While the news that Mayor Bloomberg's plan for NYC congestion pricing was defeated is something of a low point for urban cyclists, that coming out of Washington, D.C., is much more encouraging. Next month D.C. will become the first U.S. city to launch a public bike sharing venture like the wildly popular Vélib (short for vélo liberté) program in Paris. One hundred and twenty bicycles will be available at 10 central locations for an annual membership cost of $40.

Now it’s really serious: Global warming could endanger champagne. French physicist Grard Liger-Belair, author of the forthcoming book Uncorked: The Science of Champagne, says that changes in the climate of the Champagne region of France could affect the local grapes. Warmer weather would boost photosynthesis in the leaves of the vine, producing added sugars, which migrate into the grape. This would reduce the acidity in the grapes and, as a result, disturb champagne’s delicate taste.