Daily Roundup: July 29, 2009

Grand Action: In a reversal to a Bush-era decision, Ken Salazar announced that the Department of the Interior will, at least for now, not permit new mining claims on some 1 million acres of public lands around the Grand Canyon. About.com

Leading the Way? Ban Ki-moon, the head of the U.N., is heading to the North Pole soon in an effort to draw world leaders’ attention to global-warming issues. Let’s hope he offsets. Dot Earth (NYT)

Powerful Beings: Turns out that the swimming of jellyfish and other marine animals might move the ocean’s water just as much as do the winds and tides. Wired Science

The Ocean Has Eyes: Scientists, after reviewing new research, suspect that coral may have eye-like elements that might enable them to see. National Geographic

Activist Actress: Starlet Hayden Panettiere is blogging about saving whales and dolphins, focusing especially on what she calls “the notorious dolphin-killing cove of Taiji, Japan.” Ecorazzi

--Avital Binshtock