Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a odorless and invisible but can poison you quickly. Homes needed to be guarded against this deadly gas. CO can leak from fuel burning appliances, wood stoves, cars, heaters, etc.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms have gotten more advanced.  New models like this Kidde unit have a digital display showing level of carbon monoxide the unit is sensing. Peak level memory displays the highest CO concentration measured since the last reset. This information is useful to rescue personnel treating victims.

Costco is keeping up with the green wave.  They have a Eco Round 67-Gallon Wooden Rain Barrel for $199.99 shipped. A lot more expensive than using a trash can but certainly a lot more elegant.

It has a connector that attachs to your rain gutter’s downspout. A heavy duty bladder inside actually holds the water.  It even uses FSC Certified Canadian Spruce wood. A solid brass tab lets you access the water

Credit Earth911.com

Earth911.com has a new iRecycle iPhone App that helps you find recycling locations on your iPhone.  Access to over 100,000 recycling and disposal locations for over 200 materials and get directions to them from your current location. Best of all, it is Free.

Everyone is on the lookout for H1N1 – Swine flu this season.  What are some of the germiest places to avoid? A recent article helped remind us that many common access public areas are germ hot spots.  You can use hand sanitizers every couple minutes or wear gloves all day.

Areas of concern:

Door knobs, escalator rails, keyboards, mice, telephones, make up cases, phones, food kept in drawers, communal showers, swimming pools.

In the home: Sponges, cleaning cloths, toothbrush holders.

Airplane: All surfaces in the bathroom

Not all is lost, per the article..  “We take in humongous amounts of live organisms every day, and we are all routinely covered in fecal organisms,” says Michael Bell, associate director for infection control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. “It’s a testament to our body’s own defenses—if they routinely made us ill, none of us would have a chance.”

Thorough and frequent hand washing will help keep these germs at bay. The CDC has a guide on how to wash your hands correctly.

photo credit: Dvortygirl

San Francisco is experimenting with Zumbox.com for paperless mail delivery.  Zumbox is a secure e-mail service that allows senders to contact people online using their street address.  Mail is scanned and goes into your online mailbox.

Individuals and Households may send postcards, letters, and other mailings to 50 street addresses each month at no cost. The service costs less than postage when sending more mail, at 5 cents per e-mail.  It also saves the trees and recycling costs.

The advantages of this are that you can  check your mail anytime from any computer, take control of your mail, reduce clutter, and  store your mail safely and securely. They mail you a security code to ensure privacy.