Tip of the Month
Why Pets Don't Make Good Holiday Gifts
Impulse buying is a problem that many of us have, especially around holidays. Sometimes, the impulse includes adding a pet to the family or worse, to someone else’s family. It is important to remember that a pet is a financial and time commitment that can last for up to 20 years. When taking on the responsibility of a new “family member” there are important things that must be considered such as: Who will care for the pet on a daily basis (feeding, exercising, walking, if a dog, grooming, etc)?
If the pet is a “gift “for a child (under 15), parents need to assume that they will be the ones to monitor and provide care for the family pet. Can you afford the additional expense of food, grooming, and, most importantly, adequate veterinary care? Routine vet care can cost hundreds of dollars per year for vaccinations and routine exams. This amount will probably increase as the pet ages. Food, cat litter, toys, etc. add to the monthly household expense. Who will care for the pet when you go on vacation? Boarding kennels can be expensive and so can pet-sitting services.
It is also important to be aware of the county and municipal animal codes such as leash laws, codes prohibiting tying animals outside on a chain/rope, required vaccinations, and licensing regulations. If considering a dog, it is important to think about fencing your yard so you don’t have to walk them in the dark or in bad weather.
When the time comes, and you are ready to add a furry or feathered creature to your family, consider adoption first. Many healthy and friendly animals are in need of homes. Check out local rescue groups and animal shelters when you're ready to add to your family and save an animal.
From the City's Animal Welfare Committee
The Impacts of Gas Stoves on Indoor Air Quality
With the weather cooling and the holiday season upon us, many are gearing up for sustained bouts of cooking turkeys, pies, and casseroles. For those of us with gas stoves, this likely also means contending with poor indoor air quality, because gas stoves are a primary source of combustion (burning) pollution inside the home. If you use a gas cooking appliance, the holiday season is a great time to consider switching to electric, and in the meantime reducing its impacts on you and your family's health.
Although cooking food in any stove produces particulate pollutants, cooking with gas can spike emissions of nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide to levels that would violate outdoor pollutant standards. Homes with gas stoves can contain approximately 50 to 400 percent higher concentrations of nitrogen dioxide than homes with electric stoves, often resulting in levels of indoor air pollution that would be illegal outdoors. One recent study found that after just one hour of using a gas-fired stove or oven, levels of nitrogen dioxide inside homes reached levels that exceeded national air-quality standards. Brief exposures to air with high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide can lead to coughing and wheezing for people with asthma or other respiratory issues, and prolonged exposure to the gas can contribute to the development of those conditions, according to the US EPA. Meanwhile, carbon monoxide can cause headache, dizziness, and nausea in low to moderate concentrations, and loss of consciousness and death at higher concentrations.
Children are more susceptible to illnesses associated with air pollution than adults, due to their higher breathing rates and greater level of physical activity, higher lung surface to body weight ratios and smaller bodies, and immature respiratory and immune systems.
So, what can be done? Long-term, experts recommend converting to induction or electric stoves. Induction stoves are faster, safer, and cleaner than gas. If that’s not feasible, individuals with gas stoves should cook with an exhaust hood that vents to the outdoors (many only recirculate indoor air), cook on the back burners whenever possible, run an air purifier with a HEPA filter, and install carbon monoxide detectors. If you fry, use more than one burner, or cook on the front burners, turn the range hood on high. If you don’t have a working venting range hood and can’t have one installed, opening the windows to let in the outside air is an alternative. It is also important to stay up to date on appliance maintenance and replace gas appliances with high-efficiency electric ones when the gas stove dies.
Those with a relatively new cooktop that aren’t ready for replacement, can opt for counter-top induction burners that plug in to any outlet. These offer an affordable alternative (many below $100) for the majority of cooking needs. To keep dishes warm during holiday gatherings, electric hotplates offer a good alternative to warming food inside the oven.
From the City's Committee for a Better Environment