Warmer Weather Is Officially the New Normal?

Media_httpwwwwiredcom_tzjgj

Just when the term ‘Climate Change’ has gained traction and ‘extreme weather events” can be found in top-tier media outlets worldwide, comes this news from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via Wired Science: Warmer Weather Is Officially the New Normal in the United States.

Though the report cautions that normals are not necessarily indicative of long-term climate change, it feels like a semantic game to me.

Yipee! An interstate highway system for bikes is coming

Media_httpwwwgristorg_pqlns

It’s always bothered me that when my extended family gets together for a biking vacation we usually travel by plane, train or car to get to our destination — where we unload our bikes and ride for days. This is not to say we’d have enough time from work (or be in good enough shape) to bike the whole route, but there’s rarely an option in the US.

The approval of six new bicycle routes is a small sign of progress. Now it’s time to let your congressional delegation and state legislators know we need a lot more.

Personal Food Consumption Visualized

Media_httpinfosthetic_rbouo

Beyond the visual appeal of this study from information aesthetics on “Personal Food Consumption Visualized in 40 Different Ways,” I am struck by its potential as a tool to encourage healthy eating.

A mobile app that enabled people to visually catalog their food choices just seems to offer such potential as a preemptive tool — building a mental image of different colors and balanced plates during the day would certainly appeal to me!

Hardwood Bikes | Autopia

Media_httpwwwwiredcom_cgxvi

Ooo, drool. Audi builds a bike out of the hardwood scraps from the dashboards of its cars — and makes sustainability look good. It’s a win-win-win to me: good for brand, good for planet, good for cyclists (and fashionistas?)

Google Maps Now Features EV Charging Stations: Get With It Vermont

Media_httpwwwwiredcom_cmfdv

Great new information service from Google, and one that will, with any luck, spur growth in the number of EV charging stations across the country.

We have a long way to go in Vermont. Google Maps (via NREL) report our only public options are Burlington airport, the Middlebury Regional Planning Commission offices, and the Lake Placid Lodge. I know I’ll be looking for the charging stations as I next visit those sites. And I vividly recall how impressed I was to be told, several years ago now, that there were EV charging stations at my rental villa and at the information centers at Acadia National Park in Maine. Heads up Vermont tourism industry….