The Vatican says disrespecting the environment while you’re on holidays is a sin. They suggest travelers minimise the environmental impact of their trips, issuing a list of suggestions on how to have a greener trip. They include carrying less luggage on fuel heavy vehicles and investing in carbon offsets. — Reuters

Bugs to fuel the future? A biotech firm in the US is working out ways to use bugs to create fuel. The process of synthetic biology uses genetically modified strains of e.coli. The fermentation process “yields a fuel virtually ready for a gas pump”. — Ecolect

A new system in Coffs Harbour is giving researchers access to vastly improve conservation data. LiDAR is an acronym for “Light Detection And Ranging.” Using measurements taken with a laser, aerial surveyors can collect more detailed pictures of changes to the landscape. — Echotech Daily

Fallen leaves transformed into microwavable plates. Biodegradable kitchen ware is being constructed just out of leaves and water. The plates can withstand the heat of an oven, be microwaved, hold hot fluids, be refrigerated and reused. The manufacturers say their factory uses about the same amount of energy as one apartment. —triplepundit