Transition to clean energy

Kudos to Sempervirens Fund and REI for attempting to set a Guinness World Record for tree hugging! I hugged one of the beautiful oak trees in my yard to honor Earth Day April 22 and all that trees do to absorb carbon dioxide and keep our planet healthy.

Having grown up in dry Southern California, I appreciate our tree-lined streets every single day. Burning fossil fuels has created the modern industrial economy, but this has drastically reduced forests and created such damage to the environment that the Earth is approaching a dangerous tipping point.

We must transition to clean energy as quickly as possible, “to bring more geopolitical, economic and climatic stability,” as noted in the excellent “Other Voices” column by Madeleine Para published in the Town Crier April 13.

Let’s hug our trees, make our next car an electric vehicle and urge our congressional representatives to act on climate change now!

Events highlight energy independence

Families in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills may take special note of two items in the April 13 Town Crier: An announcement of an event in Los Altos Hills (page 7) and the “Other Voices” column (page 8).

They include messages on clean energy for health and energy independence.

The Hills event features Rob Jackson, Ph.D., Stanford University professor and senior author of a recent study on the health and climate effects of gas stoves. The study found gas cooking appliances directly expose people to harmful emissions that can trigger asthma, other breathing issues and sometimes hospitalization.

Jackson commented, “I don’t want to breathe any extra nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide or formaldehyde. Why not reduce the risk entirely? Switching to electric stoves will cut greenhouse gas emissions and indoor air pollution.”

The “Other Voices” column by Madeleine Para points out that getting off oil and gas and on to clean energy would reduce our dependence on exporters like Russia. She is correct. We have the technology to do this, and we can participate in this effort right here in Los Altos with a move to clean electricity for our transportation and buildings.

Don’t approve projects with inadequate parking

This is an open letter sent to the Los Altos City Council and the city’s planning department.

To approve the project at 376 First St. for 15 condo units with only one level of parking for 23 spaces (likely bicycle width) is to continue the charade of pretending that there will be less than one car per residence.

By the time the Planning Commissioners quit winking at each other and pretending this fantasy comports with reality, our city will be irreversibly congested like a clogged sewer.

Please, let’s get real. Don’t approve any more projects with inadequate parking – that is, minimum two full-sized parking places for each and every residential unit.

Our city officials are not here to serve the profit ambitions and interests of the developers. You are here to serve the needs and interests of the residents.

Let’s finally wake up to this fact.

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The World Health Organization has issued a global health emergency for Coronavirus due to its large impact on public health since 2019, bringing the spotlight into the need for indoor clean air, however, the rising pollution levels in cities, allergy seasons and natural disasters have produced health-threatening pollutants, irritants and fine particles in everyday life. AIRROBO AR400 then defends against these issues for people in a significant way, improving their respiratory conditions around the globe.

In 2021, there were 58,985 wildfires, compared with 58,950 in 2020, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The wild fire seasons across the year in US have been giving huge impact on environments and people in many states like California, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, Washington and so on. The microscopic particles then produced from smoke can actually penetrate deep into people’s lungs, causing burning eyes, a runny nose and lung diseases. With AIRROBO AR400, the allergy-prone children, seniors and those who care about the quality of air breathed in can be rest-assured. Through Tres Air™ Filtration technology with 3 lines of defense – pre-filter, H13 HEPA filter and enhanced activated carbon filter, AIRROBO AR400 blocks over 99.97% allergens including fine particles at 0.3 microns, bacteria and viruses*, pet dander, VOCs and odors, providing better indoor air quality for people who value healthier lifestyle. It features CADR 300m3/h (188CFM) and provides strong and efficient air purifying performance for large space up to 430ft2(40m2) in 19 minutes.

When allergies and asthma are keeping you up at night, the unbearable disturbances do not just affect your sleep but also impair your thinking, work performance, and mood the other day. AIRROBO AR400 features improved brushless motor and fluid mechanics design to reduce noise to only 20.2 dB, which equals to the sound of rustling leaves in nature and is sonically unobtrusive, making you breathe and sleep better.

“In 2022, AIRROBO will continue to enrich its product line and bring superior products and satisfactory customer service to more households. In a time with more diversified consumer demands and a younger audience, AIRROBO has made numerous breakthroughs in integrating the supply chain and product testings to ensure the highest cost performance ratio.” said Tommy Zhang, General Manager of AIRROBO.

For anyone who is ready to embrace healthier and more comfortable lifestyle, the air purifier AR400 is available for purchase on AIRROBO official website, and Walmart.

About AIRROBO

AIRROBO is a smart home appliance brand with a focus on AI-enabled technologies. Supported by world-leading AI and humanoid robotic company, UBTECH Robotics, AIRROBO is aiming to bring the most cutting-edge technology to more and more households around the globe, making smart home a new norm of life. Find out more at us.air-robo.com.

*The AIRROBO AR400 filters bacteria and viruses but cannot guarantee an elimination or reduction of the risk of person-to-person transmission.

CONTACT:
Liang Johnny
+86-15622239653
[email protected]

SOURCE AIRROBO

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In an effort to prioritize employee health and wellness and sustainabilty, View, Inc.’s Smart Windows will be installed at Credit Union of Colorado’s new corporate headquarters in Denver’s up-and-coming Central Park neighborhood.

Credit Union of Colorado designed its new headquarters to create the ideal post-Covid work environment, with comfortable space between desks and an enhanced HVAC system to improve indoor air quality. The building will be enclosed with floor-to-ceiling View Smart Windows, which use artificial intelligence to automatically adjust in response to the sun, maximizing natural light and outdoor views while optimizing occupant comfort. The building will also feature a fitness center and a walking path adjacent to the site’s plentiful green space.

“Our move to Central Park supports our continued expansion as we work to better serve our growing member base, and great workspaces are key to attracting and retaining top talent,” said Chad Bollinger, CFO for Credit Union of Colorado. “View Smart Windows are an integral part of our strategy to prioritize the health of our employees and make the spaces where they work more enjoyable.”

View Smart Windows have been shown to generate significant health benefits for building occupants. In a recent study by researchers at the University of Illinois and SUNY Upstate Medical University, employees working next to View Smart Windows slept 37 minutes longer each night, experienced half as many headaches, and performed 42% better on cognitive tests. Additionally, View Smart Windows reduce energy consumption from lighting and HVAC by as much as 20%.

“Credit Union of Colorado recognizes that offices of the future must be designed to measurably improve occupant health and sustainability,” said Sri Venkat, vice president with View.  “View continues to show significant traction in the corporate office sector, and we’re thrilled to partner with Credit Union of Colorado to deliver a state-of-the-art office that’s good for the planet and where their employees will thrive.”

 

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New Indoor Air Quality Society to host Interclean Amsterdam symposium

27th of April 2022

The new Indoor Air Quality Society (IAQS) is a not-for-profit association, which aims to use the knowledge and momentum generated by its network to raise awareness of the wide range of human health issues directed related to compromised indoor air.

Its aim is to bring industry experts, researchers regulators government officials and consumers together to stimulate debate in order to educate the public at large on IAQ, as well as to address the many misperceptions around the subject.

IAQS says it will “connect, influence, and educate – bringing together committed and knowledgeable people worldwide, who can make a difference in the area of indoor air quality”.

Chair of the association is Prof Daniel Bonn, acting director of the van der Waals-Zeeman Institute for Experimental Physics of the University of Amsterdam. He said: “We believe the time is absolutely right to launch this initiative. It is doubtful, if there has ever been more public debate about the role of air in transmitting respiratory infections and the detrimental effects of compromised indoor air on human health in general.”

The official launch of IAQS will take place during Interclean Amsterdam from May 10-13. There, it will also host a symposium on May 11 where prominent scientists and experts will explain why it is so important to ‘curate’ the air inside buildings.

Then, on May 12 there will be an interactive AIR Debate organised by Interclean Amsterdam and endorsed by IAQS.

To learn more about these events, and to register visit: iaqsociety.org/events

 

 

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Photo caption: From left: Former Executive Director of Alvernia’s Holleran Center for Community and Global Engagement Dr. Rudy Ruth, Alvernia Sustainability Coordinator Dr. Alicia Sprow, Alvernia Senior Vice President and Provost Dr. Glynis Fitzgerald, Alvernia President John R. Loyack, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Policy Director Michael Roth, Coexist Co-Owners Drew Oberholtzer and Ana Konopitskaya and Alvernia Environmental Science students Ethan LaVerdure and Alex Kabrich

 

Pennsylvania’s Specialty Crop Block Grant funds regenerative building material study

 

With funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and in partnership with the Holleran Center for Community and Global Engagement‘s EcoHouse and the Rodale Institute, Coexist Build unveiled “The Traveler,” a hemp-based regenerative building material structure that will serve as a produce stand for the university’s Bog Turtle Creek Farm.

 

“The research was one of the main reasons for this project,” said Ana Konopitskaya, co-owner of Coexist Build. “We hope to set a new standard and showcase the potential of this material which can have a massive impact not just on the health of the occupant of a hemp-based structure, but for the environment and for farming practices.”

 

Coexist Build and Alvernia students will conduct a lifecycle assessment of industrial hemp by collecting data to help quantify the effectiveness of hemp as a building material in a structure’s performance, energy efficiency, and indoor air quality over the next two years. The assessment is made possible by a two-year, $70,000 Specialty Crop Block Grant awarded in 2021.

 

“We’ve invested more than $600,000 into projects growing the Commonwealth’s hemp fiber industry. Innovative projects like these are changing the trajectory of PA and building a sustainable future,” said Michael Roth, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture policy director. “Industrial hemp as a building material is paving the way for sustainable home-building products that respect human and environmental health.”

 

Alvernia environmental science students Ethan LaVerdure and Alex Kabrich will participate in the hemp growing cycle with Rodale Institute and facilitate educational programs around hemp as a viable building material. They will report on the building’s performance in 2023.

 

“It is gatherings like these that help remind us how important these in person interactions are in the magic of making a more regenerative future possible,” said Alvernia University Sustainability Coordinator and faculty member Dr. Alicia Sprow.

 

Coexist entrepreneurs Konopitskaya and co-owner Drew Oberholtzer have also been supported by Alvernia’s O’Pake Institute Spark Business Incubator for marketing and other business services.

 

The EcoHouse is an experiential learning hub where students are actively engaged in Alvernia’s Holleran Center for Community and Global Engagement’s Bog Turtle Creek Farm project, a student-led response to food insecurity in the City of Reading.

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SecureAire Continues to Expand Executive Team | ACHR News

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With spring in full swing, many of us are starting to open the windows in our home. This warm weather habit not only allows more fresh air to come in, but also saves money! More open windows means a much lower A/C bill. Recent research reveals a surprising way opening windows in your house can work wonders in preventing bothersome headaches.

Interesting Research

A 2021 study published in Atmosphere looked at how indoor air quality (IAQ) impacts employees who work remotely. Eight female academic staff members from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health from ages 23 to 67 participated.

The participants all lived in single-family homes with central air conditioning. No one living in those households smoked or worked with hazardous materials.

Researchers measured the IAQ within the offices and homes of participants before (May through July 2019) and during the pandemic (June through September 2020). In both periods, the authors also evaluated various health outcomes for participants such as headaches, dry eyes, and stuffy nose.

The Findings

After collecting the data, researchers ultimately found that employees experienced the above symptoms more frequently when working from home during the pandemic than they had in the office. 

The reason why? There were higher amounts of fine particle matter in their homes from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in everyday home items like air fresheners, carpet, and paint. 

Commercial office buildings usually have better ventilation systems to filter out these pollutants and improve the IAQ. More sophisticated ventilation also helps eliminate any health risks that come from inhaling VOCs.

The study revealed that opening the windows and doors in your home is an effective way to get better IAQ within the space. This decreases your chances of experiencing headaches and other health symptoms, especially if you spend a lot of time indoors!

4 Tips for Opening the Windows and Doors In Your Home

To naturally ventilate your home correctly, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers these four easy tips:

• Open more than one window or door, if possible. Do not open windows and doors if doing so poses a safety or health risk to children or other family members (e.g., risk of falling or triggering asthma symptoms).
• Ventilation can be further increased through cross-ventilation, by opening windows (or doors) at opposite sides of a home and keeping internal doors open.
• Opening the highest and lowest windows in a home at the same time (especially on different floors) can also help to increase ventilation.
• For double-hung windows (the most common type), opening the top sash of one window and the bottom sash of another also encourages ventilation. Even when using a single window, partially opening both the top and bottom sash can help improve ventilation.

“Caution: Avoid ventilation with outdoor air when outdoor air pollution is high or when it makes your home too cold, hot, or humid. Check AirNow for information about outdoor air pollution near you,” the EPA adds.

Who knew that letting some fresh air into your home will help to keep headaches at bay? It just goes to show that everyday habits can go a long way in maintaining our health!

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As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.

We all know the basics of cleaning: wipe down countertops, vacuum, disinfect the ol’ toilet bowl . . . nothing too wild. But did you ever stop to empty your dryer vent? What about vacuuming behind your refrigerator — and for that matter, wiping down your vacuum itself? BTW, do you have any idea what’s lurking in your drain? (Do you even want to know?)

Truth is, every home has places and things that most of us don’t consider cleaning on the regular. But really, it doesn’t take much time or effort to get it done, and you’ll be so glad you did. You’ll breathe easier knowing your space, not to mention its literal air, is fresher and cleaner. For the supplies you need to finish the job, look to Bed Bath & Beyond, and to find out what you’ve *probably* forgotten to clean, just keep scrolling.

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Photo Courtesy of Katie Dubow

From natural light to vegetable gardens, Delaware experts weigh in on creative ways to make your home more environmentally friendly from the inside out.

Forward-Thinking Design

Sustainability is the way of the future– and architecture is no exception.

LEED-accredited registered architect Scott Sampson, principal of Spring Studio Architecture (Swarthmore, Pennsylvania), knows a thing or two about sustainable residential design: It’s where his personal passions lie, and he even teaches it at the university level. Even as sustainable choices risk busting budgets, especially with the rise of inflation, Sampson, who has designed homes in Delaware, manages to retain a clientele that is as committed to eco-friendliness as he is.

What are the first things that come to mind about sustainable design?

I focus a lot on natural light and super-insulated building envelopes, passive solar, and incorporating a lot of plants inside to manage air-quality levels, provide oxygen and minimize indoor air pollution.

Courtesy of Adobe Stock

What are the challenges and opportunities with regard to sustainable home renovations?

For a renovation, when the home is already situated on a site, it’s more difficult. Typically, that comes down to insulation and air ceiling, or managing the amount of air that comes into the building. A lot of my job is maximizing insulation and allowing the winter sun to come in and heat the spaces, then cut it out in the summer when you don’t want it. That’s called passive solar.

What about a new build?

One of the biggest elements is orientation. If you can have the home oriented to the south, you can really maximize the amount of solar gain. During some months of the year, the house can actually heat itself by maximizing the amount of southern glass. Overhangs and sunscreens can block the sun out in hotter months when the sun is higher in the sky. You can design around angles of the sun—you are using the architecture itself to manage sunlight.

Can you lend your perspective on sustainable materials?

Generally speaking, a sustainable material is something that is not going to let out formaldehyde or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They’re locally sourced, so if it’s wood, it’s taken from a forest that is managed well. It’s also durable, so you don’t have to replace it five years down the road.
—Drew Limsky

Fruits of Your Labor

Last year, we explored how to cultivate a beautiful native (read: environmentally friendly) garden. Now, we take it a step further and show you how to grow your own food.

From late June to early November, Marcia Stephenson plucks figs from her plot in Prices Corner. Last year, her yield of Asian pears was so abundant she donated more than 40 pounds to a community center.

She doesn’t own an orchard. Stephenson grows her own fruit, as well as bushels of veggies, in her suburban backyard.

“Growing-your-own” became a popular pastime during the pandemic when many folks were at home. Stephenson, director of advancement for the Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH), has been growing edible plants for years and is pleased to see a blossoming interest in kitchen gardens.

“It’s great for kids to plant seeds and learn where food come from. Kids get really excited when they plant something and watch it grow,” she says.

The fig tree was given to her by a friend 13 years ago and resides happily on the southern side of her home—“where it’s sunniest and warmest”—and benefits from radiant heat from the house and driveway. The Asian pear is thriving, with cross pollination from other pear trees in the neighborhood.

Stephenson plants lots of veggies, among them lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, beets, cucumbers, Asian turnips—“fast and super easy to grow”—radishes, herbs and bok choy. Raised beds are easier to weed because there’s less bending. The elevation of the beds also keeps the crops safe from critters.

Photo Courtesy of Katie Dubow

“If your raised beds are high enough, the bunnies can’t get in,” she explains.

Tight on space? The DownHome Harvest Little Miss Figgy tree, available at Homestead Gardens in Dover, is suitable for porches and containers. A dwarf fig, the tree grows 4 to 8 feet tall and is cold-hardy. Midnight Cascade, by Bushel and Berry, is a cascading blueberry you can grow in hanging baskets. Sold at Gateway Garden Center in Hockessin, it displays white, bell-shaped flowers in spring, a precursor to summer blueberries. Even after the berries are gone, it’s pleasant to look at, with red-flecked green foliage.

Nora Melley, who manages education programs at DCH, is partial to Pink Lemonade blueberries, which produce sweet hot-pink berries. The rub is the birds like them, too.

“You can cover them with nets, but birds can get caught in them,” she explains. “My preferred method is to plant more blueberries and share with the birds.”

Home gardeners likely will have to amend their soil with sulfur to keep blueberry shrubs happy. The average pH, or alkalinity, of Delaware soil is 6.5, Melley notes, and the magic number for berries is 4.5. (If you aren’t certain of your soil’s pH, buy a test kit or contact the Delaware Cooperative Extension online.)

Patience is important in establishing fruit-bearing trees and shrubs. Count on six months to fully amend soil. Realizing a return on investment in trees takes longer.

In 2017, Melley planted a home orchard of eight semidwarf trees: apples, peaches and cherries.

“The second year, I got two cherries,” she recalls. “The third year, I got a handful.”

After four years, the trees began yielding a significant harvest. Except for one fungal issue with the peach trees, they’ve pretty much taken care of themselves, offering up a bounty of homegrown fruit.

Melley notes you don’t have to go all in on a personal orchard to enjoy the fruits of your labors.

“Start slowly. Plant one thing, then expand so you don’t get overwhelmed,” she says.

You don’t even have to buy seeds. Begin with the tips of the scallions you chopped for this morning’s omelet. Take the root ends—with their wispy white fibers—and plant them in a little soil so they can sprout more scallions.

“It’s worth a shot,” says Melley, who has been generating scallions in a window box for years. “If it works, you’re growing your own food.”
—Eileen Smith Dallabrida

Related: Personalize Your Delaware Space With These Paint and Wallpaper Trends

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The first mandate in the U.S. to require all-electric heating has passed in Washington state, where newly constructed buildings will need to install electric heating and hot-water systems. The mandate will go into effect in July 2023.

The mandate passed 11 to 3 in a vote by the State Building Code Council to restrict the use of natural gas in multifamily housing complexes and commercial buildings by requiring installation of electric heat pumps. A similar mandate for smaller residential buildings will be considered within the next few months.

The revised energy code will see that new buildings have heat pumps rather than HVAC systems powered by natural gas. At least 50% of water will also need to be warmed via electric heat pumps, although the remaining amount can be heated through other methods.

Heat pumps are energy-efficient alternatives to furnaces. They work by taking in heat from one area and pumping it into another. For example, in the winter, heat pumps can pull heat from outside, even if the temperature is low, and move it indoors. In warmer months, the opposite happens — the heat pump moves the warm indoor air outside to cool the building’s interior.

“We need to consider what our definition of risk is when we’re talking about climate change,” said Katy Sheehan, Board member and executive director of Spokane’s Community Building Foundation, as reported by The Spokesman-Review. “Burning more fossil fuels is risky behavior. Taking a small step forward in reducing our natural gas usage is one way to reach our goal that we’re mandated to get to.”

Washington’s mandate has exceptions for hospitals, research facilities, and select other buildings, including buildings in cooler parts of the state where winter temperatures can drop well below 0°F.

Many cities across the U.S. have banned natural gas in new buildings, with some exceptions. California has also updated its building code to encourage alternatives to natural gas hookups, but it isn’t mandated. Washington’s mandate is the first at the state-level, although a similar proposal was recently considered and ultimately dropped in New York state due to budget negotiations, Grist reported.

Heat pumps are considered a sustainable alternative because they can generate three or four times the amount of energy they consume, according to The Conversation. Heat from fossil fuels actually wastes energy, because it needs to convert the energy from one form into another form rather than moving the heat from one place to another. To meet emissions goals by 2030, heat pump use will need to reach one-third of global heating systems.

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