And it works the other way too: Our BMW worker going off into the woods to cut firewood for the winter has less environmental impact (given the size of German forests at least) than our GM one staying on the production line and using the money to buy heating oil for the winter.

FORBES: What Environmental Benefits Of Working Shorter Hours?

Dr Cooper and Julien Reboud, also from the University of Glasgow, have now developed a way to carry out the entire PCR process mixing, heating and cooling, as well as analysis using a single piezoelectric source, without the need for separate heating elements or detection equipment.

ECONOMIST: Acoustic microfluidics

Obama's plan for relief includes putting a windfall profits tax on oil companies, using the proceeds to help Pennsylvania families pay their heating and cooling bills.

CNN: Obama lays out energy, tax plans, criticizes McCain's

Refiners churn out the same end products (gasoline, heating oil, distillates, etc.) using either feedstock, but not all refiners have the equipment to process heavy sour crude.

FORBES

The 59-acre (24 hectare) site will also boast a solar thermal hot water system to pre-heat the water for the heating system, and a biomass boiler that will provide heat using locally-sourced wood chips.

BBC: Bristol and Bath Science Park gets new solar roof panels

As well as using wind turbines to provide electricity, and straw-burning plants to provide heating, some islanders have solar panels on their roofs and others warm their homes using geothermal energy and the heat given off by fresh cow's milk.

CNN: Striking a blow for wind power