ORGANIC LIVING
By
Robert Rodale
Your Home Can Be A Haven Or A Hazard
With the FBI pumping out grim crime statistics yearly,
we’re accustomed to fearing danger in the streets. But our
homes can be dangerous, too - maybe even more
dangerous because of the ostensible air of security they
have.
What would be your answer if someone came up to you
and asked if you’d mind storing a bomb in your home for a
few months?
Chances are good that you’d icport him to the police as
some kind of crank and tell the story at the next party you
attend. But you’ve probably got a half dozen bombs sitting
in your home right now. “They’re not called bombs,
however. They’re called aerosols.
Yes, that’s right. Every aerosol bomb in your home has
the potential for exploding, says Janice Crossland, a
research associate with “Environment” magazine.
In addition to the dangers of having cancer-causing
chemicals, such as the recently-banned vinyl chloride
used to propell the aerosol's contents, there’s also the
problem of aerosols, themselves.
The aerosol cans, she says, are pressurized. “When
heated above a certain temperature an aerosol may ex
plode. Such explosions have occurred, despite the fact
FARM or SNOW TIRES
VA
lEOIA TIRE SERVICE, INC.
656-6181 or 656-2574
SAVE
UP TO
50%
ON EITHER
• Plenty of Snow*Tires in Stock
• All Size Farm Tire in Stock
Friendly Service
that, according to one group of aerosol industry critics,
the problem could easily be avoided.”
The point is not that explosions of aerosol cans could be
avoided, but that virtually every home in America has one
or more of these bombs sitting on a shelf, waiting to go off.
And that’s just one item to add to the growing list of things
that can make American homes dangerous places to be in.
Government figures show that there are an estimated
10,000 fire*? attributed to television sets every year. On top
of that, a study of television sets - mostly color portables -
completed in early 1974 showed that 140,000 sets were
found to have fire or shock hazards requiring repair dr
replacement by the manufacturers. And these weren’t
odd or unknown brands. They were products of top-of-the
line manufacturers whose ads are still running.
Even the air in your home may not be as clean as you
might think. It’s loaded with almost imperceptible
amounts of deodorants, disinfectants, cleaners, polishes
and other liquids used regularly by housewives. Common
pesticides, paints, sponge rubber furniture and plastics
also contribute unwanted substances to the air. Scientists
still don’t know the long-range consequences to our health
of chronic exposure to those chemicals
There are electronic air purifiers advertised for the
home that are supposed to remove all but the smallest
amount of pollution. But electrostatic precipitators used
in most models produce ozone, itself a pollutant.
A - letter from Jerome T. Siedlecki of the American
Medical Association’s Department of Occupational
Health, which appeared in a medical journal recently,
stated that no long-term effects of human exposure to
ozone have been reported. But animals studies show that
repeated exposure to ozone leads to serious lung damage.
All of this sounds pretty grim, indeed. But you cap
improve jour home environment. Get rid of those
aerosols. Any product that comes m them is usually
available in other containers as well. Instead of
detergents, use good, old-fashioned soap. Unplug your
television when not in use. Read labels and be especially
cautious about letting dangerous chemicals such as
complete line of
RADIAL TIRES
Including AAichelin
GOOD STOCK
OF TRUCK TIRES
PASSENGER - FARM - TRUCK TIRES
258 W. MAIN ST., LEOLA, PA.
A nation's character is the
sum o{ its splendid deeds
They constitute one common
patrimony, the nation’s in
heritance They awe foreign
powers, and they arouse and
animate our own people
—Henry Clay
X'° FAST - DEPENDABLE - SERVICE
EQUIPPED TO SERVE YOU — FOR ALL YOUR FARM NEE
GAS
SPACE
HEATERS
R'S METERED GAS SERVICE, INC.
MY
Lancaster Farming. Saturday, Jan. 4,1975
pesticides and solvents Inside your house.
Your home doesn’t have to be a disaster area. Keep it
clean, free from pollutants and clutter, and with a few
precautions, it can become the haven of security that it’s
supposed to be.
Of course, true peach of mind involves more than just
removing the bad things from your household en
vironment. You also have to take positive steps to build in
security.
One way is by making sure your home contains an
ample reserve of grains and other dried food to weather
possible emergencies. (A month's supply is a good target
to aim for.) Converting part of your basement into a root
cellar, stocked with potatoes, apples and other good
things, is another practical step.
If your home has some land around it, you’re in an even
better position. A small yard can easily be converted into
a productive vegetablejtarden. And you can put a small
comer of your property to work as a compost pile site,
turning household wastes and kitchen scraps into valuable
fertilizer.
Add a touch of serenity to your haven by silencing
blaring televisions, record players, dishwashers and other
loud appliances. Use the time to meditate or exercise The
tranqmlity that results will help drain tensions and relax
your body naturally.
Ideally, your home would have a back-up energy source
in case of power interruptions or scarcity. That’s not yet
possible for most of us, but low-cost windmills, methane
generators and solar heating units may soon be perfected
for home installation.
(Editor’s Note: The opinions appearing in “Organic
Living” are those of its author, Robert Rodale, an in
dependent columnist. Rodale’s comments do not
necessarily reflect the thinking of the Lancaster Farming
editor or anyone else on the Lancaster Farming staff.)
CALORIC
RANGES
P.O. BOX 71
MANHEIM, PA. 17545
Telephone (717) 665-3588
-XXX
GAS
BROODERS
FURNACES
75