GoingTrueGreen's Blog Postings

Unwrapping A Real Issue

12/28/2023

All the gifts have been opened, the wrapping paper recycled, and we are eliminating the plastic decorations outside that are worn down by nature's weathering.

Yet, non-biodegradable and unrecyclable plastic remains. Plastic that will continue to reduce in size, and enter our environment via our air, our water, and our soil. Thus enter into our body's organs.
[More details here]

Additionally, these plastic particles end up in our oceans. Plastic pollution in our oceans has shown that this is a Real Issue manifesting damage to our Ocean's Prochlorococcus organisms. Prochlorococcus make up our invisible green forest in our oceans. These microscopic marine cyanobacteria are probably the most abundant organism on Earth. For millions of years they have made our oxygen. The Rain Forests has been labeled "the lungs of Earth" by those without all the facts. The truth really is that our oceans provide the support to our Prochlorococcus organisms that are really Earth's lungs. Ironically, our oceans that lack oxygen to support our living capabilities under water, actually provide us with the majority of our oxygen that we need to live on land.

We already know Prochlorococcus are being damaged by plastic pollution in our oceans, so perhaps a closer look is needed by all of us to see the small amounts of plastic around us. Plastic that will only become smaller and microscopic. Plastic such as:

Christmas, wrapping paper, plastic glitter, sparkles, wrapping paper, recycled, plastic decorations, weathering, non-biodegradable, unrecyclable, Plastic, environment, air, water, soil,

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From colorful decorative plastic wraps on the ends of toothpicks to sparkling Glitter found on wrapping paper, cards, and decorations. Also glitter is sold for art and crafts by the thousands in a small plastic tube. Each and every plastic piece of glitter is notorious!

They get everywhere, and are not easy to clean up! Blow up the photo and take a closer look at what you may breathing, eating, or drinking!

This is a real issue without any predictions for a day of doom or a morning of sunshine. This is just science stating facts so we can make a difference. So we can be part of a team taking action like the way it use to be in the seventies and eighties of the last century. No panic, just action, no plots to get 15 minutes of fame or to make money. Just people, coming together to fix and end an issue about pollution. Just like that commercial I saw so many years ago when I was young... Click Here

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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WHY DIGITAL ELECTRIC METERS?

12/13/2023

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electric meters, digital meters, electric meter, going true green, sustainability, saving energy, saving electricity, meter readers, electromagnetic field, saving money

Old Electric Meter

Nationwide utility companies have been changing their  “workhorse – never-fail” electric meters to digital ones.

Why? Two reasons: To prevent the loss of money and to save money.

Personally, I do not appreciate “money” being in the equation for reasons. Yet, money is the only reason for this change over. Why else would power companies change out American made, never-fail, electric meters to digital units made - where?

First fact was that too many people with very high electric bills blamed the meter instead of being accountable for their own consumption of power. I remember one energy audit I was doing for a homeowner who wanted me to provide proof that his electric “workhorse – never-fail” meter was defective and spinning faster to increase his electric bill. The year was 1988, there was no extra data on this homeowner collected through social media or Amazon purchases. None of that existed yet. Nevertheless, I was able to know from experience, and the story went pretty much like this:

            I arrived at the homeowner’s house, and parked as close to the curb as possible, despite the accumulated snow in the street. The homeowner met me on his driveway and after introductions, I followed him to the electric meter mounted on the outside of his house.

            “Excellent!” The homeowner exclaimed. “Look at that wheel on the meter spin! And there isn’t anything on inside. Not one lightbulb nor TV. I’m telling you, as these meters get old and worn out, the gears within spin faster.”

            “Actually, the opposite is true,” I politely said to inform the homeowner. “As dust and dirt build up inside the meter over the decades, the gears slow down, thus lowering your electric bill from what the real cost should be. If you demand the power company to change out this meter to a new one, they will be happy to do so, and your electric bill will increase. Not by much, but it will be higher. You said your house and meter were almost 40 years old, well the power company is losing money on you. Then add up all the old slow running meters out there and the power company is losing a small fortune.”

            The homeowner was ready to fire me on the spot as he stared at me in disbelief. “That can’t be true! Why is my meter spinning so fast when I’m not using any electricity inside?”

            “I would say from the speed of the spinning wheel on your meter that you have an inefficient refrigerator and freezer with side by side doors operation right now in your kitchen and an extra Box freezer also running in your basement.”

            The homeowner’s mouth dropped-open as his eyes widened, and then demanded, “how the hell do you know that? “You have never been inside my house!”

            Sure enough, both appliances existed as I described and confirmed in the locations I cited, when we entered the house. Additionally, both appliances were running. After they stopped, I brought the homeowner outside to see his meter turning slowly. He then asked me what was consuming electricity now to have the wheel still turn, even at a slow rate? I listed for him the following:

“Your clock on the kitchen stove.
The clock on your coffee maker.
The clock on your microwave oven.
Your alarm clock or clocks plugged into an outlet.
A possible nightlight left on.
The timer for your table lamp in the living room for security reasons.
Did you shut off your lawn sprinkler timer?
Each Television plugged into an outlet is drawing ‘stand-by’ power.
Most of your entertainment equipment will also pull some power for ‘stand-by’ power. Equipment such as your stereo and video game box.”
(Use this LINK to learn more about ‘stand-by’ power)

            “Additionally,” I said, “your heating system perhaps just came on, and the zone calling for heat activated the electric pump to send the heated water through your pipes and along your hot-water baseboards to heat that area of the house. Especially, since you had left the front door open since I arrived and only have the screen door closed.

Needless to say, I spent three more hours with that homeowner teaching him have to save without sacrificing.

So, with that loss of income for power companies and the second fact that they longed for saving all the salaries of meter readers. These two “money” reasons had the utilities look forward to digital meters. Meters that could be read by one person sitting in a car and reading every meter on the block electronically in a fraction of the time wirelessly.

As far as, the consumer, we are billed more accurately constantly and perhaps, depending on where the digital meter is located, such as outside a bedroom window with a bed by that window, a person may be exposed to extra electromagnetic fields? To know the truth about this and risks for young children, we need to search out studies published on this topic in peer reviewed scientific journals. Never trust what a politician says or a millionaire talking head on a cable or news channel network. They sensationalize to stay in office, sell more commercials, and make more money with higher ratings.

The moral to this blog is that we must be aware and accountable for our actions and consumption. We must stop blaming others or old dirt-filled electric meters. No one else is going to save you money and your health nor the world’s future for our children. All that is up to us and it starts in our own house or apartment.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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