TH Exclusives

Question: I fail to understand how these logs could be considered carbon neutral. Are you saying that the material they are made of has absorbed carbon over its growth life and is now releasing it, so that carbon is neutral? What about the extra carbon that those plants and trees contain, that are not absorbed, but rather created by their growth. When burned, I think they put out more carbon than they absorbed during their life.

Response: For this case, “carbon neutral” simply means that no extra carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when the plant waxes in the logs are burned. [Note that a different definition of “carbon neutral” describes carbon off-setting and means that any carbon emitted into the air is offset by tree planting or new conservation measures to lower the amount of emitted carbon dioxide.

TH Exclusives

Question: I was watching TV and saw an advertisement for Duraflame logs that said that they were environmentally friendly. Is this true?

Answer: As is often the case, the answer depends on what you compare them to. Manufactured firelogs, such as those made by Duraflame and Java Logs, are made of compressed sawdust, vegetable and plant wax, and other recycled ingredients, such as ground nutshells or coffee grounds. These ingredients are mixed together and shaped into log like shapes.

For fireplace burning, these manufactured logs are a good, environmentally friendly alternative to conventional cut firewood for several reasons. First, their use of sawdust recycles waste and in the process saves trees. Second, their use of plant-based waxes uses carbon from a renewable source. It is also carbon-neutral, because its burning does not add extra carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and is thus more “climate” friendly. Finally, test reports have shown Duraflame and Java Logs to burn cleaner than cut cord wood, with substantially lower emissions of numerous air pollutants, such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzene, dioxin, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These air pollutant emissions are harmful to both environmental quality and public health. As a result of these notably lower emissions, many local environmental agencies and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend that people use manufactured logs in place of cut cord wood in their fireplaces. For example, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency in Washington State has sponsored radio ads with Duraflame to promote the burning of manufactured logs in place of cut firewood in fireplaces.

TH Exclusives

Question: I realize that we are exposed to all types of chemicals everyday, many that we are unaware of and some which are unavoidable currently. My particular concern is of endocrine disruptor's and their effects on developing kids. I know for conventional produce there is a dirty dozen list to avoid, is there something similar for products or sources of endocrine disruptor's ...

What are the five largest exposure sources for endocrine disruptor's in our daily lives?

Any help or information would be great, thanks for being a great resource.

Response: The endocrine system specifically includes organs, such as the pituitary, thyroid, pancreas, adrenals, ovaries and the testes, that release hormones into the bloodstream. These hormones, of which there are many different types, act as chemical messengers in humans and in animals, telling the body how to behave – for example, growth hormone tells the body to build muscle mass.

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Question: My kids always want to eat snow. If I can help it, I don’t let them, but I can’t watch them all the time. It’s driving me crazy. What do you think?

Response: If the snow is yellow, black, brown, pink or otherwise dirty, it should not be eaten, as the colors each point out the presence of a different kind of pollution – yellow pollution from animals, black and brown pollution from dirt, cars, and people, and pink from bacterial contamination. The snow can collect these pollutants once it falls to the ground by being stepped on, splashed on, peed on, or otherwise having pollution fall on it. More surprisingly to some, perhaps, snow can also become contaminated by pollution as it falls to the ground.

It turns out that snow is a fairly efficient pollution collector when it is in the air. Snow is formed by water vapor that moves in clouds in cold air. As the water vapor moves in the cold air, it can stick to a tiny piece of dust and then have other water molecules attach to it, forming a crystal. Once formed, the crystal can continue to grow and can stay in the air for hours before it falls to the ground. It is during this time that the snow crystal can collect or “scavenge” pollutants that are present in the air.

TH Exclusives

Question: I read with interest your great response to a question about open burning on treehugger.com and I'm just curious if you may have a moment to answer another question about particulate matter.

I live in Nevada County California where open burning remains a persistent nuisance in winter months. At scorecard.org, Nevada County, California (zip code 95959) is listed as ranking (according to EPA statistics) in the bottom 10th percentile for particulate matter (pm2.5 and pm10) emissions but in the top 10th to 20th percentile for 24 hour averages of particulate matter concentrations.

Can you by chance tell me something about the possible reason for this discrepancy?

Response: Open burning does contribute to particle emissions and through this contribution, to particle concentrations as well. This contribution is particularly great for fine particles (PM2.5) that can be inhaled deep into people’s lungs and for inhalable particles (PM10) that can be inhaled but not always deep into the lungs.

TH Exclusives

Question: My sister always insists that we take our shoes off at the door. She says that it is cleaner and safer. I think that it is an old wives tale. Is there any data to support her claim?

Response: In the olden days (as my kids call them), taking your shoes off at the door was the norm. This custom is still the standard practice in Korea, Japan, and many other countries. Even in countries where shoes are generally worn indoors, related practices are followed, as door mats are often placed at entryways for people to wipe their feet before entry.

TH Exclusives

Question: It seems that nearly every time I talk for a long time on my cell phone, I get a head ache. Am I being paranoid or is my cell phone doing this to me?

Response: It is possible that talking on your cell phone is giving you a headache, but most likely not because of the cell phone technology. Wireless telephones are essentially two-way radios that work by transmitting low levels of radiofrequency energy or radio waves from their antennas to and from nearby base towers that are connected to telephone networks. Cell phones emit a specific type of radio wave called microwaves, which are the longest waves in the electromagnetic spectrum. As a result, they are non-ionizing, which is considered to be harmless at the low levels emitted by the cell phones.

Despite this, cell phones and their base towers (that also emit these radio waves) have been a source of worry, especially for people who are frequent cell phone users or who live near cell phone base towers. Included in these worries are concerns similar to yours – that cell phone usage causes headaches, nausea, and a warmer than normal head.

TH Exclusives

Question: I only buy organic foods for my family, even though it is more expensive. I’ve always assumed that this reduces my family’s exposure to pesticides, but recently read in the news that this isn’t true. Does it?

Response: Yes, with qualifications.

Organic foods are essentially free of pesticides, while nearly every type of conventional fruit and vegetable has at least one type of pesticide applied to it sometime from when the seeds are put into the ground to when they are sold. Logically then, eating organic foods rather than conventional foods will reduce your family’s exposure to pesticides.

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