Central air conditioning is bad for your health

Central air conditioning is used in homes and businesses worldwide, but many of central air's negative effects get little recognition. Central air conditioning is essential in hot climates and makes summertime more comfortable. However, central air conditioning can aggravate certain health issues and contaminate the air with organic particles. It has even been liked to the spread of disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Aggravates Respiratory Conditions

Central air conditioners create condensation on the cooling coils and in drain pans that can grow microorganisms and mold, according to the August 2004 "International Journal of Epidemiology." These are spread throughout the home by the central air conditioning ventilation system. People who suffer from asthma, bronchitis or other respiratory illnesses can get serious lung infections, shortness of breath, wheezing or other severe reactions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC also noted that mold from central air conditioners can affect healthy individuals, causing wheezing, coughing and upper respiratory tract symptoms.

Indoor Air Contamination

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that indoor air pollutants might be greater than contaminated air outside. Because people spend a majority of their time indoors, this increases risk factors for people with respiratory problems and cardiovascular disease. Central air conditioning units, according to the EPA, can spread indoor pollutants such as bacteria, molds, mildew, viruses, pollen and animal dander. Outdoor air is necessary to reduce the amount of air pollutants in the home. Central air units do not bring fresh air into the home, and therefore they do not help reduce the concentrations of indoor pollutants.

Spread Disease

Central air conditioning has been linked to the spread of Legionnaires’ disease at a Memphis, Tenn., hospital, according to the February 1980 issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine." An air conditioning cooling tower was found to have L. pneumophila in the water. Air intakes near the auxiliary cooling tower spread the disease, which caused 44 people to fall ill with Legionnaires’ disease.

Can Cause Workplace Illness

In a study published in the Aug. 19, 2004, "International Journal of Epidemiology," people working in office buildings with central air conditioning had more symptoms of illness than those who did not work in buildings with central air. The symptoms included headache, fatigue, mucous membrane irritation, breathing difficulties and skin irritations. The study noted that a likely explanation is central air conditioning ventilation systems spread contaminants in the air.

The EPA notes that “Sick Building Syndrome” refers to symptoms associated with large numbers of people getting sick in a building, but when they leave the building, their symptoms disappear. The sicknesses might be caused by poor air conditioning ventilation systems.

References

• "International Journal of Epidemiology": Air Conditioning as a Risk for Increased Use of Health Services
• Center for Disease Control: Facts About Mold and Dampness
• National Institutes of Health: An Outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease Associated with a Contaminated Air-Conditioning Cooling Tower
• Environmental Protection Agency: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality
• "New England Journal of Medicine": An Outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease Associated with a Contaminated Air-Conditioning Cooling Tower

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/160205-negative-health-effects-of-central-air-conditioning/#ixzz2TobJMKZy

PLAYING IN MUD IS GOOD

“Stop! You’re getting grass stains all over your pants!”

“Dear, please get that mud off your hands!”

“What are you doing?! No, you can’t eat mud pies!”

How many children have heard these words? From an early age, we are trained to be clean, learning to destroy dirt and microbes with an arsenal of various chemical soaps, wipes, and anti-bacterial sanitizers to make our living conditions as sterile as possible. We try to banish signs of dirt at all costs in westernized culture, making that dirt caked underneath your fingernails after gardening taboo. Have we really become that detached from the ground beneath our feet; the life-giving earth that sustains our very existence? Theoretically, by keeping clean, a person was once able to give the appearance of a being of a higher social standing (think lords vs. peasants during medieval times). Ironically, in our modern age of science, we have realized that dirt harbors many benefits, soour normally pristine well-off pay hundreds of dollars to lay on a sterile, white table and have their body smothered in only the finest exotic mud. Yep, plain ol’ microbial mud. Luckily, you don’t have to pay hundreds to smear mud all over your body.

Are you curious as to why anyone would smother themselves in mud? Here are some of mud’s not-so-dirty secrets…

Strengthen the immune system. Playing in dirt and being exposed to the millions of tiny microbes that thrive in it can actually boost the immune system – especially a child’s. Humans that live in a sterile environment are less able to combat harmful bacteria when they come across it, due to seclusion from any bacteria. Why? Well, our gut is filled with pounds of microbes that carry intrinsic value in helping our bodies function smoothly. If you are unfamiliar with the workings of your little gut hitchhikers, this article provides good context in relation to weight loss. Your health relies on the presence of microbes more than you would think. Immune-wise, being exposed to these microbes actually allows the body to build up anti-bodies to the harmful ones, while reaping countless benefits from the good ones. Children, and even adults, who are too clean are actually at a greater risk for developing allergies, asthma, and other auto-immune diseases.

Exercise can also strengthen immunity and boost happiness. Try biking!

Try unplugging from technology for a bit…

Boost happiness. Mycobacterium vaccae, a soil-dwelling bacteria, was shown to increase the brain’s production of serotonin, as much as exercise and anti-depressants, according to a study by Bristol University. Plus, it’s just plain fun to play in the dirt, young or old!

Detox the body. Certain clays, when ingested, can actually pull toxins out from the body. Many animals practice geophagy after eating highly toxic plants, which is the act of eating clay or soil as self-medication. These healing clays, being negatively-charged, magnetically draw in the toxins, which are almost always positively-charged. The clay is then excreted, with all of the toxins bound up in its swelled, sponge-like interior. Need a real-world example? Here are some of the benefits of clay. Also, check out this study involving Peruvian parrots, their toxic diets, and geophagy. Clay is also great for the skin, minimizing the size of and drawing impurities from pores. Try a mask of equal parts calcium bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar for 15-20 minutes to cleanse and soothe the skin

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-not-so-dirty-truth-about-dirt.html#ixzz2SbP41TcR

Village in India plants 111 trees every time a girl is born

© Landesa

All too often, it seems that an increase in human population must come at a cost to the environment, like in straining resources and encroachment on once wild habitats. But one quaint village in India has adopted a wonderfully eco-conscious tradition that is actually helping to ensure a greener future with each new generation.

While in some parts of India, many expectant parents still say they'd prefer bearing sons, members of the Piplantri village, in the western state of Rajasthan, are breaking this trend by celebrating the birth of each baby girl in way that benefits everyone. For every female child that's born, the community gathers to plant 111 fruit trees in her honor in the village common.

This unique tradition was first suggested by the village's former leader, Shyam Sundar Paliwal, in honor of his daughter who had passed away at a young age.

But planting trees is only one way that the community is ensuring a brighter future for their daughters. According to a report in The Hindu, villagers also pool together around $380 dollars for every new baby girl and deposited in an account for her. The girl's parents are required to contribute $180, and to make a pledge to be considerate guardians.

“We make these parents sign an affidavit promising that they would not marry her off before the legal age, send her to school regularly and take care of the trees planted in her name,” says Paliwal.

Over the last six years alone, as population there has increased, villagers in Piplantri have planted nearly a quarter million trees -- a welcoming forest for the community's youngest members, offering a bit of shade for their brighter future.