Issues > September/October 2005 (#110) > Household Tips to Keep Your Health and Your Savings Intact

Household Tips to Keep Your Health and Your Savings Intact

Whether or not the fierce recent hurricanes have been a result of global warming, the melting arctic ice cap and rising water temperatures most certainly are, and we can expect more devastating storms and coastal flooding as the planet heats up. The main culprits? Greenhouse gases that trap the sun's heat in our atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels, nitrous oxides from synthetic fertilizer and methane from cattle and waste dumps. Our transportation and product choices can make the problem worse or make things better. Petroleum-based plastics, synthetic fibers, forest products resulting in deforestation, cosmetics and even the foods we eat can contribute to global warming. We pay for it with more plants allergies as they bloom earlier and in greater numbers, not to mention the spread of tropical diseases like malaria and hantavirus as warming climates create habitats for disease-bearing pests in formerly colder climes.

Products that use less fossil fuel in production are also healthier for us since they don't release petrochemical toxins such as particulates, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide. These toxins are a major trigger in asthma and other respiratory illnesses, as well as cancer, heart disease and smaller fetal size. However, more oil exploration will result in destruction of pristine wilderness and more oil spills decimating our already reduced fisheries.

In every room of the house, there are dozens of opportunities to improve our energy use, air quality and health. Now that energy bills are skyrocketing, here are tips from attic to basement, play room to medicine cabinet, that will help keep your family healthy, keep down the greenhouse gases and save a few bucks in the process.

Bedroom

Even while you sleep, you can help reduce the burden on the planet. Northstar Beds, handmade by Amish families, come in organic cotton, organic wool and natural latex, a replenishable rainforest resource. Wool provides fire protection without the use of hazardous flame retardants that have been shown in the breast milk of American women. Unfinished, organic cotton sheets from Native Organic Cotton keep pesticides out of the earth and with a 240 thread count are comfy as well. For more options, see the Mattresses and Box Springs Product Report and "Sleep Better! On Chemical-Free Bedding."

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