Tip of the week: How to ‘green’ your house
Advice on making your home energy efficient and chemical free
Heat water efficiently. Invest in a “tankless” hot-water heater that starts only “on-demand,” or in a solar water-heating system. Besides cutting costs, both can qualify you for a federal tax credit.
Bolster insulation. “Exterior walls, basements, and attics” are usually problem spots. “Fill the cavity any time a wall is open.” Use environmentally sensible insulators, such as “soy-based foams, loose-fill cellulose, and denim,” and opt for the one with the highest thermal resistance, or R-value.
Check kitchen cabinets. Many contain “added urea formaldehyde,” which has been classified as a “human carcinogen.” Find formaldehyde-free cabinetry at Greencabinetsource.org.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Don’t use tainted paint. Many paints contain “volatile organic compounds” that can contribute to smog, as well as a host of illnesses, especially in children. Check out Greenseal.org for a list of certified non-VOC paints.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floods
Cartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Europe's heatwave: the new front line of climate change
In the Spotlight How will the continent adapt to 'bearing the brunt of climate change'?