Indoor plants offer two potential benefits for owners, including improved mental well-being and improved physical human health, according to the Royal Horticultural Society. Houseplants have been proven to improve mood and support fitness and general health. What’s more, some varieties can even purify the air as well as produce more oxygen. One expert has shared the top two best indoor plants for their purifying qualities.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Jo Lambell, founder of Beards & Daisies, said: “You can never go wrong with a snake plant – they’re one of the most laid back and relaxed plants you could own.

“They almost thrive off neglect, so even if you forget to water them, they’ll still look after you by purifying the air within your home.”

Snake plants can go weeks without watering, especially during the cooler months of the year.

According to NASA, the snake plant is one of the best plants for improving air quickly.

READ MORE: Energy bills: ‘Fantastic’ hack to keep the home heated for less

“Show off its cascading leaves in a hanging basket for a real eye-catching display.

“The spider plant isn’t just pretty to look at, it’s super helpful to have in your home too as it is an excellent air purifier.

“Better still, the variegated varieties of the spider plant produce more chlorophyll than other variegated houseplants which means more oxygen production.

“Care for this plant is super simple, making it ideal for new plant parents or those with busy lifestyles.

With more than 10,000 Reddit posts, Clear It Waste Collection found the Pothos plant to be one of the most popular houseplants.

What’s more, it has great air purifying qualities.

They said: “It is known as one of the easiest to care for houseplants as it requires minimal watering.

“The pothos plant is considered one of the most effective indoor air purifiers and removes common toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene and toluene.”

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This editorial appeared in The Dallas Morning News on March 29:

DALLAS (Tribune News Service) — In most places in the United States, we have almost fully returned to a pre-COVID-19 state of normalcy where people aren’t required to wear masks.

But in a place millions of Americans must use, the federal government still holds sway, and it isn’t letting go. It is past time to remove the masking requirement in airports and on airlines.

Americans who were told to “follow the science” are fairly asking now why the Biden administration is hanging on to an unscientific requirement in a space that it controls. In a letter dated March 23, the leaders of 11 major airlines, including American Airlines and Southwest, asked for the mask mandate in airports and on planes be lifted.

“Our industry has leaned into science at every turn. At the outset, we voluntarily implemented policies and procedures — mandating face coverings; requiring passenger health acknowledgements and contact tracing information; and enhancing cleaning protocols — to form a multi-layered approach to mitigate risk and prioritize the wellbeing of passengers and employees,” the letter reads.

But now, the administration is turning its back on the science that shows the vast majority of the country, 99%, does not need to wear masks indoors. For nearly two years, flight attendants and other front-line airline workers have faced enormous hostility from passengers as they have done their duty in enforcing mandates that no longer make sense. The highly filtered, forced air on airplanes is cleaner than most indoor air, despite the close quarters. Meanwhile, the best quality masks are now widely available for passengers who still desire to wear a mask.

So why is the federal government still forcing everyone who has to enter an airport and get on a plane to wear a mask? It isn’t about following the science; that much is clear. The failure to dial back these restrictions on individual choice stoke resentment and will make it that much harder to convince people to mask up the next time we need to — and that time will come. If the president and his advisers are serious about the facts, they will lift this mandate now, and let us edge that much closer to normal life.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. ©2022 The Dallas Morning News.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Originally Appeared Here

This editorial appeared in The Dallas Morning News on March 29:

DALLAS (Tribune News Service) — In most places in the United States, we have almost fully returned to a pre-COVID-19 state of normalcy where people aren’t required to wear masks.

But in a place millions of Americans must use, the federal government still holds sway, and it isn’t letting go. It is past time to remove the masking requirement in airports and on airlines.

Americans who were told to “follow the science” are fairly asking now why the Biden administration is hanging on to an unscientific requirement in a space that it controls. In a letter dated March 23, the leaders of 11 major airlines, including American Airlines and Southwest, asked for the mask mandate in airports and on planes be lifted.

“Our industry has leaned into science at every turn. At the outset, we voluntarily implemented policies and procedures — mandating face coverings; requiring passenger health acknowledgements and contact tracing information; and enhancing cleaning protocols — to form a multi-layered approach to mitigate risk and prioritize the wellbeing of passengers and employees,” the letter reads.

But now, the administration is turning its back on the science that shows the vast majority of the country, 99%, does not need to wear masks indoors. For nearly two years, flight attendants and other front-line airline workers have faced enormous hostility from passengers as they have done their duty in enforcing mandates that no longer make sense. The highly filtered, forced air on airplanes is cleaner than most indoor air, despite the close quarters. Meanwhile, the best quality masks are now widely available for passengers who still desire to wear a mask.

So why is the federal government still forcing everyone who has to enter an airport and get on a plane to wear a mask? It isn’t about following the science; that much is clear. The failure to dial back these restrictions on individual choice stoke resentment and will make it that much harder to convince people to mask up the next time we need to — and that time will come. If the president and his advisers are serious about the facts, they will lift this mandate now, and let us edge that much closer to normal life.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. ©2022 The Dallas Morning News.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Originally Appeared Here

In most places in the United States, we have almost fully returned to a pre-COVID-19 state of normalcy where people aren’t required to wear masks. But in a place millions of Americans must use, the federal government still holds sway, and it isn’t letting go. It is past time to remove the masking requirement in airports and on airlines.

Americans who were told to “follow the science” are fairly asking now why the Biden administration is hanging on to an unscientific requirement in a space that it controls.

In a letter dated March 23, the leaders of 11 major airlines, including American Airlines and Southwest, asked for the mask mandate in airports and on planes be lifted.

“Our industry has leaned into science at every turn. At the outset, we voluntarily implemented policies and procedures — mandating face coverings; requiring passenger health acknowledgements and contact tracing information; and enhancing cleaning protocols — to form a multi-layered approach to mitigate risk and prioritize the well being of passengers and employees,” the letter reads. But now, the administration is turning its back on the science that shows the vast majority of the country, 99 percent, does not need to wear masks indoors.

For nearly two years, flight attendants and other front-line airline workers have faced enormous hostility from passengers as they have done their duty in enforcing mandates that no longer make sense.

The highly filtered, forced air on airplanes is cleaner than most indoor air, despite the close quarters. Meanwhile, the best quality masks are now widely available for passengers who still desire to wear a mask.

So why is the federal government still forcing everyone who has to enter an airport and get on a plane to wear a mask? It isn’t about following the science; that much is clear.

The failure to dial back these restrictions on individual choice stoke resentment and will make it that much harder to convince people to mask up the next time we need to — and that time will come.

If the president and his advisers are serious about the facts, they will lift this mandate now, and let us edge that much closer to normal life.

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Originally Appeared Here

Airthings, leading indoor air quality experts, takes on traditional air fresheners with their newest product to bring true fresh air to homeowners, businesses and professionals.

OSLO, NORWAY (1 April 2022) – Airthings, creators of the best-selling indoor air quality monitors, today announced their newest product Air Refresh, a revolutionary new air freshener made from a single ingredient- fresh Norwegian mountain air.

In a recent survey the company found that nearly 10% of people mentioned various “air fresheners” such as scent sprays, aerosols, diffusers, scented candles, fabric sprays and scent plugins when asked about the steps they take to keep a fresh and healthy home environment. What most people don’t realize is that these air fresheners release a combination of toxins and chemicals into the air called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). VOCs like these might make the air smell better, but actually release toxins into the air having negative health consequences.

With this surprising revelation from the survey, Airthings knew it needed to offer a better solution. Enter Air Refresh, the first real air freshener.

“Our mission of empowering the world to breathe better has been undermined by air fresheners”, said Martin McGloin, Head of Product, B2B. “We knew we needed to offer our customers an alternative, which is why Airthings scientists came up with Air Refresh- the real air freshener.”

Take a moment to think about how often you are being hit with these toxic scents. Whether the small cardboard tree hanging from your car mirror to automated misters, gels, beads, plug-ins, heated oils, sprays and more, we’re being blasted with VOCs and never know it. They are hidden in offices, schools, bathrooms, hotels, gyms, taxis and car rental services. Air fresheners are often used to cover up larger air quality issues like mold and damp, or stuffy air and poor ventilation. But the ideal air, like the fresh air found on the mountain, comes scent-free.

For Air Refresh, Airthings takes fresh mountain air from the countryside of Norway, compresses it and bottles it in a handy non-aerosol bottle, which can be used to refresh your home any time! One spray, and your room is immediately transported to the majestic fjords of Norway, with the crisp mountain air filling the space. Many have reported hearing the sounds of rushing water, mating mammals and a desire to hike great distances. One word of caution, excess use has been shown to cause an increase in REM state for sleeping and a stronger desire to be in nature for more time than just walking through a parking lot to a grocery store or shopping center.

“We want to change the way people think about good air quality,” says Martin McGloin, Head of Product, B2B. “Calling these products ‘air fresheners’ is not only inaccurate, it’s unfair to customers.”

Looking for a true air freshener? Look no further than Air Refresh- simply mountain fresh air. Air Refresh is available in a handy 350ml bottle at $39.99. For consumers unsure if Air Refresh is for them, View Plus is the most advanced air quality monitor in the world and can quickly quantify if your scented candles are slowly killing you.

About Airthings

Airthings is a global technology company and producer of award-winning radon and indoor air quality monitors for homeowners, businesses, and professionals. Founded in 2008, Airthings is on a mission to ensure that people around the world recognize the impact of indoor air quality and take control of their health through simple, affordable, and accurate technology solutions while optimizing energy consumption in buildings. Airthings’ products have made radon detection and indoor air quality monitoring easy to deploy, accurate, and user friendly, and have received several accolades including the TIME’s Best Inventions award and CES Innovation Award Honors. Headquartered in the heart of Oslo, Norway, and with offices in the US and Sweden the company has over 140 employees from more than 30 nationalities-and counting. To see the full range of Airthings indoor air quality monitors and radon detectors or to learn more about the importance of continuous air quality monitoring, please visit airthings.com.

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Originally Appeared Here

In the past seven years, the state’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau has conducted just eight on-site inspections of medical cannabis facilities. 

But with sales of recreational cannabis starting Friday, more cannabis production, manufacturing and retail facilities are set to develop and expand — and so will the number of Occupational Health and Safety Bureau on-site inspections.

On Wednesday, the state Environment Department, which oversees OHSB, announced the number of employees in that bureau has grown from 28 to 64.

Part of that growth is in preparation for the rollout of the new cannabis companies. However, the 19 staff members who eventually will work as inspectors will not all focus on cannabis, OHSB Chief Bob Genoway said Wednesday. 

Some will be tasked with inspections in the oil and gas and construction industries, among other places, he said.

But, Genoway added: “Moving forward we anticipate doing a significantly larger number of inspections [in the cannabis field]. It’s hard to give a number.”

He said it’s difficult to say at this early stage how many of those inspectors might be devoted to cannabis businesses.

“At some point, it may be we have a quarter of our inspectors dedicated to the cannabis industry, but it’s hard for me to see that now,” Genoway said.

His agency still has three openings for inspectors.

“We could always use more,” Genoway said.

For all the potential benefits — economic growth, job creation — supporters of legalized cannabis say will come with the new industry, so might workforce safety hazards and, perhaps, violations.

In the cultivation phase, exposure to carbon dioxide, cleaning materials and pesticides are risks. Poor indoor air quality at some facilities can also be problematic.

All the other fields associated with the business — agriculture, distribution, lab testing and sales, to name a few — come with on-site dangers as well.

Genoway cited the use of flammable liquids in the cannabis extraction process as being dangerous and leading to fires.

Genoway said not all the new hires, who were brought aboard in the past four months, are inspectors. Among the other new jobs filled within the agency are a whistleblower investigator, two compliance assistance specialists and staff members assigned to outreach activities.

Genoway said the extra workers are necessary because “there are still far too many injuries, illnesses and unfortunately deaths occurring among the New Mexico workforce.” The additional employees can help “reduce those numbers,” he said.

He said his bureau gets 400 to 500 complaints covering an array of industries every year. About half those come from former or current employees, family members of employees and union representatives, Genoway said.

Each inspector conducts an average of 50 inspections a year, he said. While most are based on referrals or complaints, some are random visits.

Although he did not have a list of medical cannabis violation reports on hand, Genoway said he recalled “several cases where we have inspected and issued citations. I can think of two cases involving accidents where we issued fines” in the $20,000 to $30,000 range.

He said he expects the cannabis manufacturing field to bring about the highest number of complaints and inspections.

Ben Lewinger, executive director of the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, wrote in an email he welcomes the news of more hires. He said oversight of the new industry has to involve multiple state agencies, including Genoway’s bureau, to ensure safety.

“I’m grateful to hear that the state is adding workers and resources in several places to ensure adult use cannabis launches with stable footing,” Lewinger said.

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Originally Appeared Here