Daily Roundup: December 3, 2010

Too Hot to Handle: Israel appealed to the international community for help fighting a raging forest fire that has already killed 42 people. The blaze follows the country's driest November in 60 years. Haaretz and BBC

Life in the Fast Lane: Data collected from a bike sharing program in France reveals that cycling is faster than driving during rush hour.  Treehugger

Paying the Price: Two coal mining companies paid a total of $660,000 to Kentucky state regulators for violations regarding water monitoring reports. Lexington Herald Leader and Washington Post

Mercury Rising: A study of captive white ibises found that homosexual bonding increased when the birds were exposed to mercury. National Geographic and msnbc 

Shock Me Like an Electric Eel: An aquarium in Japan is harnessing eel-generated electricity to power its Christmas tree lights. Ecorazzi

--Della Watson