Electric cars and the infrastructure needed to power them got a big push on several fronts last week with the announcements of new networks in two states.

BMW, the parent company of MINI, introduced the MINI E electric vehicle at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show this week. The MINI E is a pure electric, not a hybrid, and runs on lithium-ion batteries. Best of all, MINI is inviting 500 folks to have the opportunity to drive one on a daily basis.

As giant auto makers beg governments to bail them out of the economic crisis that has brought them to their knees, some authorities have named a price -- make greener cars to drive.

The EU has committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by a fifth by 2020 as part of efforts to curb the warming of the Earth's climate which scientists warn could have a devastating impact, hitting poor countries hardest.

The Philippine passenger jeepney has started to shed its image as a smoke-belching, eardrum-busting public utility vehicle. Originally fashioned out of WWII American military jeeps, these colorful and iconic "kings of the road" are going green.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Slow-moving ocean and river currents could be a new, reliable and affordable alternative energy source. A University of Michigan engineer has made a machine that works like a fish to turn potentially destructive vibrations in fluid flows into clean, renewable power.

Call it an economic and environmental murder mystery in the making: Will a cash-strapped Detroit kill the electric car -- again?

Stung by an association with gas-guzzling SUVs and pushed to the brink of failure by plunging sales, U.S. automakers have been touting efforts to roll out more fuel-efficient small cars, gas-saving technology and gas-free electric vehicles.

Raw milk is illegal in many countries as it can be contaminated with potentially harmful microbes. Contamination can also spoil the milk, making it taste bitter and turn thick and sticky. Now scientists have discovered new species of bacteria that can grow at low temperatures, spoiling raw milk even when it is refrigerated.

Developing countries need a broad-based capacity in physics to achieve sustainable economic growth, says Reza Mansouri in aNature supplement published to coincide with the twenty-fifth anniversary of TWAS, the academy of sciences in the developing world.

As GreenBiz reported on Tuesday, the 2008 CleanTech Open concluded earlier this week, showcasing some of the most exciting new innovations in the world of sustainability. Among the winners walking away with a prize package worth $100,000 in cash and business resources was BottleStone, a Los Altos Hills company that makes ceramic stone countertops out of recycled glass.

For all of its 21st-century advancements, the shipping industry drags a lot of old technology around.

Giant vessels are so sophisticated these days that they require only a handful of crew members. But the ships still burn a thick, dirty sludge called bunker fuel while at sea and slurp diesel to keep the lights and air conditioning running while in port.