as artisan ice sculptors from Harbin, China work to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in Oxon Hill, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2347

Zhang Hu Cheng, 58, is one of the men from Harbin, China, the artisan ice sculptors who came to the United States to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in National Harbor, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2346

A column of crystal clear ice stands tall on the Nativity set, as artisan ice sculptors from Harbin, China work to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in Oxon Hill, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2345

Artisan ice sculptors from Harbin, China adjust heavy blocks of crystal clear ice as they work on the huge ice slide, and as others on their team work to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in Oxon Hill, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2342

A guide on paper for the design of a portion of the Nativity set is attached to a wall of ice, as artisan ice sculptors from Harbin, China work to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in Oxon Hill, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. 40 men from Harbin, China return here to create a frozen wonderland, complete with an ice slide and characters from the movie. These men are a part of the team which creates the famous Harbin Ice Festival in Harbin, China every year. Some of the sculptures are comprised of colored ice blocks, yielding brilliant tones and deep hues for highlights and accents. Others are illuminated internally by some of the exhibit's 1,400 specially designed LED tube lights, evoking the ice lanterns of old. Others are engineered to support the presence of thousands of visitors over the exhibit's lifespan. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2340

A zebra character from the movie Madagascar is made entirely of ice, as artisan ice sculptors from Harbin, China work to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in Oxon Hill, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2339

Artisan ice sculptors from Harbin, China use ice picks to move large blocks of ice into place as they work to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in Oxon Hill, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. 40 men from Harbin, China return here to create a frozen wonderland, complete with an ice slide and characters from the movie. These men are a part of the team which creates the famous Harbin Ice Festival in Harbin, China every year. Some of the sculptures are comprised of colored ice blocks, yielding brilliant tones and deep hues for highlights and accents. Others are illuminated internally by some of the exhibit's 1,400 specially designed LED tube lights, evoking the ice lanterns of old. Others are engineered to support the presence of thousands of visitors over the exhibit's lifespan. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2338

Liu Dong Bin, 48, is one of the men from Harbin, China, the artisan ice sculptors who came to the United States to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in National Harbor, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2336

An artisan ice sculptor from Harbin, China carries a heavy block of crystal clear ice as he joins others on his team, working on the huge ice slide, and as others work to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in Oxon Hill, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. 40 men from Harbin, China return here to create a frozen wonderland, complete with an ice slide and characters from the movie. These men are a part of the team which creates the famous Harbin Ice Festival in Harbin, China every year. Some of the sculptures are comprised of colored ice blocks, yielding brilliant tones and deep hues for highlights and accents. Others are illuminated internally by some of the exhibit's 1,400 specially designed LED tube lights, evoking the ice lanterns of old. Others are engineered to support the presence of thousands of visitors over the exhibit's lifespan. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2335

Zhang Hong Bin, 58, is one of the men from Harbin, China, the artisan ice sculptors who came to the United States to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in National Harbor, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2334

Artisan ice sculptors from Harbin, China work on heavy blocks of crystal clear ice as they work on the huge ice slide, and as others on their team work to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in Oxon Hill, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2333

Artisan ice sculptors from Harbin, China work to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in Oxon Hill, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)

ICE_2332

Xu Shi You,41, is one of the men from Harbin, China, the artisan ice sculptors who came to the United States to create colorful scenes from the DreamWorks' production of "Merry Madagascar" for this years ICE! show in National Harbor, Md, Thursday, November 9, 2011. (Rod Lamkey Jr. / The Washington Times)