Second Nature

Here is a 2007 article by Natural Home, I found it today and it is still relevant!

- Jayme Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

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By Natural Home Staff

The nose knows (or so they say), but olfactory glands can be unreliable. We tend to notice bad odors in other people’s homes but not our own. These three scents-ible steps will help banish unpleasant smells from cooking, soiled carpet and upholstery, mildew, pets and more.

1. Eliminate the stinkers. Use all-natural cleaners. Keep a box of baking soda in each room and replace monthly. In addition, follow a regular cleaning routine:

• Vacuum or mop weekly.
• Launder bedspreads every few months. Wash pillows at least once a year.
• Professionally clean upholstery, rugs and drapes annually.
• Pour boiling water down drains weekly to keep them clear.
• Locate pet items (cat litter, food bowls, beds) in out-of-the-way rooms or niches-and keep them super-clean.

2. Improve ventilation. Opening a window or door circulates odors out of living areas and dries damp places. Change the furnace/air conditioning filter monthly, and employ kitchen and bath-vent fans.

3. Infuse the area with pleasant aromas. Try these all-natural alternatives to conventional air fresheners, which spray out chemical perfumes that can irritate your nose and lungs.

• Bake goodies.
• Put cut flowers, herbs or an evergreen bough in a vase.
• Simmer cloves, cinnamon or cider on the stove.
• Make lemonade or slice an orange.
• Hang laundry in the sun to dry.

Multi-Spray Showerhead

From my perspective, I don’t find this new Department of Energy ruling out of line. We as homeowners and builders must protect our natural resources. By reducing the amount of water flow and usage on items such as shower heads, toilets and faucets we have a low cost, easy way to keep our environment’s resources intact.

- Jayme Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

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What’s Happening from Environmental Building News

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a draft interpretive ruling on the definition of “showerhead” as used in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). Sidestepping public comment procedures, DOE has defined “showerhead” in a way that makes multi-spray systems illegal. The new ruling states that all of the fixtures used in a multi-spray system must, combined, use no more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute.

EPCA, first passed in 1975 and updated several times since then, limits water use by showerheads to 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm; 9.5 lpm) at 80 psi. The law does not, however, specify what a “showerhead” includes, so manufacturers have been able to sell shower systems with multiple heads, each of which conforms to the 2.5 gpm limit. These multi-spray systems can include body sprayers and other fixtures, and sometimes use upwards of 20 gpm (76 lpm). Marketed as a high-end product, with high prices to match, these systems are not installed frequently.

DOE’s ruling came as a surprise to plumbing manufacturers and conservationists alike, since it lacked the public comment process required for substantive rule changes. But DOE considers the ruling an interpretation of an existing law, and thus “exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act,” in its wording.

A letter to DOE from a coalition of industry groups noted: “A change of this magnitude should not be exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act as DOE has asserted.” It also argues that the ruling would affect hand-held showers and other fixtures “used in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and other therapeutic and medical facilities.” Marsha Mazz, the Technical Assistance Coordinator for the U.S. Access Board, disagrees with the assertion that the ruling could adversely affect the showerheads used by the elderly and disabled. “We don’t see it as a disability issue at all,” she said.

Conservation-minded observers worry that the lack of a public comment period will allow manufacturers to find loopholes in the language of the ruling, leading to increased water use. “This is a substantive change and working out all the definitions and conditions to make sure the language is watertight will take a lot of effort from a lot of folks,” said water expert John Koeller, P.E.

– Peter Yost and Allyson Wendt

Below is a guest blog post from friend and green verifier Steve Senger with Senger Construction. He provides good reasoning for why verification is important.

- Jayme Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

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We live in a society that media often tends to overuse things that are catchy or hip to boost sales or products.  Green is one of those items, every so often the National Broadcast companies will have “Green Week” or some other promotion and everything under the sun becomes green….often called “Green Washing.”  The unfortunate thing about this is it diminishes the true meaning of “Built Green” which consists of a detailed and exhaustive checklist of items starting with the site preparation, location and design of your home all the way to the type of light bulbs and appliances you use.

Third Party Verifiers complete rigorous training and testing and are certified by the National Association of Home Builders to actually verify by inspection that all of the items the Builder and Owner specify to be done in the home is in fact completed to the high standards required by the program.  This certification will give true credibility to the home being built for the current owner as well as any prospective buyers in the future.

Studies have shown that true Built Green Certified homes actually sell faster with less time on market and for more money than their non green counterparts so there is motivation to market a home as green.  Without this 3^rd party verification it is too easy for Sellers to market their products as Green which could be substantially different than a specific “Built Green” designation.

When a buyer purchases a home that has been certified by a 3^rd party verifier, they can be assured the home was built to standards based on the rating system used on the home and they are in fact receiving the full value of a Built Green home.

Steve Senger

Senger Construction, LLC /  SC Design, Zero Energy Home Designs

This article is from the most recent SHARP newsletter. It is very important to remember worker safety, especially for children under 18 years old.

- Jayme Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

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In Washington State, the Employment Standards Division and L&I enforce regulations restricting children less than 18 years of age from hazardous work. Employers of these workers are required to obtain a minor work permit endorsement on their business license, signed permission from the youth’s parent and school, and comply with state and federal laws which restrict when and what work young workers perform.

Despite laws that regulate and restrict the work activities of teen workers (TeenWorkers.Lni.wa.gov) there are still tragic injuries that occur. In Washington State, Miller and Kaufman (1998) reported that accepted workers’ compensation claims rate for workers aged 16‑17 was almost double the rate of workers 18 and older from 1988‑1991; 19.4 accepted claims per 100 full‑time equivalents (FTEs) compared to 10.6 accepted claims per 100 full‑time equivalents. Workers under the age of 18 are not the only young workers population that suffers from tragic injuries. From 1998‑2007, the average number of young worker (ages 15‑24) fatalities in the United States was 572, 93% of these fatalities occurred to workers aged 18‑24 years.

L&I’s Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention (SHARP) team is analyzing injury rates for workers from 2005‑2007. The analysis compares rates of minors (ages 16‑17) and other young workers (ages 18‑24) to older workers (ages 25 and older). The analysis does not calculate injury rates for 14 and 15 year olds because employment data to calculate injury rates are not available.

Please click here to view the full report on SHARP’s Young Worker Injuries Web page.

Please call the SHARP program at 1‑888‑667‑4277 or e‑mail SHARP@Lni.wa.gov for information about the project or visit the Web site at: SHARP Research.