'MythBusters' asks: Are motorcycles greener than cars?

A trend is afoot, according to "MythBusters" television host Adam Savage: "People are trading in their cars and driving motorcycles instead because they believe that's the more environmentally friendly choice," Savage said in Wednesday's season opener of the popular Discovery Channel show. "The logic is because motorcycles are generally more fuel-efficient than cars, they burn less gas and thus they must be better for the environment."

The question is: Are they really? As the MythBusters have done with each of the show's previous seven seasons, Savage and his co-host Jamie Hyneman set out to test the theory.  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/09/mythbusters-motorcycle-emissions.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times -Greenspace posted by Susan Carpenter

 

Crash in dust strom blocks I-10 for few hours at Picacho Peak

A massive dust storm prevented state Department of Public Safety troopers from clearing a car crash that blocked eastbound lanes for a few hours on Interstate 10 near Picacho Peak for several hours on Tuesday afternoon.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/pinal/articles/2011/09/27/20110927phoenix-dust-storm-crash-picacho-peak.html#ixzz1ZFmcvAs7

Article courtesy of The Arizona Republic by Angela Piazza

Costa Mesa classrooms made of recycled shipping containers

The Waldorf School of Orange County last week dedicated environmentally friendly classrooms crafted from recycled shipping containers.

Waldorf, a nonprofit private school, used the containers to expand its 2350 Canyon Drive campus near Fairview Park. The additional space, according to a news release, will allow the school to serve pupils from pre-K to 12th grade.

School officials called the design "Eco Classroom Architecture." The project won the Costa Mesa Planning Commission's 2011 Costa Mesa Green Design Award. Costa Mesa Planning Commissioner Rob Dickson plans to help dedicate the building. Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times Greenspace

Heal the Bay: Long Beach water quality improves dramatically

The waters off Long Beach -- long among the most contaminated in the state -- have improved dramatically in the last year, according to a new report that gives the city's beaches their highest water-quality ratings in a decade.

All the beaches in the city earned grades of A or B in the environmental group Heal the Bay’s End of Summer Beach Report Card.

Statewide, 92% of California beaches earned A or B grades this year, the same as last year, according to the report.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/09/heal-the-bay-long-beach-water-quality-improves-dramatically-.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times -Green Space posted by Tony Barboza

MBTA testing plug-in hybrid Ram pickups

The MBTA this morning is taking delivery of 10 plug-in hybrid pickup trucks as part of a national test with Chrysler.

Chrysler is loaning the prototype Ram 1500 PHEV, an electrified version of its full-size pickup, to the MBTA and eight other municipalities across the country, including San Francisco and Albany. A $48 million grant from the Department of Energy, sourced from the $787 billion stimulus package in 2009, is paying nearly half the tab for the 140 PHEV trucks in the test fleet. Chrysler is footing the other $49.4 million. http://www.boston.com/cars/newsandreviews/overdrive/2011/09/mbta_gets_plug-in_ram_pickups.html

Article courtesy of the Boston Globe's Boston Overdrive posted by Clifford Atiyeh

Faster than light? CERN findings bewilder scientists

Physicists at the lab near Geneva say they've observed subatomic particles moving faster than the speed of light. If confirmed, it would defy Einstein — and upend our understanding of physics. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-0923-speed-of-light-20110923,0,497738.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times By Eryn Brown and Amina Khan, Los Angeles Times

 

 

 

Hunting for good bugs to fight bad bugs

An entomologist couple at UC Riverside travel the world searching for parasites to counter imported pests. Their lab is a high-security warren of trick doors and rooms within rooms.

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-invasive-pests-20110924,0,6104170.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times By Amina Khan, Los Angeles Times