Bob Moffit is on the show today from the Lung Association of MN to talk about Radon gas and the importance of testing your home.
Radon is a radioactive gas that is found in the earth's rock and soil. It is formed by the natural breakdown of radium, which is itself a decay product of uranium. As radon decays, it forms radioactive by-products called either "progeny," "decay products" or "daughters" which, if inhaled, can damage lung tissue and cause lung cancer.
Invisible and odorless, radon is a health hazard when it accumulates to high levels inside homes or other structures. And it is deadly. Indoor radon exposure is estimated to be the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths each year in the United States. Cigarette smoking is responsible for the large majority (87 percent) of lung cancer deaths. Visit the American Lung Association for further details.
Nationally syndicated columnist, Katherine Salant, is here with us today to speak about the benfits of deconstructing a home instead of sending the entire thing to the landfill. We will also talk about ways to keep future deconstruction in mind when you are building a new home. Did you know that every year enough dimensional lumber can be salvaged from homes being torn down to frame 75,000, 2,500 square foot homes! Deconstruction is a very important and eco-friendly process! Katherine began writing the column Housewatch for the Washington Post in 1994. Katherine helps consumers learn to make good decisions, step by step, on every aspect of house design and construction, as they build a home that makes sense for them. Visit Katherine's website HERE to read some of her columns and to get info on her book, "The Brand New House Book".
Green Info and Tips
Pick your Own Veggies This Summer
Is joining a CSA too much of a committment for you? Try a local pick-your-own farm. You get your hands dirty, know where your food comes from and can pick a year's worth of fruits and veggies in an afternoon! Visit this site - www.pickyourown.org - to find a farm near you and get picking!
Get a Free iPod For Your Used CDs!
Rid your drawers of old CDs in exchange for an iPod. 150 used CDs (in cases) will get you a new 8-gigabyte iPod Nano for free from ipodmeister.com. Your old music collection will then live on in the CD players of people abroad – the company ships 20,000 CDs at a time to re-sell in Eastern European, African, South American, and Caribbean countries.
Light Green Tip #295
Park in the Shade
During hot months, try to park your vehicle in a shady spot, which decreases the amount of fuel lost to evaporation and requires less air-conditioning when you get back in. Gasoline evaporates rapidly, and even escapes from closed tanks. The process is sped up by high temperatures.
Keeping your vehicle cooler means you'll run your air conditioner less, resulting in a substantial savings in fuel. You'll be less likely to damage car contents from extreme heat, meaning you'll have fewer items to replace. Also check out cardboard or shiny metallic windshield sun shades, which reflect solar heat away from the cabin.
Light Green Tip #994
Use the Internet to Save Money by Finding Free Reused Products. Beyond the usual suspects like FreeCycle and Craigslist, there are tons of sites that will help you find what you need with out heading to a bix box store.
Looking for some other trading options? Try Swap Baby Goods, Hand-Me-Downs, or UandITrade to swap (or sell) kids' stuff you no longer need. Women can trade clothing and accessories at Dig‘n Swap.
Borrowing something from your neighbor isn't technically the same as getting something for free, but it's pretty darn close since you'll save money by not having to buy something you won't use very often. You also won't have to find space for it in your house. Check out neighBORROW, Household Network, or Loanables.
Log onto CurbStuff or TakeMeimFREE to search for items being given away by people in your town.
Access a wide selection of overstocked items, merchandise mistakes, and sponsored products at Absofree.com. Everything is free, but you will have to pay $7.99 for shipping and handling.
HappyHourWatch maps local happy hours and bar specials. Drinks aren't necessarily free, but you can find some good discounts.
There is a website for every marine base where you can get deeply discounted or free stuff. You don't have to be in the military to participate, but you will want to find the website for your closest base. Some examples: Lejuene Yard Sales, Pendleton Yard Sales, and Cherry Point Yard Sales.
Here's a short list of some of the many websites dedicated to helping people find giveaways, samples, free magazine subscriptions, and other promotional items: Freeshiet, Free Stuff Times, Freenology, and YESall4Free. Teens can try TeenFreeway.
Bob Moffit is on the show today from the Lung Association of MN to talk about Radon gas and the importance of testing your home.
Nationally syndicated columnist, Katherine Salant, is here with us today to speak about the benfits of deconstructing a home instead of sending the entire thing to the landfill. We will also talk about ways to keep future deconstruction in mind when you are building a new home. Did you know that every year enough dimensional lumber can be salvaged from homes being torn down to frame 75,000, 2,500 square foot homes! Deconstruction is a very important and eco-friendly process! Katherine began writing the column Housewatch for the Washington Post in 1994. Katherine helps consumers learn to make good decisions, step by step, on every aspect of house design and construction, as they build a home that makes sense for them. Visit Katherine's website