The March earthquake and subsequent shutdown of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima completely transformed the consumer mindset regarding energy use. Following the disaster the Japanese Government officially set the target of a 15% reduction in electricity consumption nationwide, and advertised the reduction of 50% in household electricity use by switching from air conditioners to fans. As a result sales volume of fans surged thereafter as consumers rushed to stores, with fans achieving the highest sales volume in 10 years.
Economic contraction encourages home dining and laundry
The continued economic downturn has put downwards pressure on consumer spending, with people spending an increasing amount of time at home. A trend of ‘uchishoku’ – home-cooked meals – continued to dominate the Japan consumer appliances market, and sales of premium food preparation and cooking appliances both increased in volume. The world’s first auto-rice mill breadmaker, Gopan, also became a huge hit, with home bakery another trend observed in 2011. In addition to home cooking, consumers are increasingly taking care of fashion items at home, and premium irons with a unique symmetrical base shape proved popular.
Increase in pollen allergy and multiple chemical sensitivity among consumers
Although the exact number of Japanese who are allergic to pollen is not known, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare cites research suggesting that approximately 29% of Japan’s population suffers from pollen allergy, with recognised symptoms including a runny nose and watery eyes. The population with pollen allergy is concentrated in urban areas, but the number has been rising, with indoor air quality a major concern among consumers. Air purifiers and humidifiers experienced a spike in sales volume as the news forecasts estimated pollen levels in 2011 to be five to 10 times the 2010 level. In order to maintain clean room air quality, ultra-fine filters are often used in premium vacuum cleaners to reduce dust emissions from the machine. Vacuum cleaners with high levels of filtration limit the release of dust, pollen, mould, bacteria and other particles back into the air.
Demand for larger appliances increases among family households
Larger fridge-freezers over 400 litres are growing rapidly in the refrigeration appliances environment. As more women stay longer in the workforce, family households are storing large quantities of food in refrigeration appliances to avoid frequent trips to grocery stores. Additionally, increasing awareness of cleanliness and health concerns have led to consumers placing items that do not require refrigeration into such units, including rice and flour. Larger laundry machines are also popular among family households. Furthermore, the continued economic downturn has put downward pressure on professional cleaning services, with an increasing propensity among consumers to clean fabric items at home, including thick winter jackets and large blankets.
Electrical goods retailers continue to show strong presence
Although the Eco-point system ended on March 2011, the Tohoku earthquake and the power shortage continued to spur demand for energy-efficient consumer appliances in 2011. The majority of consumer appliance sales are made through electrical goods retailer multiples, and they have benefited the most from the strong-performing consumer appliances market as a whole. Major electrical goods multiples reported sales increases, and further concentration of the industry was also observed. The share of multiple electrical goods retailers has increased over the past 10 years, with their competitive positioning and customer service appealing widely to consumers.
2012年2月9日星期四
2012年1月31日星期二
Oxygen purifier fraud targets patients, cops say
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."
"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.
2011年12月27日星期二
Chinese turn to U.S. for clarity in smog data
The Beijing smog often keeps Zhushen Zhenyu trapped at home, on his mother’s orders, when he’d rather be playing basketball outside, but the 8-year-old still hopes for a silver lining in the clouds of pollution choking China’s capital.
“When will the air quality be so bad we don’t have to go to school?” he asked a city official one recent smoggy day.
“That depends on government policy,” was the cryptic reply of Li Yunting, an engineer at the Beijing Environmental Monitoring Center, which opened to public visits last month.
The doubts about official pollution data keep piling up for China’s government, as green activists, celebrity bloggers and ordinary citizens increasingly demand action and information to halt the environmental fall-out from decades of breakneck economic growth.
Burning coal is largely responsible for the oppressive smog, which the United Nations has rated the worst in the world. China has more than doubled its coal consumption in the past 10 years but has not kept pace with the clean-air technology found in the West. It also relies on cheaper forms of coal that emit more pollutants, and Beijing’s nearly 5 million cars do not generally meet the standards of the USA.
The past two months have been dire. The high incidence of heavy air pollution has sent many residents rushing to buy face masks, air purifiers and household plants believed to clean dirty air.
The haze has highlighted discrepancies between the government’s robustly sunny statistics and the far scarier numbers recorded and issued by the U.S. Embassy here. Beijing described the air pollution as “light” on December 4, a smog-filled day that forced the city airport, the world’s second busiest, to cancel hundreds of flights because of poor visibility. The embassy reading was “beyond index,” literally off the measurement charts that stop at “hazardous.”
The embassy measurements, begun in 2008 and issued hourly via Twitter, use a standard employed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to measure tiny airborne particles, such as soot from burning gas in cars, that are under 2.5 micrometers in diameter.
Experts consider these particles most damaging to human health, as they are small enough to penetrate the lungs and blood, potentially causing lung cancer and other diseases.
China publishes figures using a standard that measures coarser particular matter such as dust and keeps secret, for internal research, the measurements of smaller particles its scientists collect.
Despite the Chinese government’s blocking of Twitter, the U.S. Embassy figures are widely circulated in Beijing on Chinese websites or microblogs. In recent weeks, celebrity bloggers such as real estate mogul Pan Shiyi and children’s author Zheng Yuanjie have pressured Chinese officials to give a more accurate picture of air quality.
Yu Ping, a Beijing journalist and father of a 6-year-old boy who, like him, has suffered a sore throat in recent weeks, threatens to sue the municipal environmental protection agency if they don’t respond to his request for the recent data.
“This is very important for me, my son and all citizens of Beijing and China,” he says.
Yu’s quest has inspired several other Chinese to demand data from their city governments, Yu says. He is grateful to the U.S. government for its transparency, but “it should be the Chinese government that does this,” he says.
Some Beijingers, such as Wang Jinlan, say the U.S. government should mind its own business. Her daughter Du Lanxin, 8, says they filled their house with special plants last month to purify the air.
“Our home is better now, but when I go out, it’s sometimes very hard to breathe,” she says. Her mother drives her to school every day rather than breathe the smog on a bicycle or bus, but in doing so, she adds to the city’s clogged, polluted streets.
Hua Lei, vice director of the center, insists that, over the past two years, Beijing’s air quality has improved. She says the center measures small particulates in the air but does not release the data because the public “won’t understand the figures.”
Environmentalist Feng Yongfeng, founder of the environmental group Green Beagle, has been lending air-quality monitoring equipment to companies and communities since May.
“As a government, you must let the people know the worst level of air quality,” he says.
Under growing pressure, Beijing is now revising national air-quality monitoring standards and promises to require the release of data on smaller particulates — by 2016.
Environmental consultant Steven Andrews, an American based in Beijing, says the problem is that China’s “target culture” means officials, fearful for their jobs, distort pollution levels to ensure they meet government benchmarks.
Even under the new standards, “levels will still be called good in Beijing that would be in the unhealthy range in the U.S,” he says.
“The air is dangerous; it will cause cancer,” says Sam Zhang, 41, a vegetable wholesaler who signed up for the monitoring center visit. He says he trusts the U.S. Embassy figures over his own government’s data.
“Taxpayers pay the government officials’ salaries, so they should tell the truth about air quality,” he says, “but they are not elected by the people, so we have no hope they will tell the truth.”
“When will the air quality be so bad we don’t have to go to school?” he asked a city official one recent smoggy day.
“That depends on government policy,” was the cryptic reply of Li Yunting, an engineer at the Beijing Environmental Monitoring Center, which opened to public visits last month.
The doubts about official pollution data keep piling up for China’s government, as green activists, celebrity bloggers and ordinary citizens increasingly demand action and information to halt the environmental fall-out from decades of breakneck economic growth.
Burning coal is largely responsible for the oppressive smog, which the United Nations has rated the worst in the world. China has more than doubled its coal consumption in the past 10 years but has not kept pace with the clean-air technology found in the West. It also relies on cheaper forms of coal that emit more pollutants, and Beijing’s nearly 5 million cars do not generally meet the standards of the USA.
The past two months have been dire. The high incidence of heavy air pollution has sent many residents rushing to buy face masks, air purifiers and household plants believed to clean dirty air.
The haze has highlighted discrepancies between the government’s robustly sunny statistics and the far scarier numbers recorded and issued by the U.S. Embassy here. Beijing described the air pollution as “light” on December 4, a smog-filled day that forced the city airport, the world’s second busiest, to cancel hundreds of flights because of poor visibility. The embassy reading was “beyond index,” literally off the measurement charts that stop at “hazardous.”
The embassy measurements, begun in 2008 and issued hourly via Twitter, use a standard employed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to measure tiny airborne particles, such as soot from burning gas in cars, that are under 2.5 micrometers in diameter.
Experts consider these particles most damaging to human health, as they are small enough to penetrate the lungs and blood, potentially causing lung cancer and other diseases.
China publishes figures using a standard that measures coarser particular matter such as dust and keeps secret, for internal research, the measurements of smaller particles its scientists collect.
Despite the Chinese government’s blocking of Twitter, the U.S. Embassy figures are widely circulated in Beijing on Chinese websites or microblogs. In recent weeks, celebrity bloggers such as real estate mogul Pan Shiyi and children’s author Zheng Yuanjie have pressured Chinese officials to give a more accurate picture of air quality.
Yu Ping, a Beijing journalist and father of a 6-year-old boy who, like him, has suffered a sore throat in recent weeks, threatens to sue the municipal environmental protection agency if they don’t respond to his request for the recent data.
“This is very important for me, my son and all citizens of Beijing and China,” he says.
Yu’s quest has inspired several other Chinese to demand data from their city governments, Yu says. He is grateful to the U.S. government for its transparency, but “it should be the Chinese government that does this,” he says.
Some Beijingers, such as Wang Jinlan, say the U.S. government should mind its own business. Her daughter Du Lanxin, 8, says they filled their house with special plants last month to purify the air.
“Our home is better now, but when I go out, it’s sometimes very hard to breathe,” she says. Her mother drives her to school every day rather than breathe the smog on a bicycle or bus, but in doing so, she adds to the city’s clogged, polluted streets.
Hua Lei, vice director of the center, insists that, over the past two years, Beijing’s air quality has improved. She says the center measures small particulates in the air but does not release the data because the public “won’t understand the figures.”
Environmentalist Feng Yongfeng, founder of the environmental group Green Beagle, has been lending air-quality monitoring equipment to companies and communities since May.
“As a government, you must let the people know the worst level of air quality,” he says.
Under growing pressure, Beijing is now revising national air-quality monitoring standards and promises to require the release of data on smaller particulates — by 2016.
Environmental consultant Steven Andrews, an American based in Beijing, says the problem is that China’s “target culture” means officials, fearful for their jobs, distort pollution levels to ensure they meet government benchmarks.
Even under the new standards, “levels will still be called good in Beijing that would be in the unhealthy range in the U.S,” he says.
“The air is dangerous; it will cause cancer,” says Sam Zhang, 41, a vegetable wholesaler who signed up for the monitoring center visit. He says he trusts the U.S. Embassy figures over his own government’s data.
“Taxpayers pay the government officials’ salaries, so they should tell the truth about air quality,” he says, “but they are not elected by the people, so we have no hope they will tell the truth.”
2011年12月25日星期日
LG launches ‘green contest’ on Facebook
LG Electronics has launched a ‘green contest’, which invites entries from LG customers to share their experiences on the official fan page on Facebook
Applicable to all existing customers of LG’s Steam and Green Health technology based washing machines and dishwashers, the contest makes them eligible to win gifts ranging from refrigerators, air purifiers and solar DOM’s, among others.
“In 2011, the core focus for LG has been health and green products. The LG Steam Technology based washing machine and dishwashers have been successful products delivering on their commitment of quality and keeping up the promise of healthy living,” said H S Paik, president, LG Gulf.
“With this competition, we would like to engage with our audience and get them more involved in sharing and learning about ‘healthy technology’ from LG.”
Taking a proactive approach to environmental and health issues, LG launched its Green Health Plus campaign in 2011.
A step up from its Healthy Living campaign of 2010, Green Health Plus campaign that will show how LG is making homes more eco-friendly through energy-efficient and health-conscious home appliances.
Applicable to all existing customers of LG’s Steam and Green Health technology based washing machines and dishwashers, the contest makes them eligible to win gifts ranging from refrigerators, air purifiers and solar DOM’s, among others.
“In 2011, the core focus for LG has been health and green products. The LG Steam Technology based washing machine and dishwashers have been successful products delivering on their commitment of quality and keeping up the promise of healthy living,” said H S Paik, president, LG Gulf.
“With this competition, we would like to engage with our audience and get them more involved in sharing and learning about ‘healthy technology’ from LG.”
Taking a proactive approach to environmental and health issues, LG launched its Green Health Plus campaign in 2011.
A step up from its Healthy Living campaign of 2010, Green Health Plus campaign that will show how LG is making homes more eco-friendly through energy-efficient and health-conscious home appliances.
2011年12月4日星期日
Pet Allergies Air Purifier - 5 Features A Highly Effective Cleaner Should Need
If being around your pet causes you to sneeze, become stuffed up, and rub applying water eyes, you may be allergic to your beloved pet. Using a good air cleaner will help. And here are generally 5 features that can insure effectiveness.
HEPA Technology - This can be the type of filtering hospitals use to insure clean air because it has proven itself to become incredibly efficient with removing airborne dust. As an allergy sufferer you are aware of all too well the many airborne particles that can trigger a flare-up. Pet related particulates such as dander can accumulate to this level that you can hardly stand to stay the same room with the pet you absolutely adore.
Other more normal particulates when paired with those from Beethoven, Light, or Rio may establish just as several problems. Normal household dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores, bacteria and viruses can be found in everyone's dwelling, regardless of how clean it's. And these working in consultation with the pets' particle might make the air heavy with allergens.
By definition HEPA filters must be capable to remove airborne particulates no more than. 3 microns proportions with a micron being looked as one millionth on the meter. That makes any such filter able to eliminate the many airborne particles on top of with 99. 97% productivity.
Carbon-Based Filter -- Every animal has its own unique scent among them humans. We bathe in addition to use personal items to mask our more natural and not always more pleasant scent. Pets lack that option. So with animals there is going to be some smell.
To be a pet lover, you might be probably far more tolerant (or it could be that don't even notice) this smell. Friends, family, and others that visit your home are probably not as forgiving. Carbon has been recognized as the most effective type of filter lower gaseous pollutants. And there's merely no sense with bringing an air cleanser home that can't remove odor.
Carbon does possibly not discriminate about the species of odors it will remove. Gases, scents, and airborne chemicals from any source will be eliminated by filtering air with carbon.
360 Degree Daily allowance - This feature is really important because it provides the most options concerning placement of this cleaner. Because it may possibly pull air because of all sides with a 6 inch clearance it is possible to put it in the corner, down low, or up high and it's going to equally effective. Units without that feature often has to be placed in the heart of the room to operate well.
Split Capacitor Motor - It is critical to look for such a motor in that technical specifications of the unit. This type of motor should run safely and additionally continuously without needed time for them to rest or cool-down. This means that air can be continually filtered in the gaseous and particulate allergens that can cause flare ups.
5-Year Filter Service - A purifier that requires you to restore the filter every 6 months to a year to work and/or to useful warranty active provides significantly to the money necessary for the unit. Figuring out about this secured in a dark minor detail are able to derail your capacity to keep the air filtered and unfortunately your pet allergies mastered.
It will take a little attention to the fine print to check for these 5 features, but you will reap the benefits 24 hours a day every day. And you stand a better chance of having the capability to manage your allergies and save your pet. Doesn't making it all worthwhile?
HEPA Technology - This can be the type of filtering hospitals use to insure clean air because it has proven itself to become incredibly efficient with removing airborne dust. As an allergy sufferer you are aware of all too well the many airborne particles that can trigger a flare-up. Pet related particulates such as dander can accumulate to this level that you can hardly stand to stay the same room with the pet you absolutely adore.
Other more normal particulates when paired with those from Beethoven, Light, or Rio may establish just as several problems. Normal household dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores, bacteria and viruses can be found in everyone's dwelling, regardless of how clean it's. And these working in consultation with the pets' particle might make the air heavy with allergens.
By definition HEPA filters must be capable to remove airborne particulates no more than. 3 microns proportions with a micron being looked as one millionth on the meter. That makes any such filter able to eliminate the many airborne particles on top of with 99. 97% productivity.
Carbon-Based Filter -- Every animal has its own unique scent among them humans. We bathe in addition to use personal items to mask our more natural and not always more pleasant scent. Pets lack that option. So with animals there is going to be some smell.
To be a pet lover, you might be probably far more tolerant (or it could be that don't even notice) this smell. Friends, family, and others that visit your home are probably not as forgiving. Carbon has been recognized as the most effective type of filter lower gaseous pollutants. And there's merely no sense with bringing an air cleanser home that can't remove odor.
Carbon does possibly not discriminate about the species of odors it will remove. Gases, scents, and airborne chemicals from any source will be eliminated by filtering air with carbon.
360 Degree Daily allowance - This feature is really important because it provides the most options concerning placement of this cleaner. Because it may possibly pull air because of all sides with a 6 inch clearance it is possible to put it in the corner, down low, or up high and it's going to equally effective. Units without that feature often has to be placed in the heart of the room to operate well.
Split Capacitor Motor - It is critical to look for such a motor in that technical specifications of the unit. This type of motor should run safely and additionally continuously without needed time for them to rest or cool-down. This means that air can be continually filtered in the gaseous and particulate allergens that can cause flare ups.
5-Year Filter Service - A purifier that requires you to restore the filter every 6 months to a year to work and/or to useful warranty active provides significantly to the money necessary for the unit. Figuring out about this secured in a dark minor detail are able to derail your capacity to keep the air filtered and unfortunately your pet allergies mastered.
It will take a little attention to the fine print to check for these 5 features, but you will reap the benefits 24 hours a day every day. And you stand a better chance of having the capability to manage your allergies and save your pet. Doesn't making it all worthwhile?
2011年11月28日星期一
HEPA Air Purifiers AirInstinct Monitors Air at its Smart Sensor
Oreck Corporation, a leading manufacturer of quality products in the homecare industry, introduces two new HEPA air purifiers to its lineup with AirInstinct 100 and AirInstinct 200. Both models feature a three-year HEPA filter and are ENERGY STAR qualified.
Unlike most air purifiers that offer different speeds but leave users wondering when to turn it on and at what speed, Oreck’s AirInstinct 100 and AirInstinct 200 continuously monitor particles in the air passing through its Smart Air Sensors and adjust airflow speed accordingly. Both models utilize Oreck’s unique PATH (Pre-filter, Anti-odor,True HEPA) filtration system that enables users to “turn it on and walk away.” A four-color lighting system lets users know when the unit is working and at what speed.
“With AirInstinct 100 and AirInstinct 200, Oreck has merged advanced technology, superior design and HEPA filtration into smart air purifiers that take the guesswork out of the process for the user,” says Scott Vogel, Chief Marketing Officer, Oreck.
The Oreck AirInstinct 100 comes with a three-year HEPA filter and a one-year odor filter installed. The Oreck AirInstinct 200 comes with a three-year HEPA filter and a three-year odor filter installed. Filter life on both the HEPA and odor filters will vary with usage and environment. Additionally, AirInstinct 200 has two extra features, a power saving and a sleep mode, both of which minimize energy consumption.
Airflow speed is adjusted automatically when unit is set on automode. Particle reduction and air circulation depend on many factors. All air in a room may not pass through the filter.
Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Oreck Corporation is a leading manufacturer in the homecare industry, offering a variety of vacuum, air purification and other cleaning products. Oreck sells its products in hundreds of Oreck Clean Home Centers, as well as through phone and online direct sales.
Unlike most air purifiers that offer different speeds but leave users wondering when to turn it on and at what speed, Oreck’s AirInstinct 100 and AirInstinct 200 continuously monitor particles in the air passing through its Smart Air Sensors and adjust airflow speed accordingly. Both models utilize Oreck’s unique PATH (Pre-filter, Anti-odor,True HEPA) filtration system that enables users to “turn it on and walk away.” A four-color lighting system lets users know when the unit is working and at what speed.
“With AirInstinct 100 and AirInstinct 200, Oreck has merged advanced technology, superior design and HEPA filtration into smart air purifiers that take the guesswork out of the process for the user,” says Scott Vogel, Chief Marketing Officer, Oreck.
The Oreck AirInstinct 100 comes with a three-year HEPA filter and a one-year odor filter installed. The Oreck AirInstinct 200 comes with a three-year HEPA filter and a three-year odor filter installed. Filter life on both the HEPA and odor filters will vary with usage and environment. Additionally, AirInstinct 200 has two extra features, a power saving and a sleep mode, both of which minimize energy consumption.
Airflow speed is adjusted automatically when unit is set on automode. Particle reduction and air circulation depend on many factors. All air in a room may not pass through the filter.
Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Oreck Corporation is a leading manufacturer in the homecare industry, offering a variety of vacuum, air purification and other cleaning products. Oreck sells its products in hundreds of Oreck Clean Home Centers, as well as through phone and online direct sales.
2011年10月24日星期一
Naples man accused of running growhouse in Lehigh Acres
An anonymous tip led deputies to a Naples man accused of growing marijuana in a Lehigh Acres home.
According to reports, when Lee deputies arrived at 3002 25 Street Southwest, Lehigh Acres, they came in contact with 41-year-old Juan Jimenez Miguel. He was with three other people who seemed to be nervous when they saw deputies. Miguel was going in and out of the residence and appeared to be getting ready to leave the other individuals.
As they approached the residence, deputies say they could smell a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside. They explained to Miguel they were there investigating anonymous tip, and they would like permission to search the residence. Reports say Miguel gave consent, but went on to explain that the others were not involved in his operation.
Miguel escorted deputies through the home where they learned that one bedroom had been converted into a marijuana grow operation. It had approximately 17 high-powered lights, an irrigation system and an air purifier to hide the smell. All the plants had been clipped except for two and the buds were hanging on a line to dry out.
Miguel, of the 4000 block of 6th Avenue Southeast, was arrested at the house and is facing charges of producing marijuana, drug equipment possession for manufacture, and marijuana trafficking.
According to reports, when Lee deputies arrived at 3002 25 Street Southwest, Lehigh Acres, they came in contact with 41-year-old Juan Jimenez Miguel. He was with three other people who seemed to be nervous when they saw deputies. Miguel was going in and out of the residence and appeared to be getting ready to leave the other individuals.
As they approached the residence, deputies say they could smell a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside. They explained to Miguel they were there investigating anonymous tip, and they would like permission to search the residence. Reports say Miguel gave consent, but went on to explain that the others were not involved in his operation.
Miguel escorted deputies through the home where they learned that one bedroom had been converted into a marijuana grow operation. It had approximately 17 high-powered lights, an irrigation system and an air purifier to hide the smell. All the plants had been clipped except for two and the buds were hanging on a line to dry out.
Miguel, of the 4000 block of 6th Avenue Southeast, was arrested at the house and is facing charges of producing marijuana, drug equipment possession for manufacture, and marijuana trafficking.
2011年10月20日星期四
Sharp Firms Up Appliance Leadership
Sharp, the country's leading distributor of washing machines, firms up its market dominance in washing machine and refrigerators with higher market shares by 2013 in line with the Japanese company’s overall thrust to increase its overseas presence rather than its domestic base.
Naotaka Ohtsuka, Sharp Philippines group deputy general manager for health and environment systems, divulged this as the local unit marked its 30th year and 100 years for Sharp Corp.
Ohtsuka said the company aims to make its overseas markets contribute 50 percent of its total business. At present, Japan sales contribute the bulk of 60 percent of total. Asean accounts for 25 percent of its total overseas business.
Ohtsuka said the company aims to cement its market share for washer and twin tub washing machines to 30 percent in 2013 from 26 percent market share for 2010 fiscal year.
For the refrigerator market, the company aims to capture 22 percent market from 14 percent in the 2010 fiscal year. These growth projections would mean the company would have cemented its number one position in these sectors by 2013. For airconditioners, the company expects to gain 12 percent market share by 2013 to be the country’s top three in this product line.
Sharp will be introducing hole less tub, which technology would prevent the formation of black moulds that could attach to clothes.
The company has also a strong presence in the CRT television series although its LCD and LED TV series are expected to grow stronger than the vanishing CRT line.
To mark its centennial celebration, Sharp vows to continue introducing innovative products that would address environmental and health issues.
Already, its appliances are incorporated with plasmacluster ion technology that suppresses harmful airborne elements to promote a clean indoor environment. These are found in Sharp air purifiers, ion generators, air-conditioners and refrigerators.
Sharp’s new UV2A technology in its Quattron LCD TV also does its part in creating a more power efficient TV, the fast that it is the first in the industry to have the proprietary RGB+Y technology, which means it can easily handle advanced picture quality and maximum color precision that only Sharp can provide.
Sharp’s poly-crystalline silicon solar panels are now in use at a CEPALCO operated farm in Cagayan, the first solar farm in the country.
The PSC panels and the newer thin-film panels are widely utilized in other parts of the world for navigational systems, satellites, skyscrapers and other commercial applications.
Naotaka Ohtsuka, Sharp Philippines group deputy general manager for health and environment systems, divulged this as the local unit marked its 30th year and 100 years for Sharp Corp.
Ohtsuka said the company aims to make its overseas markets contribute 50 percent of its total business. At present, Japan sales contribute the bulk of 60 percent of total. Asean accounts for 25 percent of its total overseas business.
Ohtsuka said the company aims to cement its market share for washer and twin tub washing machines to 30 percent in 2013 from 26 percent market share for 2010 fiscal year.
For the refrigerator market, the company aims to capture 22 percent market from 14 percent in the 2010 fiscal year. These growth projections would mean the company would have cemented its number one position in these sectors by 2013. For airconditioners, the company expects to gain 12 percent market share by 2013 to be the country’s top three in this product line.
Sharp will be introducing hole less tub, which technology would prevent the formation of black moulds that could attach to clothes.
The company has also a strong presence in the CRT television series although its LCD and LED TV series are expected to grow stronger than the vanishing CRT line.
To mark its centennial celebration, Sharp vows to continue introducing innovative products that would address environmental and health issues.
Already, its appliances are incorporated with plasmacluster ion technology that suppresses harmful airborne elements to promote a clean indoor environment. These are found in Sharp air purifiers, ion generators, air-conditioners and refrigerators.
Sharp’s new UV2A technology in its Quattron LCD TV also does its part in creating a more power efficient TV, the fast that it is the first in the industry to have the proprietary RGB+Y technology, which means it can easily handle advanced picture quality and maximum color precision that only Sharp can provide.
Sharp’s poly-crystalline silicon solar panels are now in use at a CEPALCO operated farm in Cagayan, the first solar farm in the country.
The PSC panels and the newer thin-film panels are widely utilized in other parts of the world for navigational systems, satellites, skyscrapers and other commercial applications.
2011年6月29日星期三
Trial Begins In Lawsuit Over Drug Tampering
Small cameras hidden in a clock radio and an air purifier helped a North Stonington woman nab the worker responsible for stealing and tampering with her daughter's medication in a Westbrook home for the mentally disabled.
The worker, an employee of Vista Vocational & Life Skills Center, was fired, prosecuted and sent to prison in 2007 for two years.
Now the employee's transgression is surfacing again, this time in a civil courtroom where Vista is defending itself against a lawsuit filed by Jane and John Couto on behalf of their daughter, Melissa.
The lawsuit says Melissa Couto suffered "serious and severe consequences and damages" as a result of being deprived of her proper medication. The Coutos charge that the damages were caused by Vista's "negligence and carelessness" in failing both to supervise the proper administration of their daughter's medication and to investigate why her behavior changed.
Vista has insisted that it did nothing wrong and has vowed to fight the civil suit.
The lawsuit also accuses the facility of failing to supervise personnel, failing to hire "a sufficient number of competent, qualified personnel," and hiring "incompetent and unqualified persons."
Jane Couto sent her severely mentally disabled daughter to Vista in 2005 so she could learn life skills and get vocational training and counseling. Throughout her stay, Melissa Couto would need the medication Focalin, a stimulant, that prevented her from becoming lethargic and depressed.
At first, Melissa Couto seemed to do well at Vista. In January 2006, however, the Coutos noticed their daughter was becoming so tired that it was difficult for her to stay awake and alert. They wondered why medication that was once effective was no longer helping the young woman's fatigue and depression.
Then one day when Melissa Couto was visiting at home, sunlight shining through a window revealed that a capsule of medicine for Melissa was nearly empty. It appeared that someone at Vista was tampering with her medication.
With the help of her younger daughter, Ashley, Jane Couto hid small cameras inside Melissa's room at Vista. When the tape showed someone was entering Melissa Couto's room in the middle of the night and stealing her medicine, the Coutos called police.
The worker, an employee of Vista Vocational & Life Skills Center, was fired, prosecuted and sent to prison in 2007 for two years.
Now the employee's transgression is surfacing again, this time in a civil courtroom where Vista is defending itself against a lawsuit filed by Jane and John Couto on behalf of their daughter, Melissa.
The lawsuit says Melissa Couto suffered "serious and severe consequences and damages" as a result of being deprived of her proper medication. The Coutos charge that the damages were caused by Vista's "negligence and carelessness" in failing both to supervise the proper administration of their daughter's medication and to investigate why her behavior changed.
Vista has insisted that it did nothing wrong and has vowed to fight the civil suit.
The lawsuit also accuses the facility of failing to supervise personnel, failing to hire "a sufficient number of competent, qualified personnel," and hiring "incompetent and unqualified persons."
Jane Couto sent her severely mentally disabled daughter to Vista in 2005 so she could learn life skills and get vocational training and counseling. Throughout her stay, Melissa Couto would need the medication Focalin, a stimulant, that prevented her from becoming lethargic and depressed.
At first, Melissa Couto seemed to do well at Vista. In January 2006, however, the Coutos noticed their daughter was becoming so tired that it was difficult for her to stay awake and alert. They wondered why medication that was once effective was no longer helping the young woman's fatigue and depression.
Then one day when Melissa Couto was visiting at home, sunlight shining through a window revealed that a capsule of medicine for Melissa was nearly empty. It appeared that someone at Vista was tampering with her medication.
With the help of her younger daughter, Ashley, Jane Couto hid small cameras inside Melissa's room at Vista. When the tape showed someone was entering Melissa Couto's room in the middle of the night and stealing her medicine, the Coutos called police.
2011年4月28日星期四
Sharp rise in breathing-related allergies in MENA region
World Asthma Day, which will be commemorated on May 3, 2011, is an annual awareness-raising event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), a collaboration between the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, US National Institutes of Health, and the World Health Organization.
Expressing concern at the research finding that respiratory allergies will increase at the rate of 70 pr cent in the MENA region over the next 25 years, experts pointed out that the direct annual cost per capita for Asthma and allergies in the MENA region is US$500, and that research done locally indicated that instead of coming down, the incidence of Asthma and breathing allergies in the UAE has significantly increased over the years.
According to Dr. Bassam Mahboub, Vice President of the Emirates Allergy & Respiratory Society (EARS), and Associate Professor at Sharjah University, key triggers for Asthma and breathing allergies in the UAE are mould, pollen and dust mite allergens - coughs, colds, sneezing, watery eyes and nasal congestion are commonly caused by airborne allergens and sufferers are often unaware that these are symptoms of allergies.
He added that if either parent suffered from Asthma or breathing allergies, then children were more likely to be susceptible, and that from research conducted across the Gulf and Near East, 52% of children who suffered from Asthma missed school in the preceding year.
Mr. Mihir Patel, CEO of Amancorp, exclusive regional distributors for Airfree® Air Purifiers, a European brand globally renowned for its simple, effective and maintenance-free air purification technology, said: "As residents of the Gulf, we suffer a disproportionately higher rate of breathing allergies and asthma according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), a World Health Organisation initiative. Interestingly, UAE research suggests that age (the younger the person), sex (females more than males), ethnicity (Arabs more than other races) and education levels (the more educated) all play a part in increasing one's vulnerability to breathing allergies."
Mr. Patel averred that although the UAE Government has implemented multiple standards for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as part of the UAE National Strategy & Action Plan for Environmental Health, Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD) Guidelines, Environmental Authority of Abu Dhabi Strategy (EAD), Abu Dhabi Environment, Health & Safety Centre (EHSMS), Dubai Municipality Building Control standards, and the Dubai Green Building regulations, much can still be done to make for optimum conditions, especially given that most people spend more than 90% of their day indoors, particularly in hot, arid environments like in the UAE.
"Improved Indoor Air Quality can improve health, concentration, productivity and sleep, and research conducted by the International Centre for Indoor environment & Energy (ICIEE) showed up to 35% improvement in mental arithmetic, comprehension and problem solving ability in school children with an improvement in Indoor Air Quality." Mr. Patel revealed.
Mr. Patel said that in the present climate, and given the fact that we take in as much as 10,000 litres of air per day, the need to improve Indoor Air Quality is becoming increasingly apparent and important. Reduction in ambient fine particulate air pollution in the USA in the last 30 years has resulted in an increase in life expectancy by as much as 15%, and it is clear today that we need to invest in air purifiers to improve the general quality of our lives. He suggested that rather like bottled drinking water was deemed a luxury two decades ago, but has become a daily essential to life today, pure air is already a premium commodity in short-supply.
Consumers in the US lead the way in terms of air purifier purchases - the US market is worth an estimated $221m a year, in a $1.4bn air quality industry.
Health experts are increasingly advising that in hot & humid environments like the UAE, where there is an over-dependence on air-conditioning 24 hours a day for 365 days a year, and not much attention is paid to cleaning air ducts and filters - preserving Indoor Air Quality is the need of the hour.
Expressing concern at the research finding that respiratory allergies will increase at the rate of 70 pr cent in the MENA region over the next 25 years, experts pointed out that the direct annual cost per capita for Asthma and allergies in the MENA region is US$500, and that research done locally indicated that instead of coming down, the incidence of Asthma and breathing allergies in the UAE has significantly increased over the years.
According to Dr. Bassam Mahboub, Vice President of the Emirates Allergy & Respiratory Society (EARS), and Associate Professor at Sharjah University, key triggers for Asthma and breathing allergies in the UAE are mould, pollen and dust mite allergens - coughs, colds, sneezing, watery eyes and nasal congestion are commonly caused by airborne allergens and sufferers are often unaware that these are symptoms of allergies.
He added that if either parent suffered from Asthma or breathing allergies, then children were more likely to be susceptible, and that from research conducted across the Gulf and Near East, 52% of children who suffered from Asthma missed school in the preceding year.
Mr. Mihir Patel, CEO of Amancorp, exclusive regional distributors for Airfree® Air Purifiers, a European brand globally renowned for its simple, effective and maintenance-free air purification technology, said: "As residents of the Gulf, we suffer a disproportionately higher rate of breathing allergies and asthma according to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), a World Health Organisation initiative. Interestingly, UAE research suggests that age (the younger the person), sex (females more than males), ethnicity (Arabs more than other races) and education levels (the more educated) all play a part in increasing one's vulnerability to breathing allergies."
Mr. Patel averred that although the UAE Government has implemented multiple standards for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as part of the UAE National Strategy & Action Plan for Environmental Health, Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD) Guidelines, Environmental Authority of Abu Dhabi Strategy (EAD), Abu Dhabi Environment, Health & Safety Centre (EHSMS), Dubai Municipality Building Control standards, and the Dubai Green Building regulations, much can still be done to make for optimum conditions, especially given that most people spend more than 90% of their day indoors, particularly in hot, arid environments like in the UAE.
"Improved Indoor Air Quality can improve health, concentration, productivity and sleep, and research conducted by the International Centre for Indoor environment & Energy (ICIEE) showed up to 35% improvement in mental arithmetic, comprehension and problem solving ability in school children with an improvement in Indoor Air Quality." Mr. Patel revealed.
Mr. Patel said that in the present climate, and given the fact that we take in as much as 10,000 litres of air per day, the need to improve Indoor Air Quality is becoming increasingly apparent and important. Reduction in ambient fine particulate air pollution in the USA in the last 30 years has resulted in an increase in life expectancy by as much as 15%, and it is clear today that we need to invest in air purifiers to improve the general quality of our lives. He suggested that rather like bottled drinking water was deemed a luxury two decades ago, but has become a daily essential to life today, pure air is already a premium commodity in short-supply.
Consumers in the US lead the way in terms of air purifier purchases - the US market is worth an estimated $221m a year, in a $1.4bn air quality industry.
Health experts are increasingly advising that in hot & humid environments like the UAE, where there is an over-dependence on air-conditioning 24 hours a day for 365 days a year, and not much attention is paid to cleaning air ducts and filters - preserving Indoor Air Quality is the need of the hour.
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