Water | Resources
Behr Premium Plus Paint
I first heard of this paint a about 18 months ago, when a reader called for a consultation because her contractor wanted to use this paint. It’s zero VOC and self-priming so I told her to go ahead. When she called me for another consultation, she thanked me profusely for recommending this paint. She said, “It has NO ODOR!” I’ve known this woman for years and she is pretty chemically sensitive.And, she said, they did really well at matching colors when you bring in an object for color matching. She was totally happy with this paint. As I write this, it’s now $23/gallon at Home Depot.
Pucker Urban Farm
A small “boutique family farm delivering the highest quality lemons and lemon products. All of our organic fruit is hand picked fresh from our trees to fill your order. And their organic certification certificates are right on the home page.
Corky’s Nuts
Fresh walnuts and cold-pressed walnut oil from a family-owned family farm in Northern California. “It all began back in 1975 when my parents acquired land in a small, beautiful valley located in Northern California…My “a-ha” moment came the first time I shared our organic walnuts with my husband, Eric. When we first started dating, he so kindly bought a bag of organic walnuts from a popular natural food chain as a thoughtful gesture. I ate one walnut and had to spit it out. It tasted old, dry, and bitter. If you’re reading this, I’m sure you can relate. I had never purchased walnuts from a store because I always had access to fresh ones…it was during this moment I realized, most of the general public does not have access to freshly harvested organic walnuts. That is, unless you know a walnut farmer. Well, now you do…Over the past 35 years, I’ve watched my father tend to his trees and the land as if they were his own children. There’s a lot of love and care which goes into growing our organic walnuts.”
Z Shoes
OK here we are…”Every Z Shoe starts with a comfortable sole made from 100% organic, fair trade, sustainably-harvested Amazonian Sharinga rubber…No plastic or synthetic fibers here. Z Shoes are made from 100% organic, fair trade sustainably-harvested cotton from the Solo y San Miguel regions of Peru…Even the beautiful coral and navy blue options available in the Z Shoes line up come from 100% organic plant dyes sourced from in the Amazon…Z Shoes is proud to offer the world’s finest line of fair trade and organic shoes. ”
Eclectic Institute
Quality herbs and supplements created by a naturopathic physician. “We start and end with whole, raw herbs. We start by growing herbs on our 90 acre certified organic farm, and then use freeze-drying to remove only the water. The end product is the whole herb in its original form still raw, intact, viable, and retaining the benefits of the fresh herb just as Mother Nature intended. We don’t believe in harsher forms of processing such as air or spray drying, chemical extraction, or standardized extracts which alter whole herbs, potentially excluding or destroying active constituents. Nestled at the base of Mt. hood in the pristine Oregon countryside, our family owned 90 acre certified organic farm is a leader in organic farming practices, utilizing crop rotation, mulching, composting, beneficial animal and insect allies, as well the naturally occurring rich volcanic soil. Eclectic Institute is devoted to researching and saving endangered herbs, and dedicates resources to growing many varieties of rare plants.”
Turnco Wood Goods
Handmade wooden items for the kitchen, including wood lids for glass jars, rolling pins, serving pieces and more. “We are a small batch manufacturing company, producing beautiful and functional pieces crafted for home use. A lot of thought goes into the style, quality and functionality of each product we make. It comes from our experience in working on custom projects, as well as honing our skills of efficiency and organization in making value added wood goods. All of our goods have a mix of simple modern design and warm nostalgia. When possible we use FSC certified lumber, and local hardwood like Madrona, Rock Elm, Big Leaf Maple and softwoods like western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir from our local lumberjack contacts here on Whidby Island.”
Terrasoul Superfoods
Certified organic raw superfoods from around the world, including cacao and vanilla, coconut, dried fruits and berries and their powders, grass juice powder, nutritional powders, nuts and seeds, seaweed and algae. “We are a small, family-run business located in Fort Worth, Texas. Terrasoul Superfoods was born out of our desire to find reliable and affordable sources of certified organic, fair trade, and sustainably-grown, nutrient-dense foods….We sell the foods we know and love.”
Furniture in the Raw
All wood furniture for every room in your home. “We offer customers finished, unfinished, and custom finished all wood furniture. We only sell furniture made with real wood that is particle board free.”
Willa Walker
This is a simple yet smart tool that makes learning to walk even more fun for toddlers while saving adults the back-pain from always having to bend over to help them. It consists of a wooden handle, two ropes and two wooden rings.”WWs are made by 4 dads from 100% recycled, sustainably-farmed wood, cotton & coconut oil. Thats it! The child’s safety has always been our first priority when designing the WW. For this reason, we have chosen only high quality, traceable, non-toxic, materials for each component of the WW. Much detail and attention has been provided within the Instructions for Use. The Willa Walker meets Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) safety standards.”
Asbestos Awareness
A reader alerted me to the fact that this week is Asbestos Awareness Week.
I haven’t written much about asbestos because I thought it was banned. In fact, on 12 July 1989, the EPA issued a final regulation banning most uses of asbestos, but not all. But the asbestos industry filed a lawsuit against the EPA and overturned the ban. Read more about the ban and current restrictions
Then Mesothelioma + Asbestos Awareness Center wants to see a future where a highly preventable cancer is virtually non-existent because people are more aware as to where the hazardous material can be found in their homes and occupations. They also provide information for those who are interested in learning more about the cancer as they themselves are experiencing it, or are students learning about other lung diseases as they enter health and medical fields.
While asbestos is not as widely used today as it was in the past, it is still found in some consumer products. Shannon also sent me an article about five products that still contain asbestos: car parts, insulation, construction materials, fireproof clothing, and potting soils. Potting soils? It’s the vermiculite in potting soils that may be contaminated with asbestos, as they occur in nature together.
Other domestic products that may contain asbestos include:
- Crock pot linings and around the power cord: especially those manufactured prior to 1980
- Ironing board covers either made with asbestos cloth or had asbestos fibers weaved into the material: those commonly sold around the 1960
- Hair dryer heating elements: those produced prior to 1979, though there is a possibility of foreign-made hair dryers still containing some amount of asbestos
And if you are looking for or living in an older home to avoid outgassing of VOCs from modern building materials, those older homes are the most likely to contain asbestos. Within those homes asbestos can be found in roofing tiles, vinyl flooring (installed prior to 1980), popcorn ceiling, piping, and wall boards.
Here’s another post on this blog about asbestos: Q&A: My Personal Experience with “Second -Hand” Asbestos.
