This New England

Officials plan to have many trees infested with evil Asian longhorned beetles in the Worcester area cut down before they (the insects, not the officials) spread to imperil all our region's beautiful maples. Something good, besides stopping these little hungry monsters, can come out of this: The trees will be ground up and can then presumably be used as fuel. And maybe the beetles are edible.

Nuclear fears redux

Radiation exposure forced the evacuation of 25 workers at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant after the top of the reactor vessel was placed too close to a fan as workers prepared to refuel the plant. Officials claim there was no serious danger. But the incident revives powerful fears about nuclear energy amongst oh-so-green Vermonters. Better to burn wood grindings?

Sailing and printing

The rich still like to sail: British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, his two children and crew are seeking to set a new trans-Atlantic speed record by setting out from New York for England on a 99-foot racing yacht to try break a trans-Atlantic speed record. Will reading words printed on paper eventually end up as sailing did after steam came in -- as a hobby for the affluent?

 Tags  Asian longhorneds beetles maples print on paper Richard Branson sailing Vermont Yankee Worcester

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