Diesel engine exhaust linked to increased risk of lung cancer

The world’s most prestigious cancer research group on Tuesday classified diesel engine exhaust as carcinogenic to humans and concluded that exposure is associated with increased risk of lung cancer.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer — part of the World Health Organization — made the announcement at a meeting in France, finding, in part, “that diesel exhaust is a cause of lung cancer, and also noted a positive association with an increased risk of bladder cancer. The Working Group concluded that gasoline exhaust was possibly carcinogenic to humans.” http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-diesel-engine-exhaust-linked-with-risk-of-lung-cancer-20120612,0,7726895.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Time –Science Now by Julie Cart

 

 

Hubway bike-sharing program is on a roll

If you’ve been seeing a lot of sturdy silver bikes rolling past lately, you’re not imagining it. The Hubway bicycle-sharing system in Boston had its busiest day yet last Sunday, recording 2,531 station-to-station trips. On Tuesday, it eclipsed the 250,000 mark for total rides.

“It’s absolutely incredible. It’s blown away what we thought projections would be for the system,” said Kris Carter, interim director of Boston Bikes, the city program overseeing Hubway. “To hit that mark this early is really phenomenal compared with [other] bike-share systems across the country.” http://articles.boston.com/2012-06-03/metro/31979067_1_bike-sharing-bicycle-sharing-stations

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by Eric Moskowitzt

 

 

 

Tsunami debris: Huge dock washes up on Oregon coast

SEATTLE — Authorities have confirmed that a 66-foot-long dock that floated onto a beach near Newport, Ore., this week came from Japan — the latest in a growing wave of debris from the earthquake and tsunami that ripped through the Japanese coast in March 2011. http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-huge-dock-tsunami-20120606,0,7550444.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times-Nation Now by Kim Murphy

MBTA to give free rides from Logan airport

Passengers taking Silver Line buses from Logan Airport will ride for free starting Wednesday, a move that also means free transfers to the subway system at South Station and appears to make Logan the first major airport to provide free public transportation for travelers heading downtown.

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by Eric Moskowitz

Why don't mosquitoes die in the rain? They're too small

Mosquitoes thrive in rainy climates, even though a typical raindrop can weigh up to 50 times as much as the insect. Scientists have thus long pondered how mosquitoes can fly through a rainstorm without getting killed by such collisions, the impact of which is comparable to a human being hit by a bus. The short answer is that the mosquitoes are so light that they simply hitch a ride on the raindrop without any significant force being transferred to them  http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-mosquitoes-rain-20120604,0,2743358.story?track=rss

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times-Science Now by Thomas H. Maugh II

 

Controversial Malibu Lagoon project to begin Friday

State contractors are to drain and reshape the polluted Malibu Lagoon. Activists, who say the project would destroy the salt marsh and flatten Surfrider Beach's waves, pledge to stand in the way. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-malibu-lagoon-20120526,0,2289147.story

Article courtesy of the Los Angeles Times by Tony Barboza

SpaceX capsule completes historic mission

The Dragon capsule is recovered after splashing down in the Pacific. The SpaceX vehicle is the first privately built and operated spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station.

 

About 563 miles west of Baja California, SpaceX's Dragon space capsule successfully splashed down after spending nine days in outer space.

When the unmanned cone-shaped capsule hit the water at 8:42 a.m. Pacific time Thursday, it marked the end of a historic mission carried out by the Hawthorne company officially known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp. It was the first privately built and operated spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-spacex-splashdown-20120601,0,4389865.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by W.J. Hennigan