If you’re one of the growing number of people who is becoming more environmentally conscious, there is a new service that can help you easily adapt the most sound “green” practices.  Green consultants take a look at your actions and environment and then advise how you can make yourself and your environment healthier.  

People have long used financial consultants to help get a better sense of how to save and invest their money to improve their lives.  It only makes sense that green consultants are now working to help people improve their families’ lives and minimize their environmental impact.  

Green consulting involves a consultant analyzing your lifestyle and your home and then suggesting changes that would reap benefits both for you and for your environment (and many times, even your wallet).  Here are some tips that many green consultants have offered to help families green their lives and the planet:

1.    Unplug appliances when not in use
2.    Reduce air and auto travel if possible
3.    Use eco-friendly appliances and light bulbs

Without too much effort, we can all make a difference.

With an ever increasing number of cars on the road, commuting has become more of a nuisance than ever.  Not only does it take time out of your day, it takes money out of your wallet.  Many of us don’t even consider that the outdoor air pollution it creates also takes clean air out of your lungs.  Here are some statistics that you might find shocking and might influence your mode of transportation or your next automobile purchase, as well as influence your choices on improving your own indoor air quality.

1.    Car emissions kill 30,000 people each year in the U.S.
2.    Most ozone pollution is caused by motor vehicles, which account for 72% of nitrogen oxides and 52% of reactive hydrocarbons (principal components of smog).
3.    SUV’s put out 43% more global-warming pollutants (28 pounds of carbon dioxide per gallon of gas consumed) and 47% more air pollution than the average car.

Walking, biking, and taking public transportation are things we can all do to help to minimize the impact of pollution.  Each little bit DOES help in the long run.  You can have an immediate impact on your own indoor air quality, though, which can sometimes be even more polluted than outside air.  Air purification systems and ventilation systems can take some of the burden off of your family’s lungs and help combat what they have to breathe outside.  Learn more today.

Building a new home can be a fun experience.  You get to pick out everything you’d like; or, (maybe more likely) everything you can afford.  Building your own home allows you to truly become king or queen of your castle.  With green living becoming more than a passing trend, though, it is quite disheartening to know that “new home construction consumes two-fifths of all the lumber and plywood used in the U.S. each year”. 

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Did you know it’s possible to knock 10% off your energy bill?  It’s quite simple according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The DOE says that you can save 10% on your energy bill by scaling back your thermostat in your house 10 to 15 degrees when you’re not home.  This is welcome news in a time when money is tight.

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Most of us have heard about the danger of radon in your home. Its effects can be deadly. Long-term exposure to the radioactive gas can be as harmful to your lungs as smoking.  But, what about pets?  Is your family dog or cat at risk of radon exposure?  Here’s what you need to know.

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There is a visible need for bathroom ventilation.  Whenever hot water is run for a bath, shower, or shave, the condensation collects on bathroom mirrors and hovers in the air, making it nearly impossible to see your reflection; but, did you know that this seemingly innocuous steam can harm your health and your house?.  

According to askthebuilder.com, if an amateur or uninformed sub-contractor does the initial work on your bathroom ventilation and runs the ventilation through the attic under the soffit or even stops it in the attic altogether you could have problems, creating a need to retrofit your bathroom ventilation.  “The moist humid air that is exhausted when someone is showering will create a vapor plume at the exhaust fan vent. Some of this cloud …will sneak its way into the attic space through soffit ventilation intake vents, cracks and gaps in the actual soffit materials and seams between the gutter board and soffit”.  Many negative consequences can ensue including warped boards in beams and structural components of the house, along with mold and fungus.

Mold or fungus in the home can threaten your health and your family’s health, so here are some tips to ensure that the retrofitted bathroom ventilation system is installed correctly.  

1.    Don’t install your bathroom ventilation system yourself unless you are a qualified contractor or someone who knows about proper ventilation.
2.    Exhaust the ventilation system up through the roof in order to prevent moisture from leaking into the attic. (Installing the fan ventilation duct up to the roof or stopping in the attic can have the same effect as dumping the water right out under the overhang).
3.    Have a qualified inspector check the bathroom ventilation system to ensure that it is working correctly.
4.    If you live in a dry climate don’t assume you are immune to these problems mold can still grow as long as there is a water source to feed it.

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Indoor air quality may not be the first thing you think of when buying a house or renting an apartment, but upgrading a household, or room, ventilation system is easier than you think.  It can have a huge impact on the health of your family.  Retrofitting your kitchen ventilation fan is a great place to start since this is where a lot of indoor air pollution is created.

Dictonary.com defines retrofitting as “to replace existing parts, equipment, etc., with updated parts or systems”. Retrofitting ventilation is often part of a remodeling process, but can also be done independently.  If you are considering retrofitting your kitchen ventilation system ask yourself how much time your family spends in the kitchen.  It’s probably a lot as the kitchen is one of the most inhabited rooms in any house.

According to askthebuilder.com “The cooking process often creates both visible particles as well as an invisible aerosol mist of grease and smoke that can coat the surfaces of your kitchen if they are not vacuumed and exhausted to the exterior of your home.”  These particles can hurt your family’s health if they are exposed to them over a long period of time.  Take action and learn more about kitchen ventilation fans today.  

Radon in the air is a relatively well known phenomenon, but did you know that our other most vital resource, – water – can also be contaminated with radon?  In 1996 the U.S. government passed the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments to “establish several new, health-based drinking water regulations, including a multimedia approach to address the public health risks from radon.”

A subsequent report showed the findings of the 1994 assessment to be valid, reconfirming that there are lung cancer risks associated with drinking water.  The figures are surprising.  Though not as many deaths as are associated with radon in the air (20,000 deaths per year), there are an estimated 186 deaths per year as a result of radon in water.  Furthermore, 89% of these deaths are directly linked to, “breathing radon released by water” and 11% are from “stomach cancer caused by drinking radon-containing water”.  Though the figures are lower, radon in water is certainly something to be concerned about.

The EPA recommends that you call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 to find out additional information on this topic.  Also, if you haven’t yet tested for radon in your home, now is definitely the time to get a home radon test kit.

With an increasing awareness of the dangers of radon in new buildings, more and more states are adopting Radon Resistant New Construction (RRNC) guidelines.  According to the EPA, “All of the techniques and materials (needed during the radon resistant new construction process) are commonly used in home construction. No special skills or materials are required when adding radon-resistant features as a new home is being built.”

To see the full article on how to ensure your home is constructed to avoid radon exposure problems, follow this link.  

Basically, the EPA has five materials that builders should use while constructing a home to mitigate radon infiltration.  They are: gravel, plastic sheeting/vapor retarder, vent pipe, sealing/ caulking, and a junction box.  The costs of meeting Radon Resistant New Construction guidelines are, according to the EPA, “certainly cheaper than radon mitigation after the fact.”

An important caveat to homeowners and buyers, however: Remember that “Radon Resistant” does NOT mean “Radon Proof”. RRNC doesn’t remove radon from a home; it simply prepares a home for the addition of more piping and a radon fan. Once that fan is properly installed and activated by a certified radon professional, then the home – while still not radon proof (there is no such thing) – can be protected from high radon levels. Only with a full, activated radon reduction system can you help to ensure a safe and healthy living environment for you and your family.  

Acting Surgeon General Steven K Galson has issued The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes, which outlines measures that American people can and should take to ensure their homes are as healthy and safe as they can be.  These often simple steps can prevent death and injury and are mostly inexpensive and easy to implement. 

The Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes is for everyone who has an impact on or stake in housing, including individuals, community groups, home lenders, developers, builders, and policy makers.  It is a response to the continuing prevalence of preventable health hazards in many homes like radon, lead paint, house fires, falls, and drowning.  Some steps to protect your family are:  installing home radon test kits , testing for lead paint, installation of smoke detectors, putting up bath railings, and many more.  Click here for a checklist of what you need to make your home healthy.

The goals of the call to action are to:  

• Ensure Healthy, Safe, Affordable and Accessible Homes 
• Increase Public Awareness and Promote Health Literacy 
• Conduct Healthy Homes Research 
• Translate Research into Practice and Policy

To read the whole Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes, click here.