Environment

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**FILE** In this photo from June 21, 2011, Shell gas worker Toke Fusi changes gas prices down at a Shell gas station in Menlo Park, Calif. (Associated Press)

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International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano inspects the crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear-power plant in northeastern Japan earlier this week. Mr. Amano, on a weeklong trip to Japan, said that the nation's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant is steadily making progress to recover from the March disaster triggered by an earthquake. (Associated Press)

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**FILE** A polar bear patrols the ice in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. His 2004 observation of polar bears likely drowning in conjunction with global warming has come back to haunt federal wildlife biologist Charles Monnett. (Associated Press)

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NVHomes is building 81 town homes at Fairwood in Bowie. The homes have 2,222 to 2,413 finished square feet, with base prices from $299,990 to $359,990.

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry's aides have been laying the groundwork for a White House bid, and Mr. Perry has been talking to influential Republicans in early voting states. He is expected to jump in when he announces a decision in the coming weeks. (Associated Press)

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Wide receiver Santonio Holmes had 52 catches for 746 yards and six touchdowns last season for the New York Jets. (Associated Press)

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A South African soldier comes upon the corpse of a slaughtered rhino in a national park in South Africa. The poachers typically operate around sunset, shoot a rhino, and spend the night in the bush before heading home with the horn of the animal. (Associated Press)

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Armed South African soldiers stage a night patrol (below) for visiting news media reporting on their efforts to counter rhino poachers. (Associated Press)

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South Korean soldiers remove mud on the street after a landslide caused by heavy rains in Seoul, South Korea, on July 27, 2011. (Associated Press)

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Luxury villas line the shore near Blue Lagoon, where bird-watchers and nature lovers flock off the beaten track. The Jamaica National Heritage Trust has completed research to make the lagoon a protected national monument. (Associated Press)

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Conservationists say Blue Lagoon in Port Antonio, Jamaica, is increasingly under threat by developers and the government's lackluster efforts at enforcing environmental laws. (Associated Press)

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Van Metre Homes is building 14 single-family homes on half-acre sites at Parkgrove in Broadlands. The Avery model, with 4,300 square feet, is priced from $787,490.

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This product image courtesy of My Solar Shop shows solar stepping stones lighting a pathway. Whether on a small terrace or in a sweeping landscape, lighting creates a welcoming and often dramatic atmosphere. (AP Photo/My Solar Shop)

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This undated image courtesy of Jamiedurie.com shows an outdoor space designed by HGTV's Jamie Durie, host of "The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie," using solar lighting. Whether on a small terrace or in a sweeping landscape, lighting creates a welcoming and often dramatic atmosphere. (AP Photo/Jamiedurie.com )

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This undated image courtesy of Jamiedurie.com shows an outdoor space designed by HGTV's Jamie Durie, host of "The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie," using solar lighting. Whether on a small terrace or in a sweeping landscape, lighting creates a welcoming and often dramatic atmosphere. (AP Photo/Jamiedurie.com )