SYDNEY (Reuters) - They're cute, they're cuddly and, in these times of financial woe, they make an affordable festive gift that's also good for the soul -- adopt a rescued koala.

With these fast recipes for sweet and savory muffins, scones, and bread -- plus the perfect jams and flavored butters to slather on them -- why settle for boring toast again? Throw back the bedsheets and welcome the day in a flavorful way.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A clean-burning diesel sedan, Volkswagen AG's Jetta TDI, won the "Green Car of the Year" award at the Los Angeles auto show on Thursday, the first time a diesel-powered car has taken the industry's top environmental honor.

The space itself is nothing special: Whitewashed granite walls run the width and depth of the room, five metres by 18 metres. A forgotten owner tried to put in a cement floor, but the dirt, which takes a long-term view of things, is stubbornly coming back

MEXICO CITY - Cyclists in the Mexican capital who pedal nude once a year and organize tours through the city have overcome the suspicions of city officials and are now participating in designing plans to benefit this environmentally-friendly transport.

CANBERRA (Reuters Life!) - Inspired by a documentary about eating only McDonald's for 30 days, Jenna Norwood decided to go for the opposite and only eat raw, organic food for a month with the result sparking major lifestyle changes -- and a movie.

Green swag is a tricky oxymoron. The idea of companies doling out free products to celebrities or the media - products that are environmentally friendly in some way - is becoming increasingly popular these days

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - San Antonio unveiled a deal on Tuesday that will make it the first U.S. city to harvest methane gas from human waste on a commercial scale and turn it into clean-burning fuel.

LONDON (Reuters) - Celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson has apologized after accidentally recommending a potentially deadly plant in organic salads.

EPA,..Monsanto corn variety has been approved for use. The product, called YieldGard Plus, is the first genetically engineered crop that has the ability to control two different insect groups. Help Save Our Earth,.. Ron Paul, and Agrogreen.