air quality

The key issue is not "global warming," but climate change.

The adverse biophysical changes being experienced by all species on the planet is beyond debate and is linked to man-made pollution and the climate changes happening right now on Earth.

The Earth changes in an abundance of ways... many of which are extreme in nature. There is little we can do to defy these natural shifts and changes. At the same time, however, mankind is creating many global shifts and changes of its own. Shifts that are affecting all species on the planet. The effects of man-made pollution are creating undeniable & adverse conditions for all life forms. Air quality, water purity, physical health and a host of other conditions vital to a functioning global ecosystem, are fundamentally the key issue in regards to the attention & resources of humanity. Debates do not provide any considerable progress in the arena of these concerns. Rather, they delay paramount action and render allocated resources in stagnation, thus multiplying the adverse effects in a compounding fashion... on a global scale.

Asthma rates in children are climbing in every locale where air pollution rates are identified as hazardous. How, then, does debating whether the cause is global warming or climate change work to improve the health and damaged D.N.A. of these children?

Forget the debate of "global warming!"

• Global, man-made pollution is a key issue to face.

• Global climate change is a key issue to face.

• Health of all life on earth is a key issue to face.

...Us! We did a manual J calculation of our SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) home and found out that our house was very efficient at 941 sf per ton! The average HVAC contractor normally sizes HVAC units at 450-550 sf per ton.

What does the ton mean? Your HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) system is sized by the ton. Typical sizes for single family residences are between two and five tons. Each ton equals 12,000 Btuh. Basically, it means our house is so air tight, insulated and efficient, it would take a 3-ton HVAC unit to cool our SIP house compared to a 5-ton HVAC unit to cool a stick built house that is the same size as our SIP home.

Our future house, a 2419 sf home, is the most energy efficient home that our green architect has ever designed. :-) Sorry to toot our own horn, but it makes us a bit proud to know this.

I'm glad I'm not Mrs. Cheapo, because my husband is insisting on metal ductwork for the house which is the most expensive way to go for your HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) ductwork. My husband, the typical Swede, is so quality driven that he absolutely insists upon it.

From what I've learned, there are a few good reasons. We talked to several geothermal, HVAC consultants and took a couple of classes where they have said the same thing - Metal ducts are better. Metal ductwork lasts longer, is easier to clean, doesn't get particle buildup as easily as flex duct and the air flows better (less possibility for restricted airflow, which causes A/C inefficiency!). A/C usage and inefficiency accounts for a lot of Texan's house bills, so this is pretty darn important. You must insulate the metal ducts on the exterior to keep it from sweating if it's cool air or losing its temperature if it's heat. The only disadvantage I can see besides the expense, is that there have been cases where sound travels through the metal ducts to other parts of the house. There are solutions to fix this (duct liners), but I don't know what that does to the efficiency of the ducts (which will defeat the purpose of the metal ducts!).

The alternative has been to get flexduct (the most common in new homes) or fiberglass ducts (made with a rigid fiberglass duct board). The advantage is that it's way cheaper and already insulated. The problem that occurs is that flexduct bends, restricting airflow and being a lot more inefficient. They can also bust open (some guy found a little rat's family home in one once!EWWWWWW) if little critters can get in, and they are difficult to clean.

Also, you will want to clean your ducts periodically, as there is always a danger of getting fiberglass particles, mold or dust in the ductwork. You do NOT want to breath fiberglass, as that is super dangerous to your lungs, which is why you always need a mask when putting in batt (fiberglass) insulation. With metal ducts, it is easier to clean very thoroughly with a brush. Another tip is that if you are sealing your ducts, always use MASTIC tape not DUCT tape, as mastic tape is better quality and does not wear out as easily as duct tape.

Metal ductwork will cost us about $4,000-5,000 more than using flexduct or fiberglass. But again, my husband says it's worth it! (*sigh*). I guess we're going to have to wait a little longer to get another car :-).

The average person spends 80% of their lives indoors. Public awareness about the health effects of poor Indoor Air Quality has increased demand for building products that do not pollute the air in our home or office.

Conventional paints, finishes, flooring, adhesives, cleaning products and carpeting are known to contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, polybrominated Diphenyl ethers (PBDE), phthalates and many other hazardous chemicals that can result in health problems like allergies and asthma, especially in children.

Using Low- or No-VOC materials, reclaimed or sustainably-harvested wood products, wood alternatives such as bamboo and palm wood, natural flooring, carpets, rugs, and decor can make your house greener.

Building with tested and proved green materials also provides an alternative to products that degrade the environment we want to leave for our children and grandchildren. In buying green building materials, you can cast your economic vote for a better world, personalize your home or office, and make the air you breathe cleaner.

Fresh flowers, on a weekly basis, can get expensive quickly. With this in mind, when an undesirable smell (after say a trip to the bathroom or burnt soup in the kitchen), the most affordable thing to do is spray a little air freshner. Thanks to a new study from the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the "cost" of those few sprays may be much more than we first thought. Spray and solid air freshners were tested, 14 in all, and 12 of them were found to have phthalates in them (even the "all-natural" and "unscented" ones).

Phthalates are known to interfere with hormone and testosterone production. Children and unborn babies are particularly vulnerable to the toxins. The State of California notes that five types of phthalates - including one detected in air fresheners - are "known to cause birth defects or reproductive harm." Still, phthalates are used in many common consumer products -- to soften plastics in children's toys, as sealants and adhesives in nail polish, and as solvents in perfumes and fragrances.

NRDC's testing was limited, but the results do suggest that more comprehensive, in-depth testing of air fresheners is warranted. NRDC and other groups are petitioning the EPA and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to do more comprehensive testing and to take action to protect the public from dangerous chemicals in air fresheners. While consumers should be concerned about the chemicals, NRDC stressed that there is no cause for panic. The chemicals pose their greatest risk over long term repeated exposure.

Of all the widely-available freshner tested, those made under the Walgreens store brand had the highest level of phthalates. In swift response to the study, Walgreens has already agreed to pull said air freshners off their shelves.

From personal experience, I recommend the Mate Mist line; one bottled lasted nearly 6 months in my apartment (and that includes usage by two adult males). How do you keep your home smelling sweet? Candles? Incenses? Sprays?

According to Environmental Leader, hybrid vehicle sales are up 49% in the US so far this year. That number includes a whopping 88% increase in sales for the noble Prius. Dealers around the country have begun offering cash back incentives and low interest rate auto loans on hybrids--in short, treating them like any other car model and letting them compete on price in the marketplace. In short, hybrids are no longer the exclusive car of the eco-chic elite: Muggles are now buying them, too.

Enter the PZEV, or "Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle". These are new versions of both regular fossil fuel-burning and hybrid production automobiles whose emissions are purported to be cleaner than the surrounding air. The PZEV gas engine adds a mere $500 to the sticker price of a vehicle. The California Ford Focus PZEV will carry a base sticker price of just over $14,000, finally bringing eco-friendly private transport within reach for the low end of the buying market, at least in states that have mandated it. If you don't live in California, Maine, Massachusetts, New York or Vermont, pester your local dealership, for without a perception of demand, the cars will be slow to roll out nationwide.

Note that the PZEV designation denotes cleanliness, not fuel-efficiency, though some models do offer both. Our advice: buy the PZEV, and practice fuel economy by spending more time in your fabulous, healthy green home, and less time driving around.

Who says lighting can't be green--literally? The xDesign Environmental Clinic at New York University has developed the so-called greenlight , a solar-powered planted chandelier made from recycled and recyclable parts.

Designed to improve indoor air-quality, the greenlight features tropical indoor plants that naturally filter toxins from the room. And its low-voltage LED light system, which sits on a disc of blown recycled glass, draws power from a solar awning of Photovoltaic cells. The LEDs naturally nourish the plants.

According to San Diego-based xDesign, which stands for Experimental Design Lab, the greenlight is built to be carbon-neutral. "The photovoltaic panel sitting in a south-facing window can produce 7.5 W on an average of 3-4 hours a day in NYC," it says.

xDesign showed off the greenlight last weekend at the Wired NextFest, a two-day technology conference in Los Angeles. Representatives from xDesign said that it makes each chandelier by custom order, and the price ranges from $1,500 to $2,500. Compared to the cost of standard chandeliers, that doesn't seem like such a bad price to shine some light on your environmental consciousness.

By John Bower

Many people don't like the idea of living in a tight house, even though there are a number of significant disadvantages to the alternative (loose construction). In a loose house, air moves through the cracks, but only part of the time. Most new houses today are too tight to give you the amount of fresh air you really need, but too loose to keep pollutants out effectively.

When outdoor air moves through the cracks of a house into the living space, it brings with it pollutants contained in the outdoor air. Plus, it picks up additional pollutants along the way as it passes through the cracks, such as tiny particles of insulation, odors from the resin holding the insulation together, and tiny pieces of insects that have died inside the walls. Radon is also often pulled from the soil into the living space through the cracks of a loose house.

Air moving through cracks can also result in hidden moisture condensation, and that can lead to mold growth, rot, termites, or carpenter ants. Here's what happens: All air contains moisture in the form of water vapor. If you cool a given batch of air enough, that vapor condenses into liquid water. So, if air passing through the cracks in a wall reaches a cool surface, it can condense there, hidden inside the wall cavity where you likely won't know anything is wrong until you have a serious problem. This can happen in the winter, when warm indoor air passes through the wall toward the outdoors and hits the back side of the cold sheathing or siding. It can also happen in the summer, when hot, humid, outdoor air passes through the cracks and hits the back surface of the drywall, which is cool because the inside of the house is air conditioned.

Leaky houses can also be energy hogs. In the winter, the warm air leaks out and the cold air leaks in, and your heating bills can skyrocket. In the summer, the opposite happens. Hot, humid air leaks in and cool air leaks out, but the result is the same (high energy bills.) When you analyze the issue, there are absolutely no advantages to loose construction. So, even if you're only remodeling or adding a room, it's a good idea to tighten as much as possible.

Read the rest of this article on the Healthy House Institute's website.

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By John Bower

I have found that one of the best vacuums to use is a central unit with an outdoor exhaust. They usually are far more powerful than portable models, and even if some small particles get through the filter, they will be blown outdoors and not in your face.

There are many different manufacturers of central vacuum systems, and units are available in several sizes. Typically, there is a canister that contains a motor and a dust collecting bag. It will have a 120 volt electrical connection, an inlet and an outlet pipe, and a low voltage connection. The canister is usually mounted in a basement, utility room or garage.

The flexible hoses are 20'-30' long, and there are a variety of cleaning attachments available. Some manufactures have a power head with a rotating brush that is powered by the air rushing through the hose, others are electrically powered.

The inlet pipe and the low voltage wire on the canister are connected to one or more wall plates. When the hose is inserted into a wall plate, the low voltage circuit is activated and the vacuum motor is started automatically. With the long flexible hoses available, an average house may only need 2 or 3 wall outlets if they are located with a little forethought. While such a long hose can seem like a snake at times, it is easier to use than dragging around a portable vacuum.

The outlet on the canister is simply piped to the outdoors. A few manufacturers have an indoor exhaust with a sound reducing muffler, but a model with an outdoor exhaust is probably a healthier and quieter choice.

Read more on the Healthy House Institute's website.

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