You've heard of the Atkin's Diet, the South Beach Diet, even the Cookie Diet, but have you heard of the Hundred Mile Diet? If you're watching your figure and counting calories and carbs, you may not have. This is because the Hundred Mile Diet has nothing to do with focusing on your weight - it has to do with being healthy, supporting local businesses, and helping the environment in the process. As farmers' markets open for the Spring and fresh produce abounds, maybe you'd like to try your hand at the Hundred Mile Diet. It's got 100% guaranteed results, and you'll feel great about it.
So what exactly is the Hundred Mile Diet? It's exactly what it sounds like - purchasing only the produce, meats, and other products grown, harvested, and packaged within 100 miles of your home. Of course, this will be easier for some people to implement than others, depending on your location and the season. But even if you can't contain it to a 100 mile radius, even a 200, 300 or even 500 mile radius is better than nothing!
So how do you transition to the Hudred Mile Diet?
Continue reading "The Hundred Mile Diet - How Buying Locally can Help to Support Local Farmers and the Environment" »
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: April 30, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Tags: buying locally, eating locally, green living, hundred mile diet
Filled under: Green Living
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You may have read our previous entry, Is Your Home Making You Sick? to learn ways in which you can isolate indoor air quality problems in your home and help you and your family to feel better. Since this is such an important topic that can affect virtually all of us at one point or another, we thought it was important to include some further information on home indoor air quality and the impact that it's having on asthma and allergy rates. The following are 10 facts and figures to help put the seriousness of allergies and asthma into perspective:
In 2004, there were 13.6 million physician office visits and 1 million outpatient department visits due to asthma [alone, this does not count all the allergy visits.] - Centers for Disease Control
According to a 1997 survey data from primary care physicians, 16.9 million office visits were made for sinus problems and nasal congestion, which are symptoms suggestive of, or associated with, allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis itself comprised 7.7 million visits, and related conditions comprised an additional 40.3 million visits. - Medscape
Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the United States, and cost the health care system over $18 billion annually. - National Pharmaceutical Council
Direct health care costs for asthma in the United States total more than $10 billion annually; indirect costs (lost productivity) add another $8 billion for a total of $18 billion. - Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Prescription drugs represented the largest single direct medical expenditure, over $5 billion. - American Lung Association
Nine million U.S. children under 18 have been diagnosed with asthma.
More than 70% of people with asthma also suffer from allergies.
10 million Americans suffer specifically from allergic asthma.
The prevalence of asthma increased 75% from 1980-1994.
Asthma rates in children under the age of five have increased more than 160% from 1980-1994. - American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
For many, these figures are startling. Clearly there is something that is triggering these outbreaks and increases in allergies and asthma. Thankfully, many of the allergy-causing particles in your home can be eliminated with proper use of a HEPA Filtration System or other whole house indoor air quality and air purifying devices.
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: April 28, 2008 at 3:32 PM
Tags: air purifier, allergy rates, asthma and allergies, asthma rates, asthma statistics, HEPA filtration system, indoor air quality
Filled under: Indoor Air Quality and Allergy
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No, we're not referring to color (necessarily!). We're talking about eco-friendly paints for your home. You may have seen our other blog posts about eco-friendly paints, offering some advice for homeowners or renters looking to bring some color into their home without sacrificing their indoor air quality with harsh chemicals. Now, in addition to some of the smaller specialty paint companies offering environmentally safe paints, Home Depot has introduced a line of eco-friendly paints called "The FreshAire Choice".
According to a Jetson Green article, unlike many other "low-VOC" paints available, the bases and pigments of these paints are actually completely VOC-free. This is great news for allergy sufferers and air quality-conscious people everywhere. By having such a large company offer a safe alternative to traditional house paints, this allows so many more people to have access to these paints, and to be made aware of them in the first place.
Even the packaging on these reasonably priced paints is eco-friendly! With recycled cans and soy-based ink on the labels, the FreshAire Choice paint is going all out for the Earth.
The Jetson Green author does make a good point, though, that even though these are widely available now through Home Depot, this can put other, smaller businesses at a great disadvantage. It's important to remember the social as well as environmental implications of your purchases. That said, this is a great alternative to traditional house paint, and we're excited to see more and more companies jumping on the green bandwagon and taking our health and the health of our planet seriously.
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: April 22, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Tags: earth friendly paints, eco friendly paints, ecofriendly paint, freshaire choice, freshaire choice paint, home depot paint
Filled under: Green Living
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Looking for ways that you can get involved this Earth Day, and every day? Green Living Ideas has created a wonderful resource of websites that help you find events and activities in your area for the big day.
The EPA has dedicated a nice portion of their website to information about Earth Day, from its history to events in your local area.
If you really want to fully immerse yourself in the Earth Day experience, you can have a look at EarthdayNetwork for full coverage of events and ways you can contribute.
Even if you're not able to participate in any affiliated events or activities in your community on Earth Day, what's important to remember is that, as with many holidays, the real celebration is in holding the spirit of the holiday throughout the year. Instead of putting all of your energy toward 'going green' all at once on Earth Day, enjoy making small changes throughout the year and think of our planet more often. Trying to make too big of a lifestyle change at once can make it difficult to stick to. There are many adjustments that can be made, and it can be easy to become overwhelmed!
Just like with a new exercise routine or a change in the foods you eat, changing your lifestyle for the greener can be very effective as a gradual transformation. It may start with remembering to tuck your empty water bottle in a recycling bin, and then stopping yourself from buying bottled water altogether. Maybe you will begin requesting paper bags at the grocery store instead of plastic, and then eventually purchase your own reusable cloth bags for groceries. You may look toward buying more free-range meats or organic produce, and then may pursue a "100 mile diet", buying more foods from local farms or butchers. It just takes one small step, and another, and another, and before you know it, you've incorporated Earth Day into every day!
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: at 11:14 AM
Tags: celebrating earth day, earth day, earth day events, earth day resources, going green, local earth day activities
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What if you were faced with the following choices? You feel miserable, so you go to your doctor to find out what's wrong with you. The doctor gives you these two options:
- You can undergo a series of tests that will cost a whole lot of money and will probably NOT tell you what's making you feel badly.
- You can take several steps that will cost MUCH less and will probably make you feel better.
If you chose option #2, read on.
We know household contaminants can make people feel really terrible. A lot of people in this country have experienced that. In fact, tens of millions of doctor visits in the U.S. are because of allergy-type symptoms. The amount of money spent on allergy and asthma treatments in this country (in 2002 dollars) was over $7,000,000,000 (7 billion!). The asthma rate is sky-rocketing. People understand that their houses can make them sick.
What we don't know is why-or how. Responsible scientists and epidemiologists (the folks who study patterns of illness) admit they don't know why particular contaminants make some people feel awful. The specialists who have studied this phenomenon all their lives know it occurs, but they still can't explain why some people react to one contaminant and others don't. Or why that same person reacts to the contaminant at one time and not at another. Or why once people have reacted badly to one contaminant, they may begin to react badly to others that are similar (sensitization).
They agree that there is no simple answer and often the causes may be so complex, we may never know why we're "allergic" to things. So, what are we sufferers supposed to do while they're studying this stuff?
Continue reading "Is your Home making you sick?" »
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: April 21, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Tags: asthma and allergies, home allergy symptoms, household chemicals, indoor air pollutants, indoor air quality, mold in the home, testing for mold
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Earth day is coming up on April 22! With so many green living articles, websites, blogs, and ideas surfacing over the past year, it's safe to say that this holiday is going to mean even more this year than ever before. In the spirit of the Earth-Friendly holiday, we at HomeAire are helping spread the word about an important campaign created by EnergyStar called the Change a Light, Change the World campaign.
If you're not already aware, even seemingly small changes in your home can greatly contribute to the health of our planet. The goal of the Change a Light, Change the World campaign is to help motivate you to make these small changes, and to see what big changes can be made as a result of all of us doing our part to put our planet's health at a higher priority in our lives. Are you ready to take the pledge to take action toward a more sustainable future? Or perhaps you'd like to apply to be a local sponsor. There is a form available for that as well.
We're proud to be an EnergyStar Partner at HomeAire, so we know the importance of making a big impact through small, greener changes around the home, and provide a growing number of EnergyStar products to choose from to help you with those changes. If you have a question about our products, please don't hesitate to contact us! And if you have further questions about the EnergyStar Change the World campaign, you can send an email to changetheworld@cadmusgroup.com or visit the EnergyStar Website for more information.
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: April 18, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Tags: change a light change the world, change the world campaign, earth day, earth day 2008, energy star, energy star partner, energystar, energystar partner, homeaire energy star
Filled under: Green Living
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We're coming up on Earth Day on April 22, so it's the perfect time to take some time to reflect on the greenness of your own life and how you can take immediate action to be more kind to our planet. Georgia Orcutt, an author for The Boston Parents' Paper, has published an article offering a quiz to help homeowners and apartment dwellers asses the 'greenness' of their homes.
The following are the questions from the quiz. Ask yourself some of these questions to see where your home stands on the green scale:
Do your household cleaning products have labels with the words "poison", "danger", "warning", "caution" or other toxic indications? Even artificially scented products can rely on very toxic formulas.
How many water-saving devices do you have in your house/apartment? If you're unsure, keep an eye out for low-flow faucets you could install, eco-friendly showerheads, more modern, water saving toilets, and new dishwashers or washing machines.
What type of lightbulbs do you use? Toss out your incandescent bulbs in favor of the newer compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Compact fluorescent light bulbs use 66% less energy than incandescent bulbs and generally last about 10 times longer.
Where do you store your reusable grocery shopping bags? Trick question! If you don't have any, it's time to buy some. Many grocery stores offer bags right in the store that you can purchase, or you could use your own totes.
How many plastic water bottles are in your home? Portable water holds a price when you're buying disposable plastic water bottles from the store. Orcutt shows us that the bottled water industry in the U.S. alone uses enough fossil fuel to run 3 million cars for a full year! Time to get out your reusable thermos or sturdy water bottle and fill it up from the tap, with a filter if you like.
What is your first priority when landscaping your yard? Using native plants that thrive in your local environment reduce water and fertilizer costs, and planting a tree will shade your home to reduce your heating and cooling bills year-round. Having a fruit or vegetable or herb garden in your yard is a perfect way to eat locally grown food, and besides, it's fun!
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: April 16, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Tags: bottled water, CFL lightbulbs, eco-friendly living, green home, green home cleaning products, green living, how green is your home, reusable grocery bags
Filled under: Green Living
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Walk through your home, top to bottom. That means from the attic to the basement (or crawl space). Walk around your home. Do you see anything that might be contributing to poor air in your home?
Are all combustion appliances properly vented?
Do all bathrooms have exhaust fans vented to the outside?
Does the kitchen have an exhaust fan vented to the outside?
Is there indication of water or moisture anywhere in the house?
Is there indication of water or moisture collecting outside of the house?
Is your attached garage vented to the outside?
Do you have collections of stuff piled up or overstuffed storage areas?
Do you have collections of household cleaners or chemicals in your garage or basement or under the kitchen sink?
Is your dryer vented to the outside?
Are your heating/cooling vents clean?
Is your furnace filter new?
When the heat goes on, does it smell "musty" in your house?
Do you have a pet?
Do you have evidence of furry invaders anywhere in your home?
Do you have evidence of non-furry invaders like roaches?
Follow your nose. If something doesn't smell right, it's probably not. If you smell mold, you've got mold. You can't always see it and sometimes you've got it even when you can't smell it. Mold and bacteria create unique odors when they're growing. They grow when they get moisture. So, as soon as the mold or bacteria that's there gets enough moisture, it'll start to grow-AND THEN, you'll be able to smell it.
Trust your nose. It's one of the best detectors available and will lead you to many indoor air problems. And if you're having trouble smelling anything, ask a woman! Livescience.com says "Women have keener whiffers than men."
Trudy Y. Smith
Senior Training Specialist
Spruce Environmental Technologies and HomeAire
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: April 11, 2008 at 4:55 PM
Tags: household mold, how to identify mold, indoor air evaluation, indoor air quality, mold and mildew, mold in the home, moldy smell
Filled under: Indoor Air Quality and Allergy
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Good indoor air quality follows the Golden Mean: not too hot, not too cold; not too dry, not too humid; not too breezy, not too still and a level of contaminants that is low enough so occupants aren't getting sick.
These conditions will vary for different people. Some folks are strongly affected by odors or pollens or other allergens that don't affect others. So, good indoor air quality for you might not be exactly the same as good indoor air quality for me.
There are, however, certain basic requirements for good indoor air that seem to hold true for most of the population. Dampness is crucial. The current guidelines recommend home humidity should be below 60%. Many consultants are pushing for lower and lower humidity levels to be maintained in homes.
The contaminants that we create by living in our homes need to be diluted by sufficient fresh, outdoor air. Since outdoor air frequently is not at the right temperature or humidity for our homes, it has to be conditioned (heated or cooled and dehumidified) to make us feel comfortable and to keep the house dry. Contaminants that we bring in from the outdoors can be filtered out. The same can be said of indoor contaminants like dust and pet by-products.
Since we frequently can't introduce enough fresh air to dilute the contaminants we create, it's often a better solution to remove the contaminants where they're created. So, good exhaust fans vented to the outside remove moisture, particulates and odors in bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens and garages.
Another contributor to good indoor air quality is to reduce the contaminants we create: source control. If you don't put the contaminant in the house, you don't have to dilute or remove it.
According to the U.S. EPA, "There are many sources of indoor air pollution in any home. These include combustion sources such as oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood, and tobacco products; building materials and furnishings as diverse as deteriorated, asbestos-containing insulation, wet or damp carpet, and cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products; products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies; central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices; and outdoor sources such as radon, pesticides, and outdoor air pollution."
Trudy Y. Smith
Senior Training Specialist
Spruce Environmental Technologies and HomeAire
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: at 4:50 PM
Tags: air contamination, dampness control, external pollution, good indoor air quality, indoor air qualit, indoor pollution, pollution
Filled under: Indoor Air Quality and Allergy
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In the April 2-15 "Homes" issue of the Improper Bostonian, "Metro Boston's granola guide to entertainment, culture and eco-harmony", writer Lisa Pierpont brings us into the home of the Crawfords - a Brookline-based family who forfeited their sprawling Victorian home for a fixer-upper ranch with green plans in mind. The home sits on a southern-facing lot, providing plenty of sun exposure and reduced heating costs.
The complete makeover of the previously run-down ranch included heat recovery systems, recycled and formaldehyde-free wood floors, an energy-efficient air circulation system, antique reclaimed furniture and other recycled home accents, low-VOC paints made from water, clay and mineral dyes, a heat-storing stone stairway, radiant heat and a gas fireplace (which combined cut their heating costs by 2/3!), and a calming, natural-looking decor to complement its earth-conscious atmosphere.
From the local forest made flooring to the recycled barn door separating the children's rooms from one another, the Crawfords' house has seemed to catch every last detail when it comes to blending functionality and design for a sustainable future.
Pierpont gives us a few helpful tips throughout the article for making our homes a greener place without having to go to quite the extent that the Crawfords have -
Use a programmable thermostat to reduce your home's temperature when you're home for longer than expected.
Wash clothing in cold water (though remember to wash sheets and pillows in hot water to get rid of dust mites!)
Use household ingredients or environmentally friendly cleaners instead of toxic commercial chemicals.
Insulate your hot water pipes with snap on foam.
Limit the amount of grass you have that's soaking up water and being sprayed with pesticides and herbicides.
Have you taken any action in your home to create a happier healthier place for your family and the environment? Let us know with a comment!
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: April 8, 2008 at 3:25 PM
Tags: green home, green home improvement, green renovating, grene living, heat recovery system, how to go green, improper bostonian, radiant heat
Filled under: Green Living
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