GoingTrueGreen's Blog Postings

Nuclear Reality Check

1/27/2014

I revisited one of my previous Blog postings on Nuclear Power that had been posted on EnergyHotwire.com dated April 20, 2011. (The postings on EnergyHotwire are no longer available, but I am slowly updating them to be posted on GoingTrueGreen.com. Thank you for being patient with this move, because I have Blog postings going back to 2001 and articles going back to 1987.)

Ronald Reagan, USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier

Aircraft carrier is a small floating city

The reason why I revisited and now re-posting on GoingTrueGreen's Blog is because of the updated news I read today about sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan Aircraft carrier and seals dying in Alaska.

America sent U.S. Navy sailors on the USS Ronald Reagan to Japan for support and help with the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster. After a few days off the coast, a snow fall fell upon the ship, a snowball fight between sailors on deck and contaminated water used on-board, there were reports after returning home that some sailors now have thyroid cancer. If this is true and the report about 71 sailors only in their twenties, having radiation sickness caused by Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear energy plants that exploded, this is a horror. Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) downplayed the dangers of nuclear radiation leaking from the site initially, thus causing many to enter into harms way.

Nature and humankind is damaged far greater by the nuclear power plants exploding then by a tsunami. Seals have been reported to be losing hair and dying off the coast of Alaska and California. Also Sea Lions, Polar Bears, Bald Eagles, Sea Stars, Turtles, King and Sockeye Salmon, Herring, Anchovies and Sardines in the Western part of North America are suffering and dying in large numbers. If this is from Fukushima Daiichi's disaster, then we have contaminated a major food supply.

We humans are our own worst enemy. We drill up oil in the gulf and poor plans allow leaks into the gulf coast. We polluted the waters of the east coast, and now the west cost and Gulf of Alaska may need to post warnings.

Therefore, my blog posting written back on April 20, 2011 is published once more below. With today's news about the sailors and wildlife, the words I wrote 3 years ago about nuclear power, hold an unpropitious truth.

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Home Heating Systems

1/20/2014

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heating, heat, oil heat, gas heat, heating system, saving heat, saving energy, going green, goingtruegreen, environment, fire, boiler, furnance, warm air, baseboard, oil bills, oil, gas, cold outside

How much more efficient are we today?

Winter brings colder temperatures to most of America. The majority of Americans no longer keep warm with a fire similar to the one shown or heat their houses with a fireplace. However the way we heat our houses, on average, is not that efficient. We are wasting on average, 60% of the fuel we consume. Let the fuel be oil, gas, propane gas, coal or wood.

How would you like to lower your heating bills by an average of 60%? I know this sounds too good to be true. Well, the good news is that this is true and you don't need solar panels or any rocket science to address your heating issues. All you need is the knowledge and data to apply the correct application of current technology to save money, energy and Earth. We have the technology, but don't expect your oil or gas company to teach you the details. They want to sell you fuel, they don't want Trade Secrets or Insider's Info utilized to consume less. Now while I am unable to provide all the data in just one blog (that is why I have EnergyHotWire.com and GoingTrueGreen.com) I can tell you about myself practicing what I preach...

"When I purchased my first and only house after years of renting, I learned the previous owners consumed at least 1,000 gallons of heating oil per year. After 2 years of energy saving steps, I only used 290 gallons. I received a payback on the energy saving steps within 3 winters. Today I am using 265 gallons of oil per year and this is all without making sacrifices. I do not put on a big wool sweater so I can lower the heat. The same is true for my electric bill when it comes to lights and electronics."

So what did I do? Below is the list of the steps I did to save a great deal of money, energy and our environment. Nevertheless, there are many variables involved so please realize that the list below was applicable to my situation. However, I also provide more specific data for free through my websites and blog postings so that individual home owners, such as yourself, can determine what applies to your situation.

What I did in my house that saved over 60% of consumption and cost:

1) Installed a separate domestic hot water heater
2) Added a second heating zone
3) Installed two multi stage programmable thermostats
4) Installed insulated wrap on all the hot water pipes
5) Installed more insulation on attic floor to a total value of R30. (Extra insulation did not have a vapor barrier)
6) Installed a Cold Start Control panel on the boiler for a total cost of $400.00. Parts and labor (12 yrs. ago)
7) Lowered the boiler's "maintained" temperature to 125

Many would be surprised to see the list on the left not showing new windows as a step. While you change windows for comfort and convenience, they are not a big energy saver. The average payback is 33 years because of this little known fact:
These new windows will save you 30% off your heating costs. Yes, but when you are only losing 7% of your heat because of your very, very old windows, you are only saving 30% of that 7% being lost!

So start perusing my websites and blog for more data on these topics. We are here to answer any of your comments or questions within a reasonable time, but you must spend some time and work at this to get things right for yourself and your surrounding world - Yes, our environment for you, me and our children. After all, great rewards never come easy.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!

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Food Labels Decoded, Farm Raised

1/13/2014

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Farm Raised

Farm Raised, farm raised fish, farm-raised, farm raised label, food labels decoded, going green, goingtruegreen, GTG, GTG blog, sustainability, FDA, food and drug administration, ocean, netted farm fish

Farm Raised or Wild Caught

Does something smell fishy? You should decide before you purchase fish again.

Farm-raised fish are from irrigation ditches, ponds, pens, netted areas and tanks. These fish do not live in a natural habitat and the majority are not caught by fishing boats. (A small percentage of Farm-raised fish from fish hatcheries are released into the ocean for commercial fisherman to catch.)

Due to the public's increase demand for seafood, Farm-raised fish was first believed to be the answer. However, rules for this label are mostly non-existent. Pens can be over-crowded and the prevailing question is how often are the pens cleaned out or how often is the fish feces cleaned out? Yes, a netted area opened to the ocean will offer better circulation of water and flush the area clean, but how can the consumer know if the fish they are buying had those living features? The Farm-raised label doesn't tell these details.

Farm Raised Label

Many consumers now look to buy only Wild Caught labeled fish because they are considered healthier for several reasons: Wild-caught fish have a more balanced diet, have less fats, they are more nutritious. They also have more protein and live longer compared to Farm-raised fish according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Consumers might know that Farm-raised fish are less expensive to buy and less of an environmental concern due to fishing techniques that use drift nets, and may cause damage to the ocean's environment. Fishing lines and cage traps are the preferred methods and do the least damage. However, there are no laws making these better fishing techniques mandatory. Also to consider is the possibility of netted areas with Farm-raised fish causing a discharge plume with overbearing amounts of fish feces into the ocean.

When shopping for fish if we wish to live with the highest outlook for sustainability, we should look for another label: The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label, which will be covered in this blog within a few weeks.

When eating out in a restaurant, there are several questions one should ask if ordering fish: How was the fish caught? From what waters did the fish come from? (Location such as: the North Sea, off Cape Cod, New York's Hudson River or Prince William's Sound in Alaska?) If Farm-raised fish is on the menu, ask how was the fish raised? In a tank, pond or netted area? What was the diet and were the facilities sanitized?

If the fish store or the chef of the restaurant have any pride in what they are serving their customers, they will know the answers to these questions! If not, leave and go elsewhere.

So on one hand we have the over-fishing of the ocean and on the other hand we are without guidelines and detailed labels that state all the facts. We also have corrupt fish retailers marking Farm-raised fish as Wild Caught. Oceana, who is a nonprofit ocean protection group, stated that 1/3 of all fish purchased between 2010 and 2012 were mislabeled. Consumer Reports in 2006 stated that almost 50% of Wild-caught salmon bought in supermarkets were actually Farm-raised.

No matter what you decide, like it or not, we as consumers must strive to be informed.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!

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Holes in your Attic

1/2/2014

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Heating, heating bills, energy, lower energy bills, oil heat, gas heat, snowstorm, billard, snowing, rooftop, snow on rooftop, going green, going true green, GTG, energy audits, infrared camera, energy audits, heating the neighborhood

Snow and Saving Energy

Snow is on the way according to the 2014 weather report and any snow fall will be a significant help to confirming if you are keeping your house warm or if you have holes in your attic. Yes, you may very well be paying to heat the neighborhood!

Okay, not exactly "holes" in your attic, but close enough if your Attic floor is not insulated correctly or sufficiently. No "Rocket Science" needed to know if your house is losing heat and costing you money. To answer this very important question is to simply go outside a few hours after a snow fall and LOOK at your roof. No infrared cameras needed by you or any energy professionals if you are having them do an energy audit. AT GTG we don't need any special cameras when we conduct Energy Audits, so please don't fall for the line: "Oh that will cost extra because we have to use the special "Thing-A-Ma Jig" to detect heat lost from your attic." That is a complete Lie.

Also don't listen to any insulation company that tells you insulation is needed up on the inside roof of your attic as well as your attic floor. Unfinished attics only need insulation on the floor with ONLY ONE Vapor Barrier (foil or paper layer) facing downward to your warm house below. The R value of the insulation should be no less than R-30. Please take note of these facts because this is a big money saver OR a very costly mistake year after year. In fact, this is such a costly situation, we can list this as a major contributing fact to why America is NOT energy efficient. The photograph below shows the rooftops of two homes with snow on them. The house in the foreground has a rooftop completely white with snow and that is excellent. The house in the background is showing parts of the roof tiles through the snow where heat is escaping! Feel free to click on the images to enlarge and view details discussed:

The Tale of Two Houses: The house in the foreground on the right and below this text box is warm inside, saving money for themselves & fuel for America because no snow is melting off the roof from rising heat.
Remember, Hot air rises!

snow melting, roof, rooftop, heat lost, insulation, attic, attic insulation, vapor barrier, R-30, Heating, heating bills, energy, lower energy bills, oil heat, gas heat, snowstorm, billard, snowing, rooftop, snow on rooftop, going green, going true green, GTG, energy audits, infrared camera, energy audits, heating the neighborhood

Two Houses. One Heat Efficient and One Heat Inefficient.

The house in the background and shown below is losing heat and money to the outside. The solid white lines of snow is where heat is being blocked from escaping by the wood beams supporting the roof from inside the attic. The dark color areas show heat being lost.

efficient homes, energy efficientcy, snow melting, roof, rooftop, heat lost, insulation, attic, attic insulation, vapor barrier, R-30, Heating, heating bills, energy, lower energy bills, oil heat, gas heat, snowstorm, billard, snowing, rooftop, snow on rooftop, going green, going true green, GTG, energy audits, infrared camera, energy audits, heating the neighborhood

Solid White Layer of Snow on Roof Means No Heat Lost

Roof Showing through Snow Equals Heat and Money Lost

Roof Losing Heat

A closer look actually shows a couple of larger spots of roof showing through. This is where there is very little insulation inside on the attic floor just below the spots. Probably a low R-11 insulation value because part of the insulation was pushed away, moved, or folded over. However, the most probable possibility, there is just NO Insulation in that spot at all!
Click on image to enlarge and continue to read about savings.

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