Scorecard

Property rights

'Air rights' above land have a value to high-rise developers separate from the plot itself. So conceptual artist Jonathon Keats has bought the rights to the higher dimensions predicted in string theory associated with six properties in San Francisco. Although the cost was very reasonable, development opportunities will be limited if the extra dimensions are, as currently predicted, subatomic in scale.

Rewarding virtue

Having been fined in May for despoiling a beautiful lake while making a film, Chinese director Chen Kaige has been nominated for a 'Green Chinese' award. Nominators felt that the fuss over The Promise — which is up for a Golden Globe — raised awareness of environmental concerns.

Number crunch

12% of Americans see the environment as one of the three most important issues facing the United States today.

48% see global warming as the most important environmental problem facing the United States, up from 22% in 2003.

45% think there is a lot of disagreement among scientists on global warming, but 61% feel that there is enough evidence to justify action.

60% of Americans would be willing to pay at least $10 more a month for electricity to solve the global warming problem.

Zoo news

Steve Johnston, of the University of Queensland, Australia, wants to set up a sperm bank for koalas in order to help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases in breeding programmes.

Sources: Reuters, MIT, ABC News