GOVERNMENT MANDATES FOR "GREEN BUILDINGS" AND WEATHERIZATION CAN MAKE YOU SICK AND EVEN KILL YOU; ANOTHER STUPID GOVERNMENT IDEA!

Green Buildings Hazardous to Health? Report Cites Risks of Weatherization


The government mandated buildings commonly referred to as "green" could actually be hazardous to your health, according to a new report.

That's one of many warnings out of a new report from the Institute of Medicine, which tracked the potential impact of climate change on indoor environments.

The report cautions that climate change can negatively and directly affect indoor air quality in several ways. But the scientists behind the study warn that homeowners and businesses could also be making the problem worse by pursuing untested or risky energy-efficiency upgrades.

"Even with the best intentions, indoor environmental quality issues may emerge with interventions that have not been sufficiently well screened for their effects on occupant safety and health," the report said.

To save costs and cut down on emissions, building owners typically find ways to seal off potential leaks and conserve energy. But in "weatherizing" the buildings, they also change the indoor environment.

By making buildings more airtight, building owners could increase "indoor-air contaminant concentrations and indoor-air humidity," the report said. By adding insulation, they could trigger moisture problems. By making improvements to older homes, crews could stir up hazardous material ranging from asbestos to harmful caulking -- though that problem is not unique to energy improvements.

The report did not dissuade homeowners and businesses from making the energy-efficiency upgrades. Rather, it called for a more comprehensive approach, urging organizations to track the side effects of various upgrades and minimize the "unexpected exposures and health risks" that can arise from new materials and weatherization techniques.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/08/green-buildings-hazardous-to-health-report-cites-risks-weatherization/#ixzz1On4OOzOi

I have found this out myself long before there was even such a term as "green buildings".

I had just purchased a weekend lake cottage and since it was a vintage 1905 three story home, I hired a group of local carpenters to "weatherize it", installing new insulation, siding, windows and interior wall panels throughout the top two floors.

It seemed like a great idea; seal it up tight and save on energy bills, right? WRONG!

What happened was that the top floors were so airtight, that there was "bad air" or NO AIR circulating up there! Guests staying in the upper bedrooms were unable to BREATHE!

Normally buildings have an airspace to create adequate ventilation and air circulation, even though we do no realize it. Who knew?

So becoming "green" before it was in vogue to "be green" just proved the point....government mandates, as usual are never any good for people....proven again!