They say the balance of power shifts with the control over natural gases and oil reserves. It might be the right notion with Russia, US, Canada and Denmark staking their claim over the region that falls north of the Arctic Circle.

These countries would get back to staking their claims as scientists from the USGS in collaboration with international researchers have revealed that the Arctic may hold twice the oil previously found there. Not just the oil reserves, the sedimentary basins in the area, also house natural gas reserves.

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The Tesla Roadster needs no introduction as it is the first electric commuter to be dubbed a sportscar. The speed devils admire it as much as the green fanatics do, but the ones who bought it may not be happy with a recall.

Tesla Roadster - the electric supercar

It looks like 345 of the roadsters sold have been recalled by the company over a suspected suspension problem of the rear chassis.

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When 20 Nobel Laureates sit together to discuss ways to save Earth from the plight of global warming, the outcome would definitely be special. Out of the many suggestions that would flow from the Nobel Laureate Symposium being held in London, the US Energy Secretary (Barack Obama’s best man on “green), Steven Chu, came out with the most interesting : paint the world white.

Santorini Island, Greece - The Most Beautiful White Architecture in The World?

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The terminator attitude is showing in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s determination to make California a state that embraces hydrogen power like none other.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at the SAE in April 2009

He believes that the government keeps changing its policies related to alternative fuels depending on the prices of gasoline. California on the other hand is only moving in one direction with the hydrogen plans and that is forward, irrespective of what Washington does.

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Morality may not be for humans alone. Scientists studying animal behavior say that they have growing evidence that species ranging from mice to primates are governed by moral codes of conduct in the same way as humans.

Pidgeon and monkey together

If humans were thought to be the only species to experience complex emotions and have a sense of morality, it looks like animals have it, too. And that allows them to tell the difference between right and wrong (unlike many humans).

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There was an earthquake in the Honduras – 7.1 Magnitude.

A sure fire indication of what can happen when Mother Nature gets angry. That is, if you want to personify nature.

People were running around the city in their pajamas, reminding me of a Taiwanese friend who told me she would never sleep naked for fear an earthquake would wake her and she would have to run out in the street in the buff. The image alone of her running around was…well…never mind.

Three deaths have been reported.  A man died of an apparent heart attack, a 15-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl.

The U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colorado indicates that the epicenter was 80 miles northeast of La Ceiba, Honduras, and 200 miles from Tegucigalpa, the capital city.

A tsunami watch was put into effect for Honduras, Belize and Guatemala but then lifted.

National Emergency Minister made a radio plea, “I urge you not to panic, but to remain calm.  Your government is monitoring the situation and will be keeping you informed.”

The USGS reported a magnitude 4.8 aftershock off Honduras about three hours after the first quake.

Cameron Diaz topless? Or Cameron Diaz in a topless Prius? Both of those headlines would make us happy here at Greenpacks.

Cameron Diaz in a Topless Toyota Prius (edited)

Seriously. Cameron Diaz is the new celebrity face for the environment. So, I went looking to see what else the pretty lady has done for our home – planet Earth.

Here’s what I learned -

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More and more new-generation vehicles are using lithium batteries in an effort to cut down pollution levels, but could it be true that lithium batteries are as damaging to the environment as gasoline?

Yes, according to some experts on energy!

William Tahil, research director of Meridian International Research, an independent consultancy specializing in renewable energy, is not all that happy with lithium.

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I don’t know what you’d expect, but after seeing these pictures, it’s obviously true that elephants get their “nails done”, too.

Boy, a 39 year-old Asian elephant getting a pedicure

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In the early 1800s, the ocean around New Zealand contained about 27,000 southern right whales – that is, about 30 times more than today. This has been revealed in one of several startling reconstructions of ocean life in olden days and presented at the Census of Marine Life conference on May 26-28, 2009, in Denmark.

Night Fishing with a Lamp and a Net, 11th Century

According to British researchers, while large pods of blue whales and orcas, blue sharks and thresher sharks were plentiful in the waters off Cornwall, England, herds of harbour porpoise chased fish upriver, and dolphins played in waters inshore.

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