Nov
1
Care for your family’s clothes with natural solutions to keep unwanted chemicals out of your home.
By Linda Mason Hunter
By the time laundry day comes around, you’re probably more concerned with cleaning your son’s Spider-Man jammies and your daughter’s favorite purple shirt than you are with the chemicals swirling around in your washing machine. But switching to natural laundry solutions means clean clothes and better health for both your family and the planet. Plus, making the change won’t compromise the quality of your laundry load—your clothes will be as clean and durable as ever.
The down and dirty truth is that traditional detergents contain synthetic optical brighteners as well as surfactants (which are wetting agents such as emulsifiers, dispersants and foaming products that reduce the surface tension of water). They also have fragrances that pollute our waterways, do not readily biodegrade and can cause skin allergies. Other common laundry chemicals, including alkyphenols, aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated compounds, are probable human carcinogens and hormone disruptors. Many, such as petroleum distillates, naphtha and naphthalene, are petroleum-based, so they deplete a nonrenewable resource, create pollution during manufacture and burden wastewater. Natural laundry solutions not only reduce the amount of chemicals and toxins that come into contact with your family, but they also help protect local water supplies.
It’s simple to detox your laundry. Swap traditional detergents, bleaches and softeners for natural options. Our guidelines will help you purchase green laundry products, our recipes will help you make your own cleaners at home. Read more
Oct
1
Warming Up to Kids
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Questions and answers with environmental advocate Laurie David.
By Susan McGinnis
Laurie David believes global warming is “a ticking time bomb,” and she’s on a crusade to stop it. She’s well on her way with a best-selling book and as a producer of the Academy Award–winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth.
Her mission grew out of her concern for her own children. Now, this mother of two is telling kids about the issue in her latest book, The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. We talked with Laurie David about how important it is that kids learn about it. Read more
Sep
1
Window Ware
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The right window treatments not only increase energy efficiency by regulating temperatures, but also offer a stylish way to make your home healthier for you and your family.
Curtain Call
Drapes are an easy and affordable window solution for your kids’ rooms and beyond. Look for naturally dyed fabrics such as cotton, hemp and linen.
We Recommend: Eco-terric’s Kalamkari collection (www.eco-terric.com)
Solar Power
Budget-friendly solar shades keep the heat out while letting in the view. Look for PVC- and lead-free options.
We Recommend: The Shade Store’s Eco-Solar Shade line (www.theshadestore.com)
Blind Ambition
Look for blinds and shutters made from basswood, a sustainable material that is also recyclable.
We Recommend: Avalon Shutters (www.avalonshutters.com) Read more
Aug
1
A Green Sweep
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Natural cleaners are tough on grime but gentle on your family and the planet.
By Linda Mason Hunter
Conventional cleaning products are among the most harmful items ever to hit the home. If common warning labels like “Danger,” “Hazardous” and “Caution” don’t scare you away, remember that these products redden hands, make eyes water and irritate your respiratory system during use. The problem lies in their industrial-strength ingredients—much too potent for household use. These ingredients include chlorine, which is found in bleaching agents and some toilet cleaners and may contribute to reproductive, endocrine and immune-system disorders; optical brighteners, which show up in laundry soap and other whitening products and can cause skin allergies; and benzene, which appears in some oven cleaners and is a known carcinogen. These toxic synthetic chemicals pollute indoor air, harm your family’s health, and wreak havoc on the environment. Read more
Jul
1
Stop Extinction
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Many of our most magnificent creatures are disappearing from the planet. Here’s how you and your kids can help save these endangered species.
By Elizabeth Barker
Last fall, the environmental group Conservation International announced that nearly a third of the planet’s primate species are now facing extinction; the U.S. Geological Survey predicted that the world will lose about two-thirds of its polar bear population by 2050; and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) reported that 7,859 non-plant species across the globe are threatened with extinction. In every instance, humans are the main culprits in the animals’ declines.
While some creatures, such as the bald eagle, have come off the endangered list in recent years, one in four mammals, one in eight birds and one-third of amphibians are still in jeopardy. Habitat destruction and degradation are the greatest threats to endangered species, according to the IUCN. But pollution, climate change and pesticide use are also to blame. It’s wholly possible to stop the global-extinction crisis, says IUCN director general Julia Marton-Lefèvre, but that feat can be accomplished “only with a concerted effort by all levels of society.” Read more
Jun
1
Breathe Easier with Purifying Plants
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By Susan McGinnis
Most spring cleaning sweeps focus on common culprits like dust, mold and grime, but overlook indoor air quality. Everything from carpets and wooden furniture to plastic bags and gas cookers can release a variety of undesirable chemicals into the air. In fact, the EPA estimates indoor air can be up to 10 times more polluted than outdoor air.
In addition to reducing the number of items that release chemicals into the air in your home, try bringing a piece of nature inside. Research shows many easy-to-find household plants can actually help clean the air of toxic gases and chemicals. Estimates say 15 to 20 of these pollution-eaters can purify the interior of a typical 1,800 square foot house. These plants generally live year-round, are easy to care for, and can be found at your local plant shop or some major retailers. Read more
May
1
Green and Clean?
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Organic dry cleaners free clothes of toxic chemicals.
By Susan McGinnis
It’s time to let your natural lifestyle into the closet. Eco dry cleaners (who often call themselves “organic”) are catching on, as people look to avoid chemicals said to be harmful that are used by most conventional cleaners. All across the country, you can find stores and chains, such as OXXO, Hangers and Zoots, that claim to clean without employing toxic substances like perchloroethylene. Commonly known as “perc,” this chemical has been linked to health problems from dizziness and headaches to liver and kidney damage. It’s also a cause of groundwater contamination.
Green dry cleaning employs environmentally friendly alternatives to perc, such as liquid carbon dioxide (the gas that creates fizz in soda) and a silicon-based solvent called GreenEarth. Another method, wet cleaning, uses water containing nontoxic detergent in machines with computer-controlled drum rotation. Because no heat is involved in these processes, there is little or no color fading.
OXXO uses GreenEarth, which it says releases no volatile organic compounds that can harm the ozone. “Traditional dry cleaning can damage clothes, cause dyes to run and leave unpleasant odors,” says GreenEarth Cleaning President Tim Maxwell. “Organic dry cleaning is an investment in your clothing and in the planet.” Read more
Apr
1
Let the Sunshine In
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Solar power is green, clean and hugely abundant. Here’s how to harness it and help build a brighter energy future for the planet.
By Elizabeth Barker
Each day, the sun lavishes the Earth with more energy than the world’s population could guzzle in 27 years. To help put that plentiful power to good use—and cut back on your consumption of nonrenewable, air- and water-polluting resources—consider going solar.
Once installed on your roof, solar panels (aka “photovoltaic” or “PV” panels) can generate electricity straight from the sunlight. Although it’s possible to get 100% of your energy from solar, most people stay connected to the grid so they can rely on utility-supplied power when the sun’s not shining. Even in perpetually drizzly cities like Seattle, the light usually stays bright enough to keep homes running in the daytime.
“Most people overestimate the amount of sun they need to use solar power,” says Mike Taylor, spokesperson for the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA). Solar’s an option for almost any home that has a south-facing roof and gets direct sunlight, he says.
If you’re thinking of switching to solar, Taylor recommends first going to FindSolar.com (a partnership between the SEPA and the U.S. Department of Energy) and getting a free estimate of installation costs, savings in utilities and greenhouse gases, and increase in your property value. Installation could set you back anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 (a price tag partially lowered by tax credits and rebates), but your utility savings depend largely on your local electricity rates. “For instance, I could have a PV system in Albuquerque that generates 25% more electricity than the same system in Boston, but because the utility rates are higher in Boston, my savings would be comparable,” explains Solar Energy Industries Association spokesperson Noah Kaye. Read more
