Third hand smoke???

[Future Environment Designs] Fact Sheet About Third-Hand Smoke, Hookahs, & E Cigarettes

"Angelo Garcia, III" <angelo3@futureenv.com> Feb 23 09:30PM We recently read a fact sheet on Third-Hand Smoke, Hookahs, and Electronic Cigarettes that will eventually be available on the website: www.smokefreeapartments.org. Some Kills Image via Wikipedia We found this fact sheet fascinating because this was the first we heard about "third-hand smoke." We've previously heard about second-hand smoke (which is the smoke that comes off the end of the cigarette or cigar combined with the smoke exhaled by the person who is smoking) and the dangers. According to the Surgeon General, there is no safe level of exposure for secondhand tobacco smoke. Considering that tobacco smoke contains 7,000 chemicals and compounds, and more than 70 of them can cause cancer, it is not surprising. Which brings us back to the question what is third-hand smoke? Third-hand smoke is that smell of smoke you get from places where individuals have smoked. Third-hand smoke consists of the chemicals which remain in a room after the smoking has stopped. Many of the chemicals in cigarette smoke can cling to walls, ceilings, & other surfaces or can absorb into carpets, drapes, & other fabrics. A scientific study in 2002 showed that these chemicals can "offgas" back into the air & even re-combine to form harmful compounds that stay at high levels long after smoking has stopped. The fact sheet is even more interesting when discussing Hookahs which has become because of the false notion that it is safer than smoking cigarettes. Studies have shown that secondhand hookah smoke contains the same cancer-causing chemicals found in secondhad smoke from cigarettes & cigars, along with delivering three times more carbon monoxide, about the same amount of nicotine as cigarettes, and 40% more smoke by volume than cigarettes. While it seems their is not enough information available yet on e-cigarettes. As a whole the fact sheet was very interesting and the website gives resources on banning smoking in apartments, which based on the fact sheet, we would highly recommend building owners develop procedures and rules on handling secondhand and now third-hand smoke. Related articles Secondhand smoke results in graft rejection (eurekalert.org) The "New" Cigarette We're All Smoking (Myself Included) (fancyayancey.wordpress.com) What exactly are Electronic- Cigarettes? (boldstate.com) Second hand smoke in cars still big risk for kids, study says (parentcentral.ca) Cigarettes and Smoking Should Be Illegal (thusspokejon.wordpress.com) Enhanced by Zemanta -- Posted By Angelo Garcia, III to Future Environment Designs at 2/23/2012 04:30:00 PM

New State Dept initiative - Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants

Will this help our indoor pollution?

New State Dept initiative - Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants

Dan Campbell <dacampbell@fhi360.org> Feb 16 12:34PM -0500 *The Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants* Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC February 16, 2012 ------------------------------ *THE PROBLEM* Pollutants that are short-lived in the atmosphere such as methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) together account for approximately one-third of current global warming, have significant impacts on public health, the environment, and world food productivity. *THE POTENTIAL* Fast action to reduce short-lived climate pollutants can have a direct impact on global warming, with the potential to reduce the warming expected by 2050 by as much as 0.5 Celsius degrees. At the same time, by 2030, such action can prevent millions of premature deaths, while also avoiding the annual loss of more than 30 million tons of crops. Moreover, many of these benefits can be achieved at low cost and with significant energy savings. *THE RESPONSE* Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants, a new global initiative to seize the opportunity of realizing concrete benefits on climate, health, food and energy resulting from reducing short-lived climate pollutants. The coalition will focus efforts on reducing black carbon, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and methane. The founding coalition partners are Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden, and the United States, together with the UN Environment Programme. The new coalition is the first effort to treat these pollutants together, as a collective challenge. It will catalyze new actions and highlight and bolster the work of existing efforts such as the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, the Arctic Council, the Montreal Protocol, and the Global Methane Initiative (GMI). The Coalition’s work will augment, not replace, global action to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2). The coalition will reduce short-lived climate pollutants by driving the development of national action plans and the adoption of policy priorities; building capacity among developing countries; mobilizing public and private funds for action; raising awareness globally; fostering regional and international cooperation, and; improving scientific understanding of the pollutant impacts and mitigation. The United States is already actively engaged in efforts to reduce these pollutants on the national and international levels. Here at home, the U.S. Environment Protection Agency addresses these pollutants through robust programs that protect public health and the environment. Work on the international level is taking place through the Global Methane Initiative, the Montreal Protocol, the Arctic Council and the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, which was launched by Secretary Clinton in 2010. *ABOUT SHORT-LIVED CLIMATE POLLUTANTS* The pollutants targeted by this initiative remain in the atmosphere for only a few days to a few years after they are emitted. This is very short when compared to CO2, which remains in the atmosphere for approximately a century. This “shorter” atmospheric lifetime means that actions to reduce emissions will quickly lower atmospheric concentrations of these pollutants, yielding a relatively rapid climate response. Of the pollutants that will be targeted by this initiative, methane and black carbon stand out for their significant contribution to climate change, while HFCs are a rapidly increasing climate threat. *Methane* Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas that is more than 20 times more potent than CO2, and has an atmospheric lifetime of about 12 years. It is produced through natural processes (i.e. the decomposition of plant and animal waste), but is also emitted from many man-made sources, including coal mines, natural gas and oil systems, and landfills. In addition to the climate benefits, reducing methane emissions has other important public health and agricultural benefits. Reducing methane emissions can avoid the health effects and premature deaths associated with unhealthy ozone levels. Methane also is the primary component of natural gas. Thus, capturing and utilizing methane as clean-burning natural gas can promote sustainable development and energy security. *Black Carbon* Black carbon, which is a part of a mixture called soot, is emitted from a wide variety of sources that burn but do not fully combust fossil or plant-based fuels. Common sources include diesel trucks and buses, agricultural burning, and inefficient cookstoves, among others. Of the three pollutant types, black carbon remains in the atmosphere for the shortest amount of time, depositing on the ground only days to weeks after it is emitted. Reducing black carbon will have an important impact on air quality and public health. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that currently more than 3 million premature deaths each year can be attributed to the effects of urban outdoor air pollution and indoor air pollution. Fine particles, which include black carbon, contribute significantly to these adverse impacts. Widespread adoption of advanced cookstoves and clean fuels that reduce black carbon emissions, for example, has the potential to prevent millions of premature deaths. Black carbon in the atmosphere also directly contributes to climate change by absorbing sunlight when it is emitted in the atmosphere. It also contributes once it is deposited on surfaces such as snow and ice, causing them to melt faster because of its black color. As a result, reducing black carbon is particularly important to address climate change in snow- and ice-covered regions such as the Arctic and the Himalayas. *Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)* HFCs are man-made greenhouse gases used in air conditioning, refrigeration, solvents, foam blowing agents, and aerosols. Many HFCs remain in the atmosphere for less than 15 years. Though they represent a small fraction of the current total greenhouse gases (less than one percent), their warming impact is particularly strong and, if left unchecked, HFCs could account for nearly 20 percent of climate pollution by 2050.

Laundry Tips

Readers Today a Great Tip from Vollara:

How to Clean a Washing Machine

By admin, on January 19th, 2012

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It is important to know how to clean a washing machine, in order to keep your washer running at peak performance. You depend on your washing machine to clean your laundry, but it cannot do an efficient job if it is not kept clean. Fortunately, keeping your washing machine clean is not difficult, as long as you keep up with maintenance.  Begin by cleaning the washer, inside and out, once a month.

• Wipe down the exterior. For this, you can use an all-purpose cleaner, or just some vinegar. Never use any abrasive cleaners, because they can scratch the surface.
• Clean out the tub. To remove odors, stains, and build up of detergents and fabric softener, pour two cups of white vinegar or lemon juice into the tub and run it through a complete cycle on the hottest setting.
• Scrub the lid or door. White vinegar is also good for removing mildew and detergent buildup around edge of the door and around the window on front load machines.
• Do not forget the bleach and fabric softener dispensers. Remove these, if possible and scrub them in the sink, drying them thoroughly before returning them to the machine.
• Some hidden places that people forget to clean are the inlet hose filters. These are found inside the water inlet connections, and they keep minerals and debris in the water from getting inside the washer. If they are clogged, they will impede the flow of water into the machine for the wash cycle or cause the washer to not operate at all.

While you are cleaning the washer, inspect the hoses to make sure they are firmly connected and if signs of cracking are found, the hoses should be replaced.  The entire cleaning process should take less than thirty minutes, and afterwards, the cleanliness of your washer is easy to maintain. Remove laundry promptly after the cycle completes, and leave the lid open afterwards, to prevent mildewing. Consider switching from commercial fabric softeners to white vinegar, since adding too much fabric softener may cause spotting on clothes.
On the other hand, for even less buildup, consider using no detergent at all! Try investing in a detergent-free laundry system, which uses oxygen, peroxide, and other oxidizers to lift dirt and odors from clothing without leaving residue in your washer or allergens in your clothes. Hospitals and hotels have used similar technology for years.
Learning how to clean a washing machine is crucial in keeping your laundry clean and extending the life of your machine. Using eco-friendly products can help in this regard, too, because they help your machine to stay clean and free of buildup, while helping to keep your water and clothing free from harmful chemicals. A global leader in natural health and eco-friendly technologies, Vollara is part of a family of companies that has been helping consumers choose products that benefit their homes and the environment, for over eighty years. Visit our website for more information, or become part of our online community by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.