No less than three premieres took place in Portugal yesterday, when the first Nissan Leaf in the country was plugged into the country's first electric vehicle charging station for the first time. The event took place near the Park of Nations in Lisbon, where Prime Minister Jose Socrates drove and charged Nissan's EV.

Earth Day, a campaign which aims to promote environmental awareness, has been celebrated with a Google doodle. The search engine’s logo has been transformed into an illustration of a forest. Clicking on the link takes the user to the search results page for Earth Day.

Called the Trash Know, this dustbin is as elegant as practical. It features a unique way for incorporating the disposable liners into its form. Right at the bottom of the bin is this roll-dispenser holding the liners. You pull out one to line the bin with. After the trash has filled up, you simply tie a knot on the top and tear away the liner and pull up the next one.

Cars run on fuel made from household waste could be on the streets in just two years, according to a world-leading chemical company. The British company INEOS aims to produce commercial quantities of bioethanol fuel from biodegradable municipal waste by 2011. Peter Williams, chief executive officer of INEOS Bio said: 'Our technology will make a major contribution to reducing greenhouse gasses and the world's need for fossil fuels.