Peak chocolate, oh my!

Yer sweet Auntie R., otherwise known as my sister, had the better judgment to take seven this lovely fall week and head to the mountains. Otherwise known as vacation. And so, you know the drill: Time for Uncle Jerry to saw through the ol’ 300 worder in her absence.

This time, it’s a quick-hit, “Eco News of the World” roundup, Jerry style:

The rainy season is nigh. Or now. Either way, don’t let a little drippy-drop keep you from continuing with your bicycle commute. Enter some fall and winter bike-commuting tips: 1. Get a slicker. Er, raincoat. You’ll look pretty stupid but, you know, those things work—and will cover your caboose so you don’t get a strip of muddy street water splashed on your backside (or just get a splash guard, you fixie-riding minimalist!). 2. Change clothes for your commute, and wear anything but cotton, because the fabric of our lives also soaks up water aplenty. 3. Check the Doppler at www.weather.gov and plan your commutes according to the cloud cover.

Kudos to Gov. Jerry Brown for inking the Toxin Free Infants and Toddlers Act, which bands BPA, or bisphenol, in products such as baby bottles. BPA is a known toxin that impacts hormones in infants; this legislation was long overdue.

Climate change is so damned horrible, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture is reporting that the world might face a pretty severe chocolate shortage in the coming decades. Don’t tell Auntie R.: Lady loves her sweet cocoa. Anyway, the thinking goes that cocoa trees won’t grow as readily in parts of West Africa by 2030, so production inevitably will decline, a major bummer for farmers in the region—and chocoholics worldwide.