Best of the Web - May 14 2010

So, how's the brave new era been for you so far? Have you been feeling the love emanating from the Cameron-Clegg honeymoon suite, or are you strangely nostalgic about gloomy old Gordon.

The only story in town this week has been the unveiling of the new coalition government, headed by Conservative Prime Minister David "keen cycler" Cameron as Sheriff and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg as Deputy Dawg.

Within moments, the blogosphere began sizing up the green credentials of the new Lib-Con (or should that be Con-Dem) cabinet. The consensus was mostly positive, bar some concerns over planned changes to the Renewable Obligations incentive scheme.

The Green Car Website celebrated the introduction of a new charging infrastructure for electric cars, while across the Atlantic the influential Grist blog congratulated the Tories for starting out on the right foot, drawing a world-weary comparison with the US right and noting that unlike their US counterparts "Cameron's party gets the climate threat and wants to help address it".

Sadly, you can't please everyone and you can rarely please the Daily Mail, where Tom Utley moaned that the appointment of Lib Dem Chris Huhne as energy secretary was like putting a vegan in charge of McDonalds.

A kug of tea anyone?

But now the election is over, it's back to those really important green stories you may have missed. Like Treehugger's advice for people looking to cut their carbon footprints while on their tea break.

Turns out they could save on chairs by wrapping a belt around their knees and backs, then drink from this combined kettle and mug, aptly known as a Kug.

Perhaps Kugs will be the first port of call for the new cost-cutting cabinet. Although, as Treehugger points out, the Kug could increase your carbon footprint when it is quickly thrown on the pile of useless stuff in the shed.

A bonfire of receipts

Talking of useless stuff, how many crumpled receipts have you got in your pocket right now? The Environment Blog has begun a campaign to end the use of these outdated scraps of paper, which it claims use up 9,600,000 trees each year.

Tweet, tweet

And finally, BusinessGreen.com’s editor James Murray has made it on the Guardian's list of top 50 climate Twitter accounts to follow. So, if you're not already following us, here's where to start.