Why Bicyclists Are Better Customers than Drivers for Local Business by Tanya Snyder of DC.STREETSBLOG.org

                       Photo Courtesy of TripAdvisor

Do local and state officials tune out when you try to talk to them about bicycling? Are they unconvinced by arguments about public health, transportation options, or clean air? Do business leaders send you packing when you suggest building new bike lanes and bike parking, fearing that the loss of car parking will keep customers away?

Then show them the money.

Bikes can mean big business, and businesses are beginning to realize it. At a Bike Summit panel on the economic boost cycling can provide cities, speakers highlighted another strong message cyclists can bring to politicians when making their case for investment in bike/ped facilities.

Read more here: http://dc.streetsblog.org/2012/03/23/why-bicyclists-are-better-customers-than-drivers-for-local-business/

The Machine That Makes Recycling a Game by Cindy Atoji Keene of the Boston Globe

SHANKER SAHAI, founder of Cambridge start-up Greenbean Recycle, is turning the drudgery of recycling bottles and cans into an eco-game, a sort of FarmVille of trash disposal.

The new company has created a high-tech machine that is both recycling depot and arcade game. A barcode reader counts each bottle or can, gives instant green feedback - “one aluminum can, 500 watts saved’’ - and electronically transfers the 5 cent deposit to a PayPal or other account.

Recyclers can track their progress online, compare stats with friends, and win prizes. Users can connect via Facebook, and Sahai intends to give machines Twitter accounts: “50 containers recycled today.’’

To read the full article, visit: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2012/05/20/the_machine_that_makes_recycling_a_game/

New space company aims to mine asteroids for precious metals

A new private space company is expected to be unveiled Tuesday at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Planetary Resources Inc. is a Seattle company that intends to mine near-Earth asteroids for raw materials ranging from water to precious metals.

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-space-mining-company-20120423,0,5812110.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times –Money & Co. by W. J. Hennigan

Awards given for reducing emissions in Northeast

BOSTON—The Northeast Diesel Collaborative has given four organizations from Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Vermont "Breathe Easy" awards for outstanding leadership in reducing diesel emissions.

The collaborative works to improve public health and promote clean diesel technology. Its "Breathe Easy Leadership Awards" are given to agencies and organizations that reduce air pollution by retrofitting and replacing older diesel engines, reducing idling from diesel engines, developing outreach programs and promoting cleaner fuels. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/04/13/awards_given_for_reducing_emissions_in_northeast/

 

 

Autism rates rising sharply, CDC reports

Federal health authorities have significantly raised their estimate of the prevalence of autism in children, concluding in a new study of 8-year-olds that 1 in 88 has some form of the disorder.

For the analysis, released Thursday, researchers scoured tens of thousands of health and special education records in 14 states, looking for an autism diagnosis or the symptoms that would add up to one. It is the latest in a series of studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing autism rates climbing dramatically over the last decade.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0330-autism-rates-20120330,0,4479379.story

Article courtesy of the Los Angeles Times by Alan Zarembo

Earth Hour 2012

A symbolic gesture to raise awareness about energy consumption, Earth Hour has grown since its beginning in 2007 in Sydney to now include observances in 147 countries and over 5000 cities. For one hour, lights are switched off at 8:30 local time on the last Saturday in March. Increasing public environmental awareness in China, which has overtaken the United States as the world's biggest polluter, has led 124 cities there to mark Earth Hour. http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2012/04/earth_hour_2012.html

Article courtesy of the Boston Globe -The Big Picture

NASCAR speeds transition to green

When NASCAR raced onto the track at Fontana’s Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, it did so accompanied by the distinct whiff of environmentalism. To help neutralize the carbon-dioxide emissions generated from the race, the track’s owners will plant 100 trees around the community as part of the NASCAR Green Clean Air program. To reduce waste, Coca-Cola set up a portable processing center capable of recycling 1,000 containers per minute, adding to the 6 million containers the company will recycle at NASCAR events this year; Sprint was handing out postage-paid envelopes for fans to recycle their unwanted cellphones when they got home.  http://www.latimes.com/news/local/environment/la-me-gs-nascar-speeds-transition-to-green,0,2411381.story?track=rss

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times Greenspace by Susan Carpenter

 

 

Fear grows in O.C. cities near San Onofre nuclear plant

Concern over the safety of the San Onofre nuclear power plant is growing among Orange County cities closest to the facility, which has been shut down since January because of system failures.

Officials in nearby San Clemente and Laguna Beach — both within 20 miles of the San Onofre facility — have registered their fears after significant wear was found on hundreds of tubes carrying radioactive water inside the plant's generators. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0330-san-onofre-20120330,0,7730812.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Rick Rojas

Pesticides suspected in mass die-off of bees

Scientists have identified a new suspect in the mysterious die-off of bees in recent years — a class of pesticides that appear to be lethal in indirect ways.

The chemicals, known as neonicotinoids, are designed to target a variety of sucking and chewing insects, including aphids and beetles. Bees are known to ingest the poison when they eat the pollen and nectar of treated plants, though in doses so tiny that it was not seen as a threat.

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-bees-pesticides-20120330,0,4969345.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Eryn Brown

H2-Whoa! How much water is in a day of food?

How much water is on your plate? About 70 percent of the world's "blue water withdrawals" irrigate agriculture. World Water Day is March 22, and this year's theme examines food production. To see how many gallons of water bring common foods from field to plate, take our H₂-Whoa! quiz. 

Q: How much water does it take to produce one person's daily food?

A) About 530 to 1,320 gallons.

B) Depends on the location.

C) These saltines are so dry there is no way water went into their production. 

 

A: Both A and B. It takes about 530 to 1,320 gallons for one person's daily food, but this number could vary depending on the climate and agricultural practices of the consumer's location. 

To lose the water weight in your diet, save (and eat!) leftovers or prepare smaller meals. About 30 percent of the food produced worldwide is never eaten. Avoid throwing out food and you'll ultimately avoid wasting water.

--image courtesy of iStock/Okea