Here in Silicon Valley there's often surprise at my reluctance to eat fruit grown from back yard trees. It's sort of assumed that fruit right off the tree is somehow organic and healthy.

"Have you checked to see if this area is sitting on EPA Superfund designated land, or down stream?" The response is usually a blank look.

So I ask them why is this area called Silicon Valley? Then I ask if they realize how incredibly toxic the solvents used in chip manufacturing are? And then I ask how much 1950s and 60s companies cared about environmental concerns? Most people connect the dots pretty quickly. "Holy shit." Is the usual response.

It really wouldn't surprise me if Fairchild, Intel and the rest just took barrels of used chemicals out back and dumped them into holes in the ground back when.

Google got hit by this a few years ago when they built an office building on top of toxic waste and now have to have 24/7 basement ventilation to make sure workers there don't get sick.

There are whole neighborhoods built on that same polluted land. I'll get my orange from Safeway, thanks.