Liz Milligan, facilitator
Next question is from Helga -- Helga would like to know about solar energy and how affordable it is for the average homeowner today. Is wind power a realistic option for the average homeowner? If so, what are the hurdles the average homeowner might face with regards to receiving permission from local zoning boards?

Alison Forbes Houlihan
Solar energy isn't our area of expertise, but if you're interested in solar we know an often missed first step is to get an energy audit. First thing you want to do is cut down on the amount of energy you use... It is also said that with tax incentives solar electricity can pay for itself in five to ten years. However, the initial cost is expensive... it's an investment... for more information visit www.bp.com

Liz Milligan, facilitator
Next up is a question from Angela... Angela is looking to build a home in the next year and her goal is to make it a more 'green' home.  She would like some information about web sites, organizations, companies that have brochures, products and methodology on building a better 'green' sustainable home.

Laura Forbes Carlin
A great book for creating a healthy home is "Homes that Heal" by Athena Thompson and a web site to check out is greenbuilding.com

Alison Forbes Houlihan
Traditional Home has a great column called Green Space. We also like thegreenguide.com, www.greenbuildingsupply.com and treehugger.com and www.naturalhomemagazine.com

Liz Milligan, facilitator
Next question is from Amanda S.... Amanda has seen that bamboo is being marketed as a sustainable material and used for many purposes (flooring, fabric, window shades, natural-living fences and so much more).  She would like to know if there are other sustainable materials that have such versatility.

Laura Forbes Carlin
Hemp seems to be another-- I just bought Hemp milk at the grocery store!

I have been very happy with my hemp shower (to replace the off-gassing vinyl) as well as the hemp curtains in my son's room...

Amanda S.
and how was hemp milk?

Laura Forbes Carlin
The hemp slip covers on my sofa have been washing very well

Alison Forbes Houlihan
For floors, cork is another sustainable choice and of course you can get FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood...

Amanda S.
When you say "Hemp shower" are you referring to the shower itself or the curtain?  Is hemp mainly used for fabric based items?

Laura Forbes Carlin
I also had a hemp rug at one point which I found a little rough, but good for an entryway— I haven't tried the milk yet!

Sorry— I meant shower curtain!

Angela C.
Are there any specific chains of building stores that have a section on sustainable materials and reusable materials?

Laura Forbes Carlin
I heard Home Depot is now a major carrier of FSC certified wood

Alison Forbes Houlihan
We love Livingreen. It's store in Culver City, California, but they are online and you can call with questions... livingreen.com

Amanda S.
My husband has a remodeling company and after hearing me push low energy and being green for the past few years he's trying to adopt greener building standards...this is part of my interest in sustainable building materials other than bamboo

Alison Forbes Houlihan
It's great that you’re pushing your husband to move toward green building materials... try www.greenbuildingsupply.com

Angela C.
I saw on an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition, where they took old tires and made a flooring surface for the horses.  Where can you buy/explore these type materials?

Alison Forbes Houlihan
When you explore recycled materials to use in your home make sure you're recycling a material that's good for your health... it's great to find new uses for tires, but it's not a healthy material... I also watched a home makeover show where they re-used old building supplies... pvc pipes to create a lamp, but when pvc heats up (which it would do with a light bulb inside) it emits toxic fumes... we always try to think about health, as well as green…

Liz Milligan, facilitator
Pam W. asks, Why does so much “green” design have so little color? It’s all so...neutral.

Laura Forbes Carlin
Green really doesn't have to be neutral. I happen to love whites and creams, but it certainly doesn’t have to be that way… it's just my personal taste… There are lots of colorful green options… for example healthy, green paints come in every color…

Alison Forbes Houlihan
And as more people request green alternatives, more and more green options are emerging… for colorful green fabrics check out qcollection.com and modgreenpod.com

Liz Milligan, facilitator
Next is from Stephanie S... Stephanie has have worked hard to create a mostly organic nursery for her baby, but would love to decorate a little more and wallpaper the walls. She knows a lot of wallpaper can be quite toxic. Can you recommend the least toxic way to go about this? She wants her aesthetics to live up to her ideals!

Alison Forbes Houlihan
Stephanie, as you suggested wallpaper is made of vinyl which releases unhealthy chemicals and often even worse are the adhesives and glues used to put them up. In addition, if you live in a humid climate, mold can get trapped under the wallpaper. so as you can tell I'm not a huge fan of wall paper... having said that there are some companies that are making organic cotton wallpaper or vinyl-free and there are some healthier adhesives... check out: Eco-fix adhesive, Wallpaper: modgreenpod.comanother idea to add interest to the nursery walls would be stencils or murals... obviously using no, low-voc paint.

Liz Milligan, facilitator
Next question is from Jane P... What do you consider to be the one most important thing to do to create a green and healthy home environment?

Laura Forbes Carlin
I think one of the most important things you can do is to be a conscious consumer- first by buying less. Probably reducing is most important-

If you do choose to buy something from food to water, clothes home furnishings— support a green company or product...

I think it is ultimately very individual, but for example I have been trying to work on not wasting food... it seems we always end up cleaning out the refrigerator each week and throwing things away... when I think of all the energy that goes into making transporting etc. food..

But also, asking ourselves each time we want something do we really need it— is there something else that could fulfill that function? and if we do want it...