NICK SNOW

Our children are our future. As responsible adults, we should strive to improve their present and future well-being. This includes determining the safest and most effective way to educate them during this pandemic. We all want them to learn, socialize and stay healthy both physically and mentally during the coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, this pandemic seems to be slowing.

Unfortunately, our children’s future has challenges beyond the health and social effects of this pandemic. Their present and future well-being is threatened by the “single biggest health threat facing humanity,” according to more than 200 medical organizations.

That threat is not the pandemic, though that has killed nearly a million Americans already, and nearly six times that worldwide.

It is not the opioid epidemic, though that killed about 100,000 Americans last year.

The biggest threat to children’s present and future health, is fossil fuel pollution. Fossil fuel air pollution is responsible for one in five premature deaths worldwide, according Harvard researchers. More than 8 million global citizens died in 2018 from fossil fuel pollution. Fossil fuel pollution threatens our children’s present and future health and well-being in many, intersecting ways.

Fossil fuel air pollution is not only a health problem outdoors. Our children are exposed to indoor air pollution from fossil gas stoves. Fossil gas (natural gas) stoves can lead to indoor air pollution exceeding even outdoor air quality guidelines. “Children living in homes with gas stoves had a 42 percent higher risk of experiencing asthma symptoms,” according to a 2013 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. We can and should protect our children from asthma from indoor air pollution. HB 1257 would prohibit our communities from protecting children from asthma from fossil gas stoves.

Fossil gas pollution is also heating our children’s oceans and air. Sea level rise is accelerating from this warming. Sea levels will rise another foot or more along the Virginia coast by 2050. Our children will suffer the physical destruction from Virginia’s sea level rise. Many will forcibly migrate inland.

This sea level rise is caused from climate change from fossil fuel pollution. Just as mercury in a thermometer expands as the temperature warms, the ocean waters expand as they warm, raising sea levels. Climate change also is accelerating ice melt worldwide from Greenland to Antarctica and all the glaciers in-between. Melting ice adds to sea level rise. Clean, renewable energy will improve our children’s health now, and slow future sea level rise.

Electrification of buildings is an important step in this clean energy transition. HB 1257 will remove from our communities the freedom to choose clean energy. These communities will lose the ability to protect their children from indoor air pollution caused by fossil gas stoves.

Electric cook tops, such as induction stoves, protect our children from indoor air pollution. Electric stoves reduce asthma rates. By blocking HB 1257 we can improve the present and future health and well-being of our children.

Nick Snow is a resident of Boyce.

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Originally Appeared Here

The U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles announced a program on Wednesday, March 2, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy and water use in low-income, multi-family properties, particularly in the Eastern San Fernando Valley.

With support from a Department of Water and Power grants program, the Green Affordable Housing Program will provide tenant education, property owner and manager project and rebate support, the installation of heat pump space and water heating technology, community electric vehicle charging, indoor air and water quality monitoring, and net-zero technology pilots.

The program also receives support from the Quick Start Grant from TECH Clean California and the CalEPA Environmental Justice state programs.

“From an equity standpoint it is critically important we address decarbonization and occupant health for our multi-family housing in low-income communities, otherwise we will only continue to exacerbate the inequalities heightened by the impacts of climate change,” USGBC-LA Executive Director Ben Stapleton said.

“This program targets head-on our biggest challenge in decarbonizing our buildings in L.A., which are those apartment buildings built in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, accounting for the majority of our residential energy use and in desperate need of modernization, as well as the support to get there,” he added.

The program will prioritize communities in City Council Districts 2, 6 and 7 in the San Fernando Valley. The area was selected for experiencing disproportionate impacts of climate change, including heat and poor air quality, as well as the high amount of industrial activity and emissions from busy streets and freeways.

A total of 20 buildings, split between two cohorts, will participate in the program with the first cohort this year and the second cohort in 2023. USGBC-LA said it expects to reach at least 1,500 residents.

The program’s core goals are to:

— educate tenants in English and Spanish on building efficiency and occupant health to help them reduce costs for energy and water;

— facilitate building retrofits, including through enrollment in LADWP programs and rebates;

— support retrofitting for 20 buildings in the Eastern San Fernando Valley, including through the installation of community electric vehicle charging stations;

— install a free or highly subsidized heat pump space and water heating technology to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions; and

— install indoor air quality monitors and water tests.

“Part of our role at USGBC-LA is to help both property managers and individuals move through the process of greening their buildings and the spaces they occupy,” Stapleton said. “We want to make sure they aren’t wasting their precious time nor resources, and education is a key part of that, not just an understanding of the terms involved, but knowing who and what information to trust. We are here as a resource and partner in working through these challenges.”

Building owners can apply for the program at https://bit.ly/3sApyrW.

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Originally Appeared Here

Whatever your beauty regimen might be, it’s essential that it enhances your overall health and wellbeing. An easy adjustment to make is to incorporate one of the best air purifiers into your living or working spaces. “Air purifiers have become increasingly popular ever since the start of the pandemic for their ability to sanitize the air and reduce pollutants, allergens, toxins, bacteria, and other contaminants, including viruses like COVID-19,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michele Green. She explains that the purifiers suck air through a filter (like HEPA, UV light, washable, or fiberglass) to capture unwanted particles, then recirculate the cleaner air into your room. While she does not cite the device as a necessity, she believes it’s good to have if you spend a lot of time indoors—particularly in confined spaces like a basement or rooms with little airflow.

“In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency has found that indoor air can be up to five times worse than outdoor air,” says David Hill, Senior Design Manager at Dyson. “Likewise, there has been an increase in the desire for air purification models in homes as people seek out the best ways to improve indoor air quality.”

What can an air purifier do for you?

According to Green, air purifiers are great for the skin and overall health because they eliminate particles that would otherwise be in the air for long periods of time. Think cigarette smoke, pet dander, and dust that could cause short- and long-term damage to the skin and respiratory system. “In addition, air purifiers may also relieve symptoms of asthma and/or severe allergies or prevent future reactions by purifying the air. They also reduce risk of airborne diseases, eliminate hazardous particles from cleaning products, and can neutralize unpleasant odors,” she continues.

But while these devices offer a plethora of health benefits, Green cautions that “air purifiers are only as good as the quality of their filters and technology, and that using an air filter alone will not ensure you have cleaner air.” Additionally, she advises users to regularly clean rugs, carpeting, and sheets, as the purifiers are unable to sanitize carpet and bedding surfaces.

If you’re ready to try a model for yourself or upgrade your old one, these are the nine best air purifiers to clean the air throughout your home.

Dyson Purifier Cool

“Dyson purifiers feature a fully-sealed filtration system that has two layers,” explains Hill. The first is a HEPA filter that removes particles such as dust and pollen from the air. Dyson filters remove 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. The second layer is an activated carbon layer that removes gasses and odors from the air. Air is drawn in through the shroud and passed over both of these filters. The now purified air passes through the machine to the amp and is then projected around the room using Air Multiplier technology.” The oscillating tower even analyzes your air while it purifies and has the capability to cool your room.

Puraclenz P1500 Air & Surface Purifier

The Puraclenz P1500 is a model coveted by the Vogue editors. “After the Omicron wave strained New York City earlier this year, I was on the hunt to find a new and improved air purifier,” says Commerce Producer Clarissa Schmidt. “Puraclenz’s models not only look chic enough to pass as home decor, but it’s portable, lightweight design makes disinfecting easy wherever I am. Weighing less than 3 pounds, I even packed and brought it with me on a recent road trip—it’s just ‘plug and go’!”

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Originally Appeared Here

The U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles announced a program Wednesday aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy and water use in low-income, multi-family properties, particularly in the Eastern San Fernando Valley.

With support from a Department of Water and Power grants program, the Green Affordable Housing Program will provide tenant education, property owner and manager project and rebate support, the installation of heat pump space and water heating technology, community electric vehicle charging, indoor air and water quality monitoring, and net-zero technology pilots.

The program also receives support from the Quick Start Grant from TECH Clean California and the CalEPA Environmental Justice state programs.

“From an equity standpoint it is critically important we address decarbonization and occupant health for our multi-family housing in low-income communities, otherwise we will only continue to exacerbate the inequalities heightened by the impacts of climate change,” USGBC-LA Executive Director Ben Stapleton said.

“This program targets head-on our biggest challenge in decarbonizing our buildings in L.A., which are those apartment buildings built in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, accounting for the majority of our residential energy use and in desperate need of modernization, as well as the support to get there,” he added.

The program will prioritize communities in City Council Districts 2, 6 and 7 in the San Fernando Valley. The area was selected for experiencing disproportionate impacts of climate change, including heat and poor air quality, as well as the high amount of industrial activity and emissions from busy streets and freeways.

A total of 20 buildings, split between two cohorts, will participate in the program with the first cohort this year and the second cohort in 2023. USGBC-LA said it expects to reach at least 1,500 residents.

The program’s core goals are to:

— educate tenants in English and Spanish on building efficiency and occupant health to help them reduce costs for energy and water;

— facilitate building retrofits, including through enrollment in LADWP programs and rebates;

— support retrofitting for 20 buildings in the Eastern San Fernando Valley, including through the installation of community electric vehicle charging stations;

— install a free or highly subsidized heat pump space and water heating technology to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions; and

— install indoor air quality monitors and water tests.

“Part of our role at USGBC-LA is to help both property managers and individuals move through the process of greening their buildings and the spaces they occupy,” Stapleton said. “We want to make sure they aren’t wasting their precious time nor resources, and education is a key part of that, not just an understanding of the terms involved, but knowing who and what information to trust. We are here as a resource and partner in working through these challenges.”

Building owners can apply for the program at bit.ly/3sApyrW.

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Originally Appeared Here