What are VOCs and what can we do to avoid having them in our homes? VOCs are Volatile Organic Compounds, and no, this is not the type of “good” organic we want in our Texas Organic Home. VOCs are pollutants in our homes and can effect the indoor air quality of our homes. The resulting poor indoor air quality can have both short and long term ill health effects. For some great information on VOCs, just visit the United States government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website and look at the web page on Indoor Air Quality. Since VOCs are emitted by building materials, furnishings and paints as well as other materials in our homes, I am concentrating on these two in this blog. One of the best ways to avoid VOC’s is in the construction or even remodeling process.
There are green cabinet makers who follow green woodworking practices for example that are aware of the problems VOCs can cause in indoor air quality. Among these are Jeff Mitzel at Green Award Custom Woodworking at 5710 E. MLK in Austin, TX (512) 323-6633. Jeff and the other craftsmen at Green Award Custom Woodworking care about our earth and the indoor air quallity in your home enough to use materials that do not off gas in your indoor living environment. They also work by a zero waste policy. Waste ply materials are recycled by local artists, teachers and art therapists as well as in other woodworking projects at the Austin,TX shop. Using locally milled woods, new green products as well as reclaimed woods, the wood shop uses over 70 green raw materials in the creation of millwork and cabinetry. Green Award is also Austin, Texas’ oldest continually running cabinet and millwork shop.
I attended the Williamson County Kids N K9’s Graduation last night at the Williamson County Academy in Georgetown,Texas. It was a wonderful program! Each teen spoke to the crowd about what they learned from the Kids-N-K9s Program and then demonstrated their dog’s newly learned skill set. In addition to the usual sit, lay down and stay, the Kids-N-K9s dogs demostrated weaving through the legs of the teens, crawling, bowing, going through a tunnel and waving. The Williamson County cities of Hutto, Leander, Cedar Park and Round Rock partner with the WILCO shelter- so my taxes as a resident of Leander help pay for both the shelter facilities and the programs there. Unfortunately, the WILCO shelter is a “kill” shelter at this time. When the population gets too much over capacity, some unfortunate animals are euthanized. The Kids N K9’s dogs will never be euthanized because of the training they receive by teens at the Williamson County Academy. This program helps the WILCO Academy teens to learn many skills such as dog handling and training as well as patience and tolerance.
I met Homer – the black lab in the Kids N K9’s You Tube video above. His new family was at the graduation too. He is going to live in Pflugerville.
Do any pet owners know of any other great PET resources and programs that you like so I can share them with the public? Pets can be a great addition to the Texas Organic Home.
I am jealous. Everything’s in Austin…Sometimes, to someone who cares about the environment it seems that way…I live in Leander, Texas, Williamson County because of the affordability of homes and the Leander ISD school system. I am trying to help the City of Leander to encourage greenbuilding and green yards. My yard meets the criteria for Austin’s Award Winning Green Garden Program yet I am not a City of Austin water customer so I can’t share my yard in that venue. The City of Leander gets the water from the same place, Lake Travis but we buy it from Leander, not Austin. Part of being a Texas Organic Home is to have a green yard. By green I do not mean a huge, water hungry synthetic yard but a water conserving, sensible and beautiful yard that is safe for humans, pets and wildlife due to lack of synthetic chemicals. “Synthetic” yards use non-native plants and grasses from some rainforest that do not jive with the Austin/Central Texas climate. These plants drink too much of our water and may be invasive and take over our wild spaces.
Call or e-mail me and I’ll help you learn more.
signed, a Native Texan and aspiring Master Naturalist, Citizen Gardener, and Master Gardener.
The Second Annual Austin Green Holiday Social is being held Tuesday, December 15th, 2009, 6:00 -10:00 pm at the beautiful and organic Barr Mansion. Tickets are $22.00 in advance by credit card or PayPal on-line and $30.00 at the door. The event is co-hosted by Net Impact Austin, Public Citizen, Design-Build-Live, the Austin Eco-Network, Eco Series, Texas Green Network and the Sierra Club. The Barr Mansion at 10463 Sprinkle Road, Austin, TX 78754 is a showcase for sustainability being the first USDA certified organic events facility in the United States. The Barr Mansion grounds are a NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat. Music for the event will be world fusion by Nelson Saga. The Barr Mansion will be providing organic food for the event. There will also be Theo organic chocolates, New Belgium beer as well as various wines and teas. Guests are bringing canned food items for families in need. There will be a raffle benefiting Mobile Loaves and Fishes.
Austin, Texas is Poised for a Fast Economic Recovery according to Forbes-
The Austin, Texas, Round Rock, Texas Metro Area is ranked number 3 in a Forbes Real Estate list of America’s Fastest Recovering Cities. San Antonio, TX was number 2, the Dallas-Fort Worth, Arlington, TX Metro Area was number 6; Houston, Sugar Land, Baytown, TX Metro Area was number 8 on the list. The November 19, 2009 article entitled “America’s Fastest-Recovering Cities” by Francesca Levy stated that no area completely escaped the recession but these areas have “diversified industry and relatively stable housing” which provides residents with “comparatively secure standards of living”. The article went on to quote from Texas A & M University Real Estate Center’s research economist James P. Gaines that Texas did not have a housing boom or bubble as much as other areas of our country did so therefore we are not experiencing a big bust. I am thankful to be in Texas and in the Austin, Texas, Round Rock, Texas area. My forefathers settled here when Texas was a Republic. It is sad to look at pictures of what is happening in say, Detroit where whole neighborhoods are simply returning to nature, houses completely covered with vines and vegetation as they slowly rot back into the Earth.
Did you know that there are EEMs or Energy Efficient Mortgages? THese are also known as GREEN Mortgages. An EEM or GREEN MOrtgage is a home loan that gives you extra money because the property you are buying is very energy efficient, thereby saving you money on utilities and allowing you to purchase more house. Please contact me for more information. I’d love to help you buy a GREEN home and there are many, many GREEN homes, GREEN builders & GREEN architects in the Austin, Texas area!
Interested in understanding and learning about holistic ranch management?
The Ranch your Texas Organic Home is on should be managed holistically.
Don’t know anything about Holistic Ranch Management? Don’t worry- many classes are being held in October 2009 right here in Texas & neighboring state Oklahoma.
Register for classes on Mob Grazing and Holistic Ranch Management at the Richards Ranch in Jacksboro, Texas. Learn more about making your land healthy using Mob Grazing at the Bear Creek Ranch in Aledo, Texas which is owned by the Dixon Water Foundation.
The Dixon Water Foundation provides education & does research on water issues & ecologically sustainable land management. Sign up for these and more classes on holistic ranch management at the Holistic Management International website.
An informative conversation regarding the reality of the electric car: hybrid cars, science, technology, the economy, government, politics, etc. will be held
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 7:00pm to 8:30pm
at Cafe Caffeine at 909 W. Mary St. #A, Austin, TX 78704.
This event is presented in conversation form with Jeremy P. Meyers, Assistant Professor of Engineering at the University of Texas and Garry Golden, Energy Futurist and hosted by Joel Greenburg, Director of Immercio.
This home in the Northwest Area of Austin, Texas (Cedar Park) has been updated with ceramic tile in the kitchen, half bath & laundry areas. solar screens, a programmable thermostat; lots of windows for natural light and ventilation. I have lived in this home and loved it!
Exemplary rated Cypress Creek Elementary within walking distance of home.
Mature landscaping and a smaller amount of lawn grass due to a wonderfully large mulched area that you don’t need to water! Gutters in place- just add a rain barrel or two. Great sunny area for a garden! Native stone on 4 sides!
