Plastic bags’ days are numbered in Sunnyvale
After years of environmental lobbying, plastic bags are on their way out in Sunnyvale, one of many communities in California ditching plastic in favor of paper and reusable bags.
Science & Tech
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Facebook — ‘a Harvard company’ in the eyes of some Stanford students
Facebook’s IPO filing Wednesday earned positive attention, but some Stanford students said they shied away from jobs there because they perceive it as being too large for individual employees to have an impact.
For Facebook IPO, $5 billion and (seemingly) 5 billion tweets
Hours after the Facebook IPO, the company’s name appeared in more than 1 percent of all Twitter posts worldwide. The graph above shows the spike in Facebook-related social media activity.
Developer pauses Saltworks development for internal review as community oppose project
While the developer of the proposed Redwood City Saltworks development continues an “internal review” of its proposal, advocacy groups continue to push their opposition.
Not all food waste can go to the compost pile. What’s the greenest alternative?
The United States generates more than 21 tons of food waste annually, and some of it is not compostable. A Stanford earth science student examines the garbage disposal versus the landfill to determine the most eco-friendly disposal route.
Is organic produce worth the extra money? Only in some cases, experts say
Organic fruits and vegetables may be better for health and the earth, but they can take a toll on the grocery bill. According to the environmental experts, only some organics are worth the extra money.
Reddit plays global Secret Santa with strangers
Since 2009, users of the social news-sharing site Reddit.com have exchanged anonymous gifts with people they don’t know. What began with 4,000 participants has ballooned to nearly 40,000.
New Bay Area kids meal laws result in healthier menus and toys for a dime
A new San Francisco law, similar to one in effect for unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County, prohibits fast-food restaurants from using free toys as incentives to get kids to order high-calorie meals.
Mountain View may ban smoking within 25 feet of restaurants, bars, other buildings
Mountain View bans smoking inside public buildings and within 30 feet of playgrounds. Now a proposed ordinance may extend restrictions to outdoor areas within 25 feet of any publicly accessible building.