The Great American Lawn, a coast-to-coast carpet of green, inspires $6 billion in annual spending. Lawn care companies do $1.5 billion of business a year in the U.S., applying up to 50 million pounds of toxic chemicals in the process. The American lawn is a relatively modern phenomenon. Few homeowners could contemplate installing one until […]
New Life for Old Floors: Alternative Materials Add Character to Home Designs. Have you considered wood, cork, linoleum or bamboo?
Environmental Alternatives for the Chemically Sensitive–and the Chemically Concerned If you live in a house built before 1920, chances are that the lead paint that coated its walls left a toxic legacy. Although today’s paints have gotten the lead out, they’re still a witches’ brew. According to Green Alternatives magazine, there are about 15,000 chemicals […]
Permeable pavements prevent water runoff.
It’s Certainly Popular, But is it Eco-Friendly? Feng shui is popping up all over popular culture, but is it environmentally friendly? At its core, experts say, feng shui (literally "wind and water") is a way of life that helps us live in harmony with the environment. With roots in ancient Chinese philosophy that saw human […]
Proper Landscaping Can Cut Utility Bills in Half Believe it or not, landscaping may be the best long-term investment for reducing home heating and cooling costs. An asset to your yard and community, proper tree, shrub and grass plantings can protect your home from the ravaging onslaught of winter wind and snow, as well as […]
Remodeling for a Healthier House You love your home, but it’s not perfect. Maybe it needs a bathroom on the ground floor, a bigger kitchen or another bedroom. Of course, you could move to bigger digs. Or you could do what millions of Americans do every year: stay put and remodel. Indeed, renovation is the […]
No doubt about it, home is where the danger is. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 50 percent of all our illnesses can be traced to indoor pollution, which is 10 times more toxic than its outdoor counterpart.
Roofs and solar energy can save money and the environment By Mark Harris
Homeowners can prevent pollutants from harming surface and groundwater by installing a rain garden, a pond-like recess shaped like a saucer or shallow bowl.
