Snow helps and hampers maple syrup producers

RANDOLPH, Vt. - The mountains of snow that have buried the Northeast this winter will have a sweet - and just slightly bitter - taste for the region's maple syrup producers.

Sweet because an abundance of snow actually helps with the production of the sap that is boiled down to produce syrup. But bitter because, well, too much snow is just as much a chore for maple syrup producers to deal with as it is for the rest of us.

Disaster assistance for livestock, poultry producers affected by winter weather | Indiana

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Indiana issued a reminder to livestock and poultry producers throughout Indiana that FSA programs may be available to assist them. Many are dealing with harsh winter weather, which is causing serious harm to livestock and forage due to heavy snow, ice and extremely cold temperatures.

How London bike hire users can cut the scheme's carbon emissions | Laura Cox | Environment | guardian.co.uk

Just when Transport for London (TfL) thought the bike hire scheme provided an answer to London's carbon emissions problem, they found a snag – bikes cannot be provided without producing emissions.
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The vehicles are narrower than the trailers of bikes, which critics says has led to accidents involving cyclists. A Freedom of Information request by the bike blog reveals that 24 road accidents have involved Serco transport vehicles since the scheme's launch last summer, including four which also involved a cyclist.

In November, David Ellis, a 37-year-old cyclist was knocked off his bike by one of the vehicles. He said the trailers were a danger to cyclists because their width is greater than that of the tow truck. None of the recorded Serco/cyclist collisions were fatal. Compare this with 13 cyclist deaths caused by HGVs in London during 2010.