Yes, we already do!!

Do I scrape off the lead-based paint already on the house and further contaminate the air?

Well, I don’t own a home, but I will be as “green” as possible when I do live somewhere independently. It’s better in the long-run, because you can even get a tax return to offset initial expenses. It’s way better for everyone presently and in the long run.

With 4 asthmatics in the house, we’re pretty green already. I use low VOC latex paint, clean with vinegar and ammonia, use organic liquid fabric softeners. My grass is fertilized with an organic-based mix that I put together myself (thanks to a great Jerry Baker book on gardening). We grow our own veggies and my husband hunts the meat that we eat most of the winter. All of our windows are energy efficient. We pulled all the carpeting out of the house. The insulation has all been replaced with a quality recycled material. We compost (part of my fertilizer program). Windows go open at night in the summer and close during the day to prevent having to run the A/C unnecessarily. We’re even putting in a whole house water purification system because I don’t trust the water supply coming in from the City of Detroit.

I am not a homeowner yet but I already try to live a green lifestlye, and will continue to do so when I buy a home. In this day in age I think going green is the only way to go. Humans have done so much harm to the environment so far and now that we have the knowledge and technology to lessen our burden on the environment I feel that it is our responsibility to do so!