The most widely quoted statistic about air quality is this: The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air can be two- to five-times more polluted than the air outdoors. And while the EPA is responsible for cracking down on outdoor pollution – the smog, ozone and other chemicals that spew from tailpipes and smokestacks – protecting the air indoors is largely the responsibility of homeowners. And while many sources of indoor air are fairly obvious and well-known – second-hand smoke, carbon monoxide and radon, to name the most prominent, and deadly – there are more insidious, secret sources of pollution that any concerned homeowner or parent should consider. Here are some of the most surprising. We all know that ventilating a bathroom is important to maintain good indoor air quality. Ventilating the kitchen is also important, though, according to the American Lung Association. [Read this article]
6 Surprising Sources Of Home Air Pollution
Date: 10/21/2011 | Source: The Daily Green 
Eco Meets The Economy
Date: 10/21/2011 | Source: The New York Times
In a bad economy, what used to seem essential can quickly become optional. At the same time, what was once merely fashionable can become a matter of necessity. Activities like growing and canning food, raising chickens and making your own clothes and other household goods – which in recent years have been exalted for their artisanal qualities – are now seen by many as a way to economize while staying true to green values. Gone, too, is the avid coverage of $1,000 laptops with cases made of recycled plastic, the furniture built out of sustainably harvested wood and the solar-panel hats. Not surprisingly, the green products industry is feeling the pinch. Some worry that all this frugality may result in what Gita Nandan calls “short-sighted knee-jerk reactions,” namely, passing up green products with high upfront costs, despite the long-term savings and reduced environmental impact. “People say, ‘I only have $3 in my pocket, I should buy the incandescent bulb because it’s cheap,’ ” said Ms. Nandan, a partner in Thread Collective, a Brooklyn design firm specializing in sustainable architecture. But “in the end, the math doesn’t work out,” she continued, because using more energy means your monthly bills will be higher. [Read this article]
New Bill To Include Borrower Energy Costs In Mortgage Underwriting
Date: 10/21/2011 | Source: Housing Wire
A bill introduced Wednesday would force lenders to consider a borrower’s expected energy costs when underwriting a government-backed mortgage. Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Col.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) are the co-sponsors of the Sensible Accounting to Value Energy Act. If enacted, lenders for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration would have to take into account how much a borrower pays for electricity and gas when determining if he or she could meet the monthly mortgage payment. Bennet and Isakson said the average homeowner spends more than $2,000 annually on energy costs, which is more than either real estate taxes or home insurance. The senators claim the legislation would clear borrowers to finance cost-effective home energy upgrades as part of the mortgage. “The SAVE act would address this blind spot, giving a more complete picture of the costs of homeownership and borrowers’ capacity to service debt,” according to a statement from the senators’ office. [Read this article]
Better Road Building Paves Way For Energy Savings
Date: 10/21/2011 | Source: National Geographic
When considering how cars and trucks generate such a large part of the world’s greenhouse gas pollution, it’s easy to overlook what lies beneath them. But under all that traffic, there are roads. And the paving material itself-the asphalt, concrete, and rock-and how it is placed, have an important impact on the atmosphere. Energy goes into the construction of every highway and byway, whether it’s made of asphalt, concrete, or even gravel; whether it’s a narrow ribbon winding around mountains, an endless flat stretch across the prairie, or a congested freeway. Moreover, the way that roads are built and maintained has a significant impact on how much energy is burned by the vehicles that roll-or crawl-on the surface. As governments weigh spending money to restore or expand existing roadways in the developed world and to construct entirely new ones in the developing world, they are asking questions about sustainability that were never considered in the early years of infrastructure build-out. The answers are not easy. [Read this article]
What Your New Home Will Look Like In 2015
Date: 10/17/2011 | Source: Mother Nature Network
The fact that the average American home is slowly but surely shrinking isn’t exactly revolutionary news. But when members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) were asked what they anticipate the new home size will be 2015, it’s how they think single-family homes will shrink that’s the most revealing about the shifting needs and wants of homeowners. Currently, single-family homes measure in at an average of 2,400 square feet. In 2015, industry professionals believe that this number will drop to around 2,150 square feet. And to make up for less square footage, new homes in four years will be sans … living room. Although the average American home in 2015 won’t resemble something out of “Blade Runner,” 68 percent of builders surveyed say that energy-saving technologies and features including low-E windows, energy-efficient appliances, and LED lighting will be common along with other green features like engineered wood products, and water-saving plumbing fixtures such as dual-flush toilets and low-flow faucets. [Read this article]
The World’s Greenest Companies
Date: 10/17/2011 | Source: Newsweek
When Newsweek ran its first Green Rankings two years ago, climate change was high on the agenda. Since then, green momentum has seriously stalled, at least in the public sector. Elsewhere in the world, there is some movement – such as in Australia, where the lower house has just passed a carbon tax – but it’s slow. If governments are hesitating, many of the globe’s big companies missed the memo. Top-ranked companies are approaching green projects with increasing tenacity, even in this weak economy. Corporate sustainability, it seems, is here for the long haul – it makes sense not just for the sake of the planet, but for business. “We don’t expect a clear-cut policy in the U.S. any time soon,” says Mark Vachon, who leads the Ecomagination program at GE, No. 63 on the U.S. list. “But that doesn’t mean we ought to put our pencils down. In fact, having business lead in this space might be exactly what we should do.” Newsweek’s Green Rankings comprise two lists, one that surveys the 500 biggest companies in America and another of the 500 largest companies in the world. Both highlight firms that are leading – or lagging – in environmental performance. [Read this article]
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