Scientists warn Atlantic puffins in peril in US

PORTLAND, Maine — The Atlantic puffin population is at risk in the United States, and there are signs the seabirds are in distress in other parts of the world.

In the Gulf of Maine, the comical-looking seabirds have been dying of starvation and losing body weight, possibly because of shifting fish populations as ocean temperatures rise, according to scientists.  http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/national/northeast/2013/06/scientists_warn_atlantic_puffins_in_peril_in_us

Article courtesy of The Boston Herald by The Associated Press

New Mexico county first in nation to ban fracking to safeguard water

Wells are only source of water for everyone  in Mora County, which is why last month this poor, conservative ranching region of energy-rich New Mexico became the first county in the nation to pass an ordinance banning hydraulic fracturing, the controversial oil and gas extraction technique known as "fracking" that has compromised water quantity and quality in communities around the country.  http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fracking-ban-20130529,0,4631146.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Julie Cart

Pedicabs are finding a place in the Southland transportation mix

Now the next big thing in bikes is slowly riding in on three wheels.

Pedicabs will hit the streets of Santa Monica this summer, and city officials hope the service will offer people on bustling Main Street a way to get around without their cars. Santa Monica will join San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Huntington Beach and Long Beach, where the human-powered taxis already roam the streets.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-pedicabs-20130527,0,5710671.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Matt Stevens and Marisa Gerber

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