Daily Roundup: January 6, 2010

Saving the Snapper: A new federal rule has banned fishing for snapper in Floridia, Georgia, and the Carolinas in order to replenish depleted stocks. NPR

A Fleeting Fleet: Americans bought 10 million cars last year but scrapped 14 million, reducing the country's fleet to 246 million, according to a new report. An uncertain economy, improved mass transit, and high oil prices were among the reasons cited. Reuters

Barring Pollution: According to a study by the NOAA and the EPA, highway barriers protect nearby residential areas not only from noise but from pollution as well. ENN

Whale Wars: A boat manned by the activist group Sea Shepherd had its bow sheared off by a Japanese whaling ship when the two collided in the waters of Antartica. NPR

Not For Sale: Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope has praised reforms announced today by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, stating, "Secretary Salazar has taken down the for-sale sign and is now managing our public lands for the benefit of all Americans." Sierra Club

--Wendy Becktold