I just finished doing an installation of UltraTouch in a building project and I feel fine. Fine, because I'm not covered in fiberglass particles. Fine, because I didn't have to wear a mask to cut and install the insulation. Fine, because I ripped the insulation to length with my bare hands. No itching, no irritation, no problem. Here's how Bonded Logic describes their innovative product:

UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber insulation is the successful combination of
25 years of insulation experience and a revolutionary patented manufacturing process that has created a superior and safe product.

UltraTouch is made from high quality natural fibers. These fibers contain inherent qualities that provide for extremely effective sound absorption and maximum thermal performance. UltraTouch DOES NOT ITCH and is very
easy to handle and work with.

 

UltraTouch contains no chemical irritants and requires no warning labels compared to other traditional products. There are no VOC concerns when using UltraTouch, as it is safe for you and the environment.

UltraTouch is also a Class-A Building Product and meets the highest ASTM testing standards for fire and smoke ratings, fungi resistance and corrosiveness.

UltraTouch contains 85% post-industrial recycled natural fibers making it an ideal choice for anyone looking to use a high quality sustainable building material.

By installing UltraTouch, you are making both your building and the environment a safer place to live, work, and enjoy.

A very good product. If you are interested in installing UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber insulation in your home or building project, please contact abdi@ergo-eco.com for more information.

Recently I got the Skillers Flexi System Tool Rig, which is essentially an ergonomic back belt with a harness and tool bags. It is an incredible product. I tested it by putting as many tools from my tool box that would fit in it. I could list them all, but suffice to say, it more than accomodated as many hand tools that one could need for a job. The ergonomic design of the Tool Rig disperses the weight of the load over your hips and shoulders, much as a camping backpack might. It was comfortable, even with 20-30 pounds of tools in it. I wore it around for a while while doing other tasks, and it remained comfortable. There is total freedom of movement with a full Skillers Tool Rig, and I was almost sad to put my tools back in my tool box when I was finished testing the product.

For those who aren't in the know, Skillers is a workwear company that got its start in Sweden in 1972 by Matti Viio, "The Electrician Who Got Mad As Hell" and designed his own workwear. The result 35 years later is a company that is an industry leader in workwear in Europe, and now their products are available in America. According to the Skillers web site:

Skillers Workwear introduces a revolutionary concept in work clothing:

A flexible system of integrated work wear designed to meet the specific needs of skilled professional electricians, plumbers, carpenters and construction and building contractors. The company's work wear is specially designed to address on-the-job safety issues such as the physical strain of carrying tools, as well as stress from demanding and repetitive actions. These features protect the well-being and livelihood of the worker, benefiting both the individual and employer.

The Skillers Flexi System is a new concept in tool belts and ergonomics. To quote Skillers:

Skillers Flexi System is a system that helps you to individualize your work wear to suit your own personal needs. This system of belt, yoke, harness, suspenders and several pouches will help you to carry the weight of your tools and equipment evenly and lessen the fatigue and lower back pain from carrying all the weight on your hips. The system of pouches also works on most of our garments. You simply attach your favorite pouches on to the sewn-in velcro tool fastener.

Skillers Flexi System is made from hard-wearing, light-weight Cordura that retains its shape for a long time. Compared to leather, the material is lighter, airier, does not absorb dirt and moisture and will not get moldy.

I am looking forward to putting my Skillers Flexi System Tool Rig to good use. Any product that saves my back on the job is worth looking into. In addition, I have been wearing Skillers pants on the job for over a year, and I'm convinced that their products are an ergonomic model for the construction industry to follow. Skillers products are available now at their website, and will soon be available for purchase at Ergo-Eco.

I'll let Wikipedia supply the full definition for greywater:

Greywater, sometimes spelled graywater, grey water or gray water and also known as sullage, is non-industrial wastewater generated from domestic processes such as washing dishes, laundry and bathing. Greywater comprises 50-80% of residential wastewater. Greywater is distinct from blackwater in the amount and composition of its chemical and biological contaminants (from feces or toxic chemicals). Greywater gets its name from its cloudy appearance and from its status as being neither fresh (white water from groundwater or potable water), nor heavily polluted (blackwater). According to this definition wastewater containing significant food residues or high concentrations of toxic chemicals from household cleaners etc. may be considered "dark grey" or blackwater.

In recent years concerns over dwindling reserves of groundwater and overloaded or costly sewage treatment plants has generated much interest in the reuse or recycling of greywater, both domestically and for use in commercial irrigation. However, concerns over potential health and environmental risks means that many jurisdictions demand such intensive treatment systems for legal reuse of greywater that the commercial cost is higher than for fresh water. Despite these obstacles, greywater is often reused for irrigation, illegally or not, in older rural construction, simple construction old and new, often consisting of nothing more than a "drain out back" (pipe pointed down the nearest hill). In droughtzones or areas hit by hose pipe bans, typically by manual bucketting. In the third world, reuse of greywater is often unregulated and is common. At present, the recycling of greywater is poorly understood compared with elimination.

For more information and technical aspects of greywater systems, consult Greywater.com. You will find graphical descriptions and photographs of greywater systems that make it easy to visualize how they work and methods of implementation. Be sure to browse the "Contents" links for more in-depth studies and a planning page for those who might be interested in implementing their own greywater system.

Caveat emptor: although greywater systems seem like a natural fit for Southern California's water crisis, getting permission to install one may not go as smoothly as one might imagine. The Los Angeles Times recently ran an article that describes the bureaucratic nightmare that installing a greywater irrigation system can become.