Sick
building syndrome isn't something invented by the
pharmaceutical industry -- it's a serious problem that
associated with conditions like cancer, kidney damage and other
serious illnesses.
Paints, and the VOCs they contain, are a major contributor to sick building syndrome. That's why so many consumers are opting for low- or no-VOC paints, available for just a few dollars more than regular paint at m...
Can a 10,000-square-foot house be green?
That's the question being posed to residents of Berkeley, Calif., where Mitch Kapor -- an environmentalist and software mogul -- is building a big ol' mansion. The house qualifies as a green building under the city's point-based scale, under which any home, regardless of size, is considered green if it earns more than 60 points (his earned 91).
January is National Radon Action Month, and for good reason: each year, some 20,000 Americans die from exposure to this odorless, invisible killer. A radioactive gas, radon is found in homes, schools and businesses, and is especially problematic in winter months, when cold weather keeps folks indoors and windows and doors are sealed tight.
But radon isn't the only thing you're breathing -- find out more about indoor air quality, and discover ways to keep yours...
For the past few months, I've spent a fair amount of time dissing compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs, because they contain toxic mercury. They should not, I think, be sold to the general public because they can't be safely thrown in the trash when they break or go bad. And they will.
Enough kvetching. Instead, I'll offer a smart, safe, energy-efficient alternative: LEDs, or light-emitting diode lamps. They last for...
Which do you like more, your health or your money? Tough choice, eh?
In the produce aisle, it's a choice many consumers have to make. Spend more on the healthy organic food, or take your chances with pesticide-laden commercial fruits and vegetables.
Let me make it easier on you with two lists: one of the produce that's best to buy organic, and second, those items that are OK to buy non-organic s...
You see it in Starbucks, in your grocery store, and still you wonder, what exactly is "fair trade" coffee? Is it organic? Is it tasty? And is it worth the mark-up?
Around the world, retailers like Wal-Mart and McDonald's are waking up to the interest in fair trade products, and more products carrying a fair trade label -- from bananas to soccer balls -- are becoming available every year.
