Tip #4 Indoor Plants

Green Living: a series in which we provide tips to help you implement practices, habits, and products into your life which respect and work towards the redemption of God’s creation.
 

If you are like me, you really appreciate fresh air.  Perhaps that is because I am so often surrounded by polluted air.  Sometimes I feel like I am breathing straight from an old car’s exhaust pipe.  Mmmm…  It gets so bad that I get incredibly excited to find a haven free from pollution.  So often this is in an area away from major roads and highways where the trees and other plants are cleaning up the air for us.  Just today, in the midst of chaos and toxins I felt revived by an oasis free from car, factory, and cigarette polluted air.

I tend to think of air pollution as being an outdoor-only problem.  We think that our homes and offices protect us from the barrage of pollutants.  Unfortunately, we are not nearly as protected in our homes as we think.  In our homes other pollutants abound.  These come from building materials, furniture, heaters, flooring, certain appliances, pets, mold, paints, chemicals, and more.  The scary thing is that we can’t even see them.  These invisible enemies are harmful to you and your family.

The good news is that there are many ways to combat these items.  Building with eco-friendly materials (such as denim insulation), buying products that are not harbors for these pollutants, and using low- or no-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints are just a couple ways that you can defend the air in your home.  However, these and many other options aim to stop the pollutants before they are ever indoors.

Fortunately we are learning (and when I say “we,” I mean people much smarter than me, like actual rocket scientists).  We have learned that certain indoor plants are particularly good at removing toxins from out of the air we breathe.  So this weeks tip – consider getting some indoor plants plants to wage an invisible battle against these silent killers which are preying on your and your family.  This will help you stop the pollutants after they are indoors (though hopefully you can work to reduce allowing them inside).

While most plants are generally helpful for air quality and while a local gardener has told me that all plants will help with this, it appears that all plants are not created equal with regards to their ability to remove these pollutants.  To help you find plants that will best help, check out this link which discusses NASA’s research on the issue and recommends 15 possibilities that might be available locally.

Here’s a related, but random, thought.  Next time you want buy flowers and show affection for a loved one, consider giving them a gift which will keep on giving.  One of these plants will not only last much longer than flowers but will continue to improve the air they breathe for a long time to come.  I actually began doing this last year.  For Mother’s Day my daughter and I accompanied my wife to our local nursery to pick out one of these plants.  That very plant (pictured above) continues to clean our air to this day – a symbol of sustainable love.

One last tip:  keep in mind that different indoor plants require varying amounts of light.  Be sure to research your plant’s needs or ask at your local nursery before buying.  You want to make sure that you don’t buy a plant that needs a lot of light if it will be kept in a room with little natural light.

May your homes and offices be filled with clear, pollutant-free air.

Also consider:

Green Living: #3 – Sharing in Community

Green Living: #2 – Reuse your Booty

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