Eco-conscious homebuyers on a budget have a new choice, 3D-printed homes made from low-carbon cement. A new housing tract in Round Top, Texas, The Casitas @ The Halles, has introduced small homes made with a concrete that produces only 8% of the carbon emissions created when making traditional portland cement. Eco Material Technologies, a leading North American provider of sustainable […]
Safety is a good thing. But sometimes things we do in the name of safety create more hazards. Flame retardants are intended to slow the spread of a fire and allow for additional escape time. They began to be used extensively in all kinds of products in the 1970s to meet flammability standards set to increase public safety. With growing […]
At the turn of the century, everybody was up in arms about the hazards of vinyl. More properly known as polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, the substance inspired slogans – “No vinyl, that’s final” and “No PVC for me” – as well as a documentary film, “Blue Vinyl” that explored the environmental and health risks throughout the life cycle of the […]
Many people think that since lead was removed from paint and gasoline, it is no longer a threat. But nearly a third of American children have dangerously elevated blood lead levels. While consumer products are probably the biggest source of lead exposure, lead is lurking in many – perhaps most – homes. Lead Lead is a toxic heavy metal that […]
Home is supposed to be a safe haven, but if your home is built with dangerous and toxic materials, it could be a threat to your health. Does your home contain asbestos? It very likely may. Asbestos is one of the materials on the Red List, a list of “worst in class” materials, chemicals, and elements that green builders try […]
“The Red List” might sound like something from the Cold War. But the Red List has nothing to do with politics, and everything to do with chemistry. The Red List is actually a list of “worst in class” materials, chemicals, and elements the green building industry tries to avoid. And even if you are not a construction professional, knowing about […]