Hurricane Laura causes dangerous chemical fire in Louisiana

It’s bad enough to stay shut in your house, terrified, as you ride out a Category 4 hurricane. But the people of Westlake, Louisiana had an additional reason to stay inside last week with the windows clamped tight as Hurricane Laura started a fire at BioLab, unleashing chlorine gas over the small town. The hurricane killed at least 14 people, obliterated buildings and tore off roofs as it blustered through southwest Louisiana, home to many of the state’s petrochemical industries. It blew directly over the Hackberry oil field, an area south of Lake Charles that combines active and abandoned oil wells, pipelines and storage tanks with a sensitive marsh ecosystem. It will take some time to figure out the extent of structural and environmental damage. The health consequences may never be known. People who live in this region will only be able to guess in the coming years whether their cancers and other diseases were caused by the chlorine gas or other chemicals, to which they are routinely exposed. Related: Environmental racism in America Chemical leaks are common in Louisiana. Communities around petrochemical companies are accustomed to hearing emergency sirens. Unfortunately, petrochemical companies are often placed in elderly and Black communities. Westlake is less than 5 miles from the decimated town of Mossville, which was started by formerly enslaved peoples in the 1790s. In 2014, the South Africa-based fuel company Sasol bought out most of the residents’ houses to expand its enormous petrochemical plant. Mossville residents were known for staggeringly high concentrations of dioxins in their blood, as found in 1998 tests conducted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. This highly toxic substance can impair the immune system, disrupt hormone functions, damage the reproductive system and cause cancer and diabetes . Dioxins can form by heating chlorine to high temperatures, which happened last week when BioLab ignited. The BioLab facility, which was built in 1979, occupies 15 acres inside a large industrial complex. It manufactures trichloroisocyanuric acid — a bleaching agent and industrial disinfectant — chlorinating granules and other chemical blends for cleaning products. The fire shut down nearby Interstate 10 and required residents to shelter in place for at least 24 hours. Petrochemical plants often cause problems in hurricanes. Chemical storage tanks are especially problematic. They are built to float, but when the water resettles, the tanks sometimes spring a leak. Floating roofs built to contain vapors often collapse or sink, the wind can buckle tanks and flying debris can puncture a tank’s sides. Because workers are generally evacuated when a storm is on the way, often nobody is there to fix a problem before it has major consequences. Via The Conversation , CNN and The Intercept Image via NOAA

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Hurricane Laura causes dangerous chemical fire in Louisiana

Worlds largest Passive House building to open in Kansas City

The largest Passive House building in the world is set to welcome its first tenants this October in the historic River Market of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The luxury apartment community — dubbed Second + Delaware — will offer high-end amenities alongside energy-efficient advantages with 80% to 90% energy savings compared to conventional buildings. Jointly developed by Arnold Development Group and Yarco Development, the apartment complex will offer 276 apartment residences including studios, one-bedroom units and two-bedroom units surrounding a central courtyard. Set atop a bluff in the walkable River Market neighborhood, Second + Delaware champions sustainable urban design with its placement and design. The developers took on a 100-year perspective in creating the 330,000-square-foot property, which is centered on a large and spacious shared courtyard. Accessible green space is also found in the landscaping surrounding the building and on the planted rooftops. Related: Award-winning passive tiny house is insulated to combat New Zealand’s weather User comfort and energy efficiency is achieved with triple-glazed , certified windows set within highly insulated frames that let in an abundance of natural light without risking energy loss. Constant fresh air is funneled inside with a Dedicated Outside Air System (DOAS), while superior indoor air quality is ensured with a ventilation system and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) heat pumps. The building envelope is also made airtight with 16-inch-thick walls that include a 6-inch layer of insulation sandwiched between 10 inches of concrete. “Now is the time for developers to think bigger than ever before,” said Jonathan Arnold, co-developer and principal of Arnold Development Group. “We have the technologies we need to deliver safer, more responsible, and equally beautiful solutions to the built world. I hope that Second + Delaware will be the impetus that moves our industry forward.” In addition to energy-efficient appliances, residents will also have access to a saltwater swimming pool, bookable raised rooftop garden beds, fitness and yoga facilities, bicycle storage and electric car -sharing stations. + Second + Delaware Images by Arnold Imaging

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Worlds largest Passive House building to open in Kansas City

Tutorial: Stenciled Bean Bags

I like to make educational toys for my girls– matching games from their artwork , file folder games, extension activities for the books they read, anything that will allow them to incorporate what I want them to learn into the pleasures of their lives. These particular bean bags were inspired by my three-year-old, who hasn’t yet memorized her numbers. Sure, she can count on her fingers and plays a mean game of Uncle Wiggily, but sit down long enough to figure out the difference between a 5 and a 9?

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Tutorial: Stenciled Bean Bags

hit the lights.

One of the easiest things you can do to live a greener life is to turn off lights you’re not using.

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hit the lights.