Travis the chimp goes ape in Connecticut, 2 young boys in the Bronx are surprised to find they’re sitting on a couch inhabited by a four-foot long boa constrictor, alligators in bathtubs and exotic fish swimming in non-native waters – all examples of people’s compulsion to possess something rare, exotic and alive.  Endangered species ranging from butterflies to komodo dragons are smuggled into the U.S. everyday.  Time to tighten import laws and sale and possession regulations for wild animals.  There are plenty of dogs and cats in the local animal shelter for those who want a pet or companion.  If someone can smuggle a giant lizard into the country, how hard could it be to bring in a shoe bomb?  Time to better protect both humans and animals.

• G.W. has left the building…EPA Poised to Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions – environmental leader
• Destroy the Amazon, lose your coffee. Payback.  Climate Change Threatens Brazil’s Coffee Crop – usa today
• They should double as powering stations for electric cars. San Diego Goes Green With Solar Powered Parking Meters – msnbc
• Hope for Peanut Allergy Cure – bbc
• If you have a ‘green’ Oscar obsession…Live Stream of Global Green Pre-Oscar Party Tonight – ecorazzi
• The return of the dragon monster…or photo hoax? 100-Foot ‘Borneo Monster’ Photographed – livescience

Living in London for the past year, I’ve really missed many of the brands I loved in the U.S. (Kashi!), but I’ve also grown quite fond of a few British ones that I never tried in the states. For one, I’m now utterly addicted to Rachel’s Dairy yogurt. My fiancé and I often go through a couple of cartons a week, so I was excited to learn that the brand launched in the U.S. in late 2007.

Called Rachel’s Wickedly Delicious in the U.S., and distributed by White Wave, the line was originally founded in the U.K. in 1984, and was a soaring success right from the get-go. All Rachel’s products are free of artificial flavors, preservatives and sweeteners; there is no high-fructose corn syrup, GMOs or artificial growth hormones. (more…)

For those who can still afford the status boost of driving to the local Costco in a fancy SUV and want to offset their ostentation by “going green”, this one’s for you.  Hopefully the technology will benefit a broad class of vehicles.

From the press release:  Porsche AG, has shared more information about its Cayenne S Hybrid, which will debut next year. Using a parallel full hybrid design with the electric motor between the combustion engine and the transmission, Porsche engineers have been able to drive at speeds up to 86 mph without using the combustion engine.  (more…)