GoingTrueGreen's Blog Postings - Going True Green

Going True Green Blog:

Please use our Free Membership link in the right column below to receive a quarterly email, at most, on new Blog Postings or Workshops. This GTG Blog started on EarthDay 2013. However see our original "blog" style postings dating back from 1995 when on our website EnergyHotwire.com, as well as articles written and published since 1987 in newspapers and magazines at our link Yesteryear Articles & Blogs.

See the Back Story - Blog Preface

Victory Gardens Are Needed Again

10/2/2019

Victory Garden, Victory Gardens, World War One, World War Two, World War II, fresh food, food, organic food, growing food, compost, composting, Home Front, Going Green, Sustainable Living, Sustainability, Going True Green

I am sadden how the stories of our past, let them be His-Story or Her-Story, are forgotten or completely changed for a false narrative. I know just a few people reading this Going True Green Blog Post will know what a Victory Garden was so many years ago. Nevertheless, Victory Gardens are needed again.

Victory Gardens were planted by individuals on the Home Front as a patriot sign to make a difference as World War I and World War II were being fought. The premise was simple and the difference made was tremendous. These Victory Gardens were planted in yards, window pots, apartment rooftops and empty plots of land around the neighborhoods. They helped in the battle against food shortages as two world changing wars raged on for years. The food that was produced, was used and shared with those in need.

Today, a Victory Garden would be a major part of the multitude of solutions we can do as an individual. Having a Victory Garden will allow us to eat healthier with fresh organic food and be a positive contributing factor for our changing world. For more facts and information see my Going True Green Blog posts under the Category called: Composting.

If we truly want to be part of the solutions, we all need to have or take part in a Victory Garden. This Fall is the perfect time to start planning your very own Victory Garden for next Spring!

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

What Home Heating Fuel is More Efficient, Oil or Natural Gas?

9/24/2019

snow, winter, heat, heating system, oil heat, gas heat, oil, gas, natural gas, saving on heating bills, heating costs

Snow & Heating Costs Can Pile Up

With the 2019 winter heating season just around the corner for most of the United States, the title of this article is the most popular query I have been asked over the years about Heating Systems. Unfortunately the answer is not that simple and the answer depends on several variables.

If you ask someone who is associated with Oil heating in any way, shape, or form, the answer is Oil.

If you ask someone who is associated with Gas heating in any way, shape, or form, the answer is Gas.

Both "someones" are leaving out important details and information so immediate justification for their fuel can be given.

The question now becomes:
Who is correct? Here is the TRUE answer:

Depending upon several different circumstances either answer can be correct...
The reason for this is because heating your home ALSO depends on what type of Heating Unit being used and HOW Heat is Delivered throughout your house. All Heating Systems consist of three (3) parts:
The type of Fuel used, the Heating Unit, and the Heat Delivery Method throughout the house.

The question now needed to be asked is:
What are the circumstances and how do we know what is the most efficient Fuel for us?

With OIL, the fact is more BTUs are produced by Oil as compared to Natural Gas, thus making Oil the more efficient FUEL at face value. HOWEVER, some Gas Heating Units offer the highest efficiency rates. Thus by using Gas as a Fuel in tandem with a higher efficiency Gas Heating Unit and a more efficient method of delivering the heat throughout the house, GAS becomes the more efficient FUEL.

BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. This is an approximation for the amount of energy needed to heat up one pound
of water, one (1) additional degree in the Fahrenheit scale.

Let us start to break down the circumstances...

First thing to realize is that there are numerous steps to improving and making all the components contributing to heating the house far more efficient. Even if you finally do decide to get a new heating unit, gas or oil fired, all the additional steps must be looked at, considered, evaluated and implemented when necessary for maximum energy savings. Below are two questions from some of my clients:

I now use oil to heat my house, the heating unit is almost seven years old and I have gas in the house. Currently natural gas is cheaper than oil. Do I make the switch from oil to gas?

Whenever the above details are true, the answer is No. This is because the cost to switch (at least $5,000 to $7,000) probably will have a long payback period of 7 years or more. Additionally, over the years the cost for oil and gas will follow historical trends making one fuel more expensive than the other from one year to the next. Another expense will probably come into play if the way heat is "delivered" throughout the house needs to be upgraded to one of the more efficient methods. Now this action with save more on heating costs, but add additional years to the payback period. Thus upgrading the way heat is delivered throughout the house, such as changing from a Hot Water Baseboard delivery method to a Hot Water Radiant Floor Heating method, will wipe out the additional savings gained.

Rating the way heat is delivered throughout the house:

Pex, Pex tubing, radiant floor heat, snow, winter, heat, heating system, oil heat, gas heat, oil, gas, natural gas, saving on heating bills, heating costs

Radiant Floor Heat

Most efficient delivery method to send heat around your house:
Hot Water Radiant Floor Heat
(Today, PEX tubing - not copper pipes, would go down first in order to be under the floor. This is best installed with new construction or complete remodeling projects.)

baseboard heating, hot water base board, snow, winter, heat, heating system, oil heat, gas heat, oil, gas, natural gas, saving on heating bills, heating costs

Hot Water Baseboard

Second best delivery method to send heat around your house:
Hot Water Baseboard

Then comes methods such as:
Forced Hot Air; Hot Water Radiators; Steam Radiators / Steam Pipes; etc.
(The order of efficiency for these methods could alternate depending on other variables in the house, such as how well the house is insulated and / or the location of vents. {Facts on vent location is below})

Also please note these delivery methods of heat throughout the house become less efficient with additional variables.
For example: Forced Hot Air coming out of one set of vents on the wall where the vents are up by the ceilings. This (less expensive to install for a builder) "single room vent" with a dual function for delivering heat in the winter and AC cold air in the summer, has a much higher expense in energy cost for the homeowner due to a lower efficiency with delivering heat. The reason for this is because we have basic laws of physics that state Hot Air Rises. Why then would we place the vent that delivers heat to a room up by the ceiling and not down near the floor? Vents by the ceiling are only good for delivering Cold Air from a central AC system, because Cold Air Drops. Another law of physics. We all need two vents per room, one for heat by the floor and one for cold air at the ceiling.

Below is another question from a different client:

I have oil heat for my house and the boiler (heating unit) needs to be replaced. I have gas in the house for my gas stove and clothes dryer. Should I switch from oil to gas and will I save money on my heating bills?

The answer will be Yes, if all the answers to the following questions are YES...
- Do you have Hot Water Baseboard or Hot Water Radiant as the Heat Delivery method throughout the house?
- Can you get the new gas heating unit installed with a rebate, tax credit, or low interest loan?
- Is the new gas heating unit offering a high efficiency rating of at least 87%?

If your answers are NOT all YES, then consideration should also be given to a new more efficient oil heating unit, compare the numbers with payback times as well as look at all other elements connected to lowering overall operating costs for heating. For example: Insulation levels throughout the house and if hot water pipes are covered with insulated wrap.

WARNING - Please Note that sometimes we can get an incentive from our utility company for converting, when they also provide Natural Gas service, but in most cases they are only offering a new gas heating unit that provides 80% efficiency or less. A far cry from 87% and the better gas heating units that offer up to 95% efficiency.

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

BPA Is Not Alphabet Soup

9/4/2019

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By now many people know about BPAs: Bisphenol-A, which is a chemical that has been in the lining of most cans holding food since the 1960s. The chemical prevents a faster break-down of the can's integrity and prevents microbial contamination of the food within a period of time. This chemical is also used in plastic bottles and in plastic storage containers for items like food.

So over the years consumers have become aware of the health risks that BPA can present, especially to fetuses, infants and young children. Some Health officials are concerned about the role that BPA may have in childhood brain development and behavior problems. Additionally, some studies on animals have shown a possible link between BPA exposure and an increased risk of cancer later in life. Complete evaluation of this data shows tests done on animals, not humankind. Nevertheless, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) had CSPI's nutritionist David Schardt stated: "We don't want to tell people not to eat canned beans or tomatoes, but at the same time, it makes sense for all parents, and especially pregnant and nursing women, to minimize the exposure of their kids' developing bodies and brains to BPA."

CSPI, Center for Science in the Public Interest, BPA, BPAs, canned food, glass jars, food storage, plastic, wax paper, porcelain, toxins, microbial contamination, sustainability, living green, green living, going green, going true green

CSPI, Center for Science in the Public Interest, BPA, BPAs, canned food, glass jars, food storage, plastic, wax paper, porcelain, toxins, microbial contamination, sustainability, living green, green living, going green, going true green

Glass Jar of Olives

Several products from different manufacturers now have BPA free packaging and that statement is made on the package. Products in Tetra Paks are more popular today and they are BPA free. Many soups now come in Tetra Paks and so do puree products.

Try to buy items such as Tuna, in glass jars and do the same with olives. Change over your plastic food storage containers to glass within your own budget of time and money. If you are unable to do so, then just wrap the left-over food in wax paper before placing in a plastic container. Wax paper, Glass and Porcelain do not leach toxins into our food. Avoid tomatoes or sauces in cans since they are highly acidic and aid in the leaching process of BPAs into the food. Just remember that most aluminum cans are lined with BPA and so are shiny thermal receipts from some gas station machines, ATMs, lottery or airline tickets, prescription labels, and cash registers.

Some additional information to keep in mind is that the Polycarbonate plastic with a recycling number "7" contains BPA and BPAF, which some studies claim to be worst. Also do not recycle receipts that might contain BPA and do not use a hand sanitizer after holding a receipt in question, because some reports showed that the absorption of BPA is increased with the use of hand sanitizer. Just use good old soap and water.

Now the complete evaluation of this data presents no evidence that we should have a panic attack because, once in a while, we had a tuna sandwich made at a diner that used tuna from a can. However, a serious effort should be made to avoid BPAs when expecting a child or feeding young children. A reasonable effort should be made for adults. In a short period of time, we will see safer food packaging across the market place as a steadfast transition takes hold.

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

Humankind's Contamination Of Water

8/28/2019

We are all to blame for the contamination of our water. Some may immediately believe that they do not fall into this category of guilt, but before we take that stand we should first answer the following questions:

Litter, Litterbugs, Litter Bugs, pollution, water pollution, contamination, water contamination, lead, lbuprofen, naproxen, anti-anxiety drugs, recharge, ground water, acid rain, toxic waste, landfills, gasoline, oil, laundry detergent

We are Infested with Litter Bugs and any litter washing into the street sewers, ends up in our waterways.

- Did we ever cause anything to go into a street sewer?

- Have we ever dropped one piece of litter anywhere?

- Have we ever used fertilizer on a lawn?

- Have we used the outdoor ground for a bathroom?

- Do we use manufactured cleaning chemicals?

- Do we use toilet paper that has a color?

- Have we washed and waxed a car?

- Have we ever spilt gasoline or oil on the ground?

- What laundry detergent do we use?

Contaminated water and levels of toxins are more of a concern now then ever before. Below are the reasons:

We now know more about what is in our water than ever before. Today's technology and equipment sensitive enough to detect very low levels of compounds, and chemicals justifying concern on our part.

The following has been recently reported about toxins found in our water:

Traces of Ibuprofen, Naproxen, anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety drugs to name a few Pharmaceutical chemicals.
We have already been aware of what may be in old pipes, such as inorganics leaching from rust, copper or lead. In addition, build ups of organics can create an estuary-like environment supporting their life and the life of pathogens such as E.coli.

Unfortunately, things do not stop there:

- Our drinking water tables underground are becoming low (weak) as more and more people pump water out and they really DO NOT provide an equal amount of RECHARGE back into the ground.
- The more ground we pave over the more polluted the Recharge, if any.
- Our drinking water tables underground are also infiltrated day after day with:
* Acid Rain derived from air pollution
* Toxic Waste from land fills
* Chemical spills from Industry
* Salt water from oceans near our shores
* Gasoline from old leaking tanks at closed down gas stations
* Nitrates, Pesticides, and Fertilizers from farms
* Chlorine and Fluoride from Municipal Water Treatment
* Human waste from individual houses with Septic tanks

End result is that EPA has set up enforceable safety standards for us. So far about 90 standards have been set, but over 2,000 chemical compounds have been found in our water. We have a long way to go so we can all be swimming in clean water... Not drowning in polluted water.

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

Kids, Flooring, and Chemicals

8/14/2019

Going True Green, concerned mother, kids, laminated wood floor

A New Laminate Floor

Going True Green received an email from a concerned mother and member of GoingTrueGreen.com. She was looking for more information on a possible issue with her kids and a laminated wood floor.

Below is that email and our reply published with permission:

Dear GTG,
I heard in the news that laminate floors from various manufacturers have cancer causing agents. My laminate floor is from a family business local to me and is about 5 years old. My kids play on the floor several times a week. I have extra floor boards, should I have them checked?

Hi Maria,

Thank you for emailing us. Many items we buy have one or more chemicals in them, chemicals such as Formaldehyde which is a colorless poisonous gas synthesized by the oxidation of methanol and used as an antiseptic, disinfectant, histologic fixative, and general-purpose chemical reagent for laboratory applications. Some products we buy are worst than others.

I reviewed your concern with Mary, our team's Chemistry Scientist, and she informed me that while polyurethane stains and laminations applied to wood surfaces are highly toxic when in a liquid state, they are harmless once completely dried. She does not believe testing the extra floor boards is necessary at all. Nevertheless if you feel that you need to do so, because you perhaps know of a company that does this type of analysis at a reasonably price, then speak to them for their insight.

Either way, we suggest the following with new laminated floors and rugs that may have a high concentration of chemicals.

You will want to "Air Out" new wood floors and rugs for at least 3 weeks or so with windows and bedroom doors open. Keep the kids off the rug and newly installed wood floor until you did an "air out" and washed the new rug or floor at least once.

For newborns, try to install the rug or new wood floor in the bedroom at least 3 months before the baby is born. Do an "air out" and don't have the expecting mother spend long periods of time in that room when the new wood floor or rug is first installed.

With your situation, since you had the floor for about five years now, your floor has been "aired out" a long time ago and I would not worry. However, if you still have concerns, you should also speak with your pediatrician for additional insight.

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

Posting Additional Look Backs

7/31/2019

Before I started GoingTrueGreen.com, I wrote code for websites on the World Wide Web in 1992. By 1995/96 I had the LightBulbHotLine website up and running to help people learn about the many new compact fluorescent light bulbs that were being sold since 1982. Eventually the LightBulb HotLine website became EnergyHotWire.com and then I launched GoingTrueGreen.com so they could work in tandem with each other.

Light Bulbs, light bulb hotline, energy saving lightbulbs, Energy Saving Light Bulbs, Saving Energy, Saving Money, Sustainability, Climate Change, Sustainable Living, Going Green, Going True Green, Blogs, Articles, Bill Lauto

First Website, 1995, Light Bulb Hotline

Christopher Lauto, Going True Green, GTG Blog, EnergyHotwire, electric bill, energy comics, energy saving comics

Comic Relief On GTG Blog In 2007

Energy Hotwire, Energy Saving Light Bulbs, Saving Energy, Saving Money, Sustainability, Climate Change, Sustainable Living, Going Green, Going True Green, Blogs, Articles, Bill Lauto

Energy Saving Light Bulbs, Saving Energy, Saving Money, Sustainability, Climate Change, Sustainable Living, Going Green, Going True Green, Blogs, Articles, Bill Lauto

Kiplinger's, Kiplinger's Finance Magazine, Saving Money, Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, Energy Saving Light Bulbs, Sustainable Living, Going Green, Going True Green, Blogs, Articles, Bill Lauto

Kiplinger's April 1992

Over the years, before Blogs came about, I wrote articles or provided data for publications doing a section or column on energy savings. One such publication was in Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, April 1992. The first day Kiplinger's magazine hit the newsstands, I received 95 phone calls from around the country. The section was titled: Lights That Lighten Your Electric Bill.

I have always been writing and teaching facts about Energy Saving Light Bulbs, as well as many other energy saving and environmental topics over the decades. I started loading up my articles to EnergyHotwire.com before the Blogging format took off.

This summer I am posting several more of those "Yesteryear" articles from Newspapers, Magazines, my LightBulb Hotline website and EnergyHotwire.com to my GoingTrueGreen Blog. You can take a trip down memory lane by accessing these postings under the Category called: Yesteryear Articles & Blogs, found in the right hand column of this page. For the Kiplinger story, you may click on the date: April 1992 under Archives, also found in the right hand column. To see how I was doing with my energy bills in my first apartment for the year 1988, click on the date May 1989. You can even use the Archives to click on the date November 1972 to peruse my very first paper I wrote on our environment back in middle school. My first article for newspapers on the new energy saving fluorescent light bulbs will be the next Archived date of November 2, 1987.

I also finally added the Category: COMIC RELIEF which brings you back to early 2007 when I published 3 different comic strips on EnergyHotwire.com.
Use this LINK to start off your visit back in time with a laugh or two or three - Comic Relief.

Enjoy the "Look Back" - Thank you.

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

Independence, Intelligence, Illumination

7/2/2019

Freedom, Independence, 4th of July, Independence Day, America, 1776, Earth, Environment, Energy, fireworks, statue of liberty, sustainable living, sustainability, saving energy, going green, going true green, log cabin, cabins, oil, gas, fossil fuels, trees, wood floor finish, wood floors, building, lumber jacks, lumberjacks, God, triple C person, environmental hero, Bill Lauto

Allow me to tell you a story about a young man I learned about, who set out to build a sustainable house with mindful principles that used materials and techniques respectful of conserving energy, natural resources and our Earth’s environment.

With great admiration I tell this story, but the admiration is for the lessons learned. The reason for this is because of the basics we all have. We are all given free will from God and as an individual we make choices. This 4th of July we are also reminded of our freedoms in the United States that allow us to make choices, the best choices are always respectful, responsible, under the law and with accountability. These are things that we should all do, not just try, and especially not place fault onto someone or something else for our failures. However, as an individual we need to work hard to obtain the two additional elements listed in this Blog’s title: Intelligence and Illumination.

We can constantly complain and criticize, thus never increasing our intelligence and realization of a complete picture or we can work together on one team to find a real solution. We must stop wasting time, money, energy and intelligence to think of ways to hurt one another and start working together to help one another. If you only go looking for a problem, then you will never be part of the solution. The choice belongs to each one of us and how we stand tall to defend this fact each and every day.

So with that in mind, let us get back to our story…

For various reasons this young man went out to build a log cabin house for his family and office. First he used local materials, such as dead lodgepole pine trees. This reduced costs for transportation. Lumberjacks chopped the trees down and horses were used to drag the logs to the work site for his house. The use of oil and gas was avoided and so were loud noises. The trees were then peeled by hand to again save on the use of fossil fuels.

Alas, after all was said and done, our young environmental hero paused as he looked upon the barren area of the forest where they chopped down all the dead trees. While solving issues to save the world, he realized that he did harm to the world.

Dead trees also have a purpose in nature. When they rot and fall to the ground, they provide shelter for animals, they decompose to provide enriched nutrients for the barren and depleted soil. Bears, deers, sapsuckers, pine martens and so on, are all with a loss. Our hero did place seedlings on the landscape, but he realized that those seedlings were not equivalent to what he took.

For every environmentally friendly action he took, there was a consequence that added to his frustrations. This project was to be a “win, win” for him and the environment, but reality told a different story which he realized and acknowledged.

Another example is the nontoxic all natural wood finish he used on his wooden floors. Extracts of rosemary and orange peel within the finish were safe, but the drying process took a month and a half. The answer was to use electric fans to speed up the drying time and no worries because the electricity was generated by dams; but the dams kill salmon. These two different actions for finishing wood floors had the following facts to compare:
- Polyurethane finish is harmful to apply, but safe after dry
- Polyurethane finish cost 60% lower than the naturally safe brand and dries within a week

The lessons learned tell us that we do not have all the answers. We do not know everything, Nature does, but we don’t. This is why we must all work together on one team, one country. If any one person claims to know what is best for everyone else, she/he is either an elitist fool or Anakin Skywalker about to become Darth Vader.

For me, I know that I don’t have all the answers. I do know that I am a team player hoping to inspire all Americans to work for a better tomorrow together.

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

Jesus, Upper Room, Easter, L. J. Williams, Shroud of Turin, Jesus' Shroud, resurrection, Jesus the Christ

Goodreads, Jesus, Upper Room, Easter, L. J. Williams, Shroud of Turin, Jesus' Shroud, resurrection, Jesus the Christ

Grass Catcher

6/25/2019

lawn, grass, grass catcher, Fiskars, going green, goingtruegreen, cutting lawns, energy savings, saving money, saving Earth, reel mower

Optional Grass Catcher

Many Followers of GoingTrueGreen.com know that I use a reel mower. My GoingTrueGreen blog post on July 22, 2013 called, Mowing Down the Lawn, goes into details. So I have been cutting my lawn without noise, oil, gasoline, oil filters, spark plugs or electrical wires, to save money, energy and Earth. I cut twice a week so I get exercise and only have small grass clippings that compost into the ground. This way I don't have to rake up the grass clippings. I even made a video on the subject called, Less Lawn and More Garden. The Link is under the GTG Video Link above. Take a look, the video isn't long and has some laughs with serious facts.

However, this year's springtime delivered many cool and wet days in my neck of the woods. I could not cut my lawn twice a week. The longer cut blades of grass were turning brown and sitting on top of the newly cut lawn looking ugly. So after all these years I ordered the optional Grass Catcher that hooks onto the front of my mower.

I will still cut my lawn twice a week, but now if I can't cut the lawn because we had rain all week long, I could then use the Grass Catcher.

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

Roadside Litter

6/10/2019

litter, litterbugs, pollution, garbage, water bottles, plastic,

We are Infested with Litter Bugs

When will this type of littering stop? One of the largest areas where litter accumulates is a street corner by a red light or stop sign. Especially the street corners at the end of a highway's Off Ramp.

We have an infestation of Litter Bugs and they seem to have an urge to void themselves of all unwanted items after a drive on a highway by tossing them out the car window. From cigarette butts to water bottles and cups we see them piling up and clogging sewer grates.

cigarettes, cigarette butts, litter, litterbugs, pollution, garbage, water bottles, plastic

Cigarette Butt Litter

What these Litter Bugs don't realize is that everything you throw out your car window, even a piece of dental floss, will eventually find its way down the sewer and into our water ways. That means our rivers and oceans. If anyone has gone swimming and a long brownish-gray string came across your face, that is not seaweed, that was someone's used dental floss. More drastic is the fact that fish eat what is in the oceans that we polluted and we eat fish. We are our worst enemy.

Now, since I do not wish to "Be A Triple C" person, that is someone who Constantly Complains and Criticizes. I will also present solutions, because a Triple C person never accomplishes anything and they never help to find solutions or solve a problem. Sadly the majority of our politicians are Triple C people.

Nevertheless, we the individual are the solution and what we need to talk about with our townships is the installation of cameras at the various street corners that have a large volume of litter. The cameras should be relatively easy to move from one location to another when deemed appropriate and should be used to catch people tossing anything out their car windows. License plate numbers will be recorded and a summons mailed to the owner of the car. This money can then be used to clean the litter and our oceans. All without raising taxes.

Don't Be A Triple C and don't be a Litter Bug.

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

Homemade!

5/28/2019

compost, topsoil, fertilizer, growing food, going green, sustainable living, goingtruegreen, saving money,

Homemade Compost!

I have been cooking my own compost all winter and I opened one of my two bins this weekend to find about 400 pounds of enriched topsoil, aka fertilizer.

Immediately I placed some around my grape vines, fig tree, blueberry bushes, flowers and food garden. End results, I am saving MONEY big time. What I created in my compost bin was equivalent to about 12 topsoil bags from the store weighing 40 pounds each. Additionally, since my soil is enriched with nutrients, I didn't have to buy any fertilizer either.

Composting can be done on a kitchen counter, apartment building roof tops, back yards or balcony. We need to stop buying a "bill of goods" when we can make enriched topsoil for free. Here is the RECIPE:

First make your own compost bin or buy one of many designs and sizes. I recommend a bin with a lid that locks to keep out animals. Next, place the following ingredients into your compost bin, but never more than two (2) inches high of the same element.

Scraps and remains of fruits
Scraps and remains of vegetables
Add trimmed plant life, but NO diseased plants or flowering weeds
Add grass clippings like the way you use salt and pepper, but grass is not necessary
Add leaves every now and then, but avoid twigs from tree branches
Coffee grinds and paper coffee filters are great to add into the mix each day

Never compost Meat, Dairy, Fish, Bones, Cheese, Oil, Fats, Diseased Plants, Coal, Cat Litter, Plastics, Ash and Paper with Ink or print.

In about 10 weeks the finished product will be nutrient rich top soil that will nourish plants and keep weeds from growing. So look into cooking your own batch this year.

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

Jesus, Upper Room, Easter, L. J. Williams, Shroud of Turin, Jesus' Shroud, resurrection, Jesus the Christ