With few exceptions—one being particle-board furniture—if your existing eco-unfriendly floors, walls and furniture are in good condition, do not be concerned about replacing them; simply keep them clean. For example, if the paint on your walls contained VOC’s, any damage from outgassing would have occurred during the first six months to one year. Likewise, if your carpet is synthetic or the material has been doused in pesticides, it too has already caused its damage in outgassing. Most of the damaging chemicals that outgas into your home will do so during the first year. Until you are ready to replace an item, simply keep it is as clean as possible.
If, however, you are purchasing a new home or are in the market to buy new furniture or make other changes, the following general guidelines should help you to make the most healthy and environmentally-conscious choices:
* Purchase refurbished furniture and building materials when possible.
* Buy items secondhand.
* Purchase products made from sustainable woods and grasses, such as bamboo.
* Look for natural, not synthetic products.
* Buy the best quality that you can afford so that items will not have to be replaced often—or ever.
* Purchase only what you need.
* Buy locally harvested or manufactured products and save on transportation costs.
* Recycle whenever possible.
* Revamp. For example, buy good quality throw-pillow inserts and replace the covers, when they become worn or you tire of them, instead of the entire pillow. Likewise, if your sofa upholstery is worn-out, but the sofa itself is in good condition, simply reupholster. Wall-to-wall carpet can be removed, cut to a smaller size and a natural backing like rubber applied to the carpet, for a new life as an area rug.
* Look for eco-labeling on products that you buy. While the criteria varies, essentially an eco-label will include the following criteria:
o Avoidance of resource depletion
o Low energy demand
o Avoidance of chemicals in the manufacturing process
o Avoidance of chemical emissions, residues and outgassing
o Biodegradability
o Ethical issues
Excerpt from Harmonious Environment, copyright 2007
Showing posts with label indoor pollution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indoor pollution. Show all posts
Sunday, August 2, 2009
The Dangers of Petrochemicals
The biggest source of pollution comes from the use of petrochemicals, which causes both environmental damage and damage to the earth’s inhabitants. A non-renewable resource, the use of petrochemicals is so pervasive in our lives that the removal of them overnight would result in an unrecognizable world. Petrochemicals heat our homes and transport people and products. Plastic products are derived from petrochemicals. Many cleaning supplies, paint, clothing, furniture, building materials, packaging materials, toys, carpeting, appliances, automobiles, planes, trucks, makeup, grooming products, soap, detergent and pesticides contain petrochemicals and require the use of them during the manufacturing process.
Almost all chemicals in use today are derived from petrochemicals. During the manufacturing process, most petrochemicals are combined with chlorine—an extremely dangerous chemical. Chlorine produces toxic emissions and contaminating wastes. Chlorine continues to pollute when disposed of, as the wastes emit further atmospheric, liquid and solid toxic waste.
Saudi Arabia claims that they can keep up with the increasing demand for the next fifty years, but many experts think this is impossible. These experts, although still a minority in the oil world, argue that the geological challenges inherent in extracting oil and the limits of modern technology will soon make it impossible to extract enough oil for the world’s needs. So while there may be oil available, it can become impossible, or at the very least extremely expensive to extract from the earth.
Chevron, the second-largest American oil company, is actually talking to the public about the problem. A series of ads running in 2005 read: “One thing is clear; the era of easy oil is over.”
Once consumption exceeds production, the price of a barrel of oil could soar into the triple digits. A result of exorbitant prices for transport fuels and for products made out of or by petrochemicals would probably lead to a global recession.
Nobody knows how long oil will last and the Saudis refuse to substantiate how much oil reserves they really have. Few politicians talk about the fact that eventually oil will run out—and that there will be catastrophic consequences unless we come up with viable alternatives to the use of petrochemicals. It is estimated that world’s oil will last until 2050, natural gas to 2030 and coal until 2200.
Excerpt from
Harmonious Environment, copyright 2007
Almost all chemicals in use today are derived from petrochemicals. During the manufacturing process, most petrochemicals are combined with chlorine—an extremely dangerous chemical. Chlorine produces toxic emissions and contaminating wastes. Chlorine continues to pollute when disposed of, as the wastes emit further atmospheric, liquid and solid toxic waste.
Saudi Arabia claims that they can keep up with the increasing demand for the next fifty years, but many experts think this is impossible. These experts, although still a minority in the oil world, argue that the geological challenges inherent in extracting oil and the limits of modern technology will soon make it impossible to extract enough oil for the world’s needs. So while there may be oil available, it can become impossible, or at the very least extremely expensive to extract from the earth.
Chevron, the second-largest American oil company, is actually talking to the public about the problem. A series of ads running in 2005 read: “One thing is clear; the era of easy oil is over.”
Once consumption exceeds production, the price of a barrel of oil could soar into the triple digits. A result of exorbitant prices for transport fuels and for products made out of or by petrochemicals would probably lead to a global recession.
Nobody knows how long oil will last and the Saudis refuse to substantiate how much oil reserves they really have. Few politicians talk about the fact that eventually oil will run out—and that there will be catastrophic consequences unless we come up with viable alternatives to the use of petrochemicals. It is estimated that world’s oil will last until 2050, natural gas to 2030 and coal until 2200.
Excerpt from
Harmonious Environment, copyright 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
How to Make Your Home Toxic Free
Virtually every object used in building your home and the objects within it—the insulation in your house, your sofa, food storage containers, floor cleaners and even fabric softener—impacts both your health and the health of the planet.
There are a number of natural cleaning products that you can purchase at natural food stores or online. In your grocery store, Bon Ami is all natural and works especially well on stainless steel and borax is a natural laundry booster and multi-purpose household cleaner.
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biomimicry, dangerous chemicals, eco-friendly cleaning products, garden pesticides, indoor pollution, linseed oil, natural wax, outgassing, particleboard, renewable resources, toxic free home
You may be shocked to discover that many seemingly harmless household products contain dangerous chemicals. However, most of these products can be easily removed and replaced and some will lose their toxicity over time, so you needn’t panic and think everything in your house must be replaced.
Indoor pollution greatly increased after the end of World War II, with mass-produced housing. These new houses were made with new, lightweight materials, materials that were produced by the petrochemical industry. These products, made from petrochemicals, release chemicals into the air—through a process known as outgassing. Outgassing is the slow release from the material of chemical residues used in the manufacturing process into the atmosphere. They include VOC’s and many other petrochemical derivatives. Materials made from petrochemicals include plywood, particleboard, carpeting, vinyl flooring, adhesives, paints, fabrics and much more.
Petrochemicals
The biggest source of pollution comes from the use of petrochemicals, which causes both environmental damage and damage to the earth’s inhabitants. A non-renewable resource, the use of petrochemicals is so pervasive in our lives that the removal of them overnight would result in an unrecognizable world. Petrochemicals heat our homes and transport people and products. Plastic products are derived from petrochemicals. Many cleaning supplies, paint, clothing, furniture, building materials, packaging materials, toys, carpeting, appliances, automobiles, planes, trucks, makeup, grooming products, soap, detergent and pesticides contain petrochemicals and require the use of them during the manufacturing process.
Guidelines for Eco-friendly and Healthful Purchasing Choices:
Do:
· Replace products that are made from petrochemicals with products that are made with natural, non-hazardous and preferably renewable products. For example, use bamboo flooring that is finished with natural wax and tung or linseed oil; and purchase natural paints, lime plasters and cork floors.
· Purchase raw materials near production sites to save on transportation expense and fuel waste.
· Purchase materials that were processed using renewable energy.
· Extend product life by reuse and recycling of components.
· Recycle waste to become ingredients in other products. Called “biomimicry,” these are manufacturing processes that take one product and turn it into something else. For example: carpets that are made from recycled plastic bottles, paints that are made from vegetable extracts, tiles that are made from ceramic waste and rubber flooring that is made from recycled tires.
· Support companies that employ safe and clean methods to produce products or that use recycled products.
· Support companies that sell healthy, organic, sustainable products.
The following products are toxic and cause pollution and should be avoided when possible:
· Most commercial cleaning products and other household chemicals
· Garden pesticides
· Carpets glued with solvents, treated with fungicides and containing residual pesticides
· Fabrics treated with chlorine, benzene and/or formaldehyde
· Most plywood and particleboard, which contain formaldehyde, urea and other dangerous glues
· Many paints and stains, which contain fungicides, VOC’s and other chemicals
· Vinyl flooring, furniture and plastics that contain VOC’s such as bromides and chlorine
· Dry cleaning and dry cleaning solvents
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
While the dangers of the most commonly used individual chemicals have been documented, there have been few attempts to study the effects of combining one or more chemicals.
Fortunately, there are many non-toxic, natural cleaning products that are on the market or you can make your own. For example, use baking soda and distilled white vinegar: Combine when ready to use—mixing creates a science-project like foam. This mix cleans all kinds of things, including:
- Stubborn stains (let sit, then rinse)
- Stainless steel
- Water fountains
- Silver
- Brass
- Stained glass
- Purchase refurbished furniture and building materials when possible.
- Buy items secondhand.
- Purchase products made from sustainable woods and grasses, such as bamboo.
- Look for natural, not synthetic products.
- Buy the best quality that you can afford so that items will not have to be replaced often—or ever.
- Purchase only what you need.
- Buy locally harvested or manufactured products and save on transportation costs.
- Recycle whenever possible.
- Revamp. For example, buy good quality throw-pillow inserts and replace the covers, when they become worn or you tire of them, instead of the entire pillow.
- Look for eco-labeling on products that you buy.
Finding good products for your body, home and planet is easier than ever! You will discover how deeply satisfying it is to clean your home of toxic and unsafe products and to replace them with safe and healthy alternatives that are good for you and the planet.
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biomimicry, dangerous chemicals, eco-friendly cleaning products, garden pesticides, indoor pollution, linseed oil, natural wax, outgassing, particleboard, renewable resources, toxic free home
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