Healthy People, Healthy Planet: At Home
Here at Daily Tomorrow we started the week looking at how healthy food choices are better for you and the environment. Continuing with the connection between healthy people and a healthy planet, it’s time to focus on the place that is meant to shelter us, keep us safe and nourish our health - home.
Today’s Focus: Where You Live
No matter where you live you can take actions towards a more energy-efficiency and less toxic home environment that will boost the health of you, your family, your wallet and the planet. Get an energy audit or a Home Energy Rating, check your water supply and opt for low-toxic cleaners to keep your home and the planet healthier.
Energy Audits and HERS
Most utility companies will do an energy audit on your home for free to help identify where you can make cost-effective changes to boost energy-efficiency. You can also do this yourself with the EPAs DIY home energy audit. You can also take it up a notch by hiring a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) professional to do a computer analysis of insulation, HVAC systems, windows and other energy related elements. A HERS report will give your home an energy score based on its current condition, a score based on suggested improvements and the cost-effectiveness of those improvements.
Getting a home energy audit or a HERS report will not only help identify ways to save energy and money, it will alert you to any potential problems with gas-fired appliances and help prevent one of the biggest dangers in the home Carbon Monoxide poisoning.
Water Issues
Get a report from your local water supplier. If your water comes from a municipal supply it is tested regularly by the water authority. Information about these tests can be obtained from your local water company. If your home is on a private well you can call the County Health Department or State Environmental Protection Agency to find out about groundwater quality and possible contaminants in your area. If your report is good you’ll have peace of mind. If it’s not good you can get involved with community efforts working to clean it up.
Naturally Clean
There are household hazards in cleaning supplies including carcinogens. For instance, formaldehyde which is a suspected carcinogen found in many cleaning products. Hydrochloric acid found in toilet bowl cleaners can burn eyes and skin. Other chemicals found in conventional cleaning products can cause damage to the nervous system, kidneys, liver and may cause birth defects. Natural, low-toxic cleaners are becoming more widely available and offer versatile products without the chemicals. Better yet, you can make your own from everyday ingredients found in your pantry. Try Earth Easy’s Non-toxic Home Cleaning guide.
More resources for healthy homes:
- RESNET Residential Energy Services Network
- EPA Indoor Air Quality
- EPA EnviroFacts on waste, water, toxics and more in your area
- How to Clean Up Our Water at NRDC
- Natural Home & Cleaning Supplies at Gaiam
- Seventh Generation Low-toxic, recycled cleaning supplies