Consumer Reports has a new issue entitled Best TVs with a great review of indoor paints including an independent review and discussion of low and no VOC paints.

Low VOC paints contain no more than 50 grams per liter of VOCs.  At one time indoor paints contained almost 400 grams per liter of VOCs.

The top rated paints were low VOC with zero VOC ones rated lower.  Some of the zero VOC paints that did well in Satin and Flat finishes that we have encountered in the past are Olympic Premium from Lowe’s. This paint is very inexpensive and available nationwide.

BestDealMagazines has 1yr subscriptions to Consumer Reports sold at a steep discount. Normal newsstand price is $77. Use 15% off coupon code in our right side column to save even more.

What is exactly a Natural Cleaner or Natural home care product ?  There had been no standards setup in the home cleaning products area but now the Natural Products Association (NPA) is now extending its natural seal and standard to include home care products, such as household cleaners, laundry detergents, concentrated and ready-to-use hard surface cleaners.

To receive the new Nature Seal of Approval, the product must meet these criteria:

• Product must be made up of at least 95 percent truly natural ingredients or ingredients that are derived from natural sources, excluding water
• No ingredients with any suspected human health risks
• No processes that significantly or adversely alter the natural ingredients
• Ingredients that come from a purposeful, natural source (flora, fauna, mineral)
• Processes that are minimal and don’t use synthetic/harsh chemicals
• Non-natural ingredients only when viable natural alternative ingredients are unavailable and only when there are absolutely no suspected potential human health risks
• Transparency and full disclosure of ingredients

In May 2008, the Natural Products Association established a standard and seal for natural personal care products, such as lotions, balms and shampoos.  To date, more than 340 products have currently been approved and certified.

PGE has an Energy Partners Program that provides income-qualified customers free energy education, weatherization measures and energy-efficient appliances to reduce gas and electric usage.

They provide:

• Attic insulation
• Caulking
• CFLs
• Door weather-stripping
• Energy-saver showerhead
• Minor home repair
• Water heater blanket

Free Education and Assessment, Installation and Delivery, and Free Inspections.

You can contact them at 1-800-933-9555

Source: EPA

You have probably heard about radon but have you tested your home for radon gas? Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. Its presence in your home can be harmful to your health.

According to the EPA, Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America and claims about 20,000 lives annually. A simple and inexpensive test can check your home.

Accustar makes the Alpha Track Test kit that was top rated by a ‘leading Consumer magazine’.  It costs $28.  You leave it in an area for 91 days to 1 year and then send it in for analysis.  It is that simple.  We bought a couple test kits and positioned them in different rooms. You want to put it in the lowest lived-in level of the home. Not the basement, unless you go there often.

EPA has a number of documents that help you understand the Radon and how to deal with the threat.

It was another Spare the air night in the San Francisco area, where it is illegal to burn wood, pellets, or manufactured fire logs. The Spare the Air winter season runs from November 1, 2009, through February 28, 2010.

An article showing how bad wood smoke pollutes during bad air days in the San Francisco Bay Area was surprising. Pretty shocking that 1/3 of fine particulate matter is from wood smoke.

According to Sparetheair.org, “In the wintertime, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) becomes the pollutant with the greatest impact on air quality. Fine particulates can bypass the body’s natural defenses, penetrating deeply into the lungs and even passing into the bloodstream. Prolonged exposure to the fine particulates in wood smoke has been linked with aggravated asthma, lung and heart disease, and increased mortality rates.”

Wood burning fireplaces emit many times more pollutions than EPA-certified woodstoves or Pellet stoves.

If it is time to upgrade for the upcoming winter season, keep these figures in mind. You can be green and buy a more efficient stove or fireplace. Take advantage of the Federal Tax Rebate too.

EPA has information on Cleaner Burning Wood Stoves.