© Greenpeace / Malu Barben

Top news: Agave plants may reduce transport emissions; Toxics pollute Chinese water; The Japanese whaling program faces “the axe”; Smartphone addiction.

#Tequila: The Guardian reports that ethanol from agave plants, used to distill tequila, could provide a substitute for petrol and therefore reduce transport emissions. Another plus is that agave can be grown in marginal or desert land without displacing food crops, though researchers warn that biofuels “are not going to fuel the entire US car fleet", and that a combination of solutions will be needed to cut emissions overall.

#Toxics: According to “The China Daily," the poor management of mine tailings threatens drinking water safety in Mianyang. Greenpeace’s director of the pollution prevention project, Ma Tianjie, said the pollution from tailings is often more toxic than conventional pollutants and has a longer impact.

 #Whales: A report from the Japanese fisheries agency committee has suggested stopping whaling because the program has become a drain on government resources. According to the committee’s report, the popularity of whale meat is decreasing, with 5000 tons left sitting in freezers. Greenpeace Japan says it’s optimistic that the whaling program will be phased out soon.

#Addicted: The popularity of smartphones is a growing concern among addiction experts in the US. Dr. Michael Dow states that the more people favour smartphones over face-to-face interaction, the more they’re disconnecting from reality. However without their Smartphone, people can going into withdraw, experiencing systems of anxiety and insomnia. Can you resist the addiction?

In other news, the Onion News Network reports that US climatologists are becoming increasingly nervous about rising sea levels, brought about by climate change. They have been seen "gesticulating wilding and making a lot of strange noises," in an attempt to warn us about climate change.