A 90-year-old woman was among the area residents who fell victim to a Windsor man who police allege was fraudulently selling medical oxygen purifiers, warranties and service packages.
"Who knows what could have happened to these people if they didn't have their oxygen properly," Essex OPP Sgt. Rick Tonial said Monday.
"It isn't simple money here that we're talking. We're talking about health and welfare of our elderly here. It's serious."
Tonial said the man was using the company name Medair and, in the cases investigated by the OPP, told people he was taking over from a company that had gone out of business. Tonial said the victims were elderly or younger with respiratory problems.
"He would tell them they either had to sign a new warranty, ask them for some more money or he would actually exchange units, give them an old one and take a new one," Tonial said. "So we have people actually out there either they're missing their oxygen unit right now or they're out thousands of dollars."
Essex OPP have charged Dennis Lee, 33, with two counts of fraud over $5,000, four counts of fraud under $5,000 and four counts of theft under $5,000.
Lee faces about 20 charges in Windsor and Essex County, mostly for fraud.
In Amherstburg, Lee was arrested for two counts of fraud over $5,000 earlier this month after an 82-year-old Amherstburg man was allegedly defrauded of about $60,000. Det. Sgt. Don Brown of the Amherstburg Police Service said that case does not involve medical equipment and for the sake of the victim, police are not releasing details.
LaSalle police have charged Lee with two counts of fraud under $5,000 and one count of theft under $5,000 in connection with a December complaint over an air purification system.
Windsor police have laid four fraud under $5,000 charges and one mischief charge against Lee.
Windsor police Staff Sgt. Gerald Corriveau of the financial crimes unit said police believe Lee used a sales list from a company that went out of business to befriend seniors and take advantage of them. He said in one case Lee is alleged to have told one of the Windsor victims that he wished he had one of the machines for his sick mother. He is alleged to have borrowed money from the victim even though his mother was not sick and he did purchase a machine, Corriveau said. In other cases, Corriveau said, Lee was playing "musical air purifiers" by taking a unit from one person and selling it to another.
Victims ranged in age from their 40s to 90. Tonial is expecting others will come forward. "We believe there's more victims out there."
2012年1月31日星期二
2012年1月30日星期一
Let it Grow: Breathe easy
Healthy houseplants are great air purifiers, filtering indoor air of pollutants that can cause a range of health problems. These health problems include headaches, asthma, respiratory diseases and even cancer.
Research shows that plants can reduce dust particles, mold spores and contaminants, like formaldehyde, ammonia and benzene. These contaminants are found in paint, furniture, carpet, building products and numerous other sources. In the process of making our homes more energy efficient, we have increased the level of these contaminants found in our homes.
Studies recommend one to two healthy plants per 200 square feet. The more leaf surface a plant has, the more air it can purify, so floor plants and leafy plants are good choices.
The following plants rank in the top 10 for overall ecological benefit. Plants were rated on removal of chemical vapors, ease of growth and maintenance, resistance to insect infestation, and transpiration rate.
Areca palm is a very popular indoor plant. It adapts easily to the surrounding environment and is relatively pest-free.
Its tropical-looking foliage resembles bamboo.
Areca palms tolerate heavy watering and temperatures down to 32 degrees.
English ivy is a vigorous plant with graceful trailing stems covered by distinctive leaves. Commonly grown as a hanging plant, it can be trained to grow on a trellis or topiary frame.
There are numerous cultivars available with different leaf shapes and sizes and green or variegated foliage.
Ficus Alii is a member of the Ficus family. ‘Alii’ is Hawaiian for chief, which is appropriate for one of the toughest members of the Ficus family.
This plant is more durable and easier to grow than the weeping fig . It lacks the finical habit and tendency to shed leaves. It tolerates lower light conditions and more erratic watering far better than the weeping fig.
The Peace lily is very easy to grow and has fantastic foliage and flowers. Peace lily is a great choice for areas with low light levels, although it is toxic to humans and animals.
Different plants remove different contaminants, so choose a variety of plants to combat a range of contaminants. For additional information on the research, visit Green Plants for Green Buildings.
Don’t forget to pick up a plant or two for the office and "Let it grow!"
Research shows that plants can reduce dust particles, mold spores and contaminants, like formaldehyde, ammonia and benzene. These contaminants are found in paint, furniture, carpet, building products and numerous other sources. In the process of making our homes more energy efficient, we have increased the level of these contaminants found in our homes.
Studies recommend one to two healthy plants per 200 square feet. The more leaf surface a plant has, the more air it can purify, so floor plants and leafy plants are good choices.
The following plants rank in the top 10 for overall ecological benefit. Plants were rated on removal of chemical vapors, ease of growth and maintenance, resistance to insect infestation, and transpiration rate.
Areca palm is a very popular indoor plant. It adapts easily to the surrounding environment and is relatively pest-free.
Its tropical-looking foliage resembles bamboo.
Areca palms tolerate heavy watering and temperatures down to 32 degrees.
English ivy is a vigorous plant with graceful trailing stems covered by distinctive leaves. Commonly grown as a hanging plant, it can be trained to grow on a trellis or topiary frame.
There are numerous cultivars available with different leaf shapes and sizes and green or variegated foliage.
Ficus Alii is a member of the Ficus family. ‘Alii’ is Hawaiian for chief, which is appropriate for one of the toughest members of the Ficus family.
This plant is more durable and easier to grow than the weeping fig . It lacks the finical habit and tendency to shed leaves. It tolerates lower light conditions and more erratic watering far better than the weeping fig.
The Peace lily is very easy to grow and has fantastic foliage and flowers. Peace lily is a great choice for areas with low light levels, although it is toxic to humans and animals.
Different plants remove different contaminants, so choose a variety of plants to combat a range of contaminants. For additional information on the research, visit Green Plants for Green Buildings.
Don’t forget to pick up a plant or two for the office and "Let it grow!"
2012年1月29日星期日
Dare to be kind
FOR most of us, it’s not second nature to be kind. We are, whether we admit it or not, all selfish -- in varying degrees. But there are some of us who are kind. There are some of us who fight valiantly to subdue our innate selfishness. There are some of us who DARE to be kind. And one of the kindest people I know is my husband. Many people tell me the same thing.
My husband turned 60 last September. Five years ago, while he was giving a talk, he suffered a stroke. But by God’s grace, he wasn’t paralyzed. His motor skills were intact. All his five senses were preserved. He didn’t slur. He didn’t drool. His face didn’t wilt to one side. But what got affected was his word retrieval system. He couldn’t find the right words for things -- for example, if you asked him what he was drinking, he would say "citrus" instead of "kalamansi." (The stroke re-wired his brain from Pinoy to Continental! That was our private joke.) But his physical recovery was fast. In six months, he was able to play tennis again.
Dr. Alran Bengzon, my husband’s neurologist at the time, was so kind to my husband. Both Ateneans, they somehow spoke a kindred language. They shared this wry, Ateneo sense of humor that was both cerebral and homespun. When Dr. Bengzon asked my husband some diagnostic questions, I couldn’t help but laugh:
The way Dr. Bengzon handled that first interview was crucial to my husband, to me, to our family. From a deep, dark abyss of uncertainty, foreboding and dread, he gave us hope. He was just so kind. His bedside manner was perfect -- paternal, professional, warm -- with just enough humor to lighten up a very tense situation. After talking to my husband and sharing a few more laughs with him, the good doctor gently led me to one side. He showed me Ito’s brain scans. He patiently and unhurriedly explained what had happened inside my husband’s brain, and what probably caused the stroke. All of a sudden, my fears died down. I felt this doctor’s kindness, his concern for my husband was palpable and real.
To all the doctors out there, I make this plea: Dare to be kind to your patients. Your sincere concern makes a whole world of difference to our emotional well-being in the midst of a medical crisis. Treat your patients as people, not just numbers or "cases." Don’t be cold or curt. Don’t be in such a hurry when you talk to us, skipping important details that you think we might not understand. I can’t forget how Dr. Bengzon explained things to me patiently, unhurriedly, in word pictures I could understand. Just as a father would to his daughter. And you know what? It was his first time to meet Ito and me. We weren’t VIPs. But he treated us like we were. A very dear friend, Tess, called Dr. Bengzon and asked him to be Ito’s attending physician. Our family will never, ever forget their kindness to us -- at a time when we needed it most. They dared to be kind.
When my husband was cleared to go back to work, I bought him a new office ref so he could have fruits within easy reach whenever he got hungry. One of our friends filled his ref with fresh fruits and juices. She did that for some time, so I didn’t even have to restock my husband’s ref. She dared to be kind. Another person put an air purifier right in front of my husband’s desk, and asked if there was anything else he needed. That person dared to be kind. Friends sent lots of food, books, DVDs, lent their drivers, offered to get our test results, recommended their doctors, texted me incessantly to ask how Ito was, prayed without ceasing for his fast recovery. We were inundated with kindness in all forms, shapes and sizes.
I particularly remember a dear friend who gave Ito six huge workbooks . She ordered the books from abroad. When we showed the workbooks to Ito’s therapist, she was in AWE. She said that these were very expensive, state-of-the-art workbooks which any therapist would die to have in her library! Along with the workbooks were two video iPods which our friend also gave us -- she had loaded it with Ito’s favorite TV series so that he wouldn’t get bored while waiting in doctors’ offices. She also gave me a video iPod for myself, to keep me entertained while waiting with Ito. Mine was loaded with thousands of songs, a couple of movies, and lots of TV shows that will probably last me till I’m 90! How thoughtful of her. How kind. Our friend knew that Ito and I are Jurassic, so she took the trouble of loading the iPods for us. She DARED to be kind.
When my husband went back to work, one of the things I was observing was how his colleagues would treat him when he went back to the office. Well, there were people who were kind (God bless their hearts.) And there were people who were very, very unkind. It was a shock to me how some stayed away from him like he was a social pariah. Before his stroke, my husband held a responsible position, so people would often crowd around his office, waiting to talk to him with documents and checks and what-nots that needed his perusal or approval. But all of a sudden, after his stroke, Ito’s office was like a barren, desolate wasteland. In his absence, his things were transferred. He was relocated to a smaller space. When I checked what he was going back to, I was flabbergasted: his things were in boxes, in total disarray. So I fixed my husband’s office to make it look presentable, welcoming, a pleasant work environment for him.
Unfortunately, more bad things were waiting for him at work. Much worse than the stroke, a series of "unfortunate incidents" hit him from left field. My husband was slowly but surely stripped of his responsibilities, his authority, and people were removed from his supervision without any explanation. Never mind about showing kindness. All that the situation called for was a semblance of professionalism -- especially since my husband had served with a sterling record for more than a decade. All it took was a modicum of decency to tell him, "Hey, Ito, we don’t want to stress you out with lots of work right now. We want you to rest for a while. You deserve a good rest, after all your hard work. So we decided to divide your work among us. Hope you won’t mind if we come to you for advice now and then!" (Or words to that effect.) It would’ve taken only 20 minutes to sit down with him in a meeting, to show him a little kindness. But, alas, no such kindness was shown to him.
By God’s grace, my husband is a fighter by nature. Maybe it’s because he has played in tennis tournaments since he was twelve. That way, he developed nerves of steel. He was one of Ateneo’s youngest varsity tennis captains. He was trained to show grace under pressure, to hang tough, to keep on playing against all odds, and not to choke when it was finally Match Point. It’s one of the reasons why I really look up to him.
So, when my husband was summarily shelved aside with no explanation, his nerves of steel and innate calmness surfaced . Instead of wallowing in self-pity or bitterness or frustration, he thought of other things to do for the organization -- without being asked. In a way, he reinvented himself. He said, "Well, I will do what I can do to contribute whatever good I can. There’s always something useful to do." Fighting words, all right. And a lot of it, I believe, comes from an Atenean’s indomitable spirit. After all, every blue-blooded Atenean’s rallying cry is "ONE BIG FIGHT!!!" But more than that, I know that Ito’s vast reserve of strength, his tenacity to overcome, came from one limitless source of hope, strength, and kindness: GOD.
I am writing this not because I’m bitter. Not to pillory those people who were unkind to my husband in his time of need. Maybe they just weren’t equipped to respond with compassion. Maybe they grew up not receiving any kindness. Maybe they were going through their own trials at the time. Or maybe they were just too dense and insensitive (as I am at times). At the end of the day, whatever our reasons are for being unkind, we are all answerable to God.
I’m writing this to remind myself (and you, as you’re reading this) that it takes so little to be kind. It takes so little to prop up someone’s sagging spirits. It takes so little to make people feel they’re valuable human beings. It takes so little to assure a person: "Hey, it’s going to be okay. We can do this together. We’re right here with you!" Well, thank goodness, there were many people who rallied around us and constantly showed us kindness, over the long haul. Many of our friends surprised us that way!
Now that our lives have gone back to normal, it doesn’t hurt anymore to recall such a disturbing lack of compassion. In fact, one of my best life lessons came out of that traumatic situation: in any circumstance, each of us has a choice -- to be kind, or to be unkind. Our family survived one of the worst crises in our lives because many, many people dared to be kind.
My husband turned 60 last September. Five years ago, while he was giving a talk, he suffered a stroke. But by God’s grace, he wasn’t paralyzed. His motor skills were intact. All his five senses were preserved. He didn’t slur. He didn’t drool. His face didn’t wilt to one side. But what got affected was his word retrieval system. He couldn’t find the right words for things -- for example, if you asked him what he was drinking, he would say "citrus" instead of "kalamansi." (The stroke re-wired his brain from Pinoy to Continental! That was our private joke.) But his physical recovery was fast. In six months, he was able to play tennis again.
Dr. Alran Bengzon, my husband’s neurologist at the time, was so kind to my husband. Both Ateneans, they somehow spoke a kindred language. They shared this wry, Ateneo sense of humor that was both cerebral and homespun. When Dr. Bengzon asked my husband some diagnostic questions, I couldn’t help but laugh:
The way Dr. Bengzon handled that first interview was crucial to my husband, to me, to our family. From a deep, dark abyss of uncertainty, foreboding and dread, he gave us hope. He was just so kind. His bedside manner was perfect -- paternal, professional, warm -- with just enough humor to lighten up a very tense situation. After talking to my husband and sharing a few more laughs with him, the good doctor gently led me to one side. He showed me Ito’s brain scans. He patiently and unhurriedly explained what had happened inside my husband’s brain, and what probably caused the stroke. All of a sudden, my fears died down. I felt this doctor’s kindness, his concern for my husband was palpable and real.
To all the doctors out there, I make this plea: Dare to be kind to your patients. Your sincere concern makes a whole world of difference to our emotional well-being in the midst of a medical crisis. Treat your patients as people, not just numbers or "cases." Don’t be cold or curt. Don’t be in such a hurry when you talk to us, skipping important details that you think we might not understand. I can’t forget how Dr. Bengzon explained things to me patiently, unhurriedly, in word pictures I could understand. Just as a father would to his daughter. And you know what? It was his first time to meet Ito and me. We weren’t VIPs. But he treated us like we were. A very dear friend, Tess, called Dr. Bengzon and asked him to be Ito’s attending physician. Our family will never, ever forget their kindness to us -- at a time when we needed it most. They dared to be kind.
When my husband was cleared to go back to work, I bought him a new office ref so he could have fruits within easy reach whenever he got hungry. One of our friends filled his ref with fresh fruits and juices. She did that for some time, so I didn’t even have to restock my husband’s ref. She dared to be kind. Another person put an air purifier right in front of my husband’s desk, and asked if there was anything else he needed. That person dared to be kind. Friends sent lots of food, books, DVDs, lent their drivers, offered to get our test results, recommended their doctors, texted me incessantly to ask how Ito was, prayed without ceasing for his fast recovery. We were inundated with kindness in all forms, shapes and sizes.
I particularly remember a dear friend who gave Ito six huge workbooks . She ordered the books from abroad. When we showed the workbooks to Ito’s therapist, she was in AWE. She said that these were very expensive, state-of-the-art workbooks which any therapist would die to have in her library! Along with the workbooks were two video iPods which our friend also gave us -- she had loaded it with Ito’s favorite TV series so that he wouldn’t get bored while waiting in doctors’ offices. She also gave me a video iPod for myself, to keep me entertained while waiting with Ito. Mine was loaded with thousands of songs, a couple of movies, and lots of TV shows that will probably last me till I’m 90! How thoughtful of her. How kind. Our friend knew that Ito and I are Jurassic, so she took the trouble of loading the iPods for us. She DARED to be kind.
When my husband went back to work, one of the things I was observing was how his colleagues would treat him when he went back to the office. Well, there were people who were kind (God bless their hearts.) And there were people who were very, very unkind. It was a shock to me how some stayed away from him like he was a social pariah. Before his stroke, my husband held a responsible position, so people would often crowd around his office, waiting to talk to him with documents and checks and what-nots that needed his perusal or approval. But all of a sudden, after his stroke, Ito’s office was like a barren, desolate wasteland. In his absence, his things were transferred. He was relocated to a smaller space. When I checked what he was going back to, I was flabbergasted: his things were in boxes, in total disarray. So I fixed my husband’s office to make it look presentable, welcoming, a pleasant work environment for him.
Unfortunately, more bad things were waiting for him at work. Much worse than the stroke, a series of "unfortunate incidents" hit him from left field. My husband was slowly but surely stripped of his responsibilities, his authority, and people were removed from his supervision without any explanation. Never mind about showing kindness. All that the situation called for was a semblance of professionalism -- especially since my husband had served with a sterling record for more than a decade. All it took was a modicum of decency to tell him, "Hey, Ito, we don’t want to stress you out with lots of work right now. We want you to rest for a while. You deserve a good rest, after all your hard work. So we decided to divide your work among us. Hope you won’t mind if we come to you for advice now and then!" (Or words to that effect.) It would’ve taken only 20 minutes to sit down with him in a meeting, to show him a little kindness. But, alas, no such kindness was shown to him.
By God’s grace, my husband is a fighter by nature. Maybe it’s because he has played in tennis tournaments since he was twelve. That way, he developed nerves of steel. He was one of Ateneo’s youngest varsity tennis captains. He was trained to show grace under pressure, to hang tough, to keep on playing against all odds, and not to choke when it was finally Match Point. It’s one of the reasons why I really look up to him.
So, when my husband was summarily shelved aside with no explanation, his nerves of steel and innate calmness surfaced . Instead of wallowing in self-pity or bitterness or frustration, he thought of other things to do for the organization -- without being asked. In a way, he reinvented himself. He said, "Well, I will do what I can do to contribute whatever good I can. There’s always something useful to do." Fighting words, all right. And a lot of it, I believe, comes from an Atenean’s indomitable spirit. After all, every blue-blooded Atenean’s rallying cry is "ONE BIG FIGHT!!!" But more than that, I know that Ito’s vast reserve of strength, his tenacity to overcome, came from one limitless source of hope, strength, and kindness: GOD.
I am writing this not because I’m bitter. Not to pillory those people who were unkind to my husband in his time of need. Maybe they just weren’t equipped to respond with compassion. Maybe they grew up not receiving any kindness. Maybe they were going through their own trials at the time. Or maybe they were just too dense and insensitive (as I am at times). At the end of the day, whatever our reasons are for being unkind, we are all answerable to God.
I’m writing this to remind myself (and you, as you’re reading this) that it takes so little to be kind. It takes so little to prop up someone’s sagging spirits. It takes so little to make people feel they’re valuable human beings. It takes so little to assure a person: "Hey, it’s going to be okay. We can do this together. We’re right here with you!" Well, thank goodness, there were many people who rallied around us and constantly showed us kindness, over the long haul. Many of our friends surprised us that way!
Now that our lives have gone back to normal, it doesn’t hurt anymore to recall such a disturbing lack of compassion. In fact, one of my best life lessons came out of that traumatic situation: in any circumstance, each of us has a choice -- to be kind, or to be unkind. Our family survived one of the worst crises in our lives because many, many people dared to be kind.
2012年1月19日星期四
Smoggy days spur surge in air filter sales
Sun Chenjing, a 28-year-old doctor from the PLA Navy General Hospital who is planning to have a baby, recently chose to spend more than 10,000 yuan ($1,580) on two air purifiers to refine the air indoors.
"I don't want my baby to fall prey to the city's pollution," she said.
Sun is just one of many Beijing residents who are buying air filters in droves. According to Gome Electrical Appliances Holding Ltd, China's second-biggest electronics retailer by revenue, the sales of its air purifiers in Beijing since June grew by 80 percent compared to the first half of the year, and it marked a 60 percent year-on-year increase.
Because of the lingering concern over smog and pollutants, the sales of air purifiers and other air cleaning products, including masks and humidifiers, have skyrocketed since November.
Zhai Lei, an agent who sells air purifiers for Amway in Beijing, said sales of the high-end model have doubled since November despite the fact that the price rose from 8,800 yuan to 9,300 yuan during that same period. The sales volume rose from 22 billion yuan in 2010 to 26 billion yuan in 2011.
Zhai said target clients are mainly white-collar workers and enterprise managers and executives, who attach great importance to quality of life and can afford what may be considered a luxury to some.
"Many people also purchase batches of machines as holiday gifts as Spring Festival approaches," Zhai said.
The upsurge of air purifier sales comes at a time when the capital has been persistently under a canopy of dense smog.
Sun said the two machines, which she placed in the bedroom and lounge, have been functioning pretty well.
"You can simply sense the fresher air you are breathing," Sun said. "And my husband, who has been suffering from the chronic pharyngitis and rhinitis, also felt much better when he came back home."
He Bing, deputy dean of the law school at China University of Political Science and Law, said he found ink-colored, dirty water after cleaning the soot-laden filters in his air purifier, which has only been working for 10 days.
And Bei Zhicheng, a software businessman in the capital, has recently spent more than 10,000 yuan installing a ventilation system and purchased seven air purifiers at home, in the office and the car. "The city's air is getting more soupy," Bei said.
However, not all people can afford the high-end machines, which can cost as much as 40,000 yuan, to clean up the air they breathe.
"I won't be buying the machine, some of which cost more than my monthly salary," said Wang Bao, 27, a primary school teacher of physical education in Beijing's Changping district. "It's too much a luxury for me."
The air purifiers can improve the air a little bit but only scratch at the surface of the problem, said Wang Qiuxia, a researcher at the Green Beagle, a non-governmental environmental protection organization based in the capital.
To solve the pollution problem, she said, "as citizens we should monitor the nearby polluting industries, drive less and stop setting off fireworks during the festival, instead of sealing ourselves up in a closed room."
Public concern over air quality has not been diminished by the claims of the Beijing municipal environmental protection bureau, which said that its monitoring data has shown a decline over the past decade in PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels, measures of harmful particulate matter in the air.
"I'm a little bit used to the bad air already," said Wang Yu, 26, a Beijing resident. "A rare clear day is a blessing to me."
Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the Beijing municipal environmental protection bureau, told the media recently that Beijing's actions to cut air pollution include shutting down coal-fired boilers in downtown and forcing polluting vehicles off the road.
"I don't want my baby to fall prey to the city's pollution," she said.
Sun is just one of many Beijing residents who are buying air filters in droves. According to Gome Electrical Appliances Holding Ltd, China's second-biggest electronics retailer by revenue, the sales of its air purifiers in Beijing since June grew by 80 percent compared to the first half of the year, and it marked a 60 percent year-on-year increase.
Because of the lingering concern over smog and pollutants, the sales of air purifiers and other air cleaning products, including masks and humidifiers, have skyrocketed since November.
Zhai Lei, an agent who sells air purifiers for Amway in Beijing, said sales of the high-end model have doubled since November despite the fact that the price rose from 8,800 yuan to 9,300 yuan during that same period. The sales volume rose from 22 billion yuan in 2010 to 26 billion yuan in 2011.
Zhai said target clients are mainly white-collar workers and enterprise managers and executives, who attach great importance to quality of life and can afford what may be considered a luxury to some.
"Many people also purchase batches of machines as holiday gifts as Spring Festival approaches," Zhai said.
The upsurge of air purifier sales comes at a time when the capital has been persistently under a canopy of dense smog.
Sun said the two machines, which she placed in the bedroom and lounge, have been functioning pretty well.
"You can simply sense the fresher air you are breathing," Sun said. "And my husband, who has been suffering from the chronic pharyngitis and rhinitis, also felt much better when he came back home."
He Bing, deputy dean of the law school at China University of Political Science and Law, said he found ink-colored, dirty water after cleaning the soot-laden filters in his air purifier, which has only been working for 10 days.
And Bei Zhicheng, a software businessman in the capital, has recently spent more than 10,000 yuan installing a ventilation system and purchased seven air purifiers at home, in the office and the car. "The city's air is getting more soupy," Bei said.
However, not all people can afford the high-end machines, which can cost as much as 40,000 yuan, to clean up the air they breathe.
"I won't be buying the machine, some of which cost more than my monthly salary," said Wang Bao, 27, a primary school teacher of physical education in Beijing's Changping district. "It's too much a luxury for me."
The air purifiers can improve the air a little bit but only scratch at the surface of the problem, said Wang Qiuxia, a researcher at the Green Beagle, a non-governmental environmental protection organization based in the capital.
To solve the pollution problem, she said, "as citizens we should monitor the nearby polluting industries, drive less and stop setting off fireworks during the festival, instead of sealing ourselves up in a closed room."
Public concern over air quality has not been diminished by the claims of the Beijing municipal environmental protection bureau, which said that its monitoring data has shown a decline over the past decade in PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels, measures of harmful particulate matter in the air.
"I'm a little bit used to the bad air already," said Wang Yu, 26, a Beijing resident. "A rare clear day is a blessing to me."
Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the Beijing municipal environmental protection bureau, told the media recently that Beijing's actions to cut air pollution include shutting down coal-fired boilers in downtown and forcing polluting vehicles off the road.
2012年1月18日星期三
Poor classroom air quality increases Medicaid costs
Poor classroom air quality may be a major factor driving children's respiratory illnesses which are costing Medicaid more than $27.1 billion annually. Stan Brannan, President of Purifan, explained, "On January 14, 2012, CNN published a comprehensive news story written by David S. Martin titled 'Are schools making kids sick?,' and at Purifan we believe strongly that this headline is true. We also believe poor classroom air quality is a major contributor to state Medicaid budgets." Brannan continued, "Medicaid budget directors might breathe easier when school-age children do, too, because high levels of airborne particulates found in many classrooms are triggering a wide variety of costly health problems for many children, their parents and their parents' employers."
Purifan, Inc. is a Kansas-based company that manufactures a super quiet, ceiling mounted air purifier called a Purifan, which converts an ordinary ceiling fan into a powerful air purifier. Purifans have been used in more than 100 schools since 2001 to reduce high particulate levels by capturing airborne particles like mold, dust, decaying skin cells, paper dust, chalk dust and pet dander. Teachers in classrooms with Purifans installed have reported noticeable improvements in absenteeism, use of medications like inhalers and in tests scores. All of these outcomes have been proven in numerous other scientific studies around the world using a variety of air purifier technology.
One fully equipped elementary school in Leavenworth, KS reported absenteeism in 2004 that averaged 18.23 sick days per child. After Purifans were installed in 2005, the average days missed per student dropped to 6.99, a reduction of more than 11.2 missed school days per child. Teacher sick days were also cut in half and student inhaler use logged at the nurse's station declined by 70%. Parents missed fewer work days, spent less on health costs and the school's No Child Left Behind test results improved significantly. Teachers reported children used less medication, kept up with class work, were more alert in class and achieved much higher scores on standardized tests.
Rising Medicaid costs for children are a major budget problem in every state. Purifan management believes that over the first five years, by aggressively and continuously filtering classroom air, the health costs savings for Medicaid alone could exceed 400% of the total cost. When all of the real out-of-pocket savings and costs are considered, including private insurance costs, teacher health cost impact, substitute teacher costs and the cost of parents missing work to care for sick children, the total savings of cleaner classroom air is projected by Purifan to be 25 times the cost.
Purifan, Inc. is a Kansas-based company that manufactures a super quiet, ceiling mounted air purifier called a Purifan, which converts an ordinary ceiling fan into a powerful air purifier. Purifans have been used in more than 100 schools since 2001 to reduce high particulate levels by capturing airborne particles like mold, dust, decaying skin cells, paper dust, chalk dust and pet dander. Teachers in classrooms with Purifans installed have reported noticeable improvements in absenteeism, use of medications like inhalers and in tests scores. All of these outcomes have been proven in numerous other scientific studies around the world using a variety of air purifier technology.
One fully equipped elementary school in Leavenworth, KS reported absenteeism in 2004 that averaged 18.23 sick days per child. After Purifans were installed in 2005, the average days missed per student dropped to 6.99, a reduction of more than 11.2 missed school days per child. Teacher sick days were also cut in half and student inhaler use logged at the nurse's station declined by 70%. Parents missed fewer work days, spent less on health costs and the school's No Child Left Behind test results improved significantly. Teachers reported children used less medication, kept up with class work, were more alert in class and achieved much higher scores on standardized tests.
Rising Medicaid costs for children are a major budget problem in every state. Purifan management believes that over the first five years, by aggressively and continuously filtering classroom air, the health costs savings for Medicaid alone could exceed 400% of the total cost. When all of the real out-of-pocket savings and costs are considered, including private insurance costs, teacher health cost impact, substitute teacher costs and the cost of parents missing work to care for sick children, the total savings of cleaner classroom air is projected by Purifan to be 25 times the cost.
2012年1月17日星期二
6 ways to cut down on household toxins
Few of us love to clean, but when we do, we do it with a vengeance, hauling out our heaviest-duty cleaners to disinfect every last inch.
Increasingly, experts are cautioning that having a house that’s too clean could actually be bad for your health.
“We don’t need to live in a sterile environment,” says Dr. Jeffrey Morrison, author of “Cleanse Your Body, Cleanse Your Mind.” “There’s a theory that people are having more allergies than ever before because they purify their homes so much that their bodies can’t properly create an immune response.”
So where is the balance between keeping your house free of germs and grime, and blasting them with the potentially harmful chemicals in many cleansers? We asked two experts for their healthy housecleaning tips — and the products they’ve banished from their own routines.
Take baby steps “Start with the least-aggressive cleaner, and work your way up,” Dellutri says. Sometimes plain old water can get the job done, especially paired with a microfiber cloth. If that doesn’t work, try a capful of vinegar or a few drops of mild dish soap in a bucket of water, Dellutri says. Bring out the heavy-duty cleaners or bleach only as a last resort. You may be surprised how little you need them.
Clean more often We know you don’t want to hear this, but think of it this way: If you make it a weekly habit, a five-minute cleaning session can go a long way. “I call it preventive maintenance,” says Dellutri. “If you haven’t cleaned your bathroom in three years, you’re going to need the big guns.” A good guideline for a basic cleaning routine is to do it once a month if you live alone, every other week if there are two of you, and weekly for a family of three or more.
Avoid antibacterial products A recent study at the University of Michigan School of Public Health found that antibacterial soaps may trigger allergies when overused by children. “In my opinion, there’s no reason to have any antibacterial soap in the house at all,” says Dr. Morrison. “It contains triclosan, which is a pesticide and an endocrine disruptor.” Replace your antibacterial hand soap with a glycerin- or castile-based variety.
Mix your own cleaning potions Why pay a premium for green cleaning products when it’s so easy to make your own? For a bathtub scrub, try 1 part borax to 4 parts baking soda. A mix of 2 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar can polish your furniture. And boiling a pot of cinnamon on the stove can safely rid your kitchen of odors.
Go fragrance-free “Any time you smell a fragrance in a cleaning product, that’s a chemical,” says Dr. Morrison. “And air fresheners are just sending chemicals into the air that disguise the original odor.” To freshen indoor air naturally, use an air purifier. An allergen reduction filter for your furnace will also help, provided you change it every season.
Don’t overspray. “In America, we think that more is better,” says “Healthy Housekeeper” Laura Dellutri, author of “The Overworked Mom’s Stress Free Homekeeping.” “It’s a whole mindset. So we go to clean a window, and we spray, spray, spray with cleaner.” Instead, start with the smallest possible amount of product, and add more as necessary.
Increasingly, experts are cautioning that having a house that’s too clean could actually be bad for your health.
“We don’t need to live in a sterile environment,” says Dr. Jeffrey Morrison, author of “Cleanse Your Body, Cleanse Your Mind.” “There’s a theory that people are having more allergies than ever before because they purify their homes so much that their bodies can’t properly create an immune response.”
So where is the balance between keeping your house free of germs and grime, and blasting them with the potentially harmful chemicals in many cleansers? We asked two experts for their healthy housecleaning tips — and the products they’ve banished from their own routines.
Take baby steps “Start with the least-aggressive cleaner, and work your way up,” Dellutri says. Sometimes plain old water can get the job done, especially paired with a microfiber cloth. If that doesn’t work, try a capful of vinegar or a few drops of mild dish soap in a bucket of water, Dellutri says. Bring out the heavy-duty cleaners or bleach only as a last resort. You may be surprised how little you need them.
Clean more often We know you don’t want to hear this, but think of it this way: If you make it a weekly habit, a five-minute cleaning session can go a long way. “I call it preventive maintenance,” says Dellutri. “If you haven’t cleaned your bathroom in three years, you’re going to need the big guns.” A good guideline for a basic cleaning routine is to do it once a month if you live alone, every other week if there are two of you, and weekly for a family of three or more.
Avoid antibacterial products A recent study at the University of Michigan School of Public Health found that antibacterial soaps may trigger allergies when overused by children. “In my opinion, there’s no reason to have any antibacterial soap in the house at all,” says Dr. Morrison. “It contains triclosan, which is a pesticide and an endocrine disruptor.” Replace your antibacterial hand soap with a glycerin- or castile-based variety.
Mix your own cleaning potions Why pay a premium for green cleaning products when it’s so easy to make your own? For a bathtub scrub, try 1 part borax to 4 parts baking soda. A mix of 2 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar can polish your furniture. And boiling a pot of cinnamon on the stove can safely rid your kitchen of odors.
Go fragrance-free “Any time you smell a fragrance in a cleaning product, that’s a chemical,” says Dr. Morrison. “And air fresheners are just sending chemicals into the air that disguise the original odor.” To freshen indoor air naturally, use an air purifier. An allergen reduction filter for your furnace will also help, provided you change it every season.
Don’t overspray. “In America, we think that more is better,” says “Healthy Housekeeper” Laura Dellutri, author of “The Overworked Mom’s Stress Free Homekeeping.” “It’s a whole mindset. So we go to clean a window, and we spray, spray, spray with cleaner.” Instead, start with the smallest possible amount of product, and add more as necessary.
2012年1月16日星期一
Condos and HOAs
Recently a member of my Condo and HOA Law & Living group on LinkedIn asked the following question of our approximately 2,400 nationwide members.
“What is a condominium owner’s rights when his or her unit is saturated in secondhand smoke from the unit above them and below them? Are there laws that address this issue and, if so, have they been enforced in Florida?”
This question kicked off some heated discussion and resulted in an extraordinarily large number of comments both from smokers and non-smokers alike. Some of the commentary ran a little afield of the original question and veered off into topics ranging from the science on secondhand smoke to civil liberties and everything in between.
However, for the benefit of Sun Sentinel blog readers, I will repost my response to the question here:
In that case, the court starts out saying that the case is “not a case about secondhand smoke, rather, as persuasively argued by the Plaintiff, it is about excessive secondhand smoke.” In 2003, the Plaintiff and her family purchased a unit at the Palm Aire Condominium in Pompano Beach. The Defendant was living in a unit one floor up and one unit over from the Plaintiff. The Defendant was a smoker who smoked about a pack a day. Initially, the Plainiff had no problems with the Defendant’s smoking but the Defendant later acquired a tenant who was also a smoker and that’s when the problems began. The Plaintiff acknowledged in her complaint that her family is “hypersensitive” to smoke due to a history of respiratory allergies.
The Plaintiff installed air purifiers in her unit to no avail and the association installed a mechanical fan to draw air from the common shafts up through the roof. This also did not resolve the problem. The smoke got so bad that on several occasions the family slept elsewhere and one time the smoke set the Plaintiff’’s smoke detector off.
The Plaintiff brought suit against the Defendant for damages based on the theories of trespass, common law nuisance and breach of contract. In Florida, the focus of the tort of trespass is the “disturbance of possession”. As it pertains to smoke, secondary authority has summarized the status of the law as it relates to trespass as follows: “A trespass need not be inflicted directly on another’s realty, but may be committed by discharging a foreign polluting matter at a point beyond the boundary of such realty.”
The Broward County Court found that the excessive nature of the smoke in this case did constitute a trespass. The Court also found that the excessive secondhand smoke had created an actionable nuisance for the Plaintiff. Florida courts have allowed a nuisance to also proceed based on odors created by another party. The Broward County Court also cited the Court of Appeals of Nebraska which had held that to have the use and enjoyment of one’s home interfered with by smoke, odor and similar attacks upon one’s senses is a serious harm.
Lastly, the Broward County Court addressed whether the excessive secondhand smoke constituted a breach of covenant of quiet enjoyment. The Court acknowledged that in Florida there was no case on point but relied on a Massachusetts Housing Court Ruling in 50-58 Gainsborough Street Realty Trust v. Halle. The Halle Court ruled that while smoking is legal, secondhand smoke can be considered a breach of covenant of quiet enjoyment. The only weakness in the Plaintiff’s case in Merrill v. Bosser is that she failed to provide competent evidence demonstrating the extent of her damages. The Court awarded her the sum of $1,000 plus costs in the amount of $275.00 to cover medical expenses, loss of use of the premises and remedial expenses.
It is important to note that this is a case where an owner sued an owner. It is not a case where an association sued an owner for violation of the covenants or for a nuisance. However, the arguments set forth in this case could, in my opinion, be used equally by a fellow owner or the association upon whom responsiblity to enforce the covenants rests.
“What is a condominium owner’s rights when his or her unit is saturated in secondhand smoke from the unit above them and below them? Are there laws that address this issue and, if so, have they been enforced in Florida?”
This question kicked off some heated discussion and resulted in an extraordinarily large number of comments both from smokers and non-smokers alike. Some of the commentary ran a little afield of the original question and veered off into topics ranging from the science on secondhand smoke to civil liberties and everything in between.
However, for the benefit of Sun Sentinel blog readers, I will repost my response to the question here:
In that case, the court starts out saying that the case is “not a case about secondhand smoke, rather, as persuasively argued by the Plaintiff, it is about excessive secondhand smoke.” In 2003, the Plaintiff and her family purchased a unit at the Palm Aire Condominium in Pompano Beach. The Defendant was living in a unit one floor up and one unit over from the Plaintiff. The Defendant was a smoker who smoked about a pack a day. Initially, the Plainiff had no problems with the Defendant’s smoking but the Defendant later acquired a tenant who was also a smoker and that’s when the problems began. The Plaintiff acknowledged in her complaint that her family is “hypersensitive” to smoke due to a history of respiratory allergies.
The Plaintiff installed air purifiers in her unit to no avail and the association installed a mechanical fan to draw air from the common shafts up through the roof. This also did not resolve the problem. The smoke got so bad that on several occasions the family slept elsewhere and one time the smoke set the Plaintiff’’s smoke detector off.
The Plaintiff brought suit against the Defendant for damages based on the theories of trespass, common law nuisance and breach of contract. In Florida, the focus of the tort of trespass is the “disturbance of possession”. As it pertains to smoke, secondary authority has summarized the status of the law as it relates to trespass as follows: “A trespass need not be inflicted directly on another’s realty, but may be committed by discharging a foreign polluting matter at a point beyond the boundary of such realty.”
The Broward County Court found that the excessive nature of the smoke in this case did constitute a trespass. The Court also found that the excessive secondhand smoke had created an actionable nuisance for the Plaintiff. Florida courts have allowed a nuisance to also proceed based on odors created by another party. The Broward County Court also cited the Court of Appeals of Nebraska which had held that to have the use and enjoyment of one’s home interfered with by smoke, odor and similar attacks upon one’s senses is a serious harm.
Lastly, the Broward County Court addressed whether the excessive secondhand smoke constituted a breach of covenant of quiet enjoyment. The Court acknowledged that in Florida there was no case on point but relied on a Massachusetts Housing Court Ruling in 50-58 Gainsborough Street Realty Trust v. Halle. The Halle Court ruled that while smoking is legal, secondhand smoke can be considered a breach of covenant of quiet enjoyment. The only weakness in the Plaintiff’s case in Merrill v. Bosser is that she failed to provide competent evidence demonstrating the extent of her damages. The Court awarded her the sum of $1,000 plus costs in the amount of $275.00 to cover medical expenses, loss of use of the premises and remedial expenses.
It is important to note that this is a case where an owner sued an owner. It is not a case where an association sued an owner for violation of the covenants or for a nuisance. However, the arguments set forth in this case could, in my opinion, be used equally by a fellow owner or the association upon whom responsiblity to enforce the covenants rests.
2012年1月15日星期日
The Advantages Of Proudly owning An Air Purifier
For those who watch television, take heed to the radio, or surf the web, there is a good chance that you have heard of air purifiers before. Air purifiers are digital machines that work to make indoor air healthier. That is finished by trapping dangerous air particles within the filters or collection grids. Essentially, which means your air is not going to solely be healthier, however simpler to breathe.
Even if you realize what an air air purifier is and what it does, have you learnt the benefits of proudly owning or utilizing one? If you don’t at the moment personal an air air purifier, additionally commonly referred to as an air cleaner, there’s a good probability that you will want one, after inspecting the benefits of using one. That’s right, air purifiers are that good.
As talked about above, air purifiers work to get rid of dangerous or unhealthy contaminants from the air. Doing this makes the air inside your home simpler to breathe. That is nice for young kids, the aged, as well as these with allergies. When breathing cleaner air, your health is likely to improve. There is a good probability that you could be find yourself getting ill less often.
Along with getting sick much less often, it has been stated that the air we breathe has an impact on our emotions and wellbeing. Therefore, this means that respiratory cleaner air, due to an air air purifier, it’s possible you’ll not solely be more healthy, however you might also enjoy life a bit bit more. When you consider it, it’s really wonderful what clear air can do for a person.
Another profit to owning an air purifier is the price of proudly owning one. Unfortunately, many people imagine that air purifiers cost too much money. It’s true that their prices might be high, however you must think about what you might be getting from them. Are you able to really put a price ticket on clear, wholesome, and breathable air? Even should you should put a price ticket on it, you will see that you have a number of totally different options. Air purifiers are available in quite a few different makes and models. Each of those makes and fashions costs a specific amount of money. This means that, with somewhat little bit of analysis, you must be capable of discover no less than one air purifier that’s within your price range.
As great as air purifiers are, it is important to remember one thing. You can not reap the numerous advantages of proudly owning an air air purifier if you don’t use it. There are a lot of individuals who make the purchase, but do not correctly use their air purifiers, in the event that they even use them at all. Usually, you’ll discover that air purifiers work best if you use them all the time. This will allow your air purifier to keep up with the entire air particles floating around inside your home or inside a selected room. Basically, which means in the event you make the choice to purchase an air air purifier, make sure you truly use it.
As you should simply be able to tell, air purifiers have a number of totally different benefits. Each of those benefits are probably that will help you out, in a method or another. Due to this fact, if you haven’t considered purchasing an air air purifier earlier than, it is about time that you give it some critical though. Chances are you’ll very properly find it to be among the best purchases that you just ever made.
Even if you realize what an air air purifier is and what it does, have you learnt the benefits of proudly owning or utilizing one? If you don’t at the moment personal an air air purifier, additionally commonly referred to as an air cleaner, there’s a good probability that you will want one, after inspecting the benefits of using one. That’s right, air purifiers are that good.
As talked about above, air purifiers work to get rid of dangerous or unhealthy contaminants from the air. Doing this makes the air inside your home simpler to breathe. That is nice for young kids, the aged, as well as these with allergies. When breathing cleaner air, your health is likely to improve. There is a good probability that you could be find yourself getting ill less often.
Along with getting sick much less often, it has been stated that the air we breathe has an impact on our emotions and wellbeing. Therefore, this means that respiratory cleaner air, due to an air air purifier, it’s possible you’ll not solely be more healthy, however you might also enjoy life a bit bit more. When you consider it, it’s really wonderful what clear air can do for a person.
Another profit to owning an air purifier is the price of proudly owning one. Unfortunately, many people imagine that air purifiers cost too much money. It’s true that their prices might be high, however you must think about what you might be getting from them. Are you able to really put a price ticket on clear, wholesome, and breathable air? Even should you should put a price ticket on it, you will see that you have a number of totally different options. Air purifiers are available in quite a few different makes and models. Each of those makes and fashions costs a specific amount of money. This means that, with somewhat little bit of analysis, you must be capable of discover no less than one air purifier that’s within your price range.
As great as air purifiers are, it is important to remember one thing. You can not reap the numerous advantages of proudly owning an air air purifier if you don’t use it. There are a lot of individuals who make the purchase, but do not correctly use their air purifiers, in the event that they even use them at all. Usually, you’ll discover that air purifiers work best if you use them all the time. This will allow your air purifier to keep up with the entire air particles floating around inside your home or inside a selected room. Basically, which means in the event you make the choice to purchase an air air purifier, make sure you truly use it.
As you should simply be able to tell, air purifiers have a number of totally different benefits. Each of those benefits are probably that will help you out, in a method or another. Due to this fact, if you haven’t considered purchasing an air air purifier earlier than, it is about time that you give it some critical though. Chances are you’ll very properly find it to be among the best purchases that you just ever made.
2012年1月12日星期四
The Privileges of China’s Elite Include Purified Air
The elite upper class members of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing have always had special privileges over those without membership, ranging from organic produce to better medical institutions, causing envy amongst ordinary citizens.
The ordinary citizens of Beijing seem to be well-informed on what the elite have that they don’t; however, the idea that the elite breathe the same polluted air as everyone else might not be too accurate.
The Broad Group, a Chinese company, produces machines that filter the air, thus purifying it. The company advertises the presence of its purifiers in many places where many officials live and work, including the Great Hall of the People and the Chinese presidential office.
“Creating clean, healthy for our national leaders is a blessing to the people,” boasts the company’s government-endorsed advertising.
Despite the Chinese government’s support of it, the Broad Group’s advertising campaign has spurred much criticism from lower class Chinese citizens.
“They don’t have to eat gutter oil or drink poisoned milk powder and now they’re protected from filthy air,” said a post on Sina Webo, China’s most popular blogging service. “This shows their indifference to the lives of ordinary people.”
Many find the idea of purified air specifically for China’s elite outrageous, especially when pollution can cause so many health problems.
“Pollution affects the cells of the human body,” said Mrs. Martinez, a teacher in the health academy and a retired nurse. “Chemical substances in the air attack the DNA in cells, and when the DNA is under attack, the cell undergoes something called a mutation, which can be the beginning of cancer.”
The United States Embassy’s air monitoring device has reported extremely hazardous levels of pollution in the Chinese atmosphere, even though Chinese readings deem it only “slightly polluted.”
The readings released by the American Embassy are based on very small particulate matter, measuring less than 2.5 micrometers, because of its ability to enter the lungs so easily. Chinese readings are based on particulate matter at a minimum of more than 10 micrometers, which includes visible sand and dust.
Despite the government’s fear that releasing readings based on smaller particulate matter could potentially worsen the image of some cities, the government does seem to be moving towards releasing more detailed data on pollution to the public. The ordinary citizens of China have a right to know what they are breathing in.
It isn’t surprising that the lower class Chinese resent the elite for their purified air. Clean air is something to be envied, especially somewhere with extreme pollution like Beijing.
The ordinary citizens of Beijing seem to be well-informed on what the elite have that they don’t; however, the idea that the elite breathe the same polluted air as everyone else might not be too accurate.
The Broad Group, a Chinese company, produces machines that filter the air, thus purifying it. The company advertises the presence of its purifiers in many places where many officials live and work, including the Great Hall of the People and the Chinese presidential office.
“Creating clean, healthy for our national leaders is a blessing to the people,” boasts the company’s government-endorsed advertising.
Despite the Chinese government’s support of it, the Broad Group’s advertising campaign has spurred much criticism from lower class Chinese citizens.
“They don’t have to eat gutter oil or drink poisoned milk powder and now they’re protected from filthy air,” said a post on Sina Webo, China’s most popular blogging service. “This shows their indifference to the lives of ordinary people.”
Many find the idea of purified air specifically for China’s elite outrageous, especially when pollution can cause so many health problems.
“Pollution affects the cells of the human body,” said Mrs. Martinez, a teacher in the health academy and a retired nurse. “Chemical substances in the air attack the DNA in cells, and when the DNA is under attack, the cell undergoes something called a mutation, which can be the beginning of cancer.”
The United States Embassy’s air monitoring device has reported extremely hazardous levels of pollution in the Chinese atmosphere, even though Chinese readings deem it only “slightly polluted.”
The readings released by the American Embassy are based on very small particulate matter, measuring less than 2.5 micrometers, because of its ability to enter the lungs so easily. Chinese readings are based on particulate matter at a minimum of more than 10 micrometers, which includes visible sand and dust.
Despite the government’s fear that releasing readings based on smaller particulate matter could potentially worsen the image of some cities, the government does seem to be moving towards releasing more detailed data on pollution to the public. The ordinary citizens of China have a right to know what they are breathing in.
It isn’t surprising that the lower class Chinese resent the elite for their purified air. Clean air is something to be envied, especially somewhere with extreme pollution like Beijing.
2012年1月11日星期三
Clean, Efficient Wood Stoves Good for People and the Planet
A whole meal can be cooked on a Turbococina or "Turbostove", as he dubbed the device, using just five small pieces of wood around 13 cm long, which can be easily obtained from tree pruning.
The Turbococina is not a new invention. Nez developed a prototype 16 years ago, and since then, the professor, electrical engineer and inventor has continued to work on perfecting it. In 2010 he achieved a thermal efficiency rate of 93 percent and a 95 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Prior to that, he had already managed to eliminate nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide emissions.
The cook stove works on the principle of low-temperature combustion, resulting in a drastic decrease in consumption of firewood, a vital resource for poor families in El Salvador and many other developing countries.
"By replacing traditional wood stoves with Turbococinas, what families spend on firewood in one day would last them for a whole month," Nez stated in a presentation in his native El Salvador in 2005.
The stove is comprised of a stainless steel cylinder fitted with 10 air injectors, an internal fan that runs on electricity, and a steel plate that regulates the amount of air entering or leaving.
The Turbococina has earned numerous awards over the years. The most recent was in November, when it was selected along with nine other energy innovations from around the world to participate in LAUNCH 2011 Energy Innovators, an initiative sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. space agency NASA, and sportswear company Nike.
"For NASA to say that it is the best stove in the world is worth a great deal to me," Nez told Tierramerica.
Comparatively speaking, other "improved" wood stoves have not managed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 45 percent, he noted.
According to official statistics, almost 400,000 families in El Salvador cook with firewood or over open fires, representing 25 percent of the population of this Central American nation of six million people. Smoke-filled homes are an everyday reality in rural areas, where relatively few people have gas-powered or electric stoves.
The El Salvador Human Development Report 2010, published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), reveals that the poorest 10 percent of Salvadoran households spend more on firewood (three percent of total household expenditure) than on electricity.
Over 55 percent of rural households cook with firewood, as compared to nine percent of urban households.
"Firewood consumption not only represents a considerable proportion of household expenditure, but in addition, many households devote a significant amount of their time to gathering it," the report says.
Added to this are the respiratory illnesses caused by smoke from burning wood. This is the cause of death for some 2,000 people every year in El Salvador, said Nez, based on figures from the Ministry of Health.
The inventor’s main goal is to decrease the use of conventional wood stoves in El Salvador, which is one of the most highly deforested countries in the hemisphere.
But low-temperature combustion also has a number of other potential uses, from industrial and domestic stoves and ovens to water heaters, water purifiers, milk pasteurisers, steam-powered generators and thermoelectric power plants.
Despite its many merits, however, the Turbococina faces a major obstacle in terms of widespread use in poor rural areas. The main problem is that it requires electricity to operate the internal fan, which moves air into the combustion chamber, explained environmentalist Ricardo Navarro of the Salvadoran Centre for Appropriate Technology, affiliated with the Friends of the Earth international network.
Figures from the Ministry of Economy show that only 65.5 percent of the rural population is connected to the electric power grid, as opposed to 88.9 percent of the urban population.
The government should actively promote not only the Turbococina but also other alternative cooking methods, like solar-powered stoves, Navarro commented to Tierramerica.
For his part, Mauricio Sermeo, coordinator of the Salvadoran Ecological Unit, told Tierramerica that the inventor himself should step up his efforts to popularise the device.
The Turbococina is not sold in any stores, because Nez has no interest in turning his invention into a business venture. He is looking for the best mechanism to distribute the stoves free of charge to the country’s poorest families and communities.
His goal is for 100,000 Turbococinas to be distributed under these conditions, and is negotiating the final details to determine which institution or mechanism is best suited for this purpose.
The Ministry of Education has purchased 1,050 of the stoves and distributed them to 800 schools as part of a program that provides students with a free snack every day.
But over the last 16 years, the successive governments that have held power in El Salvador have showed no interest in the widespread distribution of the Turbococina. "There is apparently no government support for alternative energy initiatives," concluded Sermeo.
The Turbococina is not a new invention. Nez developed a prototype 16 years ago, and since then, the professor, electrical engineer and inventor has continued to work on perfecting it. In 2010 he achieved a thermal efficiency rate of 93 percent and a 95 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Prior to that, he had already managed to eliminate nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide emissions.
The cook stove works on the principle of low-temperature combustion, resulting in a drastic decrease in consumption of firewood, a vital resource for poor families in El Salvador and many other developing countries.
"By replacing traditional wood stoves with Turbococinas, what families spend on firewood in one day would last them for a whole month," Nez stated in a presentation in his native El Salvador in 2005.
The stove is comprised of a stainless steel cylinder fitted with 10 air injectors, an internal fan that runs on electricity, and a steel plate that regulates the amount of air entering or leaving.
The Turbococina has earned numerous awards over the years. The most recent was in November, when it was selected along with nine other energy innovations from around the world to participate in LAUNCH 2011 Energy Innovators, an initiative sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. space agency NASA, and sportswear company Nike.
"For NASA to say that it is the best stove in the world is worth a great deal to me," Nez told Tierramerica.
Comparatively speaking, other "improved" wood stoves have not managed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 45 percent, he noted.
According to official statistics, almost 400,000 families in El Salvador cook with firewood or over open fires, representing 25 percent of the population of this Central American nation of six million people. Smoke-filled homes are an everyday reality in rural areas, where relatively few people have gas-powered or electric stoves.
The El Salvador Human Development Report 2010, published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), reveals that the poorest 10 percent of Salvadoran households spend more on firewood (three percent of total household expenditure) than on electricity.
Over 55 percent of rural households cook with firewood, as compared to nine percent of urban households.
"Firewood consumption not only represents a considerable proportion of household expenditure, but in addition, many households devote a significant amount of their time to gathering it," the report says.
Added to this are the respiratory illnesses caused by smoke from burning wood. This is the cause of death for some 2,000 people every year in El Salvador, said Nez, based on figures from the Ministry of Health.
The inventor’s main goal is to decrease the use of conventional wood stoves in El Salvador, which is one of the most highly deforested countries in the hemisphere.
But low-temperature combustion also has a number of other potential uses, from industrial and domestic stoves and ovens to water heaters, water purifiers, milk pasteurisers, steam-powered generators and thermoelectric power plants.
Despite its many merits, however, the Turbococina faces a major obstacle in terms of widespread use in poor rural areas. The main problem is that it requires electricity to operate the internal fan, which moves air into the combustion chamber, explained environmentalist Ricardo Navarro of the Salvadoran Centre for Appropriate Technology, affiliated with the Friends of the Earth international network.
Figures from the Ministry of Economy show that only 65.5 percent of the rural population is connected to the electric power grid, as opposed to 88.9 percent of the urban population.
The government should actively promote not only the Turbococina but also other alternative cooking methods, like solar-powered stoves, Navarro commented to Tierramerica.
For his part, Mauricio Sermeo, coordinator of the Salvadoran Ecological Unit, told Tierramerica that the inventor himself should step up his efforts to popularise the device.
The Turbococina is not sold in any stores, because Nez has no interest in turning his invention into a business venture. He is looking for the best mechanism to distribute the stoves free of charge to the country’s poorest families and communities.
His goal is for 100,000 Turbococinas to be distributed under these conditions, and is negotiating the final details to determine which institution or mechanism is best suited for this purpose.
The Ministry of Education has purchased 1,050 of the stoves and distributed them to 800 schools as part of a program that provides students with a free snack every day.
But over the last 16 years, the successive governments that have held power in El Salvador have showed no interest in the widespread distribution of the Turbococina. "There is apparently no government support for alternative energy initiatives," concluded Sermeo.
2012年1月10日星期二
Nursing aide gets 10 years for abuse
A nursing assistant was sentenced Monday to more than 10 years in prison for abusing a 78-year-old Alzheimer's patient whose son recorded the mistreatment on a video camera hidden in an air purifier.
Virgen Caraballo, 45, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 10 1/2 years on her guilty plea to seven felony counts of patient abuse, the state attorney general's office said.
The video taken in April and May by Esther Piskor's son showed Caraballo roughly transferring Piskor to a wheelchair and tossing her on a bed, the state attorney general's office said. Authorities said the video also showed Caraballo pushing the patient's face into her bed while washing her.
"The way this woman was treated by those assigned to care for her was unbelievable," said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine in a statement. "Families cannot tolerate such care and neither will we."
The Ohio attorney general's office conducted the investigation with help from the Cleveland police, the Cuyahoga County prosecutor's office and the state health department.
In December 2011, a second nursing assistant pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and faces up to six months in jail. Maria Karban, 26, of Cleveland, is to be sentenced later this month.
The two were charged with abusing the woman at a MetroHealth Medical Center facility. MetroHealth has fired the women and two other employees.
Caraballo's attorney did not immediately return calls Monday.
Caraballo also is required to give up her nursing aid license and cannot work in a facility that is a Medicaid provider.
Virgen Caraballo, 45, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 10 1/2 years on her guilty plea to seven felony counts of patient abuse, the state attorney general's office said.
The video taken in April and May by Esther Piskor's son showed Caraballo roughly transferring Piskor to a wheelchair and tossing her on a bed, the state attorney general's office said. Authorities said the video also showed Caraballo pushing the patient's face into her bed while washing her.
"The way this woman was treated by those assigned to care for her was unbelievable," said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine in a statement. "Families cannot tolerate such care and neither will we."
The Ohio attorney general's office conducted the investigation with help from the Cleveland police, the Cuyahoga County prosecutor's office and the state health department.
In December 2011, a second nursing assistant pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and faces up to six months in jail. Maria Karban, 26, of Cleveland, is to be sentenced later this month.
The two were charged with abusing the woman at a MetroHealth Medical Center facility. MetroHealth has fired the women and two other employees.
Caraballo's attorney did not immediately return calls Monday.
Caraballo also is required to give up her nursing aid license and cannot work in a facility that is a Medicaid provider.
2012年1月9日星期一
Webley sells Petaluma tech startup
Petaluma tech startup Innovative Labs, which makes next-generation air purifiers, is being acquired by a Canadian private equity firm for more than $5.4 million, the two companies said Monday.
The cash-and-stock deal will help the Petaluma business grow, said John Webley, the Telecom Valley entrepreneur who founded Innovative Labs in 2007.
“That's the whole idea,” said Webley, a technology veteran who led Advanced Fibre Communications and Turin Networks. “The Canadians are getting very aggressive in acquiring green technology.”
Thoroughbred Capital, an Ontario-based company on Canada's TSX stock exchange, said it is buying the Petaluma business with about $3.5 million in stock and nearly $2 million in cash from a private placement.
Thoroughbred chief executive Michael Inskip said Monday he can't talk about the deal until it closes. But Webley said Innovative Labs will stay in Petaluma and keep its current staff of eight employees.
“This will let us ramp up the business,” he said.
Innovative Labs started shipping its “Sonoma Breeze” indoor air purifiers last year. They use ultraviolet light and photocatalytic technology to destroy airborne contaminants, including bacteria, viruses and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde.
The problem of formaldehyde and other chemical vapors drew attention after Hurricane Katrina, when displaced residents in government-issued trailers became sick from the fumes.
Last year, the federal government listed formaldehyde as a carcinogen, and said it can be found at unsafe levels in building materials, medical labs, hair salons and mortuaries.
Those are some of the markets for Innovative Labs' air purifiers, Webley said. The company's technology was a top performer in tests by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, NASA, FEMA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he said.
The system doesn't produce ozone and uses sensors to monitor air quality, reporting real-time VOC concentrations on an LED display.
The Sonoma Breeze units range in size from a desktop model to larger ones that can purify spaces up to 1,000 square feet. They sell from about $200 to $2,000.
After a career in telecom, Webley turned his attention to green technology. He headed Novato green engineering startup PAX Streamline before launching Innovative Labs.
The deal with Thoroughbred Capital will help take Innovative Labs to the next level, Webley said.
“We showed the potential for the company,” he said.
The cash-and-stock deal will help the Petaluma business grow, said John Webley, the Telecom Valley entrepreneur who founded Innovative Labs in 2007.
“That's the whole idea,” said Webley, a technology veteran who led Advanced Fibre Communications and Turin Networks. “The Canadians are getting very aggressive in acquiring green technology.”
Thoroughbred Capital, an Ontario-based company on Canada's TSX stock exchange, said it is buying the Petaluma business with about $3.5 million in stock and nearly $2 million in cash from a private placement.
Thoroughbred chief executive Michael Inskip said Monday he can't talk about the deal until it closes. But Webley said Innovative Labs will stay in Petaluma and keep its current staff of eight employees.
“This will let us ramp up the business,” he said.
Innovative Labs started shipping its “Sonoma Breeze” indoor air purifiers last year. They use ultraviolet light and photocatalytic technology to destroy airborne contaminants, including bacteria, viruses and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde.
The problem of formaldehyde and other chemical vapors drew attention after Hurricane Katrina, when displaced residents in government-issued trailers became sick from the fumes.
Last year, the federal government listed formaldehyde as a carcinogen, and said it can be found at unsafe levels in building materials, medical labs, hair salons and mortuaries.
Those are some of the markets for Innovative Labs' air purifiers, Webley said. The company's technology was a top performer in tests by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, NASA, FEMA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he said.
The system doesn't produce ozone and uses sensors to monitor air quality, reporting real-time VOC concentrations on an LED display.
The Sonoma Breeze units range in size from a desktop model to larger ones that can purify spaces up to 1,000 square feet. They sell from about $200 to $2,000.
After a career in telecom, Webley turned his attention to green technology. He headed Novato green engineering startup PAX Streamline before launching Innovative Labs.
The deal with Thoroughbred Capital will help take Innovative Labs to the next level, Webley said.
“We showed the potential for the company,” he said.
2012年1月8日星期日
7 Benefits That Anticipate Effectiveness
If you’re looking for an cleaner for ones bedroom, that you are probably blown away at what amount of choices along with features you will find. But for anyone who is ever to produce a confident conclusion, you need did you know the features they’ll insure advantages. Here are generally 7 that your particular bedroom cleaner needs to have, splendid well-known speaker Cedric Johns insisted.
Ability for you to Filter 24 Hours—Since pollution are always being introduced with your indoor discuss, your filtering method needs to operate just while constantly to stay the quality of air high from continuously filtering mid-air. This keeps mid-air fresh along with insures the fact that indoor quality of air is while fresh as you possibly can so that one can get for you to sleep all the time.
There are many different types of air cleanser purifier and as per air air cleaner reviews so that this machine to operate to the fullest, filters will need to likewise wear full mint illness.
These will filter are considered to be those the fact that sifts along with cleans discuss by selecting out debris particles within the air. There can be two different types of filter, people are the long lasting filter and also other Whirlpool Whispure review air air cleaner replacement will filter. Let’s relax and take a closer look within the difference between your two:
If you have this specific purifier, now you may filter your dusts and also allergens you could find inside the home. The discuss filtered because of the home discuss cleaners is without a doubt safe for ones health.
Almost all the houses, especially your rich ones select centralized air-conditioning system and also the centralized home heating. You might also install this particular home discuss cleanser without hiring somebody.
Airborne Dirt include dog or cat dander, dust particles mite allergen, pollen, place spores, fungus, mold, along with tobacco toxins, and they can be air purifier reviews cause with indoor allergy symptom and asthma violence. HEPA air cleanser are typically the most popular, and they can be perfect to get eliminating spouse and children allergens just like dust, four-legged friend dander, along with pollen, but they can be of low quality at taking ultra-fine allergens like infections or cutting out foul smells, organic formula, or chemical like fumes. Such as, our #1-selling Austin tx Air Health and wellness mate uses a HEPA filter plus a to assistance eliminate dust particles and smells. This air conditioner filter Company was basically originally put together by the Atomic Energy levels Commission for you to capture radioactive dust particles particles. Allergens just like pollen, four-legged friend dander, black mold spores, and dust particles get trapped within the filter.
These ions complement impurities (like dust) within the air, forcing your impurities for you to cling into a nearby surface area. Particles which have been lighter rather than air can include pollen, black mold spores, four-legged friend dander along with dust. Such, as good as more heavy dust mites along with dust mite particulate, can become effectively filtered from air in your house by running a quality air conditioner filter. One within the easiest particulates for you to filter from air is without a doubt dust. Air purifiers which tested from AHAM requires the AHAM Trained seal along with CADR quantities for two pollutants: strong tobacco smoke, pollen, along with dust.
Ability for you to Filter 24 Hours—Since pollution are always being introduced with your indoor discuss, your filtering method needs to operate just while constantly to stay the quality of air high from continuously filtering mid-air. This keeps mid-air fresh along with insures the fact that indoor quality of air is while fresh as you possibly can so that one can get for you to sleep all the time.
There are many different types of air cleanser purifier and as per air air cleaner reviews so that this machine to operate to the fullest, filters will need to likewise wear full mint illness.
These will filter are considered to be those the fact that sifts along with cleans discuss by selecting out debris particles within the air. There can be two different types of filter, people are the long lasting filter and also other Whirlpool Whispure review air air cleaner replacement will filter. Let’s relax and take a closer look within the difference between your two:
If you have this specific purifier, now you may filter your dusts and also allergens you could find inside the home. The discuss filtered because of the home discuss cleaners is without a doubt safe for ones health.
Almost all the houses, especially your rich ones select centralized air-conditioning system and also the centralized home heating. You might also install this particular home discuss cleanser without hiring somebody.
Airborne Dirt include dog or cat dander, dust particles mite allergen, pollen, place spores, fungus, mold, along with tobacco toxins, and they can be air purifier reviews cause with indoor allergy symptom and asthma violence. HEPA air cleanser are typically the most popular, and they can be perfect to get eliminating spouse and children allergens just like dust, four-legged friend dander, along with pollen, but they can be of low quality at taking ultra-fine allergens like infections or cutting out foul smells, organic formula, or chemical like fumes. Such as, our #1-selling Austin tx Air Health and wellness mate uses a HEPA filter plus a to assistance eliminate dust particles and smells. This air conditioner filter Company was basically originally put together by the Atomic Energy levels Commission for you to capture radioactive dust particles particles. Allergens just like pollen, four-legged friend dander, black mold spores, and dust particles get trapped within the filter.
These ions complement impurities (like dust) within the air, forcing your impurities for you to cling into a nearby surface area. Particles which have been lighter rather than air can include pollen, black mold spores, four-legged friend dander along with dust. Such, as good as more heavy dust mites along with dust mite particulate, can become effectively filtered from air in your house by running a quality air conditioner filter. One within the easiest particulates for you to filter from air is without a doubt dust. Air purifiers which tested from AHAM requires the AHAM Trained seal along with CADR quantities for two pollutants: strong tobacco smoke, pollen, along with dust.
2012年1月5日星期四
Hyundai Debuts Hexa Space Concept with Puzzle-Like Seats in New Delhi
Hyundai is looking to expand the notion of family mobility with its Hexa Space Concept, which it just revealed at the Auto Expo in New Delhi, India. The new concept has room for eight, fold-flat seats for camping, despite the fact it isn’t much bigger than a small hatchback.
Though only a concept, Hyundai is hoping to appeal to urban-dwellers in their 30s and 40s with young families in the world’s emerging economies. It’s also designed to provide a flexible interior space. The concept van is outfitted with eight hexagonal-shaped seats (hence the name) in three rows. The first two rows each have three seats, with the center seat placed aft from the outboard positions, maximizing shoulder room for three-abreast seating. The seats can be reconfigured in numerous ways, including having second-row seats recline, the middle seats folded for more space, or folding any of the seats flat into the floor for load space.
The automaker chose the hexagon because it is the best possible shape for packaging, as shown in nature with the honeycomb. Despite the large passenger load, the Hexa Space is quite small: it shares its platform with the Hyundai ix20 and Kia Soul, meaning it sits on a 108.3-inch wheelbase and is only 169.3 inches long overall. At 71.7 inches wide, it inhabits roughly the same footprint as a compact hatchback. Powering the concept is Hyundai’s Kappa 1.2-liter turbocharged I-4, which is bolted to a six-speed automatic transmission.
Other innovative features of the Hexa Space include rear doors that lift out and then slide back, out of the way, a touch-screen center stack with push-button transmission, and a cluster ionizer air purifier.
Though only a concept, Hyundai is hoping to appeal to urban-dwellers in their 30s and 40s with young families in the world’s emerging economies. It’s also designed to provide a flexible interior space. The concept van is outfitted with eight hexagonal-shaped seats (hence the name) in three rows. The first two rows each have three seats, with the center seat placed aft from the outboard positions, maximizing shoulder room for three-abreast seating. The seats can be reconfigured in numerous ways, including having second-row seats recline, the middle seats folded for more space, or folding any of the seats flat into the floor for load space.
The automaker chose the hexagon because it is the best possible shape for packaging, as shown in nature with the honeycomb. Despite the large passenger load, the Hexa Space is quite small: it shares its platform with the Hyundai ix20 and Kia Soul, meaning it sits on a 108.3-inch wheelbase and is only 169.3 inches long overall. At 71.7 inches wide, it inhabits roughly the same footprint as a compact hatchback. Powering the concept is Hyundai’s Kappa 1.2-liter turbocharged I-4, which is bolted to a six-speed automatic transmission.
Other innovative features of the Hexa Space include rear doors that lift out and then slide back, out of the way, a touch-screen center stack with push-button transmission, and a cluster ionizer air purifier.
2012年1月3日星期二
Helen of Troy completes PUR acquisition
Helen of Troy Ltd. has closed on its acquisition of the water-purifier business PUR from Procter & Gamble Co., the company said Tuesday.
"We expect to quickly integrate the PUR brands into our health care/home environment segment, where it is a natural fit. The category shares the segment's current customer base, target audience, and product focus areas," Helen of Troy Chairman, CEO and President Gerald Rubin said in a statement.
Helen of Troy's health care/home environment unit includes health care products such as thermometers, humidifiers and heating pads, and small domestic appliances such as air purifiers, portable heaters, fans, and bug zappers.
The deal, announced last month, includes all of PUR Water Purification Products Inc.'s outstanding stock and all assets related to making and selling products under the PUR trademark. It also involves PUR's current and future product line, manufacturing equipment and more than 200 patents.
The transaction does not include Procter & Gamble's Children's Safe Drinking Water corporate philanthropy program. The powder product and patents used in that program will remain with P&G and it will be transitioned to the Cincinnati company's corporate name.
Procter & Gamble purchased PUR in 1999. The company said last month that it decided to sell the business because it determined that water purification was not core to its long-term portfolio.
PUR products include faucet mount systems and filters, pitcher systems and filters and refrigerator filters. They are sold throughout the U.S.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal is expected to immediately add to Helen of Troy's earnings.
Helen of Troy said in December that it was buying the PUR business because demand for such products is growing in the U.S.
Helen of Troy, based in El Pas, Texas, makes Vidal Sassoon hair products and other personal care and housewares items. The company anticipates that the PUR brand will achieve sales of about $110 million on an annual basis.
"We expect to quickly integrate the PUR brands into our health care/home environment segment, where it is a natural fit. The category shares the segment's current customer base, target audience, and product focus areas," Helen of Troy Chairman, CEO and President Gerald Rubin said in a statement.
Helen of Troy's health care/home environment unit includes health care products such as thermometers, humidifiers and heating pads, and small domestic appliances such as air purifiers, portable heaters, fans, and bug zappers.
The deal, announced last month, includes all of PUR Water Purification Products Inc.'s outstanding stock and all assets related to making and selling products under the PUR trademark. It also involves PUR's current and future product line, manufacturing equipment and more than 200 patents.
The transaction does not include Procter & Gamble's Children's Safe Drinking Water corporate philanthropy program. The powder product and patents used in that program will remain with P&G and it will be transitioned to the Cincinnati company's corporate name.
Procter & Gamble purchased PUR in 1999. The company said last month that it decided to sell the business because it determined that water purification was not core to its long-term portfolio.
PUR products include faucet mount systems and filters, pitcher systems and filters and refrigerator filters. They are sold throughout the U.S.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal is expected to immediately add to Helen of Troy's earnings.
Helen of Troy said in December that it was buying the PUR business because demand for such products is growing in the U.S.
Helen of Troy, based in El Pas, Texas, makes Vidal Sassoon hair products and other personal care and housewares items. The company anticipates that the PUR brand will achieve sales of about $110 million on an annual basis.
2012年1月2日星期一
Air Purifiers Can Help When You Buy the Right Type of Air Purifier
Asthma can be a very expensive and problematic condition to deal with. An air purifier can help to eliminate allergenic particles or toxic contaminants from the air. When used inside your home, an air purifier can help make the air that you and your family breathe cleaner. This is one of the reasons, a person with Asthma could be in the market for a new air purifier, if not now then in the future. I personally have two Austin Air Filters in my own home to help with Allergies.
If you are going to buy an air purifier, most people do not know what to look for. The first thing most individuals look at is price, but this can be misleading. Just because it is cheap only means you will get what you pay for. If you want a cheap air filter, you will have one. First, look at the Austin Air Filter because this is one of the top types on the market because it is rated HEPA.
It is a High Efficiency Particulate Air Purifier so, make your comparisons to this brand. I personally use the Austin Jr with Carbon/Zeolite media for the HEPA filtration. This is an all purpose type of air cleaner which does a great job.
It is important that you look for an air purifier with HEPA Filtration. HEPA Filtration, although they are considered expensive, are often the best performing. This is because HEPA air filters must meet specific regulations of the Department of Energy and are tested to receive the High Efficiency Particulate Air Certification. These regulations, which are imposed by the Department of Energy, are the main reason that High Efficiency Particulate Air Cleaners are considered the most successful at removing harmful air particles.
When you have the opportunity, it is important to read online reviews of multiple air purifiers.
These reviews will help give you inside information on the use and maintenance of different brands. Even though product reviews are important, you are also advised to do your own research, as well as use your common sense. Some of these reviews sites are not really real reviews but sites set up to make money off of consumers. Read between the lines and look at a minimum of ten site reviews. Call some of the dealers and talk to the technical people, they will tell you the information you are looking for.
In conclusion, asthma is tough to deal with. An air purifier can help eliminate particles that you could be allergic to. A High Efficiency Particulate Air rated filter is the best you can buy and it has to perform according to the Department of Energy Standards. Price is important but so is your health and peace of mind. If you are under the care of a Doctor for your health, be sure to check with your Physician before making any decision regarding any type of Air Filter purchase.
If you are going to buy an air purifier, most people do not know what to look for. The first thing most individuals look at is price, but this can be misleading. Just because it is cheap only means you will get what you pay for. If you want a cheap air filter, you will have one. First, look at the Austin Air Filter because this is one of the top types on the market because it is rated HEPA.
It is a High Efficiency Particulate Air Purifier so, make your comparisons to this brand. I personally use the Austin Jr with Carbon/Zeolite media for the HEPA filtration. This is an all purpose type of air cleaner which does a great job.
It is important that you look for an air purifier with HEPA Filtration. HEPA Filtration, although they are considered expensive, are often the best performing. This is because HEPA air filters must meet specific regulations of the Department of Energy and are tested to receive the High Efficiency Particulate Air Certification. These regulations, which are imposed by the Department of Energy, are the main reason that High Efficiency Particulate Air Cleaners are considered the most successful at removing harmful air particles.
When you have the opportunity, it is important to read online reviews of multiple air purifiers.
These reviews will help give you inside information on the use and maintenance of different brands. Even though product reviews are important, you are also advised to do your own research, as well as use your common sense. Some of these reviews sites are not really real reviews but sites set up to make money off of consumers. Read between the lines and look at a minimum of ten site reviews. Call some of the dealers and talk to the technical people, they will tell you the information you are looking for.
In conclusion, asthma is tough to deal with. An air purifier can help eliminate particles that you could be allergic to. A High Efficiency Particulate Air rated filter is the best you can buy and it has to perform according to the Department of Energy Standards. Price is important but so is your health and peace of mind. If you are under the care of a Doctor for your health, be sure to check with your Physician before making any decision regarding any type of Air Filter purchase.
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