About Rachel Koller

I look at the world through a green filter, pushing me to consider the impact of my actions on the environment, and in turn the impact of the environment on human health. Since my teenage years I have been interested in these issues.  When my husband and I purchased an older home in Seattle and set out to do a green remodel, this focus became a practical resource. We took on the design/build process ourselves, and learned from the challenge of evaluating products for their impact on people and the planet.

After my daughter was born I started volunteering with the Washington Toxics Coalition, responding to inquiries from their Toxics Hotline. The questions encompass pesticides, plastics, children’s toy safety, and more, representing a broad overview of the public’s concerns.  As an extension of this work I also became a Master Home Environmentalist volunteer with the American Lung Association. This program offers free home assessments to help people identify and implement affordable solutions to indoor air quality issues. Through these experiences I am familiar with many organizations focusing on environmental health.  Some resources are widely known, for example the Environmental Working Group; others are lesser known, including Beyond Pesticides, Green Science Policy Institute, and Toxipedia.

My background has empowered me as a parent advocating a healthy future for my daughter.  I want to make the best resources accessible for others to do the same. Healthy Home Focus was developed to foster informed, safer consumer choices and to inspire advocacy protecting public health and the environment.