The Canary Report

The poisoning has begun

Posted on Jul 03, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Guest Bloggers

Thursday evening we found a voice message left by the owner of the land next to ours saying they would be spraying ROUND UP and select herbicides sometime on Friday. And there went our plans for a safe and happy holiday weekend.

By guestblogger Jacki Palmer-Boyce.

Our neighbor spraying his fields on Friday next to our home and organic gardens. Our holiday weekend has been ruined!

Thursday evening we came inside the house @ 10pm to a voice message left by the owner of the land saying they would be spraying ROUND UP and Select herbicides sometime on Friday. This ruined our HOLIDAY weekend. The soybean field is right next door to our property to the WEST and NORTH side of our land. We had no idea they were going to spray so our plans were to camp in our own yard “campsite” to avoid crowds and chemicals from the Holiday weekend. We had the tent sent up and plans for a fire with a few friends.

With the girls on a better day.

I was very grateful for the “warning” that was a life saver. HOWEVER all our plans of enjoying our own homestead went up in “fumes.” I had to keep all the windows closed today and it is a perfect day outside 70′s and sunny with low humidity and low dew point, so I had to miss out on a GREAT weather day. I could not enjoy my own yard, my “organic” gardens, my spring/well water are all at risk every time they spray more and more poisons into the land and air, which effects the water supply.

With Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, I smell, taste and feel the chemicals even though my husband John does not. So I am locked inside the house while he is outside. We can not go to our parks or Findley due to too many people and all their toxic chemicals they bring with them on a Holiday camp weekend: lighter fluid, tiki lights,sunscreen, the list goes on and on of things you have to avoid around crowds. So needless to say: several hours of spraying ruined several days to weeks of my life.

The tent we'd set up for "camping" in our yard this weekend.

I wonder how this can be legal and yet someone caught with a joint goes to jail. It is all about the $$ and GREED… MONSANTO & DOW should be in prison for poisoning people for year after year. Read about how glyphosate is toxic and Roundup is worse. Read here about clethodim herbicide. I hate when people say it is “JUST” roundup like it is something “safe”… boy did marketing pull the wool over so many zoombies’ eyes… WAKE UP, PEOPLE, CHEMICALS KILL! And not just the bugs!

I am very lucky the owner “warns me”– he doesn’t have to do that in OHIO; some states it is a law. So please know how thankful I am for the warning, without that I’d have my windows all open and clothes on the line and playing in my yard.

The raised beds out front, south exposure, with peppers and tomatoes.

This spraying happens about 3 to 4 times a growing season with different types of herbicides and fugicides. Each time is like a knife going into my heart and soul. We’d love to move away from all this madness they call country living and farming, but at this point in time it is not in the stars. So we try so hard to keep our little eco friendly homestead as chemical free as possible (in our control) and pray for protection from the chemicals when they spray. It beats the helicopter they used to spray fungicides last year– now that really drifted!

Just makes me so sad that this is still legal. Think of the millions of gallons of pesticides/herbicides used all over the USA. Add that to the GULF oil well blowout and we are doomed. They could stop it but choose not to. It brings in too much $$$$ and GREED is the name of the game… NOT HEALTH.

I want to end my day with a positive: I am well for the shape I am in…. I want to end with the positive… I must always be grateful no matter what… each day is a blessing even if it doesn’t turn out like you hope.

jj

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Tags: Environment, Food, Garden, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Organic, Pesticides, Pollution, Toxic

Open tabs

Posted on May 04, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, News, Susie Collins

A few web pages I’ve been reading this week.

Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides. Clip and take with you to the market!

Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, a guide to take with you when shopping for fruits and veggies.

Writer and disability advocate Sharon Wachsler popped up on my radar in a few places this past week. Here’s her Multiple Chemical Sensitivities Information Page at Massachusetts CFIDS Association. Here’s her website Sick Humor Postcards: cartoons that take a twisted look at life with disability (good laughs). Here’s her Home Page with listings of all her online writing courses and other amazing activities. And of course her blog After Gadget, which she launched following the passing of her longtime service dog Gadget.

Healthy Child, Healthy World is a great resource for information about the toxicity of modern fragrance.

Wendy Standish Unscented Body & Bath Care makes makes soaps and shampoos from scratch, using vegetable oils.

Jody Smith at EmpowerHer gave The Canary Report two shout outs this past week: one on a post about Martin Pall’s research and one on Lourdes Salvador’s guestblog on Electroconvulsive Therapy.

Start Up Nation is a great site for inspiration about starting your own business.

Boston.com has some incredible photos of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcanic eruption. Makes the vog here look like steam from a tea kettle.

Euroclean HEPA vaccum: This is the vacuum I own.

This is Dr. Grace Ziem‘s explanation about the difference between Allergies and Chemical Reactions; Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is not an allergy!

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Tags: Children's Health, Healthy Living, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Pesticides, Products

Couple in New Zealand searches for safe, nontoxic housing

Posted on Apr 19, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Disability Rights, MCS, Social Justice, Susie Collins

Desperate for a chemical-free place to call home, Kevin and Kathryn Boyes turn to a government housing agency for help and are told: “We are unable to help you.”

Kevin Boyes

This is the story of someone in New Zealand with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity who cannot find safe, nontoxic housing. After spending a winter in their van, and exhausting all other possible resources, Kevin and Kathryn Boyes turned to Housing New Zealand Corporation, a Crown agent that provides good quality, affordable rental homes for people on low incomes or with special housing needs. Evidently that does not include the needs of people who are disabled with chemical sensitivity. Here is Kevin’s email exchange with Housing NZ Corp (published with permission of Kevin Boyes, including his medical certification):

~~~

Kevin and Kathryn Boyes

To: Jan Menzies, housing manager, Housing New Zealand Corporation
From: Kevin & Kathryn Boyes

March 19, 2010
Enquiry Please Re: Possible Housing Help

Hi Jan,

Kathryn and I are still homeless and still unable to find somewhere where I can live and work without chemical exposure illness. The Westport news recently did a story on our struggle, I have attached a copy.

We have written to every DoC office in the South Island asking if they could help us. While we have had a few suggestions and plenty of sympathy, we still have not found anywhere chemically safe.

Enquiry Please: We would please like to enquire if HNZC would help us with a suitable relocatable dwelling, if we found somewhere chemically safe?  (e.g. on a large organic farm or similar).

There are several relocatable dwelling options on the market at present. I list a few below:

Rural Portable Buildings

Cabins & Sleepouts

Sleepouts Galore

Yurts

Thanking You
Look forward to your reply

Kind Regards
Kevin and Kathryn Boyes

~~~

From: Symon Leggett
To: “Kevin & Kathryn Boyes”

March 25, 2010

Hi Kevin

I am sorry your situation has not improved…..Yes I did see the article in the Westport News and had put it on your file.

I believe HNZC have exhausted all avenues of looking at the options available to you, in order to solve your housing situation. So unfortunately I am unable to give you a positive answer to your request, at this time.

However I will forward your request onto my Manager for him to review this.

regards Jan Menzies

~~~

To: Symon Leggett, Housing Service Manager, Housing New Zealand Corporation
From: Kevin and Kathryn Boyes

March 25, 2010

Afternoon Kevin,

Regrettably I need to confirm that Jan’s email is correct.

Housing New Zealand have exhausted all possible options of assistance to help solve your unique housing situation. Unfortunately we’re unable to help you further. I wish you and Kathryn all the best.

Kind Regards,
Symon

Symon Leggett
Housing Service Manager
Housing New Zealand Corporation

~~~

To: Symon Leggett, Housing Service Manager, Housing New Zealand Corporation
From: Kevin and Kathryn Boyes, Homeless for 10 months due to illness from chemical exposure.

April 13, 2010

Attached: Newspaper article about our Homelessness – A refugee in my own town

Attached: Medical Certificates Attached of Kevin Boyes for Severe Illness from Exposure to Common Legal Chemicals

Dear Symon,

We have received your reply, thank you for your time.

Please in case you have the opportunity in the future to discuss our homelessness due to chemical exposure illness, with those who could possibly bring about positive change, I would please like to share the following note.

Chemical induced illness is a global concern with so many chemicals being used. Today we have babies being born loaded with toxic chemicals, this to me is sadly a powerfull focus of the current chemicalisation.  Please see:

Babies being poisoned in the womb

Chemical induced toxicity illness is becoming the biggest health issue of the modern world. Please see: Pesticides, how am I exposed

Toxic Chemicals in Our Bodies

A very good little clip on the chemicals children are exposed to from Healthy Child healthy World called A wake up story.

Our Homelessness due to my illness from common legal chemicals: As you may be aware we are still homeless, with all our through and detailed safe-land research showing up a great culture of toxic chemical use. Please see our homeless news paper article: A refugee in my own town.

I have also attached a PDF of this for reference.

We have written to and emailed our Prime Minister, John Key about our plight, with the only response to refer use to Housing Corp, NZ.

“Housing New Zealand have exhausted all possible options of assistance to help solve your unique housing situation. Unfortunately we’re unable to help you further. I wish you and Kathryn all the best.”

Having suffered and continuing to suffer untold illness from chemical exposure, over which I have absolutely no control, I can not find a place where I will not be exposed to legal commonly used chemicals.

We feel that it is totally wrong in the begining for any goverment to allow the use of toxic chemicals which are called toxic for that is what they are to life, and then to offer no option to live a normal life, for those who can no longer tolerate all the continuing toxic chemical exposure.

Once again please, if you, or any whom you pass this plea for help letter on to, or any other whom read it, can offer any help, Kathryn and I are about to face a second winter in a van totally unsuited for living out of.

I can not use any public toilets because of the chemical air fresheners used in them, (please see: what chemicals are in air fresheners)  and I have no ready access to water for washing myself or my clothes, as I can not tolerate chlorinated water at all.

I have severe multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), and having been exposed to many chemicals, as we all are, I have lost all tolerance to toxic chemicals and am now made very ill from even very low levels of chemical exposure. Herbicide, pesticide and chemically fragranced products are the most common exposures, resulting in illness, that I am unable to avoid.

Multiple chemical sensitivity description:

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), is an epidemic caused by toxic chemicals. A major peer-reviewed paper on multiple chemical sensitivity by Professor Martin L. Pall, published October 23, 2009 as chapter XX in  “General and Applied Toxicology, 3rd Edition” (John Wiley & Sons).  I have attached a copy of this detailed press release for information.

Please Please Help Us. We need a piece of land where I will not be made ill from exposure to chemicals from the surrounding properties.

Due to the fact that chemical herbicide spray drift, the residue and residue releases, from herbicide and pesticides, will travel for a long way with wind and atmospheric air currents, the buffer needed can be 1 – 3km, depending on the amount of herbicide/pesticide use that must be buffered for.

These chemical applications will all make me ill, for up to 4 months after their use.

We desperately look forward to your replies PLEASE.

Thank You again for your time,
Kindest Regards

Kevin and Kathryn Boyes – Homeless and ill in New Zealand

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Tags: Environment, Home, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Pesticides, Policy, Support

Open tabs

Posted on Mar 12, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Government Regulation, News, Susie Collins

More from my series Open Tabs, sharing links to the pages I have open on my browser.

I’m sorry I don’t always remember where the links come from, many are sent to me through Facebook or email. I try to give credit when I can. I’m not working in a vacuum, most info I find is sent to me in one way or another and I thank all of you for taking the time to share. xoxo

Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat by Dr. Walter Crinnion

My online friend, Missy, sent me this link to a book about losing weight, Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat by Dr. Walter Crinnion. Before you get the wrong idea, this book is not about another fad diet so your can fit into your Gucci pants, this is serious information of value to people who have a weight problem due to toxic chemical or mold exposure. It’s also available on Kindle.

A renowned naturopathic doctor shows you how to get lean and be green while helping to save the planet.

Now you can lose weight and be good to the environment, too-without starvation diets, calorie counting, complicated meal plans, or even having to exercise. Dr. Walter Crinnion, a naturopathic doctor and environmental medicine physician, shows you how to clean up your diet and clear out your body and home to eliminate unwanted pounds and toxins from your life. You’ll be able to get rid of nagging health problems such as allergies and fatigue and enjoy greater energy and a greener planet. Clean, Green, and Lean:

* Shares an effective program to shed pounds and stay healthy by getting rid of toxins in your body and your life in just four weeks
* Combines losing weight with being good to the environment
* Can help reduce aches and pains, depression, and other health problems
* Is written by one of the country’s foremost authorities on environmental medicine who has appeared on The View and other programs

If you’re serious about losing weight and safeguarding your health, follow the expert advice of Dr. Crinnion and start getting clean, green, and lean today.

Here’s an enlightening essay by Helen Larkin on Women and the Environment: Understanding Connections.

America was created, designed, and governed by men, yet now we are one of the most violent Westernized countries, infested with cancer, and have the greatest disconnection from our ecological impacts. Young women today need to enter into the sciences with a vengeance studying toxicology, agriculture, biomimicry, conservation, green chemistry, alternative energy, health, nutrition, and ecological dynamics. Women today must enter all realms of governance. We need to preserve the best of modern living while walking as gently as possible on the planet. We must educate and KNOW that female is creation, female is nature, and female is the future. Most important: Female is Life.

The Environmental Working Group has an excellent page on Scented Secrets: Fragrances Hide Toxic Chemical Ingredients. It was produced as guidance for Valentine’s Day presents, but can be applied any day. The Environmental Working Group is one of the best places on the web to get information about toxic chemicals in consumer goods, it’s info you can trust.

Take a quick look at a personal care product label, and you’ll nearly always find a long list of chemical ingredients in tiny print. Chances are, somewhere in the midst of these technical chemical terms, is the simple word “fragrance.” Although companies are required by law to list all chemicals ingredients in a product, a special loophole allows them to hide what’s in the “fragrance” component[1]. And what’s hidden in that simple word can include complex mixtures of up to hundreds of chemicals that studies show may be linked to a variety of health problems, including allergies, skin reactions, endocrine/hormone disruption, and possibly even birth defects. Companies are not required to test cosmetics for safety before they are sold. The label is the primary protection we have to make decisions about products we rub, pour, and lather on our skin and hair. Yet when it comes to fragrances, we don’t even have this simple protection.

An online friend asked me to share some info about burn pits. I’ve covered this story previously on The Canary Report, but here’s a recent report in the New York Times: Veterans speak out against burn pits, a range of health problems are linked to the pits on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, toxic substances have been found in the smoke.

On the website Fragrance Free Living, Bonnie tells her story about losing her job and almost her house due to her Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. I’m pleased to see my online friend Roberta Bradley, vice president at the Environmental Health Association of Alberta, leave a comment for Bonnie with links and information.

Common Dreams reports Cities Sue Manufacturer of Weed-Killer Found in Tap Water: Federal Lawsuit Seeks Funding to Remove Atrazine from Water Supply. This story is interesting because the states are arguing that they shouldn’t have to pay for filtering out the contaminant that the chemical company is responsible for manufacturing and selling as safe. I would argue the federal government is equally to blame for this problem, having not done their job of protecting public health before protecting corporate interest.

Annie Bond writes about toxic teeth, BPA and dental bonding materials. This is a product about which every canary should be aware.

Okay, that’s enough, that should keep you busy for awhile! Thanks to everyone who sent me the links!

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Tags: Books, Chemicals, Environment, Fragrance, Perfume, Pesticides, Policy, Pollution, Products, Research, Toxic

Book ties toxic chemicals to rising healthcare costs

Posted on Jan 11, 2010 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Home & Garden, Linda Sepp, Media/Videos, Research

Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA: A Probe Into What’s Probably Making Us Sick, by Catherine J. Frompovich (2009, BookSurge Publishing)

Post by Linda Sepp.

I just ran across a reference to this.

From the Industrial revolution and onward, the world has become an environment that is overflowing with dangerous toxins. Mass manufacturing has resulted in thousands of chemical pollutants being released in the atmosphere, water, and soil. As well, there has been a widespread increase of chemicals being added to almost every type of food and retail product. With this overwhelming chemical exposure, there has been an increase in research and studies showing the life threatening impacts on our health and well being. In her book, Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA, author Catherine J Frompovich delves into the effects of a chemical laden world on the body at a cellular level.

Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA is an important “wake up call’ about the current and future state of our toxic environment and what will happen if important changes are not made. Not only is it highly educational, the attention to detail makes the book a handy health resource tool. It is highly recommended to not just mass readers, but also to politicians, manufacturing industry officials, and health professionals.

Link to the author’s website.

Link to Amazon.com and good review.

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Tags: Books, Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Environmental Health, Environmental Illness, Fragrance, Home, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Pesticides, Toxic

Dutch book on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity now published in English

Posted on Nov 13, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, MCS, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

English version of MCS book is now launched worldwide by McFarland.

Els Valkenburg of the Netherlands reports that her book entitled Understanding Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Causes, Effects, Personal Experiences and Resources has just been published in English. The book is now published in three languages, this time in the US worldwide version by publisher McFarland. I should be receiving a copy to review very soon!

This personal view of multiple chemical sensitivity and environmental illness is supported by research. In a question-and-answer format, the effects of exposure to perfume, smoke, air fresheners, cleaning products, exhaust, and other air contaminants are examined and linked to symptoms such as headaches, allergies, asthma, and fatigue. The book contains additional testimony and reports from 37 sufferers, as well as listings of resources and an index of related scientific articles.

Els Valkenburg wrote the first Dutch book on multiple chemical sensitivity, and this is the English-language edition. She operates the resource Web site www.the-abc-of-mcs.com.

She lives in the Netherlands.

Congratulations, Els! I look forward to reviewing your book.

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Tags: Books, Chemicals, Children's Health, Environmental Health, Environmental Illness, Fragrance, Healthy Living, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Perfume, Pesticides

Documentary film: The Idiot Cycle

Posted on Nov 07, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

“Everyone should know that the ‘war on cancer’ is largely a fraud.” -Dr. Linus Pauling, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel Prize in chemistry.

Watch the trailer for “The Idiot Cycle,” a feature length documentary about the link between cancer and toxic chemicals, produced by Emmanuelle Schick Garcia and Laila Tahhar.

Related: Our Midland reports on a new documentary that says Dow Chemical and other chemical makers are profiting from the production of cancer-causing products that are not closely watched by the government, and then some of the same companies are investing in profitable cancer treatments.

Local environmental advocate Michelle Hurd Riddick, of the Lone Tree Council, said she didn’t know when the crew of “The Idiot Cycle” visited the community to talk about chemicals and cancer that one year later she’d be in the trailer for the feature-length documentary and traveling to Canada for a screening of the film.

Hurd Riddick has long been passionate about seeing cleanup of The Dow Chemical Co.’s dioxin contamination in the Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay. She spent two days in November 2008 taking the film crew around the communities on the rivers and talking about the impact of dioxin pollution on people’s lives.

Dioxins are a chemical byproduct produced as part of past manufacturing processes at Dow. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency labels dioxin a likely carcinogen, while Dow disputes that claim based on extensive studies of its workers around the world.

People walk, run and bike to raise money to fight cancer, but they often don’t think of what causes cancer, Hurd Riddick said. “Someone needs to step back and ask, ‘What’s causing the cancer in the community?’” she said.

Link to full report.

Link to learn more about the film.

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Environmental Health, Environmental Illness, EPA, Indoor Pollution, Pesticides, Policy, Toxic, Video, Water

Perfume, poisoning, and green spaces

Posted on Oct 22, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Linda Sepp, Media/Videos, News

Canary’s Cry.

Post by Linda Sepp.

Green and Save reports on Perfume and Colognes: Dangerously Chemical.

CTV News reports that getting the recommended treatment for severe carbon-monoxide poisoning depends on where you live in Canada and who your doctor is.

CBC News reports green spaces boost the body and the mind.

Reuters reports polluted air may give you a headache.

Building Green reports on an EPA warning: Older buildings may harbor PCBs.

The Canadian Center for Occupational Safety reports a webinar will be held on ototoxic industrial chemicals and potentially harmful exposure. Dr. Thais Morata of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health will discusses the effects of chemical agents, the interaction between these agents and noise, and strategies for preventing work-related hearing loss.

The Star reports Web surfing boosts brain circuitry in older adults.

King’s College London reports on research showing pesticides exposure is linked to suicidal thoughts. Full article here.

The Wall Street Journal reports a bill backed by industry and environmental groups would set federal limits on a potentially dangerous chemical inside your home: formaldehyde.

Best selling author Barbara Ehrenreich has a new book out, Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America. I just saw her talking about it on the Daily Show and she was brilliant. She said there’s an empathy deficit (no kidding). She also said, “I never think delusion is ok.” YAY for speaking up!

###

The health and ability for those with environmental sensitivities rests with the choices and actions of others. For more information, see The Medical Perspective on Environmental Sensitivities.

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Tags: Air, Books, Canary's Cry, Chemicals, Environment, Environmental Health, Fragrance, Home, Indoor Pollution, Perfume, Pesticides, Products, Research, Toxic, Video, Work

Film: Killing Fields

Posted on Oct 13, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Environment, Media/Videos, Susie Collins

Much of the cheap meat and dairy produce sold in supermarkets across Europe is arriving as a result of serious human rights abuses and environmental damage in one of Latin America’s most impoverished countries.

Ecologist reports on Killing fields: the true cost of Europe’s cheap meat. “Statistics compiled by pressure groups suggest that as much as 23 million litres of pesticides and herbicides are sprayed in Paraguay each year, including several that have been classified by the World Health Organisation as being ‘extremely hazardous’.”

Cheap meat has become a way of life in much of Europe, but the full price is being paid across Latin America as vast soya plantations and their attendant chemicals lead to poisonings and violence

Much of the cheap meat and dairy produce sold in supermarkets across Europe is arriving as a result of serious human rights abuses and environmental damage in one of Latin America’s most impoverished countries, according to a new film launched in conjunction with the Ecologist Film Unit. [...]

Industrial scale soy production, particularly for genetically modified (GM) crops – some 90 per cent of Paraguay’s soy is now thought to be GM – is dependent on the frequent application of powerful pesticides and other agri-chemicals which have been linked to environmental degradation and a host of negative health impacts on people living near to soy farms.

Crop spraying has polluted important water sources in many rural regions, say campaigners, poisoning both domestic and wild animals, threatening plant life, and resulting in a number of health problems in people, including diarrhoea, vomiting, genetic malformations, headaches, loss of sight and even death.

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Tags: Chemicals, Children's Health, Environment, Food, Law, Pesticides, Policy, Pollution, Products, Toxic, Video

My healthy home search checklist

Posted on Oct 10, 2009 by Susie Collins in Amy Ludwigson, Blog, Home & Garden

This is the checklist I developed and used while I was looking for a healthy home over the past year.

Post by Amy Ludwigson.

When you have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, creating or finding a safe home can be one of the hardest challenges you have to face. As you become aware of the toxic chemicals in your environment, it seems like everywhere you turn there is something that could be contributing to your illness. You feel vulnerable, afraid, and helpless. People do not believe you, so you feel as if you are alone. As you are awakening out of your previous ignorance about chemicals you begin to realize how little you still know. You start making changes. Some you feel make a dramatic improvement in your health, some make you feel even sicker (which you never thought was possible). This was my story. This is my story.

I have spent the last 10 years of my life working on creating a safe home for myself. I have made plenty of mistakes, yet I have learned a lot in the process. I have studied with many of the experts in healthy home design, getting certified as a Building Biologist on the way. I have also traveled and studied forms of Feng Shui and Space Clearing, which both look at the energetic health of our homes. This checklist that I have created is by no means exhaustive, yet it is something that you can use as a guide to create your own when you are looking for a home.

This is the list I developed and used while I was looking for a healthy home over the past year. After each item I had a column for no concern, slight concern, severe concern and extreme concern. This really helped me to break down the places that I was interested in and make sure that I was not making any compromises. I sure had a lot of deal breakers, which my realtor sure got a kick out of. Yet, I was so fortunate to find a realtor that found me fascinating and not crazy! And I am happy to say that I found a beautiful studio in my favorite neighborhood in Chicago, I have been here for a month and couldn’t be happier.

So here is the checklist:

Proximity to:
Industry
Highways
Parking Lots
Golf Courses
High Tension Power Lines
Substation
Transformer
Cell Phone Tower
Radar/FM/TV station

Site Assessment:
Sprinkler system
Site drainage pattern
Rain gutter
Basement/crawlspace
Air conditioning unit
Water entrance
Electricity entrance

General Building:
Age
Remodeling
Pesticide Use
Neighbor Habits
Building Orientation
Garage Location
Materials – Inside
Materials – Outside
Insulation
Flooring Materials
Wiring (knob and tube?)
Laundry

Kitchen:
Electric or Gas Appliances
Adequate Ventilation
Age/Outgassing
Location of Appliances

Moisture:
Windows
Bathroom
Ducts
Kitchen

Indoor Air Quality:
Heating System
Cooling System
Ventilation
Duct’s Clean?
Return Vent
Combustible Gases
CO2
Humidifier
Leaks
Crawl Space, Vapor Barrier
Refrigerator Drain Pan
Plants, Mold
Exhaust in Bath/Kitchen
Filter

Other IAQ:
Asbestos
Lead
Radon
Mold

Pesticide Use:
Yes?
Storage
Neighbor Habits

Water Quality:
Age of Building
Filtration System
Local Water Report

Cleaning Supplies:
Which ones?
Storage

Electromagnetic:
Antennae Search
Visual Cell Phone Towers
Circuit Breaker Location
Geopathic Stress
Wireless (Neighbors)
Cordless Phones

Work Habits:
Computer Use
Printer Use
Hobbies

Other:
Lighting
Sunlight
Noise

I know this checklist can create a lot of questions, and probably needs a book to explain. Yet, I hope it will be a good guide for any of you looking for a place right now.

What else would you add to the list?

Come visit me at my blog Pure Habitat.

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Tags: Air, Chemicals, Children's Health, Healthy Living, Home, Indoor Pollution, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Organic, Pesticides, Products

In the news: Chemical regulation, pesticide ingredients, and healthy art

Posted on Oct 07, 2009 by Susie Collins in Blog, Media/Videos, News, Susie Collins

JS Online reports the EPA director backs tougher regulation of chemicals. The summit where Lisa Jackson spoke was a highly unusual gathering, called by the American Chemistry Council, the lobby group for the chemical industry, and the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy group that frequently criticizes industry’s lack of disclosure. Those groups typically are at odds over how much information and testing needs to be done.

Beyond Pesticides reports EPA Seeks to Disclose Hazardous Pesticide Inert Ingredients. What the heck have they been waiting for? Let’s see how nuts people think we are now.

Green Train announces Hollywood charity and Inku Artist McKenzie, who was stricken with a devastating environmental illness thought by doctors to be triggered by years of exposure to toxic materials in the art creating process. This sickness inspired and propelled McKenzie life-changing mission to discover and create an innovative way to produce healthy, earth-sensitive fine art and prints, which she calls Inku Art.

Dr. Weil reports on a study in China conducted by Australian researchers showing that women who ate the most fresh button mushrooms, 10 grams or more per day, were about two-thirds less likely to develop breast cancer than women who ate no mushrooms.

Start-Up Nation is a website that housebound canaries might like to peruse for ideas about home-based businesses.

Two products came to my attention this week with raves from people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. One is the Healthmate air filter from Austen (at right), and the other an all metal utility heater fan from Honeywell. The person chirping about the heater said she had to run it for a few hours out in the garage first before it was safe, but once that was accomplished, she loves it! As with any product, remember that what works for one canary might not work for another, so be cautious whenever trying new consumer goods.

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Tags: Art, Chemicals, EPA, Food, Home, Pesticides, Products