clean air

When gardens burst forth with bloom, nostalgia unexpectedly creeps into my experience. It is triggered by the sweet-scent of blooming flowers, a garden activity or the sight of prospering plants shared by another gardener. For, I am reminded when I see plants in bloom that were transplanted from the gardens of my mother, grandmother or elderly aunts.

I enjoy sitting outside in a garden space, smelling the sweet-scent of blooming flowers, listening to the hum of visiting bees, and reminiscing of a gardening era presently labeled heritage. Still, while ‘living green’ texture, color and fragrance should be enjoyed, it is more important that each of us understand its life-supporting role.

The month of May is designated both national flower and clean air month, a time to celebrate the beauty and health of ‘living green’; but were you aware of this connection? Research conducted by Virginia’s land grant university Virginia Tech identifies each 50 by 50 square foot space whether planted with turf or other plant material or a mid to large size tree to annually provide the air quality for a family of four.

My colleague Alex X. Niemiera, Extension Horticulturist for the department of Horticulture at Virginia Tech, has further identified landscaping to significantly influence perceived property value. In fact, the value of landscaping appears to range dependent upon location: 5.5 percent (Louisiana) to 11.4 percent (South Carolina). In other words, a home valued at $150,000 with no landscape (lawn only) could be worth $8,250 to $19,050 more with a sophisticated landscape that includes color and large plants.

So, whether your motivation is to recapture an era of yesterday or contribute to air quality or insure the value of your real-estate, invest in eco-landscaping. In my newly published book, From Eco-weak to Eco-chic: landscape green (http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/from-eco-weak-to-eco-chic-lan...), I emphasize eco-landscape concepts. In honor of national Flower Month, I want to spotlight a flowering shrub, 'Limelight' Hardy Hydrangea, http://www.provenwinners.com/plants/detail.cfm?photoID=7687. Not only have I found this shrub to work-well but provide ongoing seasonal interest. It jump-starts spring with unique bright chartreuse blooms. From mid-summer to fall, the blooms hold a refreshing color; and before frost, become tinged with pink. Then, during winter, the blooms extend the gardening season as dry fluffy puffs.

Although ‘Limelight’ hydrangea is not in the category of plants that make me reminisce, when seasonal cool, gray skies and shorten-days of winter begin, I look out my home-office window and am reminded by its dried blooms of the promise of spring. And, perhaps, some day because of its seasonal beauty, this shrub will trigger nostalgia for my grandchildren. So, my question to you is “Are you participating in activities that celebrate the beauty and health of ‘living green’?” For, landscapes should not simply be aesthetically pleasing but offset the carbon atmosphere that plagues urban environments.

To acquire a ‘free’ garden design that features 'Limelight' Hardy Hydrangea or to share comments, ideas or strategies on this or similar topics, contact me. Together, let’s identify column topics that enable awareness of ‘living green’, create a legacy of eco-healthy spaces.

Air purifiers are engineered to remove odors, allergens and pollutants from the air. Air purifiers range in size, function, price, and style, quality and durability. High Efficiency Particle Air (HEPA) filter, are ideal for individuals who are allergic to tiny air particles. Some air purifiers even filter out bacteria and other microorganisms. Air purifiers can help reduce the overall amount of indoor air pollutants. Although air purifiers are not the only solution to ease allergic suffering, they do provide one more way to help increase indoor air quality in the home, without a huge expense of a whole home air exchanger/purifier.

I would like to introduce you to a company that is taking quality of air serious. This company is Alen Corp from Austin, Texas.

Peter Mann, the founder of Alen Corp, was an engineer looking for respiratory relief for his asthmatic son and decided to start a company that would provide the quality he was looking for. He began the industry revolution by being the only air purifier company to offer a lifetime warranty; not only did he believe in the quality of his products, but he was committed to reducing landfill waste. Alen Corp holds strong to its founding vision of helping people live better as it leads to air quality. Alen Corp provides the best possible technology at affordable prices.

Alen Corp provides a wide variety of sizes, designs and filtering quality. From a 10? desk top model to a built in, Energy Star rated, HEPA system. Alen Corp has a collection that should fit everyone’s needs.

This company is one that is focused in Green in more than one way. First to provide the best possible air quality and second to reduce landfill waste by providing a quality product that will last.

Read more at Green Building Ideas

The “going green” trend isn’t just good for the environment – it’s also a great step towards protecting our health.

We’re all aware of the benefits of using alternative energy sources, including cleaner air. But consider this: our dependence on oil is not just harming our environment, but our health as well, and the hundreds of oil refineries right here in the United States are partly to blame.

The last U.S. oil refinery was built in 1976, prior to the advent of asbestos-usage regulations by EPA & the federal government. What is asbestos, and why is it so dangerous? Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, also happens to be a toxin and the only known cause of pleural mesothelioma, a fatal cancer that attacks the lungs and does not have a known cure. Because asbestos is an adept insulator, it was widely used in the form of insulation within U.S. oil refineries. Asbestos is not harmful unless it is damaged, but if asbestos-containing materials are damaged, tiny asbestos fibers become airborne, putting oil refinery workers at risk of inhalation. If inhaled, asbestos fibers can situate in the pleural lining of the lungs for decades before an individual might begin to suffer from the symptoms associated with mesothelioma, including chronic, painful cough, difficulty breathing, and fluid within the lung cavity. There is no cure for mesothelioma, but there are various mesothelioma treatment options.

Because oil refinery workers are very likely to be exposed to asbestos, they are considered to be at a heightened risk of one day developing mesothelioma, also known as asbestos cancer. As piping insulation ages and the pipes corrode, asbestos fibers may become friable, putting workers at risk. However, the risk is even greater after a refinery fire or explosion, such as the two separate incidents in Texas in 2005 and 2007. And it is not only refinery workers who are at risk after a fire or explosion: firefighters and other first responders are also at risk of inhalation, as are nearby residents who may be exposed to errant asbestos fibers that travel via wind currents.

So, what can we do? By limiting our reliance on oil and turning to alternative sources of energy, such as solar energy, we will eliminate the need for oil refineries here in the U.S. If we are able to tear down the refineries and properly dispose of asbestos-containing materials, we will be taking a giant step towards a decrease in the number of oil refinery workers and other individuals who are diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer each year. Not only will we be protecting our health, but we will also be creating a cleaner, healthier environment.

For additional information about the health risks associated with asbestos exposure, please visit www.maacenter.org.