Our Daily Planet: Weekend Weather and Martina Navratilova's Charity Climb

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

Take That Snow and Shovel It: Parts of Europe are digging out from under their heaviest snow in nearly 50 years. Stateside, get ready for a cold, wet and snowy weekend. [Related: Snow Cover Lingers Over Great Britain and Ireland .]

Floods Down Under: Heavy rains have caused severe flooding along Australia's eastern seaboard. The flooding in New South Wales is the biggest in 50 years.

Coal Fight: A coal mine near Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park? Not if environmental groups can help it.

Forests for Dollars: As the Cancun climate talks come to a close today, the Mexican state of Chiapas is eager to save their forests by joining California's upcoming cap-and-trade market for carbon emissions.

Climb for a Cause: Martina Navratilova, the 54-year-old tennis legend, was forced to abandon her trek up Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro due to illness. Other expedition members are continuing the climb, which is partly to raise money for a Kenyan youth soccer program.

Yesterday's Our Daily Planet: Tropical Storm Forecast and BP Oil

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.