Source: The Green Guide

Choosing modern technology can reduce our use of fossil fuels and help protect the planet. These ten steps will help curb global warming, save you money, and create a safer environment for the future.

Drive Smart!
A well-tuned car with properly inflated tires burns less gasoline—cutting pollution and saving you money at the pump. If you have two cars, drive the one with better gas mileage whenever possible. Better yet, skip the drive and take public transit, walk, or bicycle when you can.

Buy Local and Organic
Did you know the average American meal travels more than 1,500 miles from the farm to your plate? Think of all the energy wasted and pollution added to the atmosphere—not to mention all the pesticides and chemicals used to grow most produce! So go to your local organic farmer to get your fruits and veggies.

Support clean, renewable energy.
Renewable energy solutions, such as wind and solar power, can reduce our reliance on coal-burning power plants, the largest source of global warming pollution in the United States. Call your local utility and sign up for renewable energy. If they don’t offer it, ask them why not?

Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
Especially those that burn the longest each day. Compact fluorescents produce the same amount of light as normal bulbs, but use about a quarter of the electricity and last ten times as long. Each switch you make helps clean the air today, curb global warming, and save you money on your electricity bill.

Saving energy at home is good for the environment and for your wallet.
Start with caulking and weather-stripping on doorways and windows. Then adjust your thermostat and start saving. For each degree you lower your thermostat in the winter, you can cut your energy bills by three percent. Finally, ask your utility company to do a free energy audit of your home to show you how to save even more money.

Become a smart water consumer.
Install low-flow showerheads and faucets and you’ll use half the water without decreasing performance. Then turn your hot water heater down to 120°F and see hot-water costs go down by as much as 50 percent.

Buy energy-efficient electronics and appliances.
Replacing an old refrigerator or an air conditioner with an energy-efficient model will save you money on your electricity bill and cut global warming pollution. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances or visit their website at www.energystar.gov to find the most energy-efficient products.

Plant a Tree, protect a forest.
Protecting forests is a big step on the road to curbing global warming. Trees “breathe in” carbon dioxide, but slash-and-burn farming practices, intensive livestock production, and logging have destroyed 90 percent of the native forests in the United States. And you can take action in your own backyard—planting shade trees around your house will absorb CO2, and slash your summer air-conditioning bills.

Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!
Producing new paper, glass, and metal products from recycled materials saves 70 to 90 percent of the energy and pollution, including CO2, that would result if the product came from virgin materials. Recycling a stack of newspapers only four feet high will save a good-sized tree. Please… buy recycled products!

Mount a local campaign against global warming.
Educate your community about how it can cut global warming pollution. Support measures at the national, state, and local level that:

• Make automobiles go further on a gallon of gas;
• Accelerate the use of clean, renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind;
• Increase energy efficiency and conservation; and
• Preserve forests around the world.

Interested in helping your city become a “cool city”? It’s easy! Click here for details and you’ll be on your way to helping your city be Cool!

A Popular Product

A safe product that is not popular does not need to be banned, because so few are using it anyway.

This gives us the beautiful (and typical) logic, that the more popular a product is, the more energy use it will cause, and the more politicians can wave their arms in their air and say how great they are for (supposedly) letting people save so much money, by banning a product that people obviously want to buy and use!

Unsurprisingly, the EU is at the forefront of this logic.
The word from EU officials is
“The campaigns have failed, Europeans still choose to buy these lights, legislation is the next logical step”
Instead of saying
“The campaigns have failed, Europeans still choose to buy these lights, how can we respect this strong will of the people?
Is it really necessary to ban these bulbs?”

Light bulbs are overwhelmingly popular in the EU, as elsewhere.
They are the lights that people want to buy (9 times out of 10 in the EU, according to the European Commission’s own research 2007-8, 19 out of 20 in the USA from lighting industry data in the same period).

Speaking of the USA:
Just 18% of adults think it’s the government’s job to tell Americans what kind of light bulb they use, according to a July 2009 Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. 72% say it’s none of the government’s business, and 10% are not sure.

An “Unpopular” Product

Now, the European Commission has also relied on data from an organization called VITO.
The music was then rather different.
As the Cambridge Network science organization point out:
A study by VITO consultants showed the following breakdown of lamp use in European homes in 2007:
•  54% incandescent (down from 85% in 1995 and still decreasing)
•  18% low-voltage halogen (and increasing)
•  5% mains-voltage halogen (and growing)
•  8% linear fluorescent
•  15% CFL

What spiel did the Brusselcrats then think up?
Of course the story was then “how Europeans are taking to these lamps”, and that the “reports that they don’t like them” are “unfounded”!

The problem is, that this kind of data of course means that the supposed great savings aren’t there, and, as outlined in Old Technology – New Technology above, that a ban is again unwarranted, this time because a conversion is taking place anyway.

As the good Cambridge scientists put it:
“If we assume that all remaining filament bulbs are replaced by CFL at some point in the future (unlikely, as use of halogen bulbs is likely to increase), that these bulbs are used to the same extent as those they replace and that the energy reduction per bulb is 80%, the total reduction in EU energy use would be 0.54 x 0.8 x 0.76% = 0.33%. This figure is almost certainly an overestimate, particularly as the inefficiency of conventional bulbs generates heat which supplements other forms of heating in winter. Which begs the question: is it really worth it?”

No, scientists, it isn’t – whether the bulbs are popular or not – but try explaining that to anyone who commutes to Brussels.
Besides, if people like halogens, then that door must – and will – be shut too, as laid out in the December 2008 EU banning documentation linked above. Remember: Soviet Union, not European Union.

A Cheap Product

The assumption is that people only buy light bulbs because they are cheap.
Certainly they are cheap -no crime- but you don’t keep buying something only because it is cheap, and attractive features of light bulbs will soon be given.

Nor do you avoid buying a CFL or anything else just because it is expensive:
Otherwise no expensive alternative products anywhere would ever be bought.
In normal advertising manufacturers themselves highlight advantageous features of their products.
Think of long-lasting batteries and Energizer bunnies, think of washing up liquids that wash piles of dishes.
“Expensive to buy but last long”:
CFL/LED manufacturers wrongly rely on public campaigns and bans to make sales.
So, when politicians say “a ban is the only way” for the public to buy an expensive product that “people will find very attractive when they do buy it”, advertising by manufacturers could highlight that, and people would buy one and then buy more if they are so good, as with the other products.

That said, many households already have at least 1 CFL (the UK is typical, 1/2 of households there and in most countries have at least 1 CFL and the average UK and European household has around 2 CFLs and 20 light bulbs, Commission research).
So maybe they feel that is enough:
There is no reason just to use CFLs -or light bulbs- in a house, all lights have their own advantages and different uses (see below).
Of course, the other explanation is that maybe people simply don’t like CFLs, having tried them…
Certainly CFLs can improve, but it hardly justifies banning bulbs now, and hardly justifies it later either:
if people actually like improved CFLs or LEDs and buy them in greater numbers, there is again no need to ban ordinary light bulbs, as explained above.

A Useful Product

Light bulbs have many attractive features, apart from being cheap.

A warm bright light quality:
This is the biggest loss, in banning “incandescent” lights (=ordinary light bulbs and halogens).
For displays and in some home decorating schemes, designers use the sparkle effect that one can get with the point source incandescent lighting.
Also the beam can be focused, by lamp shades in reading lamps for example.
Small bright incandescent lights are particularly useful, since small CFL or LED lamps technically can’t be made as bright, and the bright types that can be made are particularly expensive.

“The striking new environmentally friendly library in Battery Park City is sure to quickly become a beacon for the community,” said Paul LeClerc, President of the New York Public Library. “At a time when people are depending on libraries more then ever for free resources and job assistance the library is a crucial resource for the neighborhood. We are deeply grateful to our elected officials, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, and City Council Member Margaret Chin for their support of the branch’s construction. We also greatly appreciate the generous private funding provided by Goldman Sachs & Co.

Photo: Tim Furzer

With light streaming through broad windows and glimpses of the Hudson River the $6.7 million Battery Park City Library provides a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere for the public. The 88th branch of the New York Public Library will anchor the bottom two floors of the city’s greenest residential high-rise to date. Designed by the architecture firm 1100 Architects, the branch includes 24,000 items, 36 public access computers, and separate reading areas for children, young adults, and adults. A multipurpose programming room on the second floor is also featured, as well as two self-checkout machines for public use. The Library was constructed with a focus on environmental sustainability and will be the first GREEN Library in Manhattan. The branch is expected to receive LEED Gold certification from the U. S. Green Building Council. Some of the features contributing to the branch’s environmental efficiency include:
 

• an efficient technologically advanced low-energy heating/cooling system

• low-flow sanitary fixtures which reduce water consumption

• low-energy lighting system

• use of recycled and renewable building materials including a wood floor constructed with off-cuts from window frame manufacture, carpets constructed from old truck tires, millwork made from recycled cardboard composite, and terrazzo with recycled glass and mirror aggregate

• the inclusion of a dedicated area for the collection and storage of all recyclable materials accumulated during the day to day operations of the branch

• use of a large number of the products that are low emitting in order to help the overall indoor air quality.

“Libraries play an important role in communities throughout the city, serving as a place for people to gather, attend readings, access the internet and more,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “The new environmentally-sustainable Battery Park City branch will be a model for future branch designs and an asset for the local community for decades to come.”

“Expanding literacy, arts and education to any neighborhood in New York City is an issue we at the City Council feel is one of the most vital for New Yorkers,” said Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “Having access to these materials is essential to the growth of our neighborhoods. Battery Park for so long did not know what it was to have these resources available to them down the street from their homes. Now, residents downtown and throughout the City will be able to enjoy this new branch and the new resources it brings to this beautiful area of our City.”

“The opening of the Battery Park City library is another big step in the continuing progress of the community as one of the great neighborhoods in our city,” said New York State Senator Daniel Squadron. “Public libraries are more important than ever in the 21st century, in which broad, democratic access to information–whether printed or digital–is more important than ever.”

“I am delighted to join Battery Park City residents in welcoming the newest branch of the New York Public Library to the neighborhood,” said United States Congressman Jerrold L. Nadler. “I am proud of this terrific New York institution and believe that it profoundly enriches the lives of those who use it. As a lifelong enthusiastic reader and library patron, I hope that residents will enjoy this library as much as I have always enjoyed my local libraries and read to their hearts’ content.”

“I am thrilled to be joining the New York Public Library and the residents of Battery Park City in opening this beautiful new library,” said Councilmember Margaret Chin. “To have a public facility like this, in a community like Battery Park City, is really wonderful, especially with the construction’s focus on environmental sustainability and what we hope will be a LEED Gold certification. It’s important that we teach our children about the environment as we instill in them a love of reading and learning, while providing a great place for our seniors and others in the community to read and gather. I also want to specifically recognize my predecessor, Councilmember Alan Gerson, without whose work this library simply would not exist, and also the work of Community Board 1 Battery Park City chair Linda Belfer, a tireless champion of all things Battery Park City.”

“As Chair of Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations, I am ecstatic that this library has been finished,” said Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer. “Any day that a library opens is a very good day for the community it serves. This library will enhance the educational and cultural life of the neighborhood.”

“The new Battery Park City library and the expansion of New York Public Library services means the promotion of literacy, education and technology for local residents,” said New York City Council Member Vincent Gentile. “Public libraries, particularly ones developed in an environmentally friendly way like this one, enrich the neighborhoods in which they’re placed; it’s a joy to see all the benefits that come along with a new public library being introduced to a neighborhood that didn’t have those resources at their fingertips before.”

Library Hours
The Battery Park City Library will be open: Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Grand Opening Celebration

Thursday, March 18, 2010
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Free and open to the public
175 North End Avenue

10 a.m.,
Opening ceremony and ribbon cutting, with elected officials and special guests.

11 a.m.,
Architect’s tour and overview of environmental features

11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
Crafts with Linda DeCresenzo, program for children of all ages.

2:30 p.m.
Poetry Reading

3:30 p.m.
“Birds of Prey”, a program for the whole family that examines such birds of prey as hawks, owls, falcons or other species! Patrons will get to touch raptor artifacts and a lucky volunteer may get to help with some of the demonstrations. Presented by the New Canaan Nature Center.

Source: New York Public Library

There’s no doubt about it: Green is the new black. But the influx of earth-friendly options is no excuse to overhaul your entire wardrobe or your budget.

“Disposing of items before the end of their useful life in order to replace them with organic products is not going to save the world,” says Lynda Grose of the Sustainable Cotton Project, an organization working to pioneer markets for certified organically grown and biologically based cotton.

The most eco-friendly (and economical) approach is to phase in high-quality, long-lasting organic and recycled pieces as your old clothes wear out. Here, a guide to some of our favorites, with choices to fit every budget. You’ll also find three ways to green your wardrobe without going shopping at all.

Eco-Fashion Must-Haves

100 Percent Organic Cotton T-Shirts Did you know that it takes about a third of a pound of pesticides and fertilizers to produce enough conventionally farmed cotton for a single T-shirt? To guarantee yours are as soft on the planet as they are on your skin, buy 100 percent organic cotton.

For logo—and sweatshop—free organic cotton T-shirts in several colors, check out American Apparel ($17 to $18; americanapparel.net). If you’re in the mood for fun, eco-inspired patterns such as zebras, flamingos, and wind turbines, choose Fuze ($60 to $64; thegreenloop.com). Or spread environmental awareness by sporting Green Label Organic T-shirts that boast bold eco-slogans paired with eye-catching graphics, such as bummer next to an image of a Hummer ($29; greenlabel.com).

“Green” Jeans While many natural choices are expensive, not all the jeans in Levi’s Eco line take a lot of the green from your pocket. Made from 100 percent organic cotton, the jeans feature recycled buttons, rivets, and zippers, and some styles are dyed with natural indigo ($48 to $195; levi.com).

Other eco-fabulous options include Loomstate ($155 to $200; loomstate.org) certified-organic jeans, and Del Forte Denim ($130 to $200; thegreenloop.com), which recently launched Project Rejeaneration, a program that recycles customers’ old Del Forte denim into second-generation garments.

Recycled Active Wear It only makes sense to respect Mother Nature when you purchase the gear you need to enjoy the great outdoors. Leave it to Patagonia, an eco-fashion pioneer, to introduce fleece made from postconsumer recycled soda bottles and, through its Common Threads program, garments made from recycled polyester. Type “recycled” into the search field at patagonia.com to find pieces made from recycled fibers ($20 to $399). Drop your old Patagonia or other Polartec fleeces at any Patagonia store or mail them to the company (address available at patagonia.com) for recycling.

Eco-Sneakers Lighten your environmental footprint without sacrificing comfort or style in a pair of Simple ecoSNEAKS, which are green from heel to toe. Features of the line include hemp uppers, soles made from recycled car and bike tires, foot forms that use postconsumer paper pulp, organic cotton linings, and laces made from recycled plastic bottles ($50 to $80; simpleshoes.com).

A Little “Green” Dress According to Summer Bowen, founder of online boutique Be The Change (BTC) Elements, no Earth-minded fashionista’s wardrobe is complete without a little “green” dress. A BTC best seller is the Girls Night Out Dress, a simple, flattering black tube dress made from a blend of bamboo, organic cotton, and spandex, by Convoy’s Sustainable Collective ($112; btcelements.com).

Earth-Friendly Accessories An easy way to green any outfit is to accessorize with vintage or eco-chic scarves and jewelry. Stephanie Huffaker’s upcycled Plastic Bag Bangles add a splash of color while giving plastic bags a second life ($44; btcelements.com).

No Shopping Required

If you need a little more green in your bank account before you can afford to upgrade your wardrobe, don’t worry. By making the most of what you already own, you can still make a big impact.

Host a Clothing Swap What better excuse to get together with friends and family than to host a clothing swap and potluck party? Evite everyone you know to clean out their closets and bring a dish to share. When guests arrive, give them a “ticket” for each item they bring. Then enjoy an afternoon of chowing down and playing dress up. During dessert, guests can use their tickets to bid on clothing items, which are raffled off. Donate any clothing left over at the end of the swap; everyone wins!

Turn Old Clothes into New Favorites Refashioning the clothes you already own is fun and easy: Crop pants with soiled cuffs into pedal pushers, snip sleeves off old T-shirts to make muscle T’s, transform a crew-neck shirt into a boat neck to show off some shoulder, and turn ties and scarves into belts. “Make friends with your local tailor and cobbler, and use their services to give old clothing new life,” adds Bowen.

Wash in Cold Water “At least 65 percent of the energy used for a cotton garment is in the washing and drying phase,” says Grose. To lighten the load your laundry puts on the planet, “Simply switch your washing machine to cold for most of your loads, and line-dry clothing when possible,” Bowen suggests.

Know the Lingo

100% ORGANIC COTTON To be considered 100% organic, cotton must be “certified by a third party (such as the USDA), following strict guidelines for growing the fiber, using no disallowed synthetic chemicals,” says Lynda Grose of the Sustainable Cotton Project.

BAMBOO A textile made from the pulp of the fast-growing bamboo plant that’s soft, highly water-absorbent, and antibacterial.

FAIR TRADE “Fair-trade companies look at more than just the bottom line,” Summer Bowen, founder of BTC Elements explains. “They look at development as a whole and create more of a partnership with suppliers, which makes for a fairer exchange system where workers get paid fair wages and work under good conditions.”

GREEN Grose warns that the word “green” is vague and overused for marketing purposes: “It has no definite meaning in relation to the ecological impacts of a particular product.”

HEMP A strong fabric sewn from the fibers of the fast-growing cannabis plant (a variety that contains virtually no THC, the active ingredient in marijuana).

RECYCLED/UPCYCLED Material that’s been reprocessed at the end of its life into something new and useful, explains Bowen.

SUSTAINABLE Describes a product created by a process that can continue indefinitely without causing environmental destruction or usurping finite resources.

Fun Fact

Blue jean insulation a new building material made of industrial scraps from denim production is gaining popularity. It’s more environmentally friendly than traditional fiberglass insulation, which contains formaldehyde, a chemical believed to cause asthma and allergies.

Where to Donate Used Clothing

All gently worn clothing: goodwill.org; salvationarmyusa.org

Men’s and women’s professional clothing: wardrobe.org; thewomensalliance.org

Prom and formal dresses: glassslipperproject.org

Bridal gowns: bridesagainstbreastcancer.org

Source: Vegetarian Times by Jolia Sidona Allen

* Sharpen scissors and garden shears: Fold used foil so that it’s six to eight layers thick, then cut thru it a few times with dull scissors to instantly sharpen them.

* Paint and plaster texture: Use crumpled up foil to add interesting texture to painting and plastering projects. Also when you’re painting, old foil is handy for masking doorknobs and other fixtures you don’t want painted, and wrapping your paintbrushes and rollers in during a lunch break.

* Deter pets and other animals: For no apparent reason, our cat started using our fireplace instead of her liter box. We put a couple of sheets of used aluminum foil on the floor of the fireplace — which cats, dogs, and other animals can’t stand — to break her of that bad habit. Hang strips of used foil on strings around the garden to deter birds, deer and other unwanted pests, too.

* Protect young plants: Make a collar out of used foil to fit loosely around the stems of young tomato plants and other plant starts in order to keep cutworms and other insects at bay.
* Make metals shine: Scrub rust off of steel and chrome with a wad of aluminum foil instead of using steel wool — it works even better. You can also use aluminum foil and simple household products like baking soda and salt to clean silver and gold, with the proper know-how.

* Repair stripped threads: People often say that I have a screw loose. When I do have a nut, bolt or screw with stripped threads, I wrap a little aluminum foil around the bolt or screw and try gently tightening it again. A quick temporary fix.

Source: Huffington Post

1. Trim consumption of animal fats
When you’re pregnant, it’s more important than ever to choose lean cuts of meat, trim away fat and opt for fat-free dairy products. Here’s why: Some toxins linked to prenatal nervous system and hormonal damage are stored in fatty tissue. These include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which pose risks of reduced intelligence to the developing fetus; brominated fire retardants; dioxins and other pollutants that persist in our air and water.

2. Put a stop to insecticides in your home and office
Organophosphates are a family of insecticides that attack the nervous system. In two New York City studies conducted last year, babies of women who had been most exposed to two organophosphates, chlorpyrifos (Dursban and Lorsban) and diazinon (Spectracide), had significantly lower birth weights. Fortunately, these insecticides were phased out of residential and school use by the EPA in 2001-03. However, other organophosphates are still in circulation, as are similar compounds called pyrethroids. Pesticides also release inhalable volatile organic compounds (see below).

What to do instead? Researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) recommend that pregnant women switch to sticky traps and other bait stations, “which are safer, last longer and are more effective,” while keeping surfaces clean of food residue, removing trash and treating cracks with boric acid, classified by the EPA as of low toxicity, then sealing with caulk. (Keep boric acid and baits out of the reach of children and pets.)

3. Select foods to minimize pesticide residues
Chlorpyrifos and diazinon (see above), along with many related toxic pesticides, are still used widely on food crops. Prioritize your grocery list to allow for the purchase of the following organic fruits and vegetables that, when conventionally grown, tend to harbor the most pesticide residue: apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, spinach, strawberries and peppers.

4. Pass on high-mercury fish
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can harm a developing fetus. Say “no” to high-mercury fish such as fresh tuna, canned albacore, wild bass, swordfish and tilefish. (One meal of moderate-mercury fish, such as canned light tuna, can be eaten once a month.) Eat up: low-mercury “yes” fish such as sardines, wild salmon and farmed striped bass.

5. Let Old Paint Lie
Since lead has been banned from gasoline (in 1996) and paint (in 1978), most exposures now come from old lead-based paint. This heavy metal, which can also contaminate water and soil, can interfere with nearly every aspect of fetal development, causing brain and kidney damage, according to the CCHE. If your old house has lead paint in good condition, cover it with fresh paint rather than removing it, which releases lead dust into the air. To test paint for lead, see www.epa.gov/lead or call the EPA’s lead hot line at 800-426-4791.

6. Make sure your water is safe to drink
Your local utility must by law provide you with an annual “Right to Know” report listing the EPA-recognized pollutants that exist in your water at potentially unsafe levels. Trihalomethanes, for instance, can increase the risk of miscarriage. See Green Guide #101 for contaminants to avoid and best filters. If you suspect there’s lead in your pipes, allow the tap to run for 30 seconds to clear them before using water. Find lead-testing services at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/labs/index.html.

7. Avoid the VOCs that offgas from paints, glues, air fresheners
Toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can evaporate from many conventional building, decorating and other household products, including air freshener sprays. Exposure to air fresheners during pregnancy and within the first six months of life was associated with diarrhea and earache in infants and headaches and depression in mothers, according to a study published in the October 2003 Archives of Environmental Health.

If exposed to fumes at work, speak up: Thirty-two children exposed in utero to organic solvents had lower scores on language and other developmental tests, according to a study published in the October 2004 Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. In the workplace, their mothers had come into contact with such solvents as toluene, xylene, mineral spirits, isopropyl alcohol and trichloroethylene.

8. Steer clear of vehicular and smokestack emissions
Research conducted by Columbia University links “combustion-related” chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with shorter gestation periods for pregnant women, resulting in smaller babies. PAHs are in car or bus exhaust and emissions from residential heating and power generation. Before exercising outdoors, check the EPA’s Air Quality Index at epa.gov/airnow. Keep windows closed during peak traffic hours.

9. Stay away from phthalates in vinyl, personal-care and cleaning products
Chemicals called phthalates, known hormone-system disruptors that have caused birth defects in lab animals, are widely used as plasticizers in nail polishes and vinyl and as solvents in synthetic fragrances. Avoid soft vinyl products and cosmetics containing “Fragrance.”

10. Get rid of those crumbling foam cushions, already!
The latest chemicals found to be approaching possibly unsafe levels in American women’s breast milk, as well as umbilical-cord blood, are fire retardants known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs. Furniture foam tends to release PBDEs into house dust when it breaks down.