Interior
Organic Paints and Varnishes
My guest is Julian Crawford, CEO of Imperial Paints, which is the US distributor of Ecos Paints, the world’s number one selling organic paint and varnish. We’ll be talking about toxic paints, VOCs, and nontoxic natural paints. Established in the United Kingdom, this proprietary paint technology, is “free from all toxic chemicals, with absolutely zero VOCs and odorless – essentially 7,000 times purer than standard low VOC paints.” Ecos Paint has been used and accredited around the world for over 25 years and has been specified in many prestigious projects including: The Louvre, Googleplex andWestminster Abbey. Not only are their paints nontoxic, they even filter pollutants from the air. www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/ecos-paints
The Joy of Beeswax Candles
My guest today is Heidi Sanner, founder and managing member of Candle Bee Farm. We’ll be talking today about toxic elements in candles and how natural, toxic-free beeswax candles are made. Heidi is an eclectic personality who literally dreamed this venture into bee-ing. Heidi, who formerly worked as a CPA in one of the largest national firms, has turned an 83-acre farm and beekeeping activity into a thriving beeswax candle business. She calls it “Commerce with a Conscience…Candle Bee Farm™ is my opportunity to pull from all areas of my life, my business experience, love of nature and organic lifestyle and create products that are good for people.” She is an organic beekeeper and a chandelier (candle maker) by trade. Her exquisite, hand crafted 100% beeswax candles are sought and used by famous celebrities, exquisite restaurants, high end hotels and others of discerning taste. They have even been in Hollywood movies such Robert Redford’s “The Conspirator.” Heidi is an accomplished herbalist and naturalist, expert beekeeper and crafter of unique beeswax candles utilizing molding and press techniques developed by her ancestors. www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/candle-bee-farm
Finding and Eliminating Toxic Exposures in Your Home
My guest today is Diana Schultz, CEO of Green and Healthy Homes, and a Certified Building Biologist and Bau-Biologie Environmental Consultant in Orlando, Florida. We’ll be talking about the types of toxic exposures she is finding and measuring in living spaces and how she was able to reduce or eliminate these toxic exposures to improve indoor air quality. With a background in Urban Planning with Environmental Studies and personal experience in designing and building her own home, Diana was introduced to the International Institute for Bau-Biologie and EcologyT (Building Biology) and became Certified by the Institute in 2008. Building Biology is the study of healthy buildings and everything that affects the relationship between our bodies and our built environment. In addition to conducting client home assessments, mitigation services and educational workshops at Green and Healthy Homes, Diana serves as a Program Provider for the International Institute for Building Biology and participates in many of the Institute’s on-site 5-day Seminars as Instructor and Student Mentor. Diana is passionate about sharing the holistic message that Mother Nature is our ultimate guide – “We are dedicated to the principles of living in harmony with nature and in creating built environments that naturally support health and well being in homes and work places every day.” www.greenandhealthyhomes.net
The First Affordable Natural Sofa
My guest Emily May Bird Kroll is CEO and Founder of Ekla Home, which makes custom natural upholstered furniture. On the day of our interview, she will be launching a new natural sofa “with a design that more people can afford.” Emily has successfully designed, manufactured, and distributed custom furniture since 1992. She has created custom and contract furniture for notable interior designers, celebrities and large corporations. Emily is passionate about changing the way the furniture business works in the United States where production is notoriously wasteful, and many toxic chemicals are used. Determined to make the process of producing furniture safe for her craftsmen and clients, Emily launched EKLA HOME in 2007. The granddaughter of a furniture designer on one side, and an architectural and scrap metal recycler on the other, EKLA HOME’s approach is rooted in Emily’s DNA. A lifelong Southern California resident, Emily is at the nexus of a close beachside community that holds environmentalism as a way of life and a business model. We’ll be talking about toxic chemicals in sofas and how to avoid them by choosing a safa made with natural materials. www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/ekla-home
In addition, Leigh Anne Van Dusen, Co-Founder and General Manager of O Ecotextiles spoke about the textiles used to make Ekla Home upholstered furniture. O Ecotextiles is committed to changing the way textiles are being made by proving that it’s possible to produce luxurious, sensuous fabrics in ways that are non-toxic, ethical and sustainable. Co-founders (and sisters) Patty Grossman and Leigh Anne Van Dusen created O Ecotextiles in 2006 and the collection has garnered accolades and honors since it debuted at Decorex in 2007, where it won Best Merchandise from House & Garden magazine. In 2009, Environmental Building News and BuildingGreen named O Ecotextiles one of the top 10 Green Building Products of 2008. www.oecotextiles.com
Create a Beautiful Toxic-Free Home
My guest Lydia Corser is a green interior designer and the owner of Greenspace, a green remodeling store in Santa Cruz, California. Combining creativity with a focus on green interior design since 1995 has proven to be a fulfilling combination for Lydia. After helping launch greenspace, Lydia purchased that business in 2007. Today, she is as happy to mix paint as design a green kitchen. Lydia received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Wildlife Biology in 1986, and an Advanced Certificate and Associate’s Degree in Science in Interior Design from West Valley College in 1998. We’ll be talking about toxic chemicals in interior decorating products and how to choose safe products for your home. www.ecolydia.com, www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/greenspace
How Bau-Biology Can Help Cure Your Sick Home
My guest Lawrence J. Gust from Gust Environmental is an electrical engineer and a certified Bau-biologist. He worked for 25 years in middle management of two Fortune 500 companies. Thirteen years ago building caused health issues within his own family forced him to become knowledgeable sick buildings and how to fix them. This knowledge led to a second career as a Bau-biologist. We’ll talk about various indoor air quality problems your home might have, and what you can do to create a healthier home environment. www.gustenviro.com
Links mentioned on the show:
My Bau-biologie Home Inspection
Bau-Biologie: Humidity, Moisture, and Mold
Bau-Biologie: Mold Inspection and Remediation
Bau-Biologie: How I Reduced House Dust in My Home
Find a Bau-biologie Home Inspector
Wood Finish Made With Whey Recycled From Cheesemaking
My guest Andrew Meyer is founder and president of Vermont Natural Coatings, manufacturer of patented PolyWhey® whey-based wood finishes. Developed in collaboration with the University of Vermont, PolyWhey has emerged as new wood coatings science, using whey protein to displace toxic ingredients common to traditional wood finishes. CNN Money named Vermont Natural Coatings one of two leaders in innovation and technology in Vermont; the other being IBM. Andrew is a partner in Vermont Soy, LLC and owner of the Hardwick Enterprise Group, LLC, which provides business resources to innovative value-added companies. He is a founding board member of the Center for an Agricultural Economy and serves as a trustee of Shelburne Farms. He is a partner in North Hardwick Dairy, a family organic dairy farm. Andrew served as Agriculture Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator James Jeffords and operated a congressional legislative consulting firm in Washington, D.C. We’ll talk about toxic chemicals in wood finishes, how he makes wood finish with whey, about creating an innovative nontoxic product, and sustainable businesses in Vermont. www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/vermont-natural-coatings
Body Friendly Natural Furniture
My guest is Patrick Clark from Carolina Morning. Patrick has been researching and writing about design, nutrition, deep ecology, sleep, metabolism, minimalism and somatics for over 20 years. His unconventional approach to increasing wellness and energy through an integrated system uses nature, metabolism, and consciousness as the starting point of design. Patrick got into his eclectic line of work from a personal desire to heal from illness. He ‘brought himself back from the dead’ after experiencing two decades of declining health and trying diets and modalities that failed miserably. He found that diet alone was not the answer. The answer came in multiple parts: environment, nutrition, sleep, and exercise. Now, after ten years of putting together a unique protocol based on cutting edge research, he has invented a line of revolutionary ‘body friendly’ furniture as well as highly effective, nutrient dense, anti-oxidant rich recipes and wellness formulas. Patrick has a certificate in Permaculture Design as well as Outdoor Leadership from the Wilderness Education Association. We’ll talk about Patrick’s cutting edge viewpoint for health and how he translated what he learned into products we use every day. www.paleoalltheway.com/wool-sleeping-bag
Tips for a Toxic Free Home
My guest Annie B. Bond and I have been kindred spirits since her publisher asked me to write the forward to her first book Clean and Green. She is the best-selling author of five books, including Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, 1999), Home Enlightenment (Rodale Books, 2008), and most recently True Food (National Geographic, 2010), and winner of Gourmand Awards Best Health and Nutrition Cookbook in the World. She was named “the foremost expert on green living” by “Body & Soul” magazine (February, 2009). She has been the editor of a number of publications, including “The Green Guide.” Currently Annie is the Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief of The Wellness Wire and leads the selection of toxic-free products for A True Find. www.anniebbond.com
Wall-to-Wall Carpets: The Good, the Bad, and What To Do If You Have Them In Your Home
Daliya Robson is my guest on this show. She became “a chemical injury statistic” while working as a realtor, viewing and showing toxic new homes or homes with new carpets, paints, and cabinets. After becoming extremely disabled in 1993 with multiple chemical sensitivities, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and a broken thyroid, Daliya started a website called The Nontoxic Hot Line to warn people of the dangers of all chemicals. Nirvana Safe Haven became the name of this website after she began providing healing healthy solutions for a nontoxic environment. After 20 years Daliya is still providing solutions for surviving in a toxic world. www.nontoxic.com