Eco Answers From the Eco-Expert

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You can still enjoy candlelight, however, by purchasing beeswax candles with cotton wicks or tapioca wax candles, which are all-vegetable, completely renewable, dripless, and smokeless. Coyote Found Candles, (800) 788-4142 or www.coyote-found-candles.com, makes both beeswax and tapioca wax candles, and vegetable wax aromatherapy candles. Their catalog also includes many candleholders made from recycled materials. For the holidays try bayberry candles, made from the wax of the bayberry plant, which you can order from Vermont Country Store, (800) 362-4647.

Controlling Mold in Closets

I took special interest in the Environmentor’s discussion of natural air conditioning in your June issue. However, one weather variable was not addressed. The EPA identifies humidity as the chief culprit of indoor air pollution and sick-building syndrome, and recommends an indoor humidity level below 50 percent to inhibit mold and mildew. Yet my outdoor humidity levels are consistently in the 80–90 percent range. I have tried to solve this problem by operating a dehumidifier in the basement and exhaust cooling upstairs, but this hasn’t helped eliminate mold in my closets. Is there a better solution than air conditioning or high-efficiency humidifiers?
—Russell Henley, Canton, OH

Mold needs very special conditions to survive—dampness, darkness, and still air. Winter is the best season for mold growth. Any time you change conditions by introducing drying heat, light, or moving air, the mold cannot survive. I suggest putting a lightbulb in your closet and leaving it on all the time. This will give both heat and light. You could also install a small fan to move the air and dry it out at the same time. Leave space between your clothes so air can circulate. If you need a quick fix for any moldy place (including a whole room), dry out the existing mold with a small space heater. Then use other means to maintain a mold-free environment.

Earth Friendly Car Products

I have been looking everywhere for earth friendly car products such as antifreeze, engine oil (I have heard a specialized hemp oil can be used), and windshield wiper fluid. I hate to have these toxic products not only in my car but stored in my tool shed. Please let me know where I can get alternative products.
—Elizabeth Wakefield, Westminster, CO

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