DeKalb kills proposed smoking ban

Four of the commissioners present agreed with owners of DeKalb’s eight adult clubs and 20 other nightclubs, that the ban would hurt business.

Commissioners Jeff Rader and Kathie Gannon dissented, and Commissioner Lee May was absent.

“I don’t want us going down a slippery slope where we end up telling people what they can do in their own home,” said Larry Johnson, the commission’s presiding officer. “You start in the business realm and we could have some unintended consequences.”

The vote drew out more than 100 supporters and opponents, who have battled over the proposal since the county Board of Health first unveiled it four months ago.

Opponents cited expected business losses – customers of some clubs could travel just a few miles into Fulton or Gwinnett counties to smoke at bars there – as well as the right for clients and customers to make their own choices about smoking.

But supporters argued that second-hand smoke costs every DeKalb household $548 in direct healthcare charges each year.

“We keep hearing about choice, and I wish we did have a choice,” said Gordon Draves, a member of Live Healthy DeKalb. “I would like the choice of not having to pay the medical bills for smokers.”

Compromise appeared a possibility, when some club owners asked not for an outright rejection of the ban but for the chance to install air purifiers and filters in smoking establishments.

Rader also tried a substitute bill, which would have given club owners two years before the ban took effect, to adapt to a new business model and also encourage neighboring counties to adopt similar bans.

That effort failed 4-2, with only Gannon voting with Rader in support.

“I (was) hoping we could move ahead to establish DeKalb as a leader in this area,” Rader said. “DeKalb’s future depends on health, biotech and science industries that take this kind of ordinance very seriously.”

The commission did not discuss some of the less controversial parts of the proposal, such as banning smoking in parks. The board of health did not separate those elements from its overall recommendation, though some expected commissioners to break those items out in order to approve at least part of the proposal.

Johnson said that the commission may elect on its own to revive those pieces, possibly by year’s end.

DeKalb adopted its current smoking ordinance, which bans it in all enclosed workplaces but exempts bars and restaurants where people under 18 cannot work or enter, in 2003 . Georgia adopted a statewide version of that law, the Smokefree Air Act, two years later.

Demand green features from your builder

When you buy a new house, before it’s built, you get to choose from the variety of styles and floor plans the builder offers, as well as options and upgrades on details and finishes. Depending on the builder, sometimes the options and choices of upgrades are very limited. Most times, those options are limited to finishes. Rarely do they offer green upgrades, or upgrades on what matters most: what’s behind the walls.

A lot of builders and building companies have model homes, or even a design centre you can visit to help you decide on the finishes and upgrades you might want to add. What’s on display is always finishes. It’s never the insulation, the drywall or tile underlayment. You’ll never see air purifiers on display or added as an extra appliance.

Energy Star appliances are standard now with new homes, and they are built to minimum code standards with regard to construction, building envelope, insulation.

But what about green upgrades?

Some leading green builders offer features such as solar rooftop photovoltaic (PV) and solar hot-water pre-heating rough-ins for those who want that option. And lots are coming on board with low/no VOC paints, and maybe some bamboo flooring. But that’s about it, I’m sad to say.

That’s all driven by consumer demand. Builders will build what sells, so it’s up to you to demand upgrades that will really increase the value of your home.

What do homebuyers think is important when they invest in their new homes?

Everyone is concerned about indoor air quality, and the effects of mould and allergens on their families’ health. But how many people are even aware of the upgrades they can have that will improve that indoor air quality? The type of insulation you choose, the type of cabinets and flooring, all contribute to the indoor air quality. What about adding an air-purifying system or premium HEPA filtration to your HVAC?

Some people will advise you to choose your upgrades based on future resale of your home. That’s fine, but who’s to say a brushed nickel faucet will still be fashionable when your home goes on the market? Will cherry cabinets be in, or will painted wood? Is your money better spent on a granite countertop or on a properly insulated basement and attic?

A finished basement is a popular one. But for me, this is one of the real traps of a “builder upgrade.” Guaranteed: If you opt for this upgrade, you will have a basement finished to minimum code. That’s all that’s required. And that will be a complete waste of your money — in either a short time or a slightly longer time — when you need to tear everything out because it’s tainted with mould.

Conventional wisdom says that spending your upgrade money on kitchen and bathrooms will repay you. But I say that every penny you invest in an upgrade that improves your home’s efficiency will repay you, too.

I say, when your budget is limited — and whose isn’t? — spend your upgrade money on the places you can’t get to later: behind the walls. You can always upgrade a standard finish to something pricier later, if you want to. But you can’t easily change your insulation or the underlayment beneath your tiles or replace your standard drywall with mould-resistant.

Brace yourself for yellow dust this spring!

While the troubles at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant continue Over here in Korea, the direction of the winds is drawing public attention as the the winds blowing form Japan may contain raioactive materials.

And although the concentration level of radioactive materials in the air is highly likely to be almost negligible, this does not stop concerning Koreans who are already about to weclome another unexpected visitor around this time of the year.

That's right. It's this time of the year when Korea suffers from a massive yellow dust storm blowing from China, and this year one of the worst in the decades is expected to hit Korea this April.

And to tell us more on the yellow storm dust that is about to blanket the whole peninsula, Arirang Today's Park Hee-ju joins us now in the studio. Hello there.

[Reporter : ] Hi guys. A major concern over this year's yellow dust is that it can also be a vehicle for radioactive materials from nuclear reactors in neighboring countries
Yellow dust storm is always an unpleasant surprise during springtime, especially when the warm weather always lures us to take outdoor activities.
And it seems like Korea needs to be prepared for this year's more extreme level of yellow dust than previous years, as China is facing one of the worst droughts in decades This fear over severe yellow storm which may contain metal particles or other pollutants that can affect your health conditions is expected to hit the Korean peninsula soon. Let's take a look.