LIVING GREEN!!

[Janik Leger]

LIVING GREEN: Consumption with a Conscience
by Melissa Andron

It's all about feeling good. Sight. Sound. Touch. Smell. Taste. Your home should address all of your senses, either relaxing or energizing you as you need, and supporting your productivity and peace of mind. As an interior designer, I won't deny it-I'm rather materialistic! Yet even in my materialism, I've learned to recycle. Re-use. Preserve. I like to think of it as "consumption with a conscience!" My goal is to create a home for myself that nourishes me both physically and spiritually. That means that while decorating, I must keep in mind
certain principles of sustainability. Am I bringing things into my home that are destroying the earth's non-renewable resources? That are chemical-laden, affecting the quality of my air and water? That were produced with fair-trade practices or human-rights sensitivity?

In my home, I keep the following things in mind when I'm trying to "nourish my senses" in a healthy, sustainable way.

Sight
Decorate with items that are simple, natural, and real. Organic cottons, silks, and hemps are becoming more readily available, as are products made from renewable resources such as bamboo, natural rubber, and linoleum. Even a houseplant brings (inexpensive) life to an empty corner. It also cleanses the air of toxins. In the 1970s, NASA researchers needed to find ways to cleanse the air in the Skylab III of hazardous fumes from space-age materials used to build the space station. They discovered that plants give off compounds called phytochemicals that suppress mold spores and bacteria in the air. In addition, they absorb toxic chemicals and break them down into compounds that plants can then re-absorb as food or draw into the soil where they're rendered harmless by bacteria. Some of the best air cleansers include common plants such as Boston ferns, peace lilies, corn plants, rubber plants, spider plants, golden pothos, and bamboo palms. This gives new meaning to the words "green design!"

Also related to sight is lighting. A multitude of studies have shown that natural daylight is beneficial to our health and productivity (and can reduce our electric bills!). Tubular skylights, commercial skylights, and fiber-optic daylighting systems can provide us with more natural light.

Besides using natural materials in your house and improving your lighting, you can also declutter your house. It's the most commonly touted cure (and the cheapest!), but often the most difficult to achieve. Take a "ruthless pill," as my friend says! Sell or donate anything you don't love-Raleigh's Habitat Reuse Center, Goodwill, the Salvation Army, Helping Hands Mission, and Craig's List (online) are all great options, as are neighborhood yard sales and swaps.

Once you've pared down your clutter, the house will instantly feel more relaxing, and you're likely to feel much less stress. To keep it that way, think before you purchase something new. Ask yourself if you REALLY want the product. Do you need it? Do you love the way it looks? Will it last a long time? Can you buy it second-hand rather than new (antique or used furniture can be refinished and reupholstered, books can be purchased used, etc.)? Chances are you'll find that you're buying a lot of things that you don't really need or want. And even if they're green, they're wasteful if they're not truly loved or needed.

Sound
We're inundated with noise every day. Noise pollution can be just as harmful to our health as chemical or other types of pollution. (Not to mention the fact that the sound of a television is one of the least comforting elements in our homes!) I can't say that I have many "green" solutions for noise pollution, but I can suggest that you get your news updates on NPR during your commute, then come home to the sound of quiet background music, a trickling fountain, CDs of nature
(particularly if you live in the city and miss out on the real thing!).or simply open windows and listen to the breeze blowing through the trees. I have a favorite CD that I listen to at a very low volume while going to sleep at night. I also take it with me when I travel or have a stressful day ahead. My body is so well trained to relax to this music that my heart rate immediately slows and my mind stops racing!

Smell
I love the smell of Ivory soap-it brings back memories of my childhood, when my father taught me to carve with his pocketknife and a bar of ivory soap. Aromas create very powerful physical and emotional responses, and can be one of the easiest ways to inspire relaxation. What aromas bring back comforting memories for you? Maybe you simply love the smell of the first pot of coffee brewing in the
morning? If so, buy a special blend (preferably organic and fair-trade!) and put it in a coffee pot with a timer set for 15 minutes before you normally wake. Or use pure essential oils in clay rings that sit on the light bulbs in your lamps. Be sure you avoid using oils, air fresheners or candles scented with synthetic fragrances-these often contain alcohols, aldehydes (like formaldehyde), and aromatic hydrocarbons (eye and respiratory irritants), and can release hormone-disrupting chemicals known as phthalates. Also use candles that are made of beeswax, soy, or vegetable-based waxes, which burn cleaner than petroleum-based paraffin waxes, and be sure the candle wicks are all-cotton, rather than wire wicks that release lead as they burn.

More important than bringing wonderful smells into your space is keeping "bad" odors out. Have you ever purchased carpet or furniture, or painted a room, and been stuck with chemical odors for weeks or months? How about all of the good ol' PVC (vinyls) we find in so many household products-products that are over 40% chlorine by weight, and that create toxic production by-products such as dioxins? Or the formaldehyde manufactured wood products that make up our kitchen cabinets and many of the frames for our furniture? We're fortunate to
have resources at hand today for sustainably made flooring, wallcovering, paints, and furniture utilizing low-odor, low- or no-VOC (volatile organic compound) finishes and adhesives and substrates made with non-formaldehyde, renewable resources such as wheatboard and coconut board. I understand that our choices are currently somewhat limited in North Carolina; however, we can ask local stores for these. They're not likely to supply them until they are aware of these
products, educated about their benefits, and assured that we, as consumers, want to purchase them! In addition to purchasing on the internet until we see more local stores carrying these items, we can also take advantage of amazing local craftspeople and artists to build for us with these materials exactly what we need for our homes. (And when we're "de-cluttering" and buying fewer things, it's easier to afford these functional works of art for our homes!)

In addition to keeping chemicals out of your home furnishings, I recommend using environmentally friendly household cleaning products. In 2000, nearly 10% of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers were due to home cleaning products. Not only do most common cleaning products contain corrosive chemicals that aggravate or actually cause many health problems, but they also disappear down our drains, and those that do not break down during treatment are released into nearby waterways. In May 2002, the U..S Geological Survey found detergent metabolites in 69% of streams across the U.S.; 66% of those
metabolites contained disinfectants. You can purchase products that are healthier for both you and the environment at your local Whole Foods Market or EarthFare, or you can make your own cleaning solutions (remember that people DID clean their homes long before so many cleaning products were on the market!). For recipes, visit the following website:
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/chhomecleaning.html

Taste
I don't want to overlook one of my favorite senses! Buy organic foods when they are in season (at surprisingly small price differences, if any), and you'll not only be eating foods with more intense flavors, but you'll be feeding your body more vitamins and fewer chemicals. When your health improves over time, so will your well being. In addition, you can decorate with these foods. Colorful oranges and
apples in bowls add to your décor and provide the temptation to munch on these healthy snacks rather than the cookies in the cupboard! My personal favorite related to taste is the enjoyment I get from being part of a CSA (community supported agriculture). Not only do I get mouth-watering produce each week, but I am also supporting a farmer who is acting as a steward of the land by farming organically and keeping chemical fertilizers and pesticides out of the soil and water (and my food!). In addition, I am becoming part of a new community
when I pick up my fruits and vegetables each week and get to know others who share my values.

By the way.when you're done eating, you might want to try throwing your non-fat, non-meat food scraps in a countertop compost bin. Take it out to a compost pile each week (very easy to start-I've even got one at my townhouse!), and have chemical-free (and no-cost!) fertilizer for your outdoor plants!

Touch
Items that have texture provide both comfort and interest. Sea grass and sisal, shells, beach glass, rough-hewn wood, wool.all are evocative of nature and can be reminiscent of special times in our lives. (Many can also be found, rather than purchased!) I personally love walking on the cork floors in my home and seeing and feeling my connection with nature. You might also use luxurious fabrics that
invite you to relax: plush towels feel wonderful when you climb out of a hot shower or bath, and organic cotton, silk, or linen sheets feel wonderful on your skin-synthetics don't breathe well, making for a damp, clammy sleep on our hot summer nights!

Energy & Water
In addition to addressing the above senses, you may also want to think about the energy and water consumption in your home. The ongoing environmental impacts that result from energy and water used in operating our homes often far outweigh the impacts associated with building it. Some simple fixes are to purchase Energy Star® rated appliances (which can save up 70% more energy than standard
appliances-and reduce your utility bill a great deal in addition to saving the energy required to run the appliance!). Compact fluorescent light bulbs can now be used to replace most, if not all, of the light bulbs in your home-and, unlike the CFs of several years ago, they now are much warmer (no more blue light!) and offer much better color rendering (look for bulbs that have a color rendering index of 80 or higher-sunlight has a CRI of 100). Some are even dimmable! From an environmental aspect, if every household in the U.S. used CFs in only one room, power plants would release one trillion pounds less CO2 into the atmosphere each year, and would also reduce power plants' emissions of mercury. From a financial aspect, that CF will last 10-15 times longer than a standard incandescent, at a quarter to a third of the cost per hour to use-reducing your energy bill by a noticeable amount.

Reduced water consumption can reduce your utility bills, as well as benefit the environment. As our population grows, so do our water needs. Unfortunately, population growth today is increasing pollution of water sources at the same time it is limiting our supply. Simple fixes include repairing leaking faucets and toilets, washing full dishwasher and washing machine loads, turning off the water while
brushing teeth, taking showers instead of baths, etc. For more significant savings, purchase a new toilet-most use only 1.6 gallons per flush, as opposed to up to 10 gallons in older models. Low flow shower heads and faucets are available, as are Energy Star® rated dishwashers and washing machines.

Merriam Webster defines sustainable as "of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods; using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged." Sustainability in our homes is certainly about using products and living lifestyles that protect our health and our natural resources. We also need to remember that WE are precious resources. By providing ourselves with homes that nourish both our spirits and our health, we are ensuring that our own precious resources-our energy, creativity, and passion for life-are not depleted and can sustain us through life's challenges.

Melissa Andron owns Realm Design Studio, a Triangle-based interior design firm which creates interior spaces and furnishings that are innovative and exciting, utilizing principles of sustainability that protect natural resources as well as the health of their clients. You can contact her at (919) 649-2384 or email her at mel...@realmdesignstudio.com. Saving the planet never looked this good!