Goal For The Green

Photo by Jyle Dupuis via Flickr

What is old to some can be new for others when it comes to hybrid vehicles. According to the New York Times, an estimated 415,000 used hybrids were on the market this past May, with some used Toyota Prius models listed as low as $15,000. Similar hybrid models remain competitively priced today, as a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid was recently listed for $15,495 on the used car dealership website Drive Time. However, buyers willing to spend more to own the newest models not only get the full life of a manufacturer’s warranty but they may also be eligible for the federal Plug-In Electric Drive Vehicle Credit as well as other state tax credits, as the IRS notes.

Photo by motorblog via Flickr

Whether you buy a used or new model, there are certainly advantages that come with owning a hybrid vehicle—namely the improved gas mileage that will save you money by spending less time at the pump. According to the Huffington Post, hybrid car sales rose about 73 percent from 2011 to 2012 to an estimated 440,000 units. If you do decide to look for a used hybrid vehicle, there are a few things that you will want to keep in mind during your search.

As the automotive website Edmunds.com noted, “the first and most important step a prospective buyer should take” is to conduct a thorough check of the used hybrid’s service record. As hybrid vehicle specialist Carolyn Coquilette told Edmunds, the fact that hybrids are largely computer-controlled is good because it generally means you’re not going to have the same concerns about prior driving abuse you would have with other cars. Instead, one concern for hybrid buyers has more to do with the specialized batteries.

The April 2013 issue of Consumer Reports reported that nearly 20 percent of 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid owners required a battery replacement over a 12-month survey period. Additionally, the replacement rate was more than 10 percent for 2003, 2004 and 2010 Civic Hybrid models. Because hybrid batteries can range between $2,000 and $4,000 to replace, that is an understandable concern for potential buyers.

Photo by goldberg via Flickr

However, the Times noted that federal regulations require all hybrids to carry a minimum of a 100,000-mile, eight-year battery warranty, and some tests have shown that hybrid batteries can last much longer. John O’Dell, a senior editor at Edmunds, told the Times that battery life shouldn’t be a concern if a car is less than five years old and has fewer than 100,000 miles. Additionally, two executives at top automotive battery companies told the Wall Street Journal that the cost of lithium-ion batteries used in electric and hybrid vehicles will likely be about half of today’s price by 2020.

Another important step in looking for a used hybrid vehicle is to have an independent inspection performed by a trained hybrid mechanic. While many locations will typically have signage letting you know that they employ such trained mechanics, some dealerships do not always have certified mechanics. If you are unsure where to find qualified technicians in your area, the Auto Career Development Center lists such locations.

Photo by jurvetson via Flickr

Price can understandably be the major sticking point for those torn between buying new or used, but it should be noted that David Wurster, president of automotive research company Vincentric, told Forbes that while most hybrids have higher depreciation costs than non-hybrids, about half the hybrids his company analyzed in November 2012 had lower depreciation rates than the non-hybrids. Prospective buyers should also learn about the potential incentives their state offers—many of which are tax credits worth thousands of dollars.

Guest post by Victoria Brown

We live in a time where we are becoming a more environmentally conscious society than ever before. Each day, many of us take small steps to conserve resources and protect the health of our families and homes. We are becoming more conscious about what we bring into our homes, but it is just as important to be aware of what lies just outside of our homes that could affect our indoor air quality. Knowing the historical and present landscape of our neighborhood can bring awareness to some of the potential risks we may be at when it comes to the air quality in our homes. Below are some landscape features to get you thinking about your neighborhood environment, whether or not there is a risk for indoor air pollution in your home and if so, how one can mitigate any potential problems.

Landfill and Wetlands  

Gas station (Photo credits: www.mysafetysign.com)

Landfills and wetlands may be two very contrasting landscapes, but they both produce a lot of methane. Methane, also known as “natural gas,” is created during the process of decomposition of organic matter, which is the primary business of both landfills and wetlands. Methane is also found in homes with gas-powered stoves and heating systems. Methane makes up approximately 17% of the air we breathe; however, methane presents a dangerous problem if it accumulates in large concentrations within an enclosed structure. Due to its highly flammable nature, high concentrations of methane can pose a risk for explosion.

Active or Historical Oil Well

Depending on the region, oil exploration may make up a large part of your region’s history. States such as California and Texas have histories rich with oil exploration. Areas such as Marina Del Rey and Huntington Beach in Southern California are sites that formerly had been areas with extensive oil exploration, and are now mostly residential. When oil exploration first began, some oil wells were abandoned incorrectly, leaving a direct route for methane to escape to the surface. How can you find out if your home is near a historic or active oil well, and whether or not you are at risk for methane build-up in your home?

How much methane is too much methane?

Methane ordinance maps vary between each state, county and city. Once located, it is easy to see if your neighborhood is in a methane zone or methane buffer zone. For example, for unincorporated Los Angeles County, one can find this information at this site Solid Waste Information Management System County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works

Make sure you check to see if your city has its own methane ordinance. If the subject property is in Culver City for example, you would check with the individual city for their specific methane ordinance permit.
If it turns out that your property lies within a methane zone or methane buffer zone, testing for abnormal concentrations can be done by an environmental consultant.

Locating Historic Oil Wells

Sources of information vary from state to state; for example, in California, you can access maps with plotted active and historical wells. If the test results depict high levels of methane within your property, an environmental consultant can assist in designing a methane mitigation system.

Gas Stations and Dry Cleaners

Gas stations are so commonly part of our daily landscape that oftentimes we do not reflect on how it may have negative consequences on our health. Pollution derived from gas stations may affect our homes if we live within a quarter mile of one. Modern gas stations are designed with preventative environmental impact measures, but the reality is that many gas stations have been around for several decades and may have had issues with leaking underground storage tanks or spills. Gas stations tend to house a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), substances like hydrocarbons that are gaseous and dangerous.

Although gasoline itself is not a carcinogen, many of the additives are, such as benzene. If there was an incident where one of the underground storage tanks leaked, seeping into the soil and groundwater, there is a possibility that neighboring properties could be affected.
Identifying a contaminated gas station 

There are several resources available to the public that make it easy to find out whether or not your neighborhood gas station has had a reported pollution release.  You can search for more information using resources like environmentalpollutioncenters.org or search by zip code.

Like gas stations, dry cleaners are also part of our daily landscape. Dry cleaners, especially older operations, handle many hazardous materials. The two main contaminants associated with dry cleaners are Perchloroethylene (PCE) and Trichloroethylene (TCE).These are chlorinated solvents which if not handled properly, can quickly affect the soil and groundwater of the property and adjacent properties.

You can search your zip code to verify whether the dry cleaners in your neighborhood are within compliance or are having issues with contamination. If it turns out that there is a contaminated dry cleaning operation or gas station near by, you want to be sure the vapors are not entering your home. One way to test for this is to do a Soil Vapor Encroachment Study, conducted by an environmental consultant, to determine whether or not there is a possibility of vapors accumulating inside your home.
If, after doing a Soil Vapor Encroachment Study, it is determined that there are vapors present inside your home, there is a variety of reasonable options for mitigating the vapors.

Asbestos and Lead: Was your home built before 1980?

Asbestos and lead-based paint are commonly found in households built prior to 1980. Asbestos containing materials are used in ceiling acoustics, flooring adhesive, and pipe insulation, to name a few. Lead-based paint and asbestos containing materials are only a hazard if they are disturbed. Young children, pregnant women, and the elderly are the most sensitive to asbestos and lead exposure. If you have deterioration on the walls, ceiling or floors, or plan to renovate, in order to negate airborne contaminated dust, you can either hire an inspector to test the material, and a contractor to abate it, or if you do it yourself, wearing an N-95 mask is recommended to avoid breathing in potentially contaminated dust.

Asbestos and Lead Mitigation Hazardous material abatement by a professional will usually entail sealing off the area with tarp so as to limit the potential for contaminated dust entering other areas. Professionals will also finish by clearing the area with a special vacuum cleaner; regular vacuum cleaners are not affective for asbestos removal and will expel the asbestos fibers into the air.

There are many features in our neighborhood environments that we may not realize are harming us. The colorless and odorless nature of methane and the elusive, often underground movement of PCE and gasoline additives, all make it difficult to identify an environmental issue by sight or smell. Fortunately, information regarding environmental contamination and risk is fairly transparent due to regulatory oversight, allowing you to best prepare your home to be a safe and healthy environment.

Is that cockroach that just crawled out from behind the fridge making your stomach churn? There’s a chance it’s not your imagination—cockroaches carry bacteria that can cause gastric problems, including diarrhea. Flies are disease factories that can transmit diseases including hepatitis and tuberculosis.       

Some bugs put your home’s health in danger as well. Termites eat wood, and an infestation can cause serious damage to the structure of your home and often requires aggressive termite treatment to take care of the problem. While there are some woods such as cedar, redwood and eucalyptus that are toxic to these pests, this is no help unless you’ve already built your home out of these materials. Though plants can’t help much with termites, they can help control many other types of pests and toxins found around the home. Here are four examples of plants that help eliminate toxins and repel pests:

Bay Leaves

Bay leaves are most commonly used to add flavor to soups, stews and sauces, but few people realize they can help keep roaches under control. The leaves won’t necessarily hurt existing cockroaches, but they find the scent unpleasant and are likely to head in another direction.

Lemongrass

According to Hortmag.com, the best thing to plant to keep away mosquitoes is lemongrass. Lemongrass is the plant where citronella is found, which is widely used to control these pests. Bees are also not fond of the plant, making it even more beneficial. Although lemongrass is bad for bugs, it’s good for you. For many years it has been used to treat headaches and aid digestion, and recent research at Ben Gurion University in Israel suggests that it can even cause cancer cells to self-destruct.

Basil

It turns out a roach’s bay leaf is a housefly’s basil. When you’re making that homemade pizza or spaghetti sauce, save some basil to help control flies. The spice may be deliciously aromatic to you, but flies can’t stand it. Bugs aren’t the only things that clear out when basil’s around. According to Health.com, basil can also help get rid of skin blemishes and detoxify the liver.

Pyrethrum Chrysanthemums

Chances are you are more familiar with this flower’s common name, mums. There are many mum varieties that contain a natural insect repellant, pyrithrin, but pyrethrum mums are the most potent. These flowers resemble daisies and come in a variety of colors. Mums can keep away a lot of different insects, such as silverfish, roaches, fleas, lice, ants and bedbugs—and they won’t bother your pets.

Plants to Control Toxins

Besides insect control, these and many other plants also help improve the quality of the air in your home. Carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, radon, nitrogen oxide and other airborne pollutants can invade the air in homes and cause a wide range of problems including headaches, nervous system problems and cancer. Scientists at NASA have discovered that many plants help neutralize these chemicals.