Growing trends in healthy house construction

Paula Baker-LaPorte at Healthy House Institute writes about Building Biology and the Healthy House.

“Building related illness, 20th (21st) century disease, multiple chemical sensitivities, sick building syndrome, environmental illness: these terms are recent additions to our vocabulary,” she writes. “Until about 25 years ago, indoor air pollution was a very limited phenomenon.”

But, she says, three basic things have changed in the evolution of building technology resulting in the current widespread concern about the environmental quality inside our homes: the very fabric of our homes, products that have a negative and costly impact on our health, and performance demands on our buildings such as dealing with trapped moisture from sealed bathrooms.

In response to these problems, she sees two different models emerging for a healthy home. One– the most common– is to seal the home very tightly on the inside, so nothing toxic from the building materials can leak into the living space. (This is akin to what people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity try to achieve with foil barriers.) And the other, more in line with what chemically sensitive people would like to see, is to build with nontoxic materials in the first place.

But the natural building materials solution is difficult to implement, most notably because of current building codes backed by corporate interests. Still, Baker-LaPorte sees building trends moving in the right direction.

…building systems that use natural materials as their base, once the norm for us and still the norm for the majority of humankind, are viewed with great suspicion and skepticism in the current mainstream building culture. If one chooses to build with natural materials one quickly learns that natural building systems have become the orphans of the modern building industry. Whereas huge corporate resources back industrialized building products, funding for code required testing of natural non-proprietary materials has, to date, been a grass roots pass-the-hat affair. Even though people have surrounded themselves with natural permeable materials throughout human history, and even though enduring models of these buildings are found throughout the world, mainstream building practices and codes are dominated by manufactured building commodities that are laboratory tested, standardized, stamped, packaged and shipped. When one applies for a building permit for a home to be made with natural building materials, the applicant may be rejected, or if permitted, the building may bear a dubious “experimental” status.

The natural building movement championed by the theories of Building Biology and a small but growing sector of environmentally concerned builders, designers and homeowners is however gaining momentum. And I believe there is a synthesis at hand between the two seemingly opposite approaches to healthy building. A natural home equipped with all the amenities of modern life faces many of the same indoor environmental qualities as does a sealed construction, and ventilation systems are becoming more common in natural buildings. On the other hand manufactured, code pre-approved permeable wall systems such as aerated autoclaved concrete are being introduced in to the mainstream market place. Straw bale construction has now been tested and codified in many locations. More and more construction products now advertise being “environmentally friendly” and “non-toxic”. Green building rating systems that reward healthier building practices are springing up all over the country. Regardless of the starting point we are moving towards healthier homes that are freer of toxic chemicals, more energy efficient and kinder on the environment.

Link to full article

Photo of straw bale house in Taos by mari-posa. The straw bales are covered over by adobe, and it’s solar powered, with a cistern to recycle rainwater.

Paint the town green

The good folks at Common Ground give high marks to LoVo paint, a nontoxic, low-VOC alternative with a beautiful color selection. LoVo might not get a pass from every canary, but it’s always good to see people making smarter choices about office and household products.

When our building manager informed us it was time to freshen up the lobby of the Common Ground office, we lobbied him for the chance to put our principles into practice. We headed down to G&R Paint Company on Sutter Street in San Francisco, to talk to owner/colorist Philip Reno about eco-friendly paint options (philipsperfectcolors.com) and left with four gallons of C2 LoVo paint (c2color.com). Our building manager loved the nontoxic, low-VOC paint’s rich color and smooth and even finish, and we all loved that the paint was virtually odorless (sparing us all the cloud of stinky, toxic fumes, thank you very much). Now we’ve got a dazzlingly white lobby and a new favorite paint! Oh how we love happy endings.

Link

Link to LoVo Paints

Beautiful rainstorm washes away firecracker smoke

I made this video in my backyard at about 5:00 p.m. today when the rain returned and washed away all the toxic firecracker smoke. This is the time of day when I put the chickens to bed, feed the fish, and close everything up in the back for the night.

After I came in the house, this rain turned into a huge, thunderous storm with blinding lightening and earth shaking thunder. I felt thrilled and in awe of the power of nature to cleanse and recharge the earth. I take it as a good and auspicious omen at the start of 2009.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Canaries!

Here is my New Year’s Wish for you, Dear Canaries:

May good befall all.
May there be peace for all.
May all be fit for perfection and
May all experience that which is auspicious.
May all be happy. May all be healthy.
May all experience what is good and let no one suffer.

May all be well and safe, always.

Aloha,

Susie

This video is a sanskrit Hymn with message about peace and prosperity for all.

आपकॊ नव वर्ष २००९ की हार्दिक शुभकामनायें। भगवान आपके अनुकूल आपकी सभी मानॊकामनायें पूरी करे।

I wish you a very peaceful, prosperous and happy new year 2009. May GOD fulfill all your wishes that are good for you.

Lyrics:
Sarveshaam Svastir Bhavatu
Sarveshaam Shaantir Bhavatu
Sarveshaam Purnam Bhavatu
Sarveshaam Mangalam Bhavatu

Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah
Sarve Santu Niramayaah
Sarve Bhardrani Pashyantu
Maa Kadhchit Duhkhabhahg Bhavet

Meaning:
May good befall all,
May there be peace for all,
May all be fit for perfection, and
May all experience that which is auspicious.
May all be happy. May all be healthy.
May all experience what is good and let no one suffer.

Link

A shot of fresh air: A walk on Ilkley Moor

Here’s a pair of lovely blokes taking a walk on the moors. Enjoy the Breath of Fresh Air! (We need it after the last post!)

Breath of Fresh Air is a series of short films to appear on the Calendar News programme on ITV1. This is weatherman Jon Mitchell’s walk on Ilkely Moor.

Link

How to sew a sexy organic corset dress

Here’s the newest creation from Leslie!

This ‘corset dress’ is made with 100% organic cotton fabric with low impact dyes sourced locally from Spiritex for under $5! It’s made from end of the mill scraps - and I can say this project is not easy at all! lol - but is well worth the time. I made this project as a challenge to myself to see if I could possibly take very boring tan checkered pattern fabric and turn it into something sexy and fun - the style is inspired by the many drawings of woman’s clothing I did in the 80’s as a child. PS- You will want to add a zipper, side ties or some other open/close device on the sides if you don’t use stretch fabric.

xoxo- Leslie

The Oko Box, Leslie’s eco-boutique of hip, fun clothing

The Oko Box Blog, an eco-friendly interactive commentary on organic clothing, environment, pollution, health, organic food, fair trade and organic farming.

Find more of Leslie’s DIY videos at her YouTube channel Ecofashionista

And the rain came down!

We are having a huge rainstorm today! It’s been about 62 degrees all day and we’ve had at least 10 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. Tonight we have thunder and lightening with a flash flood advisory. It’s been very dry for months and months so we almost forgot that we live in a rainforest! It feels like such a blessing.

The rain washed the air and made it so fresh and clean! I walked around outside with an umbrella several times today just to breathe in the beautiful air. Above is a photo out the back door of the downpour against the avocado tree.

Here I am all comfy cozy in the house today with the first fire of the season. Before you start wondering about how I can be around a fire with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: I close up all the windows on that side of the house and vent the windows on the far side, burn only natural wood (kiawe, a type of dense mesquite we harvested on the island of Molokai), and fully open the stove vent when I put in a new log so that all the smoke gets sucked up the chimney and doesn’t escape into the room. I brought the wood burning stove in from the mainland (Lopi), it’s one of the most fuel efficient on the market, and generates a lot of heat with very little fuel. It dries out the house beautifully and keeps the mold away. If I ever had to, I could cook on it. It’s also makes things very cozy on a wet, chilly day like today!

How to sew an organic cotton jumpsuit

Here’s the ever-creative Leslie showing us how to sew an organic cotton jumpsuit. So cute!!

This is a simple pattern for a jumper mini skirt, with racer back style. It’s made in 100% organic cotton, low impact dye and was scrap fabric sold by Spiritex (a local organic cotton weaver). I was inspired to make this style by the re-surge of 80’s gear, the Ting Ting’s video, and my friend Bort who wears overalls.

xoxo Leslie

The Oko Box eco-boutique

The Oko Box Blog

Link

And more DIY 100% cotton sewing projects from Leslie at her YouTube channel Ecofashionista

A walk through England’s Savernake Forest

C’mon, let’s take a walk and get some fresh air!

A Sunday afternoon stroll through the magical Savernake Forest in the amazing county of Wiltshire, in England.

Link

Happy Holiday

Be well, dear flock!

Aloha Dear Canaries,

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, I hope everyone in the flock gets everything they are wishing for, most especially health, happiness and prosperity now and throughout the coming year.

Take care, stay warm, and hang tough.

Aloha,

Susie xo

Link

Pesticide bans boost local economies

A letter to the editor in the Peterborough Examiner argues that regional pesticide bans give a big boost to the local economy.

The Ontario government’s new lawn pesticide ban - which should come into effect in early 2009 - will do much to protect human and environmental health. But it’s also becoming clear the legislation will be a boon to our economy-boosting business and creating green jobs.

Communities across Canada which already have pesticide restrictions have enjoyed a major expansion of their lawn care sector. For example, in the five years following a pesticide ban in Halifax the number of lawn care firms in the city grew from 118 to 180 -an increase of 53 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. The number of employees in the sector also grew. Stats Can also reports the number of landscaping and lawn care businesses in Toronto has grown each year since its ban.

Why does the non-toxic route help the economy? For one thing, it relies less on chemicals and more on workers -meaning it creates local employment. It also requires some specialized knowledge of plant and soil ecology which homeowners often lack -hence their increased reliance on organic professionals.

Ontario’s organic lawn care providers are booming. Barriebased Turf Logic Inc. will be doubling its business by next spring. Oshawa-based Environmental Factor has grown its business 10- fold over the last eight years.

It’s also the case that many organic lawn products (such as corn gluten meal, horticultural vinegar, compost, and beneficial nematodes) are produced right here in Ontario -which means more business for our manufacturers. (By contrast, many of the toxic lawn chemicals are made in the U. S. or Europe.)

Two questions often raised during discussions of market change are, “Will the transition happen smoothly and will the new services be affordable?” In this case, the answer to both is yes.

More than five million Ontarians live in municipalities which already require non-toxic lawn care, Peterborough among them. So the industry already has the know-how and products to provide pesticide-free services province-wide. As well, major retailers are now committed to the non-toxic approach, meaning do-it-yourselfers have everything they require.

What about costs to the consumer? A recent survey of Ontario lawn companies showed the price of pesticide-free services is competitive with traditional services and is sometimes exactly the same. (One company charges $159.88 to treat a 2,500 square foot property - whichever service the customer picks.) And as more firms go organic, prices will drop. Non-toxic lawn care not only produces beautiful properties -just look at the Stratford Festival lawns, the campus of Trent University, or the grounds of the Ontario legislature -but is also very cost-effective.

Scientists have long told us that pesticides are associated with cancer (such as non-Hodgkins lymphoma), neurological illness (such as Parkinson’s disease), and birth defects. Health authorities - including the Canadian Cancer Society, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, and the Ontario College of Family Physicians - have long supported cosmetic pesticide bans.

But now we know that, in addition to its health benefits, going pesticide-free also makes good economic sense.

GIDEON FORMAN Executive Director, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment

Photo by sissi de kroon

Sunbathing chickens

Chickens are incredibly industrious creatures, and get a lot done in a day. My girls forage, lay eggs (not in the winter), take dust baths, rest, maintain their pecking order, forage some more, gobble up some corn or oats before bed, and get themselves back in the coops before dark. They are sensible and practical in all they do and much better than I at time management.

One of the most endearing things they do is take a daily sun bath. I love watching them lay in the sun, flopped on their sides, wings fanned out. They always do it together, blissing out in the warmth. I find great peace in watching them.

Natural pest control: Boric acid

This is what happens when you live a nontoxic life: You get ants in the honey jar. Poor things, what a way to go, drowning in a vat of honey.

Listen, I love insects, but I really do not want ants and cockroaches in my kitchen. Since I do not want any toxic chemicals in my house either, the way I control ants and cockroaches is with boric acid. Boric acid is considered safe to use as a household insecticide and I’ve never experienced Multiple Chemical Sensitivity symptoms being around it. That said, I’m careful with it and don’t let it get on my skin.

I make a mixture of equal parts boric acid and powdered sugar, mix it up and put in in yogurt container tops, and then place them under the sink and in the back of cabinets. If I have a particular invasion of ants, which can happen in times of very wet or very dry weather, I put the mixture directly in the ant trail.

The little buggers gobble it up and take it back to the nest, and in a matter of a couple days, the whole colony is destroyed. An initial application will last a year or two. Then when I see them return (as in my honey jar), I make up a new boric acid and powdered sugar mixture and refill the receptacles.

By the way, the trick to success is the powdered sugar. It works much better than granulated. And the mixture also gets rid of cockroaches, but doesn’t harm our precious geckos at all.

What do you guys use to control bugs in your homes?

Cob: Homes as living sculptures

Beautiful nontoxic homes made out of clay, sand and straw, called cob.

What is cob? Cob is a building material composed of clay, sand, and straw. This humble formula often prompts jokes about mud huts or spurs snap judgments that cob structures will dissolve in the first rainstorm. Such understandable misconceptions, however, are immediately put to rest the first time one gets a look at a sophisticated cob work of art that one can sculpt with one’s own hands, live in, and leave to one’s great great grandchildren. Cob is very durable and requires little upkeep. As Daniel Chiras puts it, “It won’t burn, bugs won’t eat it, and it’s dirt cheap.” Additionally, it’s non-toxic, creates no waste, and requires minimal tools to construct. Thousands of cob houses have weathered rainy England for hundreds of years, and a recent renaissance of cob building centered in Oregon has joyfully explored the modern artistic and architectural possibilities of the material.

Link to video

Link to more about cob projects

This cob house is like a dream

How to sew sexy organic cotton lingerie

Leslie, our favorite MCS Pin-up Girl and now our favorite Bond Girl, shows us how to make another lingerie set for pennies. Okay, so everybody has fallen in love with Leslie by now, right?

This is part 4 in my organic cotton lingerie series! I am learning to sew by using cheap locally sourced scrap fabric - this organic cotton outfit was made for $3.50. The top is a strapless tube top that ties in the back - with pleated ruffles along the edges. The bottoms are a boy short style with drawstring tie at the waist and pleated ruffle on the bottom. Hope you like the video!

xoxo- Leslie

The Oko Box
The Oko Box Blog

Link to Leslie’s YouTube channel Ecofashionista

Organic Cotton Lingerie Part 3

Organic Cotton Lingerie Part 2

Organic Cotton Lingerie Part 1

Dryer sheet alternatives

We discussed the issue of dryer sheets awhile back when Missy suggested dryer balls as an alternative to dryer sheets.

Here’s an advice column at The Olympian today that suggests using Static Eliminator sheets, something that also might work for people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

Just thought I’d bring up this topic once in awhile because scented dryer sheets are THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD to peeps with MCS. Am I right?

EarthTalk question: Which is better for our environment: dryer sheets in the dryer or liquid fabric softener in the wash? It seems they both have properties that aren’t green.

Answer: If you’re concerned about health and safety, you might want to stay away from conventional dryer sheets and liquid fabric softeners. While it might be nice to have clothes that feel soft, smell fresh and are free of static cling, both items contain chemicals toxic to people after sustained exposure.

According to the health and wellness Web site Sixwise.com, some of the most harmful ingredients in dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener include benzyl acetate (linked to pancreatic cancer), benzyl alcohol (an upper respiratory tract irritant), ethanol (linked to central nervous system disorders), limonene (a known carcinogen) and chloroform (a neurotoxin and carcinogen).

Because fabric softeners are designed to stay in your clothes for extended periods of time, the chemicals can seep out gradually and be inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

Liquid fabric softeners are slightly preferable to dryer sheets. The chemicals in dryer sheets get released into the air when they are heated up in the dryer and can pose a respiratory health risk inside and outside of the home.

For those who don’t want to give up soft and static-free clothes, National Geographic’s Green Guide recommends adding either a quarter cup of baking soda or a quarter cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle. Either one will soften clothes; the latter also addresses static cling. (Don’t mix either with bleach because chemical reactions could cause noxious fumes.)

If eliminating static cling is your top priority, dry natural-fiber clothes separately from synthetic materials. The combination of cotton and polyester often is the culprit behind static cling.

A few companies have heeded the ever-increasing call for greener, safer ways to soften clothes and reduce static cling. Seventh Generation’s Natural Lavender Scent Fabric Softener and Ecover’s Natural Fabric Soft ener are good choices that rely on vegetable products and natural essential oils instead of harsh chemicals to get the job done.

Maddocks’ Static Eliminator is a nontoxic, hypoallergenic reusable dryer sheet made out of a pro prietary, chemical-free polynylon. The Canadian company originally developed the material to rid mechanical systems of explosion-i nducing static electricity, but soon realized it could benefit consumers as well. One sheet is good for about 500 wash loads.

Don’t want to use the dryer at all? Leslie at The Oko Box Blog made a cute DIY clothes dryer rack out of bamboo yesterday, check it out!

Photo by Queen Roly

Sixth grader proposes Earth-friendly homes

“Eco-friendly homes are designed for creating a healthy indoor air environment and adequate ventilation in a natural way.”

Take a look at this letter to the editor in The Greenwich Time (Connecticut), written by a sixth grader. If these are the thoughts of sixth graders these days, there’s great hope for a brighter, less toxic future. Imagine what will happen if this young scholar decides to be an engineer or architect or community organizer, or maybe even a lawmaker. To understand, as this bright student does, that the building of eco-friendly, nontoxic homes strengthens communities and the economy is the type of progressive thinking that will get us out of this toxic mess, the mess that impacts those of us with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity so seriously.

Green Homes are Good for our Community

To the editor:

As a sixth-grader at Eastern Middle School, I am concerned about the energy being carelessly wasted and the growing pollution around the town. To improve this, I support the modus operandi of “green building” and modifying homes to be more Earth friendly.

Increasing green homes will have remarkably positive effects.

The town’s picturesque parks and landscapes are extremely valuable. The streets are lined with scenic houses and even some historical sites. If we don’t put a stop to the constant release of fumes and greenhouse gases, the exquisite reputation of this community may collapse dramatically. Installing more energy-efficient and solar-powered homes will secure a prosperous and efficient status. Also, green homes are becoming quite luxurious, and such additions would be a notable avowal for Greenwich.

Standard houses have negative effects on the environment. Air pollution, water pollution, indoor pollution and stormwater runoff are all harmful to the Earth. Eco-friendly homes are designed for creating a healthy indoor air environment and adequate ventilation in a natural way, and use heavy insulation to reduce rising energy usage within the house.

These houses have very efficient appliances and construction. For instance, there are triple-pane windows, low-energy lighting, ground-source heat pumps, solar panels and de-chlorinating shower filters. These elements together guarantee a healthy lifestyle for the average Greenwich household.

An ecological house would be well adapted to the community and very beneficial to the economy. Those houses specialize in carefully making the best of all resources and avoiding waste. By switching to this type of houses, you’re helping all parts of the world.

I’ve lived in Greenwich long enough to appreciate its outstanding reputation. I am certain that expanding the quantity of energy-efficient homes would be extremely advantageous to the economy, households and the dazzling image of Greenwich.

Eco-friendly homes are the way of a cleaner, greener future. So I urge the people of this town to use green building technology when building or renovating their homes.

Thank you for reading my letter.

Gianna DeMasi

Greenwich

Link

Photo of a LEED house by Sarah Leeab

FYI: LEED for Homes is a rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes. A green home uses less energy, water and natural resources; creates less waste; and is healthier and more comfortable for the occupants. Benefits of a LEED home include lower energy and water bills; reduced greenhouse gas emissions; and less exposure to mold, mildew and other indoor toxins. The net cost of owning a LEED home is comparable to that of owning a conventional home.

How to sew organic cotton camisole and shorties

So here’s the third in Leslie’s series on sewing your own organic cotton lingerie. Over at Leslie’s blog The Oko Box Blog, I commented on this video, about how fearless and gutsy she is, so true to her nontoxic fabric creed. She commented back:

“I would like to think I am making a few statements at once…
1. Buy only organic
2. learn creative skills
3. use what you have laying around
4. don’t buy into the marketing hype from big companies
5. don’t be a prude ….”

In Hawaii, we call people like Leslie “rascal.” Even though she has Multiple Chemical Sensitivity from severe chemical injury, along with a few other chronic health conditions, her spirit is strong and bright and she inspires all of us to push through our disability and PRODUCE. She does it all with warmth, smarts and a good dose of rascal.

About this most recent video, she says:

Here is part 3 of my organic lingerie series - learning to sew using locally sourced organic cotton scrap fabric that is dirt cheap, and turning it into something cool! This project is an easy camisole and shorty set with side ties, ribbons, and scrunch on the sides of the top.

Link

The Oko Box, Leslie’s hip, fun and practical nontoxic clothing boutique

The Oko Box Blog, an eco-friendly interactive commentary on organic clothing, environment, pollution, health, organic food, fair trade and organic farming. On today’s post, she’s put a fox on her undies (I told you she was a rascal).

Canary manners: Wedding invitations

Kerry from Lemon-Aide, who has Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and a host of other chronic health issues, wrote me and asked if The Canary Report flock has any ideas to help solve this problem:

My son’s getting married this summer and I’m starting to think about how we communicate via the invitations for guests to refrain from perfumes, clothes with dryer sheets etc. Would it be possible to put a question out there on your blog to get your MCS readers input?

Kerry is a wonderfully sweet woman with a blog to match. I know she wants to make this a very special day for her son and new daughter-in-law, but also wants to stay safe so she can enjoy the day, too. Any ideas for her?

Photo by Cherry

The save the planet song

This song is so beautiful. And I love the images in the vid. The lyrics ask, “What better ways can we come up with?” The first image he gives us as “a better way” is an awesome chicken coop! It looks like half of the structure is for the chickens and the other half for growing food. It’s really a wonderful montage of images. And the video was made by the musician himself, Douglas Stambler. His YouTube channel is here.

Download this song at:
http://www.tradebit.com/visit.php/436…

Drawings from: www.solviva.com
Domes from: www.monolithic.com

Link

Next Page »