Paint your walls -- and die

[HeyBub]

"Traditional paints emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemicals that damage the environment and diminish human health. These adverse health effects include damage to the liver and nervous system, otolaryngological (ear, nose and throat) complications, headaches and cancer. The National Cancer Institute reports that professional painters have a higher risk of developing cancer than non-painters. Constant exposure to paint toxins causes hazardous effects."

Read more:

Article recommends nothing but whitewash (slacked lime and water) for all your painting needs, a la Tom Sawyer and his fence.

(Just kidding on the last)

[Molly Brown]

The idea of painting the walls of a house started less than two hundred years ago and came about with the industrial revolution. It was peddled to the general public because along with plaster, it was relatively cheap to produce and apply and a good way for house painters and paint manufacturers to keep coming back every year or two to make more money and disseminate their pollutants over and over again. Before then the walls of a proper house were made of wood which only had to be stained once and maintained with oil such as linseed oil which is not toxic unless you=92re allergic to it. What nobody, including the author of the article is not considering is WHY we are not simply going back to doing things the old fashioned way. In the long run not only is it cheaper but a lot more environmentally friendly than applying so called =93green paints=94 which is no better than whitewash over and over again.

[HeyBub]

But, but, but... Drywall and paint is immensely cheaper than wood walls! I grew up in a house with wood walls, and, guess what? The wooden walls were covered with cheesecloth then wallpaper! (Ever seen a tack-hammer? They were designed to put up a layer of cheesecloth.)

I guess you'd be okay if you only painted rent houses....