Kleiner Perkins is joining hands with another clean technology-focused venture capital firm and a Norwegian company to bring electric cars to the United States, signalling a Silicon Valley push to make American driving greener. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Boston-based RockPort Capital Partners and electric car maker Think Global will create a new Menlo Park, California-based company called Think North America. The deal was announced on Monday at the Fortune Brainstorm Green Conference in Pasadena, California.

After getting a show cause notice from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, the Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL) has applied for consent of the board under the Water Act and the Air Act (prevention and control of pollution). The HPGCL had started commercial production from the first unit of 300 MW of Deenbandhu Chottu Ram thermal plant here with the mandatory consent from the board. Sources in the board said consent would be issued after verification of the documents filed by the HPGCL.

The study, which is believed to be the first long-term, population-wide study into the links between deaths from diseases and atmospheric pollutants, examined figures from all 352 English local authorities. Researchers found a strong correlation between engine exhaust emissions and pneumonia deaths. The study estimated that every year, pollution-related pneumonia kills nearly as many people as the 1952 London smog. Lewisham had the highest number of pollution-related pneumonia deaths, while Berwick-upon-Tweed had the lowest.

A thick cloud of smoke covered Buenos Aires for a fifth day on Saturday, the fallout of field burning that has forced the closure of highways, flight delays and traffic congestion. The smoke started to appear over the Argentine capital more than a week ago, but visibility deteriorated considerably in the city on Friday and Saturday, with an acrid smell pervading homes and causing watery eyes and sore throats among city residents. Visibility downtown was barely 500 yards (225 metres).

For most of the past century, diesel engines have been associated with smoky, smelly trucks and buses. Now there's a surprise: A new generation of diesel-powered passenger cars is delivering punchy performance and emission levels so low they pass muster in all 50 U.S. states. Boasting good fuel efficiency, the new "clean diesels" may well overtake hybrids in the market for eco-cars.

Use of clean fuel is mandatory within 30 sq km of Victoria Memorial The state pollution control board and police will soon launch a drive to identify hotels, restaurants and other establishments violating a high court order banning the use of coal for cooking within 3 km of Victoria Memorial Hall. Violators may attract closures, fines and even FIRs. The decision to launch the joint drive was taken at a recent meeting between environment department officials and Calcutta police top brass at Lalbazar.

Early-morning fog and controlled fire burn-offs around the state have blanketed Melbourne's inner suburbs with a thick haze that is expected to hang around for the next few days, the Bureau of Meteorology says. Senior forecaster Terry Ryan told The Age online a lack of wind over the weekend and controlled fire burn-offs had contributed to the thick haze.

The General Motors Corp will need to offer small vehicles at very low prices to reach first-time car buyers in China and hit the fastest-growing segment of the industry's biggest boom market, a senior executive said on Friday.

Beijing's economic growth this year will not be significantly affected by plans to shut factories and limit car use to improve air quality during the Olympics, a statistics official said on Thursday. Yu Xiuqin, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics, said the impact would not be great because many large factories had already been moved out of the city and those forced to shut would be able to adjust.

The men's marathon gold medalist at the 2004 Olympics in Athens said Thursday he is worried more about heat and humidity than air pollution during the upcoming Games in Beijing, which he will take part in. Stefano Baldini also told reporters that the recent debate over China's treatment of Tibet and other issues surrounding the Olympics has put him in an awkward position being asked to make political comments at a time when he wants to focus on his training.