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Reducing Roadkill
By Brittany Sauser, Technology Review
A new system created by researchers at the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University may soon make those jarring car/deer encounters a thing of the past. The system uses radio sensors to pick up the movement of large wildlife contemplating a roadway crossing and illuminate a flashing light on the roadway, warning drivers to slow down. The researchers hope to lessen the $1 billion in property damage caused by wildlife collisions, open migratory routes that highway fencing sometimes blocks, and save lives. -- Elizabeth Oliver
http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=17581&ch=infotech

Cola Wars in Mexico
By Beverly Bell, In These Times
The influence of Coca-Cola has seeped around the world, but its reach runs especially deep in some of the poorest areas of Mexico. The soft-drink company has entrenched itself into the social, political, and even religious life of the country. According to the beverage processing company Fomento Econ?mico Mexicano, Mexicans consume an average of 483 8-ounce glasses every year. Myriad problems associated with the drink are slowly coming to light, such as malnutrition and a decimation of potable water sources, particularly in the troubled state of Chiapas. Efforts to boycott the drink, however, are made difficult by the company's extensive social, political, and economic power. -- Elizabeth Ryan
http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2840/

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