Wasteful - Just not thinking!

It always amazes me to see dumpsters drive away full of building construction debris.  It may be garbage to the contractor or the owner, but to me it is a box full of treasures.  Beautiful oak flooring that just needs a facelift, old doors that can be reused or even converted into something else, raw lumber that can be used to make a new wall or even a treehouse, large pieces of structural lumber that can become a new header for a door or window.  Just taking apart older homes, previous renovations and existing buildings leads to a lot of construction waste.  Mounds of waste, that can be saved.  

I want to scream out to the contractor just tossing it away = Hey Mr. Neighbor... Did you realize you can reuse that stuff? Or give it to Someone else?  On average over 8,000 pounds of waste are thrown into a landfill for the construction of a 2,000 sq foot home!  Yes you read that right! That is incredible. And then you go out and purchase more of the same stuff to finish your project!

During my own construction project we just finished I did my own "dumpster diving".   Yes its exactly what it sounds like. Jumping inside of the dumpster pulling out all things recyclable and then folding, cutting and tying it up putting it on the curb every other Friday. As we did demolition we saved 2x4's put them in a pile under the porch for use later, we saved old cabinets, repainted them and rebuilt them to suit our newer needs. Did you know PVC pipe can be recycled? Copper tube? iron pipes? Most likely not. 

What about separating your garbage in the dumpsters to make it easier to find the right place? Doing a bit of excavation are you? Well have a small dumpster on site for concrete and block, that can be recycled into new concrete, find you have clean fill because you are creating a basement? Well don't just put garbage on top of it, then it is impossible to reuse?  Being proactive in your project will allow your contractor to have a heads up on your garbage thoughts! 

Well here is my advice, you pay for everything you bring into your home, even packaging. They you pay to get rid of it, and pay a third time to by the new stuff replacing the old.  Why not recycle what you can, reuse what is good, reduce your expenses, and in the end save thousands of pounds of garbage from going into landfills! 

When your asked: are you kidding me? I always say no, Im not kidding, that old 2x6's could be reused, the old doors from your home may be great in someone else's.  www.freecycle.org is an excellent place to give away your unwanted items to people who do want them. 

Start to take responsibility for your own projects you will quickly see that others will follow in your shoes, each reducing our global impact!  I know my small circles have taken note, and now the contractors on my job are a little more guilty every-time they throw something away.  Perhaps I have even converted one or two. So now I'm know as the nutter to work for, but that is OK, because I know I've done my part today! 

Enjoy your next construction project.  

Anastasia

Living with Liver Disease

Doing what we do every day leads to consequences.  At least that is what my mother always told me.  So pushing all of my dirty clothes under my bed, as I did EVERY time she asked me to clean my room resulted in no clean clothes at the beginning of the week.

    Doing the right thing in life has always been something I have sought out since both of my parents died from diseases either self exacerbated, or environmentally induced. I have been careful, eating organic, reducing chemicals in my life, becoming an advocate for healthier buildings bla bla. You know the rest. 

    So what to think when I was diagnosed with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Syndrome.  Well I was not totally surprised something was wrong with me. I did not feel well, had terrible gird, burning in my stomach, the feeling I needed to eat to suppress it, tired all the time and only wanting to sleep. 

    My three little girls were pulling and tugging at me saying ‘mommy please come play with me’, ‘your no fun anymore’. This broke my heart! After a complete medical work up and 8 tubes of blood, I was told to see a specialist.  

    Specialists in my opinion are nothing but a supplement to the encyclopedia of medical professionals. They have text book responses to typical tests and never offer the  ‘why’ this is happening to me!  Yes I know I am predisposed to metabolic conditions because my mother, and my grandmother, and my great grandmother all died from complications of diabetes (categorized as a metabolic disease).  But what was my WHY??  

    I’m not the same as my mother or all of my grandmothers. I am different, I take care of myself, take vitamins, eat well, exercise, live healthier, all of which my female ancestors never did. As I research and find out my WHY it scares me. 

    My why is most likely based on environmental and self induced toxic chemical exposure.  Yes I said self-induced.  I live with chronic pain in my back from a skiing accident when I was 16.  So I take ibuprofen, sometimes for weeks on end every 8 hours 2 or maybe even 3 tablets. Other times its not necessary.  But why would I ever think this can damage my liver? There is no large WARNING label on the bottle? 

    Plus now I find from my research that household products and cosmetics contain chemicals that exposure your liver totoxins that can lead to Fatty Liver. Ha, fatty liver, my husband so affectionately calls it my ‘chubby liver’! 

    So I wonder. Have I caused my own health issues unknowingly? Perhaps...

Here is a list of household chemicals that have been linked to Fatty Liver as posted on the website for the Huston Medical Center. 

If you have been diagnosed with Fatty Liver syndrome it is extremely important that you limit exposure to everyday chemicals that are already noted for their toxicity to the liver. It is important to use gloves or adequate protection when utilizing these chemicals in order to limit absorption. The following is a brief list of household chemicals that you should exercise care around:

Chlorinated aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons 
Found in: Paint Thinner 
Can cause liver and kidney damage.

Naphthalene Also Known As: 1-methylnapthalene, and 2-methylnapthalene 
May be Found in: Mothballs, Moth Flakes, Toilet Bowl Cleaners, Deodorant Blocks for toilets and diaper pails

Para-Dichlorobenzene also known as: para-DCB, p-DCB, 1,4-Dichlorobenzene 
Para-Dichlorobenzene is a probable carcinogen that can also harm the central nervous system, liver and kidneys.

Perchloroethylene - Also Known As: tetrachloroethylene, tetrachloroethane, 1-1-1 trichloroethane solvents, PCE 
Found in: Dry Cleaning Fluid, Spot Removers, and Carpet Cleaners 
Can cause liver and kidney damage if ingested. Can accumulate and persist in human fatty tissues and breast milk.

Phenol and cresol 
Found in: Disinfectants 
May cause diarrhea, fainting, dizziness, and kidney and liver damage

Toluene - Also Known As: methylbenzene 
Found in: Adhesives, Nail Polish, Cosmetics, Rubber Cement, Paints, Paint Thinners, Lacquers, Stain Removers, Dyes and Inks. 
toluene in highly toxic, may cause skin, kidney, liver, central nervous system damage; may damage reproductive system.

    UGGGH I do my nails, I have used disinfectants, had my clothes dry cleaned, used deodorants in my life.  Now I do not use the same products that have these chemical compounds in them.  But who knew of the damage and self inflicted health problems I was causing for myself.  And what about my three precious girls when they were inside my womb?  Did I poison them too? I now protect myself with knowledge, even keeping them safe by limiting their exposures in our home, but I fear for their exposures outside our home. 

I hope to understand what consequences my actions will have on me in the future. 

Anastasia