GoingTrueGreen's Blog Postings

Saving Big With LED Bulbs

4/25/2015

compact fluorescent bulb, light bulb, energy saver, fluorescent bulb, earth day, going green

Energy Saving Bulb

Here is a great Trivia question for any game:
What year did energy saving fluorescent bulbs become available in America?

Need a Hint?
Think before emails and Web Sites were around!

Answer:  Since 1982 I have been saying, “You can make a difference by just changing one light bulb in your home or office.” Yes, Energy Saving Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs where around and saving money, energy, and our environment for those who were bold enough to evaluate, buy, and use them since 1982.

Today at GoingTrueGreen.com I am advocating the fact that now with LED bulbs joining Compact Fluorescent lights, it is practical for us to change all our light bulbs! By just changing lights in your home or office, you will not only save yourself money, but also our environment for our grandchildren!

If you are still using Standard Incandescent light bulbs with a design from 1928, there is one powerful fact you may not know. These Edison designed light bulbs will LOSE up to 45% of their light output with use. However, you continue to pay for the full wattage of the bulb!

Incandescent

For Example: 
After a 100 incandescent watt bulb is on for about 420 hours (about 12 hours a day for 5 weeks) that bulb will lose light level and only "give off" or "put out" 55 watts of light!  Meanwhile, you still pay for 100 watts of electricity! Then based on the same hours of use per day, about 750 hours or four weeks later, the bulb will burn out!

This is why when replacing a burned out bulb, the new bulb of the same wattage is much brighter than the bulb that just burned out!

Another "Kick in the Rear:"
With Edison’s 1928 designed incandescent bulbs, they are the most inefficient product designed by humankind. Out of the 100% of electricity used to operate the incandescent bulb, 90% generates heat! Only 10% of the electricity consumed produces light! Also how can you still use a 1928 light bulb to light up your 2015 computer's work space?

LED Bulb

Savings:
Energy saving fluorescents will lose ONLY 15% of their light output over their much longer life which is about 2.5 years when on 12 hours a day. Fluorescent bulbs realize up to 71% savings in electricity and energy, while LED bulbs will save around 75% as they last twice as long as fluorescents. For a break-down in savings on the electric bill with energy saving bulbs by examples of rooms in a house, use this LINK to our EnergyHotwire.com website page: Compare Chart

If you have any specific questions about your light bulbs or light level distribution, you can contact our energy experts through the web site GoingTrueGreen.com.

Bill Lauto, GTG
Environmental Scientist at
GoingTrueGreen.com
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New Game In Town

4/23/2015

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Koda, Koda Quest, Earth Day, Earthday, Earth Week, Going Green, Going True Green, Save the world, Koda the polar bear

Free Koda Quest App

Cool the Earth is a non-profit that has reached over 250,000 kids and parents around the country through their successful school-based program and now they’re hoping to harness the viral power of technology in order to fight Climate Change.

Cool the Earth, develop a FREE app for tablets and smartphones called Koda Quest that is a care game starring an animated bear named Koda. This app was funded in part by a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the game encourages kids to use less natural resources.

I like this electronic game because Koda Quest combines real-life actions with the child's parents. A mobile game that teaches children earth friendly behaviors and has their parents confirm the progress through email. In a world where seventy five percent of kids under eight years old now play games on smartphones and tablets for an average of 17 hours per week, this game has them put the game down! How amazing is that, the kids must put the game down in order to perform their assigned task, such as turning off unused lights or recycling. Then when they are done, the kids ask their parents to pack a "no waste" lunch in order to level up and create a cooler world for Koda, the young polar bear. If kids are going to play electronic games, then this should be one of them. Researchers at Stanford University evaluated Cool the Earth’s school based program and found that 35% of participating students with their families take at least two new climate “saving” actions suggested by the program. Also over a third reported taking additional steps that are more involved, such as purchasing energy efficient appliances or engaging in civic affairs.

If kids are going to play electronic games, then this should be one of them.

Help Koda Save Our Home!

Every family with young game players should look into the free Koda Quest App. The App and Android stores have this free environmental friendly game by Cool the Earth. For Earth Day and Earth Week 2015, we can get the word out about Koda Quest through social media. I just did, with my Going True Green Blog Post.

Bill Lauto, GTG
Environmental Scientist at
GoingTrueGreen.com
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2015: Earth Day, Net Zero!

4/22/2015

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A long time has passed since that first Earth Day and when I was the Energy Advisor to New York City's Earth Day committee on the twenty anniversary. Today, 45 years later, Solar Power is feasible, therefore...

Earth Day, going green, going true green, bill lauto, first earthday, saving energy, saving environment, save electric, solar, solar power, solar panels

Earth Day 1970

NYC Earth Day 1990, 20th Anniversary

Solar Power 2015

...I am happy to announce that the latest numbers confirm that I am now operating at Net Zero for electricity consumption. Last month's numbers show that I am producing far more electricity from my solar panels than I am consuming from the Electric Grid.

The program made this solar project affordable and I am looking at a full payback in 4.5 years! All equipment and maintenance is covered for the twenty year life of the panels, so no additional out-of-pocket costs. In fact, I am looking forward to receiving a year-end check from the power company for the extra kilowatts I produced. Yes, they pay us less than half of what we pay them per kilowatt, but that is another Blog post.

Now of course there are variables, so if anyone reading this post wants to review the details such as the solar companies I investigated, what guide lines were used and what solar company I selected, please contact us here at GoingTrueGreen.com and we will be happy to answer any question or concern.

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Bill Lauto, GTG
Environmental Scientist at
GoingTrueGreen.com
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The Unflushables!

4/21/2015

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Earth, Bill Lauto, Going Green, Going True Green, Earth Day, Earthday, environment, tree huggers, save energy, save earth, climate change, global warming

Painting of Earth by Bill Lauto, Copyright

Earth Day 2015 is this week and I will try to address a diversified array of topics that are all connected one way or another to our planet's environment. With more people knowing this type of information, I hope we can all save money, energy, and our environment for ourselves and our great grandchildren.

Topic: Lies through the process of omission and trying to flush them away.

Earth, baby wipes, women's pads, tampon, flush away, Going Green, Going True Green, Earth Day, Earthday, environment, tree huggers, save energy, save earth, climate change, global warming

Despite what some manufacturers tell you about their products, you can't flush away any lies told through the process of omission. We all use the bathroom and we all flush away unwanted items. However, many people don't realize that items such as a small toy or toothbrush that has fallen into the toilet can appear in our waterways and oceans. So if there is no way you are taking that brush or toy out with your hand, put on a dish-washing glove and dispose of them properly.

Next we have items that we buy in the stores that state on the package in various words, that the product can be flushed down the toilet. Items such as Baby Wipes and Women's Pads may have wording on the package that says: "Fresh n Flush" or "Flush Away" and this is where the half truth comes into play. Yes, you can flush them, but they do not breakdown as seen in the photographs below:

toilet paper, Earth, baby wipes, women's pads, tampon, flush away, Going Green, Going True Green, Earth Day, Earthday, environment, tree huggers, save energy, save earth, climate change, global warming

Toilet Paper breaks down in minutes, while wipes just clog your pipes and Wastewater treatment plants.

This Bar Screen at a Wastewater Treatment Plant has Baby Wipes clogging the system all along the bottom.

Manufacturers know people would love to just dump these products in the toilet and be done with them, so many put on their product's label words such as: flushable, biodegradable, sewer and septic safe. Consumers who use flushable wipes find themselves dealing with several plumbing problems costing hundreds of dollars to fix or unclog. However, our Wastewater treatment plants have spent millions repairing and replacing machinery. That is our tax dollars being wasted on a Lie Through The Process Of Omission and when the treatment plant goes down allowing wipes to get into our oceans... Well no human or fish wants to swim into a clump of used wipes or pads.

Bill Lauto, GTG
Environmental Scientist at
GoingTrueGreen.com
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There's Money In Composting

4/7/2015

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Composting: Black Gold

Some may think that composting is only for people who have a garden with flowers or grow food. After all, who would want to “deal” with something like composting and why? Well, if just a few of the following items sound persuasive to you, perhaps you would be one to deal with composting just to have rich black soil that will:

SAVE MONEY
Having your own compost to use around your plants and garden will replace the need to buy chemical fertilizers. Also compost is known to suppress insects so buying chemical pesticides may not be needed. Buying replacement bushes can be avoided as compost improves plant resistance to diseases. In addition, how does a lower water bill sound? Compost creates better water retention and prevents erosion.

CROPS WILL ABOUND
Agricultural crops in your garden with flourish when you regularly add compost. Higher yields will look and taste delicious. Flowers will be robust as the soil holds beneficial nutrients and nitrogen, along with earthworms. The soil’s pH will be stabilized as contaminants are filtered out.

REDUCE YOUR SOLID WASTE AND GREENHOUSE GAS
With composting year round, you are removing large amounts of waste from the solid waste stream. Less garbage to be hauled away is another benefit. Methane, which is a greenhouse gas and twenty-one times more potent than CO2, is also reduced when you compost.

So How Does One Compost? Start with an open curved stainless steel strainer that fits in the corner of your sink. (see image one) Your food scraps are tossed into this strainer and when full, carried outside to your compost bin. If winter weather isn’t cooperating due to snow piling up, keep your food scraps inside a small pail under the sink until you can dump it outside in your compost bin. (see image two) Compost bins for outside come in all sizes and designs. You can even build one yourself, just make sure you have enough air flow to assist in decomposition. If you have animals about your area, make sure your compost bin locks tight to keep out your woodland neighbors. (see image three) Never compost any of the following: Meat, Fish, Bones, Cheese, Oil, Fats, Diseased Plants, Coal, Cat Litter, Plastics, Paper with Ink. More information will be available at GoingTrueGreen.com on composting, methods and benefits.

Image One

Image Two

Image Three

When done correctly, composting should not have any smells. Compost itself will absorb odors. The secret recipe is to have food scraps mixed with some leaves and a few twigs that you pruned. An occasional small pinch of lawn trimmings and you are cooking! Along with earthworms, the natural heat from decomposing does the rest to save you money, energy and our earth.

Bill Lauto, GTG
Environmental Scientist at
GoingTrueGreen.com
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