Our Daily Planet: Cold Weather and Birds of America

Each weekday morning, OurAmazingPlanet takes the pulse of the Earth, reporting on natural phenomena and exploration news from around the globe.

Cold Snap Continues: Lake effect snow continues to fall around the Great Lakes, and the arctic cold air invasion has reached the South, causing record low temperatures across parts of Florida. [Related: How does the lake effect work? ]

Tropical Forest Pact: U.N. negotiators are paving a path toward saving tropical rain forests in an effort to curb climate change. Deforestation accounts for 15 percent of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions each year.

Glaciers Slipping: Glacier melt is speeding up, reported scientists at the U.N. climate talks in Cancun, Mexico. The melting glaciers in the Himalayas threaten to flood nearby farms and villages. [Related: In Images: Tracking a Retreating Glacier .]

Second-Longest Reef in Danger: The Mesoamerican reef in southeastern Mexico, is feeling the heat from global warming. Locals are releasing fish near the reef to try and counter the damage.

Birds of America: Bird watchers, take note. The world's most expensive book, John James Audubon's "Birds of America," was sold for $10 million on Tuesday by Sotheby's in London.

Reach OurAmazingPlanet staff writer Brett Israel at bisrael@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter @btisrael.

Brett Israel was a staff writer for Live Science with a focus on environmental issues. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from The University of Georgia, a master’s degree in journalism from New York University, and has studied doctorate-level biochemistry at Emory University.