Implementing simple changes
can make your home friendly to your health, as well as the environment.
By Holly O’Dell
Creating an environmentally friendly—and healthy—home and practice
takes more than just a water filter on a spigot or one room with bamboo floors.
A “green” home or practice is one that conserves resources, reduces
allergens and toxins, features energy efficiency and uses natural materials.
Establishing and maintaining these properties are easy to do, are oftentimes
cost-efficient, and will offer immediate and long-term benefits, not only for
your surroundings, but also the health of your family, your patients and yourself.
Now more than ever, environmentally sensitive lifestyles aren’t optional;
they’re a necessity, as natural resources become more polluted and depleted.
According to the American Farmland Trust, every day we lose more than 3,000
acres of productive farmland to sprawling development. The farmland that is
left is exposed to a multitude of pesticides, which, even by the Environmental
Protection Agency’s (EPA) admission, “can cause harm to humans,
animals or the environment because they are designed to kill or otherwise adversely
affect living organisms.” The water we drink is also affected. The EPA
estimates that pesticides contaminate the groundwater in 38 states, polluting
the primary source of drinking water for more than half the country’s
population.
Fortunately, the changes you implement can make a world of difference today
and in the future. Donna Woelfel, D.C., who practices in Roseville, Minn., recently
moved into a new home and immediately saw opportunities for establishing a green
dwelling. Though some environmentally friendly properties already existed in
Woelfel’s home, the changes she made read like a how-to guide for healthy
living.
“We have primarily hardwood and ceramic tile flooring, because they are
much less likely to cause allergic reactions than vinyl or carpet. Carpet is
laden with formaldehyde, which is very toxic to many people,” she says.
“We put in wood blinds instead of drapes, because they are easier to clean
and less likely to attract dust and allergens than drapes. We have a well and
water-filtration system; we do not have chlorine or fluoride in our water. We
have lots of large windows, allowing in lots of natural light. We use bedding
products that claim to decrease dust mites. We use dehumidifiers daily to lessen
the chance of mold developing. We have high-efficiency air purifiers throughout
the house. We try to use mild cleaning solutions whenever possible instead of
the ones riddled with harsh chemicals and toxins. We have lots of live, green
plants, because they provide healthier oxygen for you to breathe. There is no
lead paint in our house. I’m also planning to plant a chemical-free vegetable
garden in our yard.”
Like Woelfel, Scott Bautch, D.C., of Wausau, Wisc., makes efforts to live in
a home that’s friendly to his family, as well as the environment. “Our
laundry detergent, shampoos and soaps are all organic,” he says. “We’ve
tried to be more sensitive about paints. We have ordered lawn fertilizer that’s
environmentally friendly. We don’t use any of the commercial sprays. We’re
not going to have a lawn that looks like a putting green, but how does that
relate to the big picture?”
Angela Salcedo, D.C., is taking a big-picture approach in the remodeling process
of her practice in Washington, D.C. In her research of environmentally friendly
products, Salcedo discovered many products that would enhance a healthy lifestyle.
She is planning to install marmoleum flooring, a bacteria-resistant product
that is made with natural materials such as linseed oil and limestone and is
installed with adhesives that are free of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.
Salcedo also learned about milk paint, an organic paint that’s VOC-free.
Even the government acknowledges the benefit of selecting products without VOCs;
the EPA states that possible side effects of products that emit VOCs include
eye, nose and throat irritation; headaches; loss of coordination; nausea; and
damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system.
For Salcedo, selecting these products made health—and business—sense.
“The marmoleum would be more durable long term, but I’m also thinking
that it’s more sanitary for the office, because it has fewer allergens
and chemicals,” she says. “With the milk paint, you can be around
it once it dries. It’s not only patient friendly, but I wasn’t one
to expose [traditional paint fumes] to my staff or myself.” In addition,
Salcedo estimates that she would have had to close her office for seven to 10
days waiting for the strong paint odor to dissipate with traditional paint.
Lighting and water supply are two other factors that Salcedo is considering
in her remodel. She currently uses full-spectrum lighting, which mimics natural
light. (Fluorescent lights can often trigger headaches or migraines in patients.)
She also had been using bottled water but switched to a system by a company
named Macke, whose machines purify the water in your home or office all day
long. Salcedo says she made the switch due to reasons like a friend finding
newspaper floating around in his bottled water, the dust that accumulates on
(and oftentimes in) the bottles, and the waste that the bottles generate. As
an added bonus, the new water system is costing her less.
Another environmentally friendly option for the home or office that’s
sometimes overlooked is energy efficiency. Double-paned windows will reduce
your heating and cooling costs, and hence the expenditure of all that energy.
Solar roof panels or water heaters are great sources of renewable energy. Appliances
with the Energy Star label will also reduce energy costs, as well as greenhouse
gas emissions.
The choices you make now—regardless of how small they are—will lead
to healthier lives not only for yourself, but also for future generations and
their environment. “It takes a conscious awareness and initiative to make
the lifestyle changes needed to give the best chance at the long, healthy lives
to which we all aspire,” Woelfel says.
“I have six kids, and they are going to pay a price for what we’re
doing. What we do today will have a big effect on tomorrow,” says Bautch.
“Some of us have to step up to the plate and start moving.”