New Parking Meters, More Bike Lanes, and Zero Traffic Deaths in Boston

On Wednesday, Mayor Marty Walsh unveiled a number of reforms as part of the Go Boston 2030 initiative, which aims to map out the future of transportation in the city.

The goal of the reforms is to make “our streets safer, more accessible and more considerate of the different modes of transportation we have in Boston,” Walsh said at a City Hall news conference

http://www.boston.com/cars/news-and-reviews/2015/03/25/new-parking-meters-more-bike-lanes-and-zero-traffic-deaths-boston/fhmpMGxunt3ZEeeNQwFkvO/story.html

Article courtesy of boston.com by Kelly O'Brien

California's push for clean energy has a problem: no place to store it

On a quiet Sunday morning last April, power plants were pumping far more energy into California's electricity grid than residents needed for their refrigerators, microwaves and television sets.
So officials made an odd request in a state that prides itself on leadership in renewable energy: They asked wind and solar plants to cut back their output. For 90 minutes, clean energy production was slashed 1,142 megawatts, enough electricity for hundreds of thousands of homes, while dirtier power from less flexible sources stayed on to keep the system stable. http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-pol-green-energy-20150324-story.html
Article courtesy of the Los Angeles Times by Chris Megerian

Britain’s First ‘Poo Bus’ Hits the Road This Month

Did you know that a year’s worth of your poop can power a bus for 37 miles?

That’s what Mohammed Saddiq told CNN. And he should know. His company, GENeco, runs the sewage treatment facility that provides the fuel for Britain’s new Bio-Bus, dubbed a “poo bus” by some. The bus, powered by human and household waste, goes into service March 25. http://www.boston.com/travel/destinations/2015/03/18/britain-first-poo-bus-hits-the-road-this-month/Z4HzksFdrl76hSUs3fevCP/story.html

Article courtesy of Boston.com by Kristi Palma

Spring Arrives Today At 6:45 PM

March 20, 2015 12:01 AM

Spring arrives at 6:45 PM today which means the sun, at that time, is at 90 degree above the horizon, directly over the equator. There are two equinoxes every year – in March and September – when the Sun shines directly on the equator and the length of night and day are nearly equal, but not quite. At its peak, from now until the first day of summer, the sun will continue to appear higher and higher in the sky. Once we are past June 21st, the sun will very slowly begin its decline towards the autumnal equinox and the following season which shall not be named.  http://www.boston.com/news/weather/weather_wisdom/2015/03/spring_arrives_today_at_645_pm.html?p1=Must_Reads_hp
Article courtesy of Boston.com

Confusion Sets In Over California Ground Water Law

One thing for sure: The rain and snow of the just-concluding winter have not been nearly enough to begin recharging California’s more than 100 significant aquifers. These have been pumped without regulation for many decades, to the point where land subsidence has become highly visible in the San Joaquin Valley and some other areas. http://www.smmirror.com/articles/Opinion/Confusion-Sets-In-Over-California-Ground-Water-Law/42871
Article courtesy of Santa Monica Mirror by Tom Elias/Mirror Columnist

Severe Solar Storm Hits Earth

A major solar storm hit Earth Tuesday morning, possibly making the northern lights viewable farther south, according to an Associated Press report.

The geomagnetic shock, a level 4 storm on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 1-5 scale, may also affect power grids and GPS tracking – however, no damage has been reported yet, according to the report. The storm reached the Earth about 15 hours earlier than expected – it was only expected to be a level 1 storm, too, according to the AP.  http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2015/03/17/severe-solar-storm-hits-earth/7UqOghZHJe2Plnei1PvxAJ/story.html

Article courtesy of Boston.com / The Associated Press  by Nik DeCosta-Klipa