GoingTrueGreen's Blog Postings

Follow Up on Post Ups

9/30/2015

paper, paper waste, litter, Post Its, Post Ups, Notes, blackboard, door knob, save paper, save money, reminder, save trees, going green, going true green, Bill Lauto, EnergyHotWire

Door Knob Blackboard

I had posted on my Going True Green Blog a write up called:
Take Down Post Ups. This is an Update, no pun intended.

On July 20, of 2015, I wrote about another way to help our environment, reduce paper waste, and save money. All of us have an operating procedure for leaving notes and reminders that waste paper while costing us a great deal of money. With today's electronic devices that can send, remind, and speak to us about everything, why do we still spend money to buy post up notes or note pads?

The photo on the left shows another great way to leave notes, especially to your kids! I recently found this Door Knob hanging blackboard and it is another great way to save trees and money when leaving notes or reminders for your kids. They work great and are not expensive. Get one for each Bedroom door!

Bill Lauto , GTG
Environmental Scientist
 International Sustainability and Energy Consultant 
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Ice Stupa Equals Ingenuity

9/10/2015

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Ice, Ice stupa, ingenuity, himalayan, himalayan mountains, water, snow melt, ladakh, humankind, glacier, artificial glacier, india, pheyang monastery

Ice Stupa About 200 Feet Tall

You may first ask, "Where and what in the world is an Ice Stupa?" Ice Stupa first demonstrates Humankind's ingenuity. Then the definition grows from Stupa, which is the name of a tower by a Himalayan temple, to an artificial glacier created by humans. Thus, the location: Ladakh. A mountain desert in the Himalayan mountains with villages in the highest northern reaches of India.

View of Melting Glacier From Space

All human life in this area of altitudes from 8,000 feet and higher are centered around glacial streams. Temperatures in the winter will drop to 86 degrees below zero and diverting water from the streams is necessary to support all life. Canals are built to send water toward deserts so food can be grown, but acute shortages of water happen almost every April and May. Then flash flooding starts when the snow melts in the mountains causing much of the water to flow into the Indus river after the farming season has ended. That is greatly needed water for the start of the next planting season. In addition, Climate Change has caused the glaciers to decrease in size, only to provide less water over all.

Water Supplied to Farms from Ice Stupa

However, over the past two years experiments at the Pheyang Monastery by SECMOL Institute have created artificial glaciers called Ice Stupas. They are created by a series of pipes that send the melting mountain waters into the air to freeze. Within a short period of time a mountain of ice grows into a storage area of water that would have otherwise been lost. This frozen water in the shape of an ice mountain then melts to supply the farms with water when they need the life giving liquid the most. Human ingenuity!

Bill Lauto , GTG
Environmental Scientist
 International Sustainability and Energy Consultant 
at GoingTrueGreen.com
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America Hung Out To Dry

9/4/2015

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Heat Pump Clothes Dryer

When I think of American Technology, I remember Americans walking on the moon, not once, but several times and all returned home safe. However, since the spirit of the Apollo program ended, "American Know-How" has taken many back seats. This analogy applies to our Clothes Drying machines. America's Clothes Dryers arguably LOSE big time. However, near the bottom of this blog post, you will have data to help you save big time when drying your clothes!

Even the most energy efficient Electric Clothes Dryer made in America will still consume an enormous amount of energy. Mostly because the unit is using electricity to create heat and if you don't have Natural Gas for use inside your home, then you can't use a Gas Clothes Dryer and you are compelled to use electric dryers. Nevertheless, there is much to know and many steps to take that will keep money in your pocket while helping to improve our planet's climate.

The first thing we CAN'T do is go out and buy a Heat Pump Dryer made in Europe. Why? Because they are not available in America. Many believe the European market is years ahead of America when it comes to Clothes Dryers. Over 25 models are available in Europe and none in America. Sweden's Electrolux was the first to produce the Heat Pump Dryer almost 20 years ago! Germany's Bosch model uses 40% less energy than America's basic Energy Star electric operated clothes dryers.

Some reports state that a Heat Pump model is available to buy in America, but at what price and why did this take so long? I did a Live Chat with the only manufacturer I found selling a Heat Pump Dryer in America. They are a South Korean company and their representative was clueless. She finally admitted she didn't understand half my questions and didn't have any information dealing with a savings comparison between an electric Heat Pump dryer and a gas operated dryer. She finally stated, "I will be honest but the information that I have here is just that it use 53% less energy." Compared to what, was the question I needed answered, because I have a gas operated dryer that uses 75% less energy than an electric dryer. Therefore, it is difficult to justify spending $600 plus for an electric operated Heat Pump dryer that has a good chance of providing me with no savings when drying my clothes! Thus Seven (7) Energy, Money, and Earth, Saving Facts for your clothes drying needs are listed after the image below to help while we wait for American dryers to catch up in efficiency.

Electric powered Heat Pump Clothes Dryers send the hot exhaust air first through the lint screen and through an evaporator. Moisture is removed and the hot air is sent back into the dryer.

Here are 7 steps that SIGNIFICANTLY lower your energy cost to dry clothes so you wouldn't be hung out to dry:

STEP ONE:  Throw a Big DRY Bath Towel in the Dryer with the wet clothes!
To save approximately 7 minutes drying time, every time you dry clothes, get one of the largest bath towels you own and make it your Dryer's default towel. Yes, this towel shall stay in the Dryer forever. Having an already “dry towel” in the Dryer with wet clothes will help absorb the moisture out of the air inside the dryer, thus helping to dry clothes in less time.

STEP TWO:  If you have an Electric Dryer and you have Natural Gas available. Consider getting a gas Dryer because the savings will justify the expense to switch.

If an Electric Dryer cost $1.00 to dry clothes, it will only cost 25 cents to dry the same clothes in a Gas Dryer.
That is a possible 75% savings. The range of savings is from 50% up to 75%!

Make sure the cost to switch is within reason. Note that a master license plumber will be needed to run the gas line inside your house and to properly vent the gas dryer. Also make sure you buy the most energy efficient Dryer made.

STEP THREE:  Use the "Automatic Cycles" if your machine has that feature. Do not use or set a "timed" cycle because the clothes may be fully dry well before the "time" is up.

STEP FOUR:  Start saving with your clothes Washer by using the longer spin cycle on your washing machine to remove as much water from your clothes as possible. Obviously this will NOT apply to "Delicates" because you will be laying these clothes flat to air dry.

STEP FIVE:  Do you use fabric softener sheets? How many boxes do you buy each year and at what cost? For about $10.00, Dryer Balls can replace the sheets, save money, drying time, and our environment.

STEP SIX:  On Wash Day try to run your Dryer two, three, or more times in a row. This will allow you to take advantage of the retained heat in the Dryer. Make sure the Dryer is filled, don't run the Dryer just to dry a pair of socks. Dry as you washed: Meaning, you just ran a load of underwear, then dry underwear. Don't mix “long to dry” items such as bath towels with underwear. ALWAYS clean out the Lint Screen after EACH time you run the Dryer! Lint is the number one cause of house fires.

 STEP SEVEN:  You can save 100% on your Dryer cost by using Solar, aka Clothes Line.
Electric Clothes Dryers are one of the biggest electrical consuming appliance in the house vs a Gas Dryer.
Some reports show Electric Dryers responsible for one whole ton of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
Using a Clothes Line has numerous benefits: 
a. No utility bill
b. Fresh clean air smell to the clothes 
c. Less wear and tear on clothes, thus clothes last longer
d. Exercise for your TriCeps and BiCeps
e. More energy saved for our grandchildren .
f. Helping our planet's environment