The Home Safety Council®, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, has declared June “Home Safety Month” and is reminding people to take steps to make their homes safer. The organization, which states that it is “dedicated to preventing home related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average [...]

We’ve all heard of landscaping and we know the beauty it can bring to the outside of our homes.  “Plantscaping” is a hot trend in California, where customers sign up to have their indoor space “plantscaped” and often maintained as well.  “Plantscaping” is the same as landscaping, but is done inside.
Plantscaping is done for aesthetic [...]

Where is the Outrage?
Secondhand smoke is estimated to cause 3,400 lung cancer deaths annually in the U.S. So far, swine flu has killed 4 Americans, and drunk driving kills about 13,000 people each year.  Radon is estimated to cause 25,000 U.S. lung cancer deaths annually.  Laws protect citizens from secondhand smoke and drunk drivers, and [...]

Indoor air quality can often be worse than outdoor air quality.  While we may seem more aware of outdoor air quality due to shifts in temperature, smog, ozone, etc., we are often desensitized to the indoor air quality of our own homes and offices since this is where we spend much of our time and [...]

Ragweed season begins in mid-August and is now reaching its high point to the chagrin of over 50 million ragweed allergy sufferers in the U.S.  It’s a hard allergy to manage, especially because the tiny pollen grains are able to travel 400 miles!  Ragweed season is at its peak, bringing bad news for the more [...]

The EPA just released its 2008 Report on the Environment: Highlights of National Trends.  One of the topics covered in the report is air quality.  Since most Americans spend the majority of their time indoors at work, school, or home, we have decided to focus on the indoor air quality section of the report.
It’s important [...]

The term “air quality” seems pretty straightforward, right?  There are two types of air quality, however – indoor and outdoor.  Outdoor air quality may get a lot more press since it’s often easier to see or smell (especially when it’s negative), but your indoor air quality is something that is much easier for you to [...]

The truth about granite countertops and radon
For the last few months newspapers and TV stations from Texas to Iowa, from New York to Seattle and points in between have been telling us that granite countertops can emit hazardous radon gas. But it wasn’t until the New York Times published "What’s lurking in your countertop?"  on July [...]

Are house plants a (literally) green solution to one of the major challenges to improving indoor air quality in modern construction and architecture?  For decades, people have been concerned about the indoor air quality in tightly sealed buildings.  Paradoxically, those buildings that are most energy efficient, may have the highest problems of indoor air toxicity. [...]

All of the indoor pollution controls mentioned in our previous entry about indoor air quality solutions for new homes can be incorporated into existing homes.  Radon and sub-slab moisture systems can be retrofit.  Upgraded filtration and ventilation systems can readily be installed.  Homeowners that want more fresh air, but don’t want to pay for an [...]