A Breath of Fresh Air
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times—and occasionally more than 100 times—higher than outdoor levels.
House & Home
For the Birds
Enliven Your Yard with Feeders and Baths A pair of acrobatic American gold-finches alight on a cylindrical hanging bird feeder, hungrily searching for thistle seeds. A shadow plays across them, and the goldfinches dive to the safety of a nearby shrub. A large hairy woodpecker lands on a nearby feeder filled with peanuts. Relieved, the […]
The Inside Scoop
Most people link air pollution with industrial smokestacks or trucks belching clouds of diesel exhaust. But the air we breathe while indoors, where most of us spend 80 to 90 percent of our time, is filled with chemicals and particles that can deliver even higher levels of chemical exposure.
Catching Some Rays: Solar Shingles Can Turn Your Rooftop into a Miniature Power Plant
For years, solar technology has been a promising but expensive alternative. Now, a new federal program may finally get solar off the ground—and onto the roof.
The Non-Toxic Nursery
Greening Up the Room That Baby Grows Up In The Heart of Vermont bassinet is handwoven from palm leaves, and uses an organic wool and cotton futon. Call it a new parent right of passage: eager mom- and dad-to-be armed with wash buckets and paint brushes (and credit cards) transform a drab bedroom into a […]
How Healthy Is Your House? The Modern Home is No Haven, It’s a Host for Hundreds of Toxic Chemicals
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.
Up on the Roof
Roofs and solar energy can save money and the environment By Mark Harris
Right as Rain
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.
All Decked Out
All Decked Out — Everything You Need To Know To Build A Barbecue-Ready Eco-Deck. As the thermometer begins to creep upward, there is a mass unfurling of deck umbrellas across the country. If the time has come to build a new deck or replace your worn one, you’ll be happy to know there are many ecologically sound materials with which to work.
From Landfill to Living Room
Salvaged Building Materials are Catching On In 1976, Dr. Dan Knapp quit his teaching job and started hanging around the dump in Lane County, Oregon. On a mission to rescue reusable items, he rooted through tons of trash, undaunted by the landfill's “No Salvage” signs. “I thought that [prohibition] was kind of silly,” he says, […]