Question: I would like to know just how dangerous carpet is in terms of releasing harmful odors or formaldehyde in the air. Is it something to be concerned about? We are redoing our kids’ room and want to put carpet in. What do I look for in a “environmental” carpet? — Jeff Answer: From Karen…
What bugs me about the unwanted stuff I have around the house is that someone, somewhere would love to have it. But who? Where? How? I heard about The Freecycle Network on the radio, on the Clark Howard Show. Freecycle is a grassroots, entirely nonprofit movement that seeks to match the right people with the…
<p><a href=”http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/07/23/greenremodeling.jpg” onclick=”window.open(this.href, ‘_blank’, ‘width=227,height=272,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0′); return false”><img alt=”Greenremodeling” title=”Greenremodeling” src=”http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/pardonourdust/images/2007/07/23/greenremodeling.jpg” width=”250″ height=”299″ border=”0″ style=”float: left; margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px;” /></a><br /> <strong>Question</strong>: My husband and I moved to Las Vegas a year ago and are now buying a fixer upper in an early 1980s tract home development. We love the floor plan, but it…
Question: My husband and I moved to Las Vegas a year ago and are now buying a fixer upper in an early 1980s tract home development. We love the floor plan, but it needs to be updated for looks and energy efficiency. We’re already planning to remove the popcorn ceiling and the shag carpet (replace…
Astute eco-reader David sends in this helpful missive: “We just found a great posting on green alternatives for countertops. The list includes Richlite (used in a new green house in Claremont, pictured at left) and others. It also talks about why other materials are not so eco-friendly.” The list is at Get With Green, which…
Isn’t this the most hopeful, poetic thing you’ve come across lately? An air conditioner that runs off solar power is so right you wonder why it wasn’t invented like 50 years ago. I first spotted it on the great Curbed LA blog. Of course, there are issues. The SolCool solar-powered air conditioner is far too…
<p><a href=”http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/07/21/doeringinhall.jpg” onclick=”window.open(this.href, ‘_blank’, ‘width=323,height=466,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0′); return false”><img alt=”Doeringinhall” title=”Doeringinhall” src=”http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/pardonourdust/images/2007/07/21/doeringinhall.jpg” width=”250″ height=”360″ border=”0″ style=”float: left; margin: 5px 5px 5px 5px;” /></a><strong>Question</strong>: I’m somewhat of a beginning investor/builder. I’m not passionate about green since it’s my belief that it’s just that much more costlier and time consuming for me. I know its better for the environment.…
Question: I’m somewhat of a beginning investor/builder. I’m not passionate about green since it’s my belief that it’s just that much more costlier and time consuming for me. I know its better for the environment. That doesn’t move me as I’m a bottom-line kind of person. However, I want to educate myself (without having to…
Question: I desperately need to replace the fascia boards on my 1950′s Pasadena home as there is wood rot in about half of them. However, I am passionate about the environment, and I want a solution to replacing them that will: 1) have the least-negative environmental impact in terms of materials and hazardous chemicals, and…
What do you think happens to the trees that come down in our neighborhoods? Last year, I had three pines taken down because of the aggressive topping by the electric company under whose power lines the trees were growing. I was left with several piles of logs, which I finally persuaded a firewood seller to…