According to the EPA, the small engines that power leaf blowers will account for 18 percent of smog-forming emissions by 2020, unless they are regulated.

NPR: L.A. Looks to Cut Smog with Leaf Blower Trade-In

In the fort's courtyard are several small wooden boats and traditional barasti (palm-leaf) houses, including the primitive Al Kaimah, and the summerhouse Al Areesh with traditional wind-tower (barajeel) "air conditioning".

BBC: The Dubai Museum: Charting the rise of the emirate

In the thick forest-savannah mosaic of northern Congo, many days' walk from any tarmac, your correspondent unearthed a milestone, half-buried in the leaf-litter, pointing to the small town of Badai, 15km to the east.

ECONOMIST: Seeing the wood

Seated on top is a small bowl of sweetened caviar, delicately draped by an edible gold leaf.

FORBES: The World's Most Expensive Comfort Foods

There is almost as much statistical noise in the wettability of the paper and the leaf from one bag to the next as there is in dissolution rates, and small changes in manufacture usually matter more than anything the consumer on the teabag side can control.

FORBES: Does Bouncing Your Tea Bag Actually Do Anything Substantial?

"Leaf is on a mission to turn standard point of sale into point of smart interactions for small businesses, so it's important that we stay on the cutting edge of technology, " said Aron Schwarzkopf, CEO of Leaf.

ENGADGET: Leaf unveils next-gen LeafPresenter Android POS tablet for taking payments

True to form, the Top Five Cars for Democrats include more imports and more small, fuel-efficient cars, including one hybrid, the Honda Civic Hybrid, and also the Nissan Leaf, the first mass-produced battery powered car.

FORBES: How To Drive Like A Democrat