NYC launches bike share program, largest in nation

NEW YORK (AP) — The nation’s biggest bicycle-sharing program got rolling Monday, as thousands of New Yorkers got their first chance to ride a network billed as a new form of public transit in a city known for it.

The privately financed program — called Citi Bike, after lead sponsor Citigroup Inc. — kicked off with 6,000 bikes at more than 300 stations. Plans call for expanding it to 10,000 bikes docked at 600 places in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Riders now can unlock the three-gear, cruising-style bikes from any station, take them for 45-minute rides and return them to any rack.  http://www.boston.com/travel/destinations/2013/05/28/nyc-launches-bike-share-program-largest-nation/qjTsi85JwariXpn3oHXyiJ/story.html

Article courtesy of Boston.com by Jennifer Peltz/Associated Press

Chile, Argentina on Red Alert Over Copahue Volcano

SANTIAGO, Chile — Chilean and Argentine officials issued a red alert Monday for the increasingly active Copahue volcano bordering the two countries and ordered the evacuation of about 3,000 people.

Chilean Interior and Security Minister Andres Chadwick said the increased activity could lead to an eruption and officials would soon begin evacuating 2,240 people, or 460 families, within a 25-kilometer (15.5-mile) radius.  http://www.weather.com/news/chile-volcano-alert-20130527

Article courtesy of weather.com by Luis Andres Henao/Associated Press

State to vote on plan for 'Boston Landing' commuter rail station near New Balance project in Brighton

A key state Transportation Department panel voted unanimously Tuesday to support a plan for new commuter rail station in Brighton, which New Balance would pay to construct and to operate for at least the first decade after the station opens.

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/allston_brighton/2013/05/state_to_vote_on_plan_for_bost.html

Article courtesy of Boston.com by Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

A powerful use for spoiled food

What happens to the 40% of food produced but never eaten in the U.S. each year, the mounds of perfect fruit passed over by grocery store shoppers, the tons of meat and milk left to expire?

At Ralphs, one of the oldest and largest supermarket chains on the West Coast, it helps keep the power on.

In a sprawling Compton distribution center that the company shares with its fellow Kroger Co. subsidiary Food 4 Less, organic matter otherwise destined for a landfill is rerouted instead into the facility's energy grid. Though many grocery stores have tried to cut down on food waste and experiment with alternative energy, Kroger says it's the first supermarket company in the country to do both simultaneously. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ralphs-energy-20130516,0,7330815.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Tiffany Hsu

 

 

Light rail disrupted over suspicious package in downtown Phoenix

Phoenix light rail is running again after services were disrupted for a short time over a suspicious pacakge.

The intersection near First and Washington streets was shut down for investigation, according to the Phoenix Police Department.

Jefferson Street was also closed. Authorities deemed the package to be harmless

Article courtesy of AZcentral.com by Domenico Nicosia/The Arizona Republic

Wearable robots getting lighter, more portable

CHICAGO (AP) — When Michael Gore stands, it’s a triumph of science and engineering. Eleven years ago, Gore was paralyzed from the waist down in a workplace accident, yet he rises from his wheelchair to his full 6-foot-2-inches and walks across the room with help from a lightweight wearable robot. http://www.boston.com/news/science/2013/05/09/wearable-robots-getting-lighter-more-portable/eLAezsQ9JCcBHGxXnqVK3O/story.html

Article courtesy of Boston.com by Carla K. Johnson/AP Medical Writer

Study of shipping routes maps delivery of invasive organisms

When giant container ships sail into major ports like Los Angeles and Long Beach, it's not just clothing and cars that they deliver. They also carry critters.

The specimens — microscopic algae cells or larger castaways, such as eggs of fish or crustaceans — float about in the thousands of tons of water the boats use as ballast. When the ships dump their ballast at port, the species can establish a foothold in foreign lands, often with detrimental consequences to native wildlife http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-invasive-species-ships-20130505,0,4077154.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Eryn Brown

Florida fights stucco-eating African snails

An epic battle is raging in South Florida: man against snail.

The state is struggling to contain an invasion of the giant African land snail, a species that thrives in hot and wet tropical climates. These gooey and destructive mollusks grow up to 8.5 inches long, feast on 500 different types of plants and nibble on calcium-rich stucco, which they use to construct their cone-shaped shells.

The snails are originally from East Africa but can now be found throughout the world. Aside from destroying plants and buildings, they can also be carriers of a type of meningitis. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-giant-snails-20130504,0,732437.story

Story courtesy of the Los Angeles Times by Deborah Netburn

Air-breathing snakehead fish has N.Y. environmental officials on alert

The northern snakehead is an invasive predator fish that can perform all kinds of non-fish-like feats -- like breathing only air for up to four days and even using its fins to crawl across land to get to a body of water.

And this weekend, environmental officials in New York will be checking to see if any of these super-fish are lurking in Harlem Meer, a man-made lake in Central Park.  http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-snakehead-fish-central-park-20130430,0,3373090.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times -Science Now posted by Deborah Netburn

A cardboard 'bot from Cambridge makes it big at the Tribeca Film Festival

At the DIY Days conference last Saturday in Manhattan, I ran into MIT Media Lab alum Alexander Reben and his little cardboard buddy, BlabDroid.

Reben was in town for the Tribeca Film Festival; he had deployed 20 BlabDroids there as robotic documentarians, asking questions of random people and recording their answers. (BlabDroid also won the Creative Sparks competition at DIY Days, earning Reben some free office space in New York and a "micro-grant" of $500. I served as a judge.) http://www.boston.com/business/technology/innoeco/2013/05/a_cardboard_bot_from_cambridge.html

Article courtesy of the Boston Globe-Innovation Economy posted by Scott Kirsner

Innovative airbag helmets could be the next big thing in cycling

A new Swedish helmet, complete with airbags and fashionable enough to be a scarf, is a radical departure from familiar, bulky biking helmets on the market today.

But research shows that innovations in cycling gear could be very trendy in the near future. The inflatable Hovding Helmet, which is worn around the neck and is specifically designed for the cycling commuter, is already selling in Europe and is coming soon to North America.  http://www.boston.com/ae/radio/edging_the_xtreme/2013/04/commuting_cyclist_now_have_an.html

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe from BDC Radio posted by Dan Egan