An article on WebMD reports that scientists have created a new paint that is strong enough to kill superbugs. Superbugs infect many hospital patients and kill thousands annually. My first thought is that are there not other ways to take care of this problem such as increased air ventilation? Or how about better use of material? And isn’t one of the reasons that we are having such a problem with superbugs in the first place because we are using too many drugs to combat them?
The new paint will include antimicrobial and antibiotic properties to help protect against dangerous bugs as well as mold growth. This is a very top down approach to solving the problem of mold. We should design our buildings intelligently, which is what Building Biology is all about.
Essentially, now we are talking about not only filling our bodies with drugs instead of changing our habits, but now we are talking about drugging our homes as well. We have gotten so use to living in ‘sick buildings’ that I think too many of us are forgetting what it means to live in a healthy environment. My hope is that our culture will stop looking for a quick fix for every ailment that presents itself, and realize that changing habits and being more conscious of design in the first place is a lot easier and cheaper in the long run.
The other interesting thing about this paint is that a simple chlorination process can be used to recharge the paint. Way to throw another toxic element into the mix. Chlorine, when it interacts with natural substances, produces trihalomethanes (THMs). THMs are cancer causing compounds. THMs are also linked to kidney, liver, and nervous system damage as well as birth defects. I do not think that we need to add this element into a hospital or home environment. It is just another element that is in the paint along with the antibiotics and antimicrobials that can weaken our immune system and make us more vulnerable to superbugs in the first place.
{ 0 comments }
Yet, what strikes me, is that most of the fabrics are recycled polyester. Now this is great for keeping materials out of the landfill, but in an indoor air quality sense we do not want these fabrics in our spaces! One of them even commented on how it would be great in a kids room! Now the fabric does use non-toxic dyes, but if you have synthetic fabrics in a kids room you are creating an environment with increased 
As I was sitting here this morning I looked up to see how much battery I had left on my laptop and it said 6:30! I did not buy this laptop for battery life, but wow! It did get me to thinking though about why I did buy this laptop. After being in this industry for awhile, one of the main sources of toxins that my clients forget about is in their electronics. And the list of chemicals can be disturbing. Did you know that in a typical computer you will find chemical such as these? 
My words of wisdom: Believe in love, in possibility, in going after your dreams, in never stopping, in not existing but living - fully, unapologetically and wildly, believe that all is good, and always trust your gut. 
