What city is most likely to trigger an asthma attack? Statistically speaking it is Knoxville, a distinction it was unfortunate enough to win in 2004 and 2007 as well. Some of the reasons for this dirty award are, “higher than average annual pollen levels, high air pollution, lack of “100% smoke-free” laws and patient over-use of asthma rescue medications.”

The good news in announcing such designations is that the media is more likely to cover the growing problem of asthma, allergies and other respiratory problems.

Oh yes, here are the other cities that were “honored”:

Blankets, toys, gas stoves, computers, and carpets can lead to allergies, asthma, even cancer, and might contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Common indoor potted plants may improve indoor air by reducing levels of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.

In part, that’s because of chemicals in their homes, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.

1. One big source of indoor air pollution is the off-gassing of chemicals in many building materials. A big culprit is the particleboard or medium density fiberboard in many countertops, kitchen cabinets, shelving and furniture.

For years after installation the adhesives in the pressed-wood products used in making them releases urea formaldehyde a known human carcinogen.

Feng Shui (pronounced "Fung Schway") is a Chinese art that is over 3,000 years old. The words Feng Shui literally translates into "wind water" but the concept is difficult to explain in a brief sentence when we are talking about Feng Shui in our homes - as Feng Shui incorporates everything from simplicity to organisation, to placement, to shape, to direction. Feng Shui brings balance in nature and balance to our relationship with nature. It teaches us how to live with the energy and life that surrounds us.

With the cost of oil and gasoline on the rise, there has been plenty of discussion regarding the state of oil dependency in the U.S. and how we can reduce it.

I have been a proponent of environmentally safe, non-petroleum based household cleaners for several years and aside from the non-toxic and hypoallergenic benefits of such products we are also reducing our oil dependency.

If every household in the U.S. replaced just ONE bottle of 25 oz. petroleum-based dishwashing liquid with a natural plant based product...we could save...

The Home Safety Council sponsors the Home Safety Awareness Month every June, and honestly, this was the first time it "caught my eye" because I never gave much thought about "home safety" until having a baby. Now, it's all I think about!

There is a great Safety Guide and Checklist for every-possible safety measure you can think of: http://www.homesafetycouncil.org/safety_...

What have you done to make your home safer, for either yourself, your family or even guests!

I didn't pick these from a magazine or anything, and they are probably not the best (and certainly not the only!) ways to go a little green but here are some of the things I do to help me, my family and my environment. We're definitely not perfect (we have two cars and a sprinkler system!) but we're trying...