March 27 - April 2, 2010 - This Week's Top Eco News

Each week Green Guide Network puts the spotlight on the biggest, most interesting (to us), and the quirky environmental news stories that broke during the past week. Every Friday check back to see what went down that week in green news.

For the first time, the federal government finalized rules to limit greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks and create gas mileage standards. The limits created by this law law, signed Thursday, will become effective in 2017.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/science/earth/02emit.html?ref=science

Orange County citizens may soon face fines of up to $1,000 for feeding wild animals. Huntington Beach City Councilman Joe Carchio, who proposed the law, hopes it will help prevent wild animals from searching for food in neighborhoods and parks.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/carchio-242174-animals-coyotes.html

Artic sea ice has returned to long-term average levels this winter for the first time in years. This is a welcome change from the past three years, in which the ice melted at record rates.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/arctic-sea-ice-0330

Tomatoes, long a staple in summer gardens, can get a boost from a little natural genetic manipulation according to researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. A mutation in one gene can lead to sweet tomatoes and up to 60% increase in yield per plant.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62R1AZ20100329

Starbucks introduced two new sizes this week - the 2 oz Micra and 128 oz Plenta.  The popular coffee brewer even offered a few tips for reusing their new sizes. Make sure you check the date on this one...

http://www.starbucks.com/blog/10113/starbucks-listens-to-customer-request-for-more-sizes.aspx