Cupertino overcomes delays, approves funding for environmental education center
Cupertino has approved funding for an environmental education center at McClellan Ranch Preserve and plans to start construction in August.
Environment
San Jose may charge developers for costs of protecting endangered species
This week the San Jose City Council spent two hours debating the economic impacts of a plan that would require developers to pay fees to keep their projects from harming endangered species.
Up to 60 percent of Bay Area workers may benefit from law to get commuters off roads
A four-year pilot program, to take effect early next year, is expected to reduce traffic in the Bay Area by providing incentives for workers to vanpool or use mass transit.
Palo Alto plans pilot residential composting programs to reduce landfill waste
Residents of single-family homes in Palo Alto will soon be able to compost food scraps in a bid to divert thousands of tons of waste from the landfill.
Serving Justice – new food label certifies workers’ rights on U.S. farms
A Food Justice label will be hitting markets soon, catering to shoppers who are both environmentally and socially conscious. Two Pescadero farms will be the first to carry it in California—but will the label catch on?
New therapy improves mental health through counseling sessions in nature
Research shows spending time outdoors with plants and animals can support mental health in patients with depression, anxiety, and other illnesses. “Ecotherapy” puts those studies into practice.
Santa Clara County tracks down dirty pools to protect public health (VIDEO)
Unkempt backyard pools can breed millions of disease-carrying mosquitoes. The Santa Clara County Vector Control Office uses an aerial photography system to track and treat those stagnant swimming holes.
‘Pesticide-free’ not necessarily the same as ‘organic’
Organic farming is one of the fastest growing sectors in farm production, but as students at Stanford’s farm discovered, the term is a legal distinction that requires much more than simply shunning pesticides.
Can chemical-free backyard beekeeping stave off colony collapse?
A mysterious disorder is threatening bees across the country. Some experts say backyard beekeeping without pesticides – a growing trend in the Bay Area – might be part of the solution.