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
Like this post: 
| 
| 
| 
Comments (0) TrackBack (0)
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
Like this post: | | | Comments (0) TrackBack (0)
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
Like this post: | | | Comments (0) TrackBack (0)
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
Like this post: | | | Comments (0) TrackBack (0)
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
Like this post: | | | Comments (0) TrackBack (0)
The Building Green blog continuously provides some great tips for having a healthier, more Earth-friendly home. You may remember our post about safe, low-VOC paints for your home and nursery where we touched on a product called milk paint. Upon coming across the post "Building Green From A Painter's Perspective" we were delighted to find an in-depth interview with a modern-day painting company, Shiloh Painting, discussing the measures they're taking to go green with their business.
Shiloh Painting founder Isaac Klepac says that he feels that all components of the green movement we're experiencing encompass not only a philosophy but a lifestyle. With the constant reminder to assess his current situation and see where he can improve and expand, Klepac has translated this philosophy into the green side of his business and has made some great strides in protecting the environment as well as the longevity of the homes he works on. Using water-based finishes and Sherman Williams' Harmony line of VOC-free paints, Klepac's work makes entering a freshly painted room literally a breath of fresh air. "the customer and my employees have a right to breath clean air." says Klepac. "There is a direct, immediate affect on someone's health".
When asked about his predictions for the future of green building, he said "There is a trend beyond open floor plans. Instead of so many rooms, why not have multiple use rooms? Kitchens have already been transformed into a meeting places, so why not have multipurpose rooms?" With a trend toward smaller living spaces with more versatility, this means managing the air quality in the home can be even easier. With less cubic footage to keep in mind, homeowners can install central vacuum systems or air purifiers with ease and know they're getting an efficient air quality solution for their home's size.
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: March 20, 2008 at 9:46 AM
Tags: air purifier, central vacuum, ecofriendly paints, green building, green home improvement, indoor air quality, low voc paint
Filled under: Green Living, Home Ownership / Home Improvement
Like this post: | | | Comments (0) TrackBack (0)
If you're painting a nursery and are concerned about how it might affect your baby's health, you have every right to take precautions. Even after paint dries, it can still emit fumes or harbor bacteria, according to Bob Formisano at About.com. Paint, just like carpeting or other household chemicals, contains VOCs - volatile organic compounds. We won't go into the molecular breakdown of these compounds, but what you need to know is they're dangerous for you to breathe, and this means that they're even more dangerous for a baby to breathe.
There is good news, though! There are safe paints that you can use not only in a nursery, but anywhere in your home. Whether you're repainting your living room, freshening up some dull paint in your bathroom, or even want to paint your furniture, there are some wonderful, eco-friendly, low-VOC paints to help you get the job done beautifully and healthily.
Popular "green lifestyle" blog Jetson Green introduces us to milk paint. Oddly enough, its name sounds like exactly what it is-- milk! This paint dates back thousands of years to cave paintings, and there's a reason it's withheld the test of time: it's safe, it hardens with age, and it's versatile. It's created from a mixture of milk and crushed pigments. You can order it dry, and then just add water, stir and paint! Powder generally costs about $45 a gallon. This may sound a bit pricey, but for the safety of your family and the environmental benefits, we think it's worth it. To find out more about it and where you can get it, try milkpaint.com or realmilkpaint.com.
Stay tuned for our next entry where we'll be going into a bit more detail about some other safe, interior and exterior eco-friendly paints for your home.
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: February 8, 2008 at 2:44 PM
Tags: eco-friendly paint, home aire, homeaire, indoor air quality, low voc, low voc paint, milk paint, milkpaint, nursery safe paint, nursery safety, safe house paint
Filled under: Green Living, Indoor Air Quality and Allergy, Parenting and Family
Like this post: | | | Comments (0) TrackBack (3)
Here are seven ways to keep your holiday merry and bright while keeping your wallet fuller and your planet healthier. In addition to general holiday green tips, Melissa Breyer of News Blaze has given some great tips for ‘greenifying' your tree.
1. Get the LED out. Want to cut your holiday lighting energy consumption by 99%? Buy LED holiday lights. LED stands for light emitting diode, and these could save you a bundle compared to your regular incandescent lights. You won't have to feel guilty for leaving your lights on for the neighborhood to see, and your environment will thank you for it.
2. If a tree falls at your local farm, take it home. When going to purchase a Christmas tree, you can add a bit of extra green to your evergreen by buying an organic tree from a small, local farm.
3. Say no to tinsel and fake snow. If the incentive to keep your pets and children safe and away from these dangerous decorations wasn't enough, having these hard to remove accessories on your tree makes your tree ineligible for recycling after the holidays are over. So instead of spraying on the glitter, hang some candy canes or make a cranberry and popcorn garland.
Continue reading "I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas - 7 Ways to Spread Earth-Friendly Cheer" »
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: December 17, 2007 at 7:10 PM
Tags: biodegradable utensils, burning scented candles, earth friendly flatware, fake snow safety, green christmas, green christmas tips, led christmas lights, recycle christmas tree, scented candles dangerous, tinsel dangers
Filled under: Green Living, Seasonal
Like this post: | | | Comments (0) TrackBack (0)
If you're thinking about going a bit more ‘green', but feel overwhelmed, don't worry. You don't have to buy a Prius, grow all your own vegetables and install wind turbines in your yard to make a noticeable change in helping the environment around you (and your indoor environment, too). The following list includes 10 easy lifestyle changes that you can make in order to make your world a better, greener place.
Continue reading "10 Ways to Make Your Home a Greener Place" »
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: at 6:00 PM
Tags: 10 ways to make your home a greener place, bottled water environment, bottled water hazards, buying locally, clean green, compost pile, composting, green dry clearner, green home tips, greener home, local farm stands, local foods, recycling programs, shorter shower time, toaster oven energy efficiency
Filled under: Green Living
Like this post: | | | Comments (0) TrackBack (0)
