Trees are easy to love- they absorb carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, shade you from the summer heat, and have even been proven to increase property values. However, certain species of trees aren’t as healthy as you might think, and can be considered noxious and invasive to their surrounding environments. If you’re doing any landscaping work, it’s worth doing the research to figure out exactly which species are growing on your property, what maintenance they require, or if they should be removed.

Q: I have several carrotwood trees that line a property where I am doing a design job. The client wants them to be removed because they shed in their pool. I considered using them as fence posts, but cannot find any info about the wood. Anything you can tell me would be really appreciated.

-Biannti, CA


Read the rest of ASK INHABITAT: Which trees are NOT huggable?

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Post tags: ASK INHABITAT, Carrotwood trees, Habby the Inhabitat Owl, illustration by Jill Fehrenbacher, Inhabitat Q&A, Which trees are not huggable

Q: I’m a regular reader and make my living as a furniture designer/builder. I confess I’m in love with bamboo – I use it as often as I can and would love to spout to every client about it’s sustainability, renewability and ecologically friendly properties but there is one thing that bothers me about this product. It seems perfect in every way except for the fact that it was brought to me via a massive trans oceanic co2 belching container ship. Do I just suck it up and say “it’s a step in the right direction” or is there some other way to get around the co2 issue?

-Chris, Victoria, BC

A: The perfect scenario for any designer is to walk to work and have all the materials you need healthily and restoratively growing right next to your shop. But for the rest of us- we have to develop a value system for selecting the most appropriate materials and resources with which to work. You are off to a great start by asking the right questions, such as- is a material recycle-able, renewable, non-toxic, and/or enjoyable to use??


Read the rest of ASK INHABITAT: Is imported bamboo really sustainable?

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With all the recent talk of CFL’s, LED’s, and other fancy-sounding efficient lighting options, we thought it fitting to resolve some of your lingering lighting and lightbulb questions for this installment of Ask Inhabitat.

Q: I want to switch my home to compact fluorescent bulbs and use them in my recently remodeled family room. However, I don’t like the spiral look of CFL’s – they’re rather ugly, and would detract from the newly designed space. Are there CFL’s that are actually attractive, or covers that I can use to hide the spiral?

-George, Kentfield, CA


Read the rest of ASK INHABITAT: What are the greenest lightbulb options?

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Post tags: ASK INHABITAT, CFLs, compact florescent bulbs, Dear Habby, Environmentally friendly lighting, Habby the Inhabitat Owl, illustration by Jill Fehrenbacher, sustainable lightbulbs, Your Green Dear Abby

Our first week’s ASK INHABITAT focuses on green electronics — and to deal with this often complex subject matter we’ve brought in Jennifer Van Der Meer, product designer, research consultant, chair of O2-NYC and sustainable electronics guru extraordinaire…


Read the rest of ASK INHABITAT: Which gadgets are the greenest?

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Post tags: Ask Habby, ASK INHABITAT, Dear Green Abby, Dear Habby, Eco Design Q&A, Green design Q&A, green gadgets, Habby the Inhabitat Owl, Sustainable Design question