And Where We Stand

WE CANNOT RUN
AWAY FROM WEAKNESS;
WE MUST SOMETIMES
FIGHT IT OUT OR PERISH.
AND IF THAT BE SO,
WHY NOT NOW,
AND WHERE WE STAND?

~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Of Note: Research shows that we are subject to more pollution in our homes and offices than anywhere else, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, 2 to 5 times as much as outdoors. Contamination by dozens of indoor pollutants is a concern because we spend 90% of our time inside. Now NASA, conducting experiments for the space program, has determined that the lowly house plant may be the superhero air scrubber. These investigations add to global research that shows plants "can reduce dust participles and contaminants, such as formaldehyde and benzene that come from cigarette smoke, paint, furniture, building materials and other sources." One horticulturist advocates plants because they are an inexpensive fix and can even be propagated by cuttings. Are some plants better than others? This is the question asked by those interested in phytoremediation, the fancy name given to this body of growing research. As it turns out, several common plants have been shown to be good as indoor air scrubbers: English Ivy, Mother-in-law's Tongue, Weeping Fig, Peace Lily, and Asparagus Fern to name a few. The superstars, however, are the Janet Craig and Sweet Chico plants, which reduce volatile organic compounds indoors by 75%. The researchers concluded: "Potted plants can provide an efficient, self-regulating, low-cost, sustainable bio-remediation system for indoor air pollution." The EPA and the Green Building Council are not on board yet and have labeled the experiments inconclusive. Nonetheless, adding plants to an indoor environment is a good idea since it puts us in contact with the subtle but potent green energy of the second kingdom in nature AS IF we were outdoors. If plants also act as super-scrubbers for pollutants, and there is good evidence they do, that is simply another valuable contribution but certainly not the only one nor even the most important.