I was both sick and busy this week, so I didn’t get a chance to read much beyond the Globe. Luckily there was a bunch of interesting local stuff.

• Shell gives MIT $25m for gas, oil research – Boston Globe. The MIT Energy Initiative is supposed to be about finding alternatives to oil and natural gas, but this donation is specifically for finding scarce deposits and creating tougher offshore platforms.
• Cape Wind backers blew right by cost – Boston Globe. Newer technologies are always going to cost more, but they’ll never get cheaper if no one makes the initial investment.
• Rent-a-coops put ‘farm fresh’ in suburban yards – Boston Globe. I think renting is a great way for people to see if they’re ready for the full responsibility.
• There’s safety in numbers for cyclists – Grist. Numbers of accidents don’t increase as more bicycles hit the road. That’s reassuring.
• Ask Umbra on ridding your home of moths and repairing the sweaters they ate – Grist. My sweater holes are the fault of evil cats, but I’ve still got a bag of things that I want to learn how to darn.
• Taking a Bite out of Second Hand – Green Phone Booth. Bedbugs definitely make me think twice about secondhand furniture.

That’s it. As always, if you read anything interesting this week, send it along.