Two great headlines in the news today. 

Ban On Energy Drinks

HILLSBOROUGH, N.J. (AP) ― They can be popular because they’re sweet, they give you a lift and they have hip-sounding names like Red Bull and Spike Shooter.

But school officials across the country aren’t as buzzed about caffeinated energy drinks as some of their students. They’re worried about young people gulping down too much caffeine—and getting so hyper that they lose focus on their studies.

“Being hepped up on caffeine can be a distraction to your learning,” said Joe Trybulski, principal of Hillsborough Middle School in central New Jersey.

The Hillsborough school, with more than 1,200 seventh and eighth graders, is among a growing number across the country that have banned or are considering banning energy drinks from their campuses….. click here for more.

Ikoma “Eco-City” to Cut Back on Vending Machines

Vending machines have come under fire lately for being bad for the environment, as inefficient 24-hour operation leads to significant amounts of electricity being wasted. Especially in Japan, there are over 5.4million vending machines (as of Dec 2007). Half of them are for beverages and it is said that if we eliminated ALL of them we could reduce at least ONE nuclear reactor (out of the total 55). Now, Ikoma City in Nara Prefecture is standing up and doing something about it.

The city is aiming to eliminate all non-essential vending machines from city facilities such as parks and gymnasiums within a 6-month period started in April, 2008. Currently, there are 39 cigarette and drinks vending machines in Ikoma, but the city is looking to get rid of as many as possible….. click here for more.