Human beings need three things to survive — clean water, clean soil and clean air. Toxic environments make it hard for people to stay in good health and get the sustenance they need. In a survival situation, health is your foundation for resilience and security. Without it, you lose the ability to think and act clearly.
People can use natural resources to thrive in a healthy environment. Good-quality soil, water and air are necessary for growing food and staying hydrated. They allow people to improve their hones and build a healthy and safe community.
Unfortunately, much of the modern environment is polluted by industrial and medical chemicals. For example, weedkillers and synthetic fertilizers damage healthy soil and water. Industry has also affected air quality across the United States, sending tiny particles into the air that are linked to cancer and other illnesses. In an SHTF situation, environmental pollution will only get worse.
Many homesteaders have moved off the grid in search of a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. You may be working hard to build security against food shortages, power outages and disasters. Up to a certain point, there’s only so much you can prepare for. However, good air quality should be an essential part of your long-term plan.
Here’s how poor air quality can affect your health and crops, and how you can safeguard both.
Effects on Health
It’s easy to forget about the impact air can have on your health. However, poor air can affect every system in your body, from your lungs to your brain. It puts stress on your body, heightening your risk for cancer, cardiovascular problems and respiratory illnesses. It’s also been linked to mental and physical disabilities.
Children and the elderly are most at risk for the negative effects of air pollution. However, even healthy adults in the prime of life can be harmed by the air they breathe. The main culprits for poor air quality include ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter like PM 2.5.
Ground-level ozone is created when sunlight reacts chemically to nitrogen oxides and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) present in the air. VOCs can naturally occur or come from manmade sources like factories and car emissions. Nitrogen oxides are a result of industrial coal and gas combustion. Ground-level ozone is the main contributor to smog and can smell like bleach when conditions are particularly bad.
PM 2.5 are tiny inhalable particles that can irritate your physical systems. This term describes the size of these particles rather than their chemical makeup — hundreds of toxic chemicals fit into this category. The 2.5 range is so small that it can enter your bloodstream and damage your health.
Purify Your Home
You may be surprised to learn that indoor air quality concerns Americans more than outdoor air quality. Many modern homes are designed to be airtight and built with toxic materials, which means toxins can build up inside over time, damaging your health without your knowledge.
The first step toward healthy indoor air is to reduce as many toxins as possible. Airflow is essential for maintaining a healthy atmosphere. Next, you can invest in home goods that improve air quality.
There are several ways to improve and protect the air you breathe on your homestead.
1. Ban Toxic Building Materials
If you’re building your homestead from scratch, you should start by researching the construction materials you plan to use. Many traditional products contain formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals that can be released into the air over time. Some homesteaders get around this by using products that seal chemicals safely into their building materials.
Healthy building materials are accessible, and they’re worth the time and energy it takes to find them. You should consider alternatives for insulation, wallboard, flooring and paint. Quality items aren’t much more expensive than traditional ones. During construction, always wear a mask to protect yourself from breathing dust and other particles.
2. Improve Energy and Circulation
Many modern homes are designed to be as tightly enclosed as possible. This is a good thing because it reduces the energy needed to maintain a comfortable environment. However, a tight home without proper air circulation is a breeding ground for mold, mildew and disease.
Reducing energy consumption is a top concern if you’re off the grid. However, you must balance a tight building with healthy airflow and a filtration system. That way, you can vet the air coming into your home and keep it pure. Air circulation and filtration also reduce the risks of radon and carbon monoxide poisoning.
3. Consider Cleaning and Decor
The products and goods you use inside your home can also affect your air quality. For example, new furniture and fresh paint often emit damaging VOCs. Many candles and air fresheners are also horrible for indoor air quality. They may smell nice, but they are not good for you to breathe.
Many chemical cleaners also emit toxic fumes. You can keep your air healthy by eliminating these materials and choosing nature-based products instead. Regular cleaning can reduce dust and natural air pollutants. Think carefully before bringing a new item into your home — it may surprise you how many things can affect indoor air quality.
4. Create Healthy Indoor Air
After you’ve cleared chemicals out, you can move to step two – working to actively improve your air quality. You can invest in several things to improve your homestead’s indoor air quality. These range from natural materials to automated systems that use energy to clean your air. Here’s a short list of items to consider:
- Indoor plants: Add snake plants, ivy, pathos, spider plants, etc.
- Clay plaster: Use to control indoor humidity
- Flooring: Replace carpet with solid materials
- Air purifier: Alerts you when toxins are high
- Testing equipment: Check for radon, smoke and CO levels
Investing in indoor air quality will improve your mental and physical health. Clean air improves cognitive function and sleep quality and reduces stress on your immune system. Follow these steps to purify your home’s air so your family can live the healthy lifestyle you’re working so hard to achieve.
Effects on Agriculture
Poor air quality also harms agriculture. Ironically, industrial agricultural practices are one of the leading causes of poor outdoor air quality. Ammonia from animal farms, dust from tilling and chemical fertilizers all contribute to air pollution. The same chemicals that negatively impact human health are harmful to the environment.
For example, ground-level ozone can impede photosynthesis and reduce plants’ resistance to disease. Fine particulate matter can also negatively affect plant growth. In large amounts, this fine dust can coat plants and reduce their ability to interact with sunlight. Particulates can also work their way into the soil, affecting plants’ access to nutrition.
The same chemicals that create smog are responsible for acid rain. These pollutants attach themselves to water droplets in the air and come down on plants from above. Acid rain can change the soil’s pH levels, killing beneficial organisms that help crops access nutrition. It reduces plant nutrient intake and allows crops to absorb heavy, poisonous metals instead.
Environmental toxins are likely to get much worse if SHTF. Poor outdoor air quality could affect your ability to grow food, forage for wild plants or even go outside. Some homesteaders prepare for this possibility by growing food inside filtered air greenhouses. However, there are less drastic measures you can take to keep your outdoor property healthy. They just might save your life.
Protect Your Property
There is only so much you can do to protect the air quality on your property. Pollution can blow in from a storm or nearby wildfire — massive events that are out of your control. However, strategic planning and healthy farming practices can go a long way in promoting healthy air on your homestead.
Insulating your land from an SHTF event is next to impossible. However, you can do the next best thing and cultivate a healthy environment to live in. Building a homestead far away from large cities may also protect you. You can always retreat inside your home until outdoor air improves if an extreme situation does arise.
1. Determine the Best Location
Before buying a property, consider the typical air quality in an area. You can check official maps from the AirData Air Quality Monitors app or other government sources to see levels of air pollution near where you live. It’s best to steer clear of land near industrial plants — even factories with scrubbers send some small particles into the air. Large cities with high levels of pollution are also a no-go.
Think about other environmental factors as well. Are there wildfires where you live? Will the wind carry smoke or other pollutants to your property from far away? Sometimes, wind can bring air pollution in from the ocean as well. Choosing a strategic location can protect you from environmental pollution that’s out of your control.
2. Practice Sustainable Management
You can improve the air quality of your chosen location with proper management. The agricultural choices you make will directly affect your property’s air. For example, synthetic weed killers and fertilizers are dangerous for you to breathe. These chemical agents also kill healthy bacteria in the soil, reducing nutrient intake and disease resistance in your plants.
Organic farming methods don’t always see the same yields, but they will bring you healthy crops year after year. Start a natural compost bin to feed your plants the nutrients they need instead of investing in artificial fertilizers. Use sustainable practices like crop rotation, winter ground cover and heavy mulch to improve soil health.
Many homesteaders are also moving away from tilling practices. Tilling is traditionally used to aerate the soil and add fertilizers before planting. However, this practice disrupts beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizae in the ground. Left undisturbed, these organisms create a structure that’s rich in nutrients and supports new growth every year.
Healthy soil can help push back on the damaging effects of poor air quality. The healthier your soil is, the longer it will take to impact nutrient levels and damage crops. It’s also a good idea to plant a small forest if you don’t have trees on your property. Trees work naturally to purify the air and enrich the soil.
3. Encourage Healthy Outdoor Air
Sustainable land management and a strategic location can significantly affect your homestead’s outdoor air quality. You can avoid a lot of pollution simply by living far away from cities, industrial plants and agricultural spraying. However, you can take several other steps to protect your land from poor air. Here’s a short list of things to consider:
- Build an underground garden
- Purchase N-95 or heavy-duty masks
- Use a greenhouse
- Manage animal manure
- Store dry goods for poor harvest seasons
Much environmental air pollution is out of your control. There is only so much you can do to mitigate the effects of natural disasters like wildfires or manmade pollution like industrial fumes and bio-weapons. However, you can take steps to protect your air and sustain your family through future disaster events. All it takes is a bit of foresight and planning.
Secure Clean Air on Your Homestead
Many homesteaders consider water filtration systems and how to raise their own food. A less discussed problem is how air pollution can affect human health and reduce the usefulness of your land. It’s essential to consider how you can obtain and sustain good air quality for your homestead. It can affect a lot more than you might have initially thought.
Good air quality is more of a concern than you may realize. It’s an important part of preparing yourself for a disaster, whether that’s a natural weather event, power outage or foreign attack. It’s vital to be ready for all these things and remain healthy while doing so.
Use this guide to secure clean air for your family and your property. Remember, clean air is one of the three things people cannot thrive without. Do your part to safeguard your homestead and always ensure your family’s health and safety.
Author Bio:
Jane is the editor-in-chief of Environment.co. She is passionate about sustainability, gardening and homesteading.
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