House/Home

From the water we drink, to the foods we eat, to how we maintain our yards and clean our homes, we can be exposed to chemicals in many ways. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, only a small frac­tion of the more than 75,000 registered chemicals have gone through complete testing for human health concerns. Some chemicals have immediate toxic effects. Others are toxic to our bodies only after repeated, long-term exposure.

Replacing your home's roof can be expensive and, given the importance of a roof to your home's health, it is important to review all the options available. If chosen wisely, the material used to roof your home can directly impact your energy savings and provide other environmental benefits.

The energy saving benefits of recycling have been touted for years, but calculations about the environmental benefits of composting are just surfacing. Recent studies confirm that composting is an effective and accessible way to reduce greenhouse gases.

The typical Minnesota household uses about 10,700 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity every year to run appliances, electronics, and lighting. Given the mix of fuels used to generate electricity, this usage equates to an average of over 19,000 lbs. of CO2 emissions per household per year. Reducing electricity usage (through conservation and efficiency) is the single most effective way that a household can decrease its carbon footprint—even more than reducing vehicle use.

Sunny Day Earth Solutions, a local eco-business based out of the Como neighborhood in Minneapolis has recently been approved by the city to begin construction on a straw bale building; the first in the Twin Cities area since a previous unsuccessful attempt in 1998. The process of receiving approval from the city to begin construction was quite a challenge, considering the history of failed straw bale building structures in Minneapolis in the past.

According to earth911.org, it is estimated that by 2015, people in the U.S. will spend $121.7 billion to re-furbish our homes with new furniture pieces. When we buy new furniture, our old furniture often ends up in the garbage. The U.S. EPA reported that furniture accounted for 8.8 million tons, or 3.6 percent, of our trash stream in 2005 (quadruple the tonnage in 1960). Before you decide to toss your furniture, ask yourself if it can be salvaged?

A 2,200-square-foot, net-zero home that generates as much energy as it consumes in a year was featured at the Eco Experience at the 2009 Minnesota State Fair. Created by SALA Architects, the 2009 Eco House was a modern-design home with four bedrooms and two baths. Construction on the house began July 22 by Showcase Renovations and Mike Otto Builders.

This is the fourth year an Eco House has been featured at the Eco Experience. However, this year's Eco House includes several new innovative, eco-friendly features including:

Anyone can go green, no matter what type of home they live in, including an apartment. Many ways of living green are now seen as routine, such as: recycling, using compact fluorescent light bulbs, limiting air conditioning use and turning off appliances when not in use.

While living green is definitely about taking action, it's also a mindset. How can you think more green? Ask yourself some questions:

Asbestos is the name for a group of minerals that occur naturally in the ground. Asbestos fibers have special characteristics. Heat or chemicals do not affect them, and they do not conduct electricity. Asbestos is also very strong. Pound for pound, asbestos is stronger than steel. Asbestos fibers are also very flexible, allowing them to be woven into cloth-like materials. This versatility is why industry has mined and widely used asbestos to make many different products.