Some environmentally enlightened Wall Street heavy hitters stepped up to the plate last week to take a crack at reducing carbon dioxide emissions by buying out an ailing Texas-based utility, TXU. The company planned to build 11 new coal-fired power plants across Texas. The new investors, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Texas Pacific Group, say that after consulting with environmentalists they will scuttle plans for all but three of the proposed plants. The new company will make up for the prospective loss of future supply by encouraging customers to reduce demand through energy efficiency upgrades.

Last week, scientists from around the world kicked off the Amphibian Ark project, a global campaign to protect the world’s vanishing amphibian species from a ravenous killer fungus, widespread habitat loss and exposure to pollution and global warming. Project organizers are asking zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums around the world to each take in at least 500 frogs from a threatened local species to protect them from the killer fungus, chytrid.

Australia announced a bold step last week in efforts to stave off global warming: banning incandescent lightbulbs and replacing them with more efficient compact fluorescents nationwide. According to Australia’s environment minister Malcolm Turnbull, the goal of the phase out is to reduce the country’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by four million tons while cutting household energy bills by as much as two-thirds. Australian environmentalists praised their government’s decision, but urged even bolder action to stave off global warming.