Greener Every Day Consulting » Green Home

Beyond Pesticides

Rachel White — Sat, 15 May 2010 00:22:19 +0000

Founded in 1981, Beyond Pesticides is a non-profit organization devoted to assessing and publicizing the risks of conventional pest management practices and identifying and promoting healthy and environmentally-friendly non-chemical alternatives. Beyond Pesticides provides a wealth of information about pesticides including the Pesticide Gateway, a database of 80+ pesticides, and fact sheets on non-chemical treatments for a range of pests, from ants to rodents to wasps.

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Perkins + Will Precautionary List

Rachel White — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:50:07 +0000

Perkins + Will, a commercial planning and design firm in Boston, has recently released a great new green resource for design/build professionals and the public alike. The Perkin + Will Precautionary List is an online directory of chemicals used in building products that are listed by government agencies as harmful to human health. You can search the directory by chemical, material use, and health impact.

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Healthy Home Plans

Rachel White — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:04:40 +0000

Healthy Home Plans is an online resource for people who want to make their homes healthier. For those interested in building a new home, the site sells healthy home plans. For those interested in remodeling and/or improving home health, the site provides a wealth of information about indoor air quality and healthy building materials. I also like their resource section, which contains links to vetted online retailers, service providers and information sources.

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HealthyStuff.org

Rachel White — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:07:03 +0000

There is a new online resource available for consumers who want to know what is in the products they buy. Healthy Stuff has tested over 5000 consumer products for the presence of chemicals associated with a range of health and environmental hazards. Before you panic: Healthy Stuff tests only for the presence of chemicals not exposure. Exposure depends on a variety of factors such as the tendency of a chemical to volatilize, how the product is used, etc. However, given that the government does not require safety testing of chemicals before they go to market, and that neither the government nor manufacturers make information about chemical content available to consumers, Healthy Stuff plays a key role in informing and empowering consumers to make safe, eco-friendly choices.

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The Good Guide

Rachel White — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:06:05 +0000

The Good Guide is an online resource that rates consumer goods on a scale or 1-10 according to their health, environmental and social impacts. The better a product is for you, society and the planet, the higher the rating and vice versa. The Good Guide rates products in the following categories: food, personal care products, cleaning products and toys. All of their ratings are backed up by supporting information and explanations. The site also includes a section of articles and information about their rating system and methodology. Note: The Good Guide is still in its testing phase (07/09).

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Byggmeister

Rachel White — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:12:16 +0000

Byggmeister is a design/build firm based in Newton, MA that specializes in high performance residential remodeling. Byggmeister is passionate about energy performance and committed to environmental stewardship–not to mention that they offer exceptionally high quality design services and craftsmanship. In addition to remodeling, Byggmeister also provides energy audits and coordinatates energy improvements for homeowners seeking to make energy upgrades to their homes.

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Furnature

Rachel White — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:01:49 +0000

Much of the furniture on the market today is loaded with potential harmful chemicals, including formaledhyde, flame retardants, volatile organic compounds, and stain protectors. Fortunately healthier alternatives are becoming more and more available. Since the mid-1990s, Furnature in Watertown has been a leader in the furniture industry, selling only those products that meet their high sustainability standards.

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Minuteman Landscaping

Rachel White — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:24:35 +0000

Minuteman Landscaping provides organic landscaping services to residents in the Greater Boston area. In addition to offering organic lawncare, Minuteman also provides organic mosquito and winter moth control. We have used Minuteman at my house for several years and have been extremely happy.

They do not provide irrigation services. If you are interested in outdoor water conservation, you may want to consider Greenscapes.

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Greenscapes Lawn & Garden Services

Rachel White — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:06:17 +0000

Greenscapes provides organic lawn care and irrigation management services to residential customers in the Greater Boston area. If you are considering switching to an organic lawn care provider and/or would like to make sure that you are watering you lawn and garden only when and as much as you need to, Greenscapes is a great company to consider.

The owner, Frank Knoll, is certified by NOFA (Northest Organic Farming Assocation) as organic lanscape professional and by EPA’s Water Sense Program as an irrigation auditor. Frank knows his stuff and is passionately committed to what he does.

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MassSAVE

Rachel White — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:53:07 +0000

MassSAVE provides free energy audits to Massachusetts customers of a number of different utility companies including National Grid and NSTAR. Funded by the utility companies, MassSAVE’s mission is to help “save you money, improve the energy performance of your home, and reduce air pollution.”

In my view, an audit is valuable for anyone who wants to save money, conserve energy and improve the comfort of their home. MassSAVE not only provides this service free of charge, they also help homeowners act on their recommendations and provide information about rebates that are available from the utilities.

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