Walk down the cleaning aisle of any store and you will find dozens of items designed to disinfect the home. However, one item not found on these shelves is UV-C sanitizing light, currently used to disinfect in hospitals, food manufacturing plants, and water treatment plants.

Around our planet, microbial balance is achieved by the natural air purification found within the C band of the ultraviolet light (UV) spectrum of the sun. Scientists have been able to capture this natural process in an UV- C light device.

The UV-C light device inhibits the growth of bacteria, viruses, molds, and even dust mites found in homes and other places. Since the late 1990s, much research has been done on the health benefits of using this technology. The process is chemical free, odorless, and will not pollute the environment. One such study performed at a large Florida hospital stated,

“We have found that the high output UVC energy kills or inactivates both coil and drain pan mold and bacteria (to eliminate their toxins, VOC and spore production, and allergens).”

Polluted Indoor Air

According to reports made by the Environmental Protection Agency, polluted indoor air is a major health problem. Over time, exposure to these respiratory irritants can trigger other problems like chronic inflammation, asthma, allergies, and other respiratory ailments.

The Immune System

The body’s immune system has built-in defenses that seek out and destroy foreign substances in the form of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. However, those who are very young, frail, or have compromised immune systems, have a tendency to get sick more often than others. Also, environmental toxins, allergens, and other respiratory irritants can further challenge the immune system’s ability to function optimally.

In recent decades, science has made many immunological advances in medicines and other ways to combat illnesses. UV-C light technology is able to reduce the numbers of these foreign substances and these reductions provide an opportunity for the immune system to manage a smaller bombardment of challengers to a healthy body.

We already know that illness can easily be transmitted from individual to individual. However, illness-causing agents (pathogens) can also be transmitted from shared items at work, home, and school:

• Bathrooms

• Kitchens

• Telephones

• Doorknobs

• Writing instruments

• Computer keyboard and mouse

• The car’s steering wheel and transmission stick

Pathogens commonly found in shared environments are:

• Staphylococcus aureus

• E. coli

• Clostridium

• Aspergillus

• Pseudomonas

Traditional Cleaning Agents

Traditional cleaning products do help to keep our home, work, and school environments safe from such pathogens. Unfortunately, these harsh chemicals often come with a trade-off, such as allergic reactions, skin irritation, and if used improperly, toxicity, respiratory and other internal problems.

As well, the chemicals released from these products can pollute the air and water. The labels of many cleaning products can be revealing, containing harsh chemicals like:

• Formaldehyde

• Ammonia

• Bleach

• Phenols

• Nitrobenzene

• Petroleum

• Chloride

• UV-C Light Technology

As a nurse and naturopath, anything that can help me achieve balance and reduce illness in my environment is going to attract my attention. So I tried one a UV-C light hand-held device*, and I was impressed by its ability to:

• Quickly disinfects--less than 2 seconds for some surfaces.

• Its portability-- it can be taken on vacation to disinfect hotel rooms.

• It can disinfect objects like toilet bowl handles, T.V. and cable remotes, computer mouse.

• It can disinfect high-risk places for dust-mitesmattress, bedding, pillows, stuffed animals.

UV-C light is a new ally in the war for a greener and cleaner environment. Although not new, it is finding its way into homes across America and around the world. While there are many natural products on the market that eliminate the need for toxic and harmful ingredients, the UV-C light offers another option for disinfecting the home, car, work, and school environments.

*CleanWave UV-C Sanitizing Wand model VH01WW4.

Who has time for a vacation these days with the economy in the dumps and life a seemingly endless drone of bill collectors and other financial responsibilities?

It seems unlikely to find individuals who willingly give their time and money as freely as Michelle Olson.

Michelle is a 54-year old woman with a penchant for vacationing in Guatemala (she has been here 10 times already). But, Michelle does not spend her time in a five-star hotel or lying on the beach, she uses her precious free time getting her hands dirty with cement and whitewash.

I was fortunate to be invited to dinner with Michelle and the rest of her team from an organization called Helps International (HI). A US-based non-profit organization, HI sends groups of volunteers overseas to work in poor rural communities on medical or “home transformation” projects. In this particular case, the trip was a package deal consisting of some much needed kitchen remodeling — construction of improved fuel efficient wood-burning stoves, concrete floors, whitewash walls, and installation water filters for 12 rural families in the Guatemalan highlands.

A veteran HI volunteer, this is Michelle’s ninth trip with the organization. She says she would not trade the experience for the world. Born in Panama to a navy family, service is in her blood. At home in Minnesota, Michelle is self-employed with her own plant nursery business. In Guatemala, she serves as translator and “chief backslapper” for the rest of the crew.

With HI, the volunteers doing the work pay for the project and all of their individual costs such as airfare, hotel, and extras. HI host-country staff make all the arrangements for the working visits, including meals and accommodations; a fully organized “vacation with a conscience”. I asked Michelle why she would spend her precious time and money to help an anonymous Guatemalan family and she humbly responded: “I do it because I like it.”

Since money is always an issue, Michelle says: “I thought about it for many years, but I waited until my son finished high school before I finally acted.”

When asked what her husband thinks about all this, she said smiling: “My husband goes hunting and I volunteer.”

“I’ve never been afraid of things” she says, “I was just waiting for my son to finish school and to have enough money.” The volunteers raised about US $6,000 to cover the renovations for 12 rural families. Michelle’s personal expenses are US $1,700 for airfare and a one-week stay at lake Atitlán, Guatemala. Michelle’s first trip with HI was in 2003 at 49 years old. This just shows you it is never too late. She says it helps to be physically fit but there is always something to do even if you are not as fit as you would like to be. Also, people walk a lot on these trips so everyone gets some exercise.

As an adventurer, Michelle says, “I love to travel and I don’t get to do as much as I’d like since I run my own business.” She continues, “I like to immerse myself in the culture and I can’t think of a better way to do that than being in someone else’s kitchen especially when I only have a one-week break.”

Knowledge of a foreign language is not necessary although Michelle is grateful for the little Spanish she has picked up over the years because it “enhances the experience”. She says, “I feel fortunate to have [some] Spanish…, so I can make connections with people. I had Spanish in high school and college up to an intermediate level. It’s not necessary for the work but, for me, it greatly enhances the experience.”

If you would like to spread your wings but feel reluctant due to a lack of support or money, please take heart. Michelle says she has made many friends on these trips and “some of them are good enough friends that we see each other throughout the year especially to raise money.” She is already planning her “vacations with a conscience” for 2010 and 2011. It may be somewhere in Asia.

If you are intrigued by the idea of this kind of “vacation with a conscience”, check out the Helps International website: www.helpsintl.org, where you can find an active group near you and dates of upcoming service trips.

For the most part, groups depart throughout the year so there is bound to be at least one date that works for you. HI is just one organization working on these kinds of volunteer-oriented development projects and we make no claims about the organization or the sustainability of the projects. In the future, we will spotlight other opportunities to be of service in your own community and overseas. No matter what, when things get tough, sometimes it is good to get away to remember what it is we “do” have and many others do not. By relieving some of the burden of another, we often begin to alleviate our own.

Who knew cleaning could be so seasonal?

With chilly weather fast approaching for many of us, it is important to get some cleaning and yard work done to keep our homes in tip top shape during the winter months. Depending on where you live, October may be the last month you can comfortably be outside to get work done. October is a good time to organize the yard, gutters, and garage. With no need for chemicals or cleaning supplies for this type of work, fall cleaning is an effortless green cleaning activity.

Here are two great fall green cleaning projects:

1. Cleaning gutters and downspouts

A great thing to do before the snow hits is to clean the gutters on your roof.  If they are not cleaned, you could be looking at a clogged drainage system, which leads to foundation and roof problems, and that often equates to a super expensive but easily-avoidable repair bill.  While this sounds like a tall order, think of it as a team-building exercise.

You will need a large ladder, a spotter to hold the ladder, a good pair of garden gloves, a small garden trowel and a compostable bag.

Start by safely positioning the ladder against your house, and working your way around the roof or trading off with your spotting partner.  Clean all debris from the gutters by trowel or protected hand, depositing waste into the compostable bag.  Do not use a hose at the beginning of this task because the water mixed with debris can overwhelm the gutter and can cause the downspouts to back up. The finer muck can also be removed, perhaps for this task you would want to use the trowel, gently of course.

Once the bigger debris is cleared, you can give the gutters a good clean rinse with a hose to remove all remaining residue.  This should also help clean the downspouts, and if you feel extra adventurous, you can try feeding the hose right into the drain opening in the gutter and blast water through the downspout.  That will leave you with a squeaky clean gutter system that is ready for winter.

2. Composting leaf, yard and organic kitchen waste

One of the upsides to the fall season is creating a compost bin in your garden.  With all of the lovely leaves changing colours, falling off, and covering our lawns, the best way to leverage these free golden nuggets is as compost!  Not to mention, you certainly have other organic waste that can easily be composted including fruit and vegetable peelings, grass clippings, coffee grinds, and natural fibers such as wood, cotton, and wool.

You can purchase a compost unit at your local hardware store or through your town or city departments, or the more adventurous types can build their own.

When setting it up, think of your compost as a lasagne - the compost bin needs many layers to be a success.  Add about 6 inches of compostable materials (the more broken down the better) and thinly spread a layer of 10-10-10 percentage mix fertilizer (available at any garden or hardware store) on top of that.  The compost can be built up this way, and always create a small depression in the middle of the pile, which will allow for easy watering. You want to keep it damp, but never too wet.  To keep it evenly damp, turn the pile once in a while.

It is critical to not place any type of fat in the compost, or else animals will make a meal out of your backyard project!  A great tip is to squeeze lemon or lime on the pile to reduce odours.

Hopefully the changing season will encourage you to venture outside and take care of these fall projects to keep your home cleaner and greener!

You'd have to be living under a rock not to know glaciers and ice caps are melting, and water levels are rising, but did you know trees are dying, and the Arctic Sea floor is releasing methane? And what about shrinking sheep? Scientists are discovering the varied ways warmer temperatures are changing the planet's ecosystems, and three recent studies shine a light on the complex ways rising temperatures are changing (or will change) wildlife population levels.

Click here to read our full article on TreeHugger.com.

According to the EPA, "The definition of a GWP for a particular greenhouse gas is the ratio of heat trapped by one unit mass of the greenhouse gas to that of one unit mass of CO2 over a specified time period."

Click here to read our full article on Planet Green.

A new report from the U.S. Geological Survey published in Arctic reveals the Pacific brant, a small sea goose, is now wintering in sub-Arctic areas.

In the past, 90 percent of the bird's population wintered in Mexico, with the rest scattered up the Pacific coast, but now nearly one-third spend winters in Alaska.

Click here to read our full article on TreeHugger.

It is a myth that only urban dwellers experience smog. The effect of pollution can travel with the wind and affect other nearby towns and communities.

Due to the alarming rise in respiratory disease, air quality is a primary health concern. Indoor air quality can often be more hazardous than the outdoor air.

As a healthcare practitioner, it is important for me to discuss with families not only outdoor air quality but also the air quality in their home environment.

Increased Asthma

One of the greatest health impacts of air pollution is witnessed in the increased numbers of children diagnosed with asthma. Childhood asthma is the number one reason for school absenteeism.

Adults and children are being diagnosed at record numbers. Since the rates of asthma have increased exponentially worldwide, our greatest concern is now in taking measures to ensure greater air quality in the home and our environment.

Smog

Smog consists of airborne particles and ground-level ozone. The particles are minute droplets (brown, white, or dark gray) that are suspended in the air.

These liquid particles of smog can remain in the air for days or weeks and pose serious health risks.

Ozone is a gas produced when air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides react and are naturally heated by the sun.

Tips for Keeping Our Air Clean

• Carpool or move closer to your workplace.

• Ride a bike to work. Or work from home at least 1 day per week if possible.

• Plant deciduous trees on the south and west sides of your house to provide shade in the summer and decrease use of air conditioning.

• Unplug any electronic devices that are not in use. (They still use electricity when they’re not on!)

• An electronic air filtration such as a HEPA filter in the home can help improve air quality.

• Avoid carpeting in the home and stuffed animals in the bedroom. These can be sources of dander, dust mites, and fireplace smoke.

• Practice proper breathing techniques, which can improve tissue oxygenation and lymphatic flow.

• Yoga and Qi Gong are practices that can teach about the importance of proper breathing.

• Increasing dietary antioxidants in the diet and/or by supplementation may help benefit lung function. Talk to your healthcare provider adding any nutritional supplements to your diet.

• Avoid pets in the bedroom.

• Use environmentally-friendly household cleaners to avoid toxic fumes at home.

• Consider hiring an eco-friendly home cleaning service to assist with thorough maintenance of home.

The key is to remember that all of these changes do not have to be made overnight. Sit down with your family and come up with a plan that works for all you.

It is our responsibility to be conscious and informed. Spread the message about clean air to others. Get involved and have fun!

The Nature Conservancy has developed a new online tool called the ClimateWizard, which maps past and projected climate data. According to their calculations, several U.S. states are expected to see sharp temperature increases by the turn of the next century--not in most of our lifetimes, but certainly in our grandchildren's.

North, south, east, west—no matter which direction you look in the United States, temperatures are expected to climb.

Click here to read our full article on TreeHugger.com.

At Naturally Savvy we always love to hear from our readers who do things in a natural and organic way. Kim Hutchinson, a Savvy Reader wanted to share how she got rid of two pesky wasp's nest, naturally.

Kim had great results with food-grade diatomaceous earth. Kim went out after dusk, properly clothed for the task. She checked the following day during active hours and found the wasps to be gone! After the first application, Kim explains, the traffic had significantly slowed, and it petered off to no traffic at all eventually.

Kim explains "It took just a few minutes each night, but by the end of 5 days, they were completely gone. I used it on a second (very small) nest behind our porch light and it was gone after 2 applications".

Kim is one of our Canadian readers and purchased "Chemfree Insectigone" from a retailer called Canadian Tire in the pest removal section.

She found a natural product in the U.S. that can also rid your home of wasps. The product is in a white cyclindrical container and has an applicator at the end, which allows you to gently spray or dust the powder on/in the nest.

Kim wants to give credit to where credit is due. This solution was recommended to Kim by Barbara of Evergreen Pest Control in Ottawa.

A: Typically 750 ml to 1 L is a good guide...having said that, essential oils are not harmful and the amount of oil added will affect the smell more than anything...I wouldn't go under 10 drops so that the disinfecting properties can be utilized.