FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council, an international not-for-profit organization that promotes responsible forest management. They not only make sure that the wood harvesting is legal, but that the rights of workers and indigenous communities are respected, endangered wildlife habitats are not negatively affected, and that the manufacturing and distribution of the wood is done correctly. Basically, they worry about all of that so that you can have peace of mind when you buy raw lumber, wood floors, trim, cabinets, or furniture. Go to www.fscus.org for more information.

VOC stands for volatile organic compound. The American Lung Association states that VOCs can cause eye and skin irritation, lung and breathing problems, headaches, nausea, muscle weakness, and liver and kidney damage. When you buy or use a product that emits VOCs indoors, you are contributing to poor indoor air quality. Because so many materials and substances in our homes emit VOCs (such as plywood or particleboard furniture, vinyl shower curtains, some resilient flooring and carpet, mattresses and upholstery treated with fire retardants, etc.), the air quality inside your home can be 10 times worse than it is outside. And that number can get up to 1,000 times worse right after you apply a high-VOC product like oil-based paint. The VOCs released inside your home eventually migrate outdoors where they mix with other substances in the air and turn into ozone, which is a component of smog. This is why using low-VOC or no-VOC products and keeping materials that emit VOCs out of your home is good for your family’s health and the environment.