GoingTrueGreen's Blog Postings

PlayBack Program For Toys

1/18/2022

Mattel, PlayBack, PlayBack program, toys, Christmas, recycled toys, recycle, reuse, reduce, landfill, sustainability, plastics, copolymers, Mattel's PlayBack, bio-based, Dark Tower

Image of Toys from Mattel's Web Page

After Christmas and the holidays, many gifts have been exchanged, especially toys. From when I was young, I still have some board games and toys, such as Dark Tower and G. I. Joe. The remaining toys that I had, I gave to others to enjoy and play. I did this via family, friends, church and charities. However, the bulk of most toys in this world still end up in landfills.

One positive action to stop the flow of toys to landfill came about almost one year ago when Mattel announced a new program called PlayBack. By 2030 the company wants to achieve 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastic materials for all their toys and packages.

So to start, they are operating a program that will take back Barbie, Matchbox and Mega toys for recycling. This way, materials can be used again in making new toys, for another generation of kids.

Grown up kids and parents who know that a toy has been played with and is now ready to be passed on to another child to love, can do so directly themselves as I did in the past, or visit Mattel's PlayBack program. (Link provided)
All you have to do is fill out the form, pack up the toys and Mattel pays for the shipping fees back to them.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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Collegiate Commencement: 1978

11/4/2021

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Montauk, Montauk Point, the end, erosion, long shore drift, Hamptons, Giorgina Reid, President Reagan, Lighthouses, George Washington, Mother Nature, Prof. Nieter, Dr. Stalter, Bill Lauto, Boy Scouts, ski vests, sustainability, going true green, going green

Montauk Point, 1978

Sometimes to have a photo of oneself at the commencement of a career, helps put additional elements into perspective. I am 20 years old and a junior studying Environmental Science under the tutelage of Prof. Nieter and Dr. Stalter. The year was 1978 and this was one of several "hands-on, improvise a solution" field trips.

I am standing between the Atlantic Ocean and Montauk Point, literally. Above me on top of the bluff is the Montauk lighthouse, sitting on the location selected when George Washington was president. That location then, was 300 feet from the bluff and at that time, the end of Long Island. In 200 years, just over 200 feet has eroded away. The Montauk lighthouse that was built in 1796, the first public works project of the new United States of America, was only 90 feet away from falling into the sea in 1978. Mother Nature's Long Shore Drift pitted Nature against Human and humankind was losing. A long term solution was needed fast to save the old historical lighthouse.

My fellow students and I all came well prepared, I had my Boys Scout backpack that was well stocked, binoculars and compass was around my neck. I carried reference books (no internet at that time), a clip board and the just becoming vogue ski vest. Our task was to save the point of Long Island's south fork from eroding away and subsequently save the light house. If not, we would lose land and the lighthouse to the ragging sea. My fellow students and I were determined to find an answer while evaluating all factors westward along the shoreline that are involved with the Long Shore Drift. At the conclusion of our field trip and study, we felt defeated.

Many actions were already taken by humans over the years and all failed or were failing. The system that I was observing in 1978 had thousands of rocks held together in wire netting. The system wasn't going to last. Even giant boulders were placed at the point prior to my field trip and in a hurricane, when the waves pounded the point, local residents could hear the boulders banging against each other like marbles in a bag being swung around. I witnessed the remnants of the boulders as the tide receded. The situation looked hopeless. The only solution to save the lighthouse was to start a major fund raiser and move the lighthouse westward. However, the move entailed going up and down two hills, this wasn't feasible.

What we undergraduates did not know at the time, was the fact that a tenacious woman in her seventies was already working on a long term solution for years. This "individual" named Giorgina Reid was researching an action called reed-trench terracing. Some of the techniques go back to the ancient Egyptians. She wanted to use cedar planks as risers and at each level trenches were dug out to be filled with reeds. This prevented rain from building up as the reeds absorbed the moisture. Stacked stones held tight in square grid formation by coated wire to prevent rust would sit on each level. However, she was unable to gather the attention of anyone for help with her solution, until a few years after my visit to Montauk's lighthouse. She corresponded with another individual, President Ronald Reagan and the wheels for a long term solution started to turn. After full implementation of Giorgina's solution, the erosion at the point stopped.

Studying Plastic Pollution In Our Waterways

Today, some 40 years later, recurrence of erosion has started again. This has prompted action by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, that is under the U. S. Army, which now oversees the lighthouse. A 1,000 foot long stone revetment will provide slope stabilization. Additionally, terracing and vegetation growth will be found above the crest to the revetment.

As for my Boy Scout backpack, I will be donating that with my uniform and equipment to my old Troop 22 so Scouts of today can compare then and now. My gear is made in the USA with metal and cotton, today's gear is made of plastic and comes from China.

(For additional facts on plastic in our clothes, air, waterways, food and drink, read my Previous GTG Blog)

I still have my binoculars, compass, text book and clip board. The scary part is... I still have that ski vest, but I don't have as much hair anymore.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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Dahlias, Texts, Composts and Anniversaries

8/9/2021

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Dahlia Garden, Long Island, NY

The other day I received a text with a few photos from cousins that were celebrating a wedding anniversary on the East end of Long Island. They knew that the flowers called Dahlias had a strong memory connection for me and sent the photo shown on the viewer's right for this page.

While enjoying part of a beautiful day at this peaceful garden for their anniversary, they also noticed that this Dahlia garden was a farm. Upon viewing signage about composting, they couldn't resist sending me photos of the information boards that were on displayed. Since they know how much I enjoy talking about composting!

Display Board On Composting

Me Adding To My Compost!

Composting Display at William Wolkoff Dahlia Garden

Now I am posting the images of these display boards about composting on this Going True Green blog post because of the important basic information they state and the image layouts. I believe the information is helpful for everyone and a great start for those looking to start their own composting actions to help save money, energy and our environment. Happy anniversary and best wishes to all the future composting fans.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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Future Communications with Going True Green

1/27/2021

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YouTube, FaceTime, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, communication, sustainability, going green, effective communication, social media, conglomerate

Bye Bye

We have been studying the different ways Going True Green has been communicating over recent years and the following results are being presented in order to notify every one of the changes that we will be making over the coming weeks.

Going True Green will no longer be using several Social Media platforms, because they have not produced effective and productive communications between GTG and a Follower, Visitor, Friend, Client or GTG Lifetime Member.

In fact, we have seen that the most productive and effective communication we have with anyone, has been and still is through Electronic Mail. Yes, Email is what everyone uses to seriously communicate with us. Let the subject be on suggestions, comments, questions, specific inquires, sharing information, school projects, speaking engagements, energy audits, sustainability classes or GTG Lifetime membership.

We still have email communication with followers and members of our original websites: the LightBulbHotline and EnergyHotwire, to this day. This goes back to when in the mid 1990s we said, “We are on the Web! Visit us and here is our email address.” At that time we received several confused looks, followed by queries on how to visit our website. At the start we had everything on our website, as we still do today. Last year we closed our YouTube account after placing all our videos on our GTG Website in the GTG Lifetime Members section. Here we provide our Quick Videos and Online Classes without constant commercial interruption.

The Bottom Line is the fact that productive and effective communication is not found with an Emoji, a Like or a Following just to see a video short or photograph. To accomplish anything we all must first Read, then Listen, then Communicate with facts, so we can implement solutions as one team.

So we say Goodbye to YouTube, FaceTime, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Our time is far better spent communicating directly with you, instead of trying to catch a fleeting attention span with an entertaining photo or video. We are here to share the complete picture, all the facts, so that we the people can make a difference. One person at a time and as a conglomerate of one team.

Please consider joining our email list if you have not already joined. We only send out one to four emails per Year. Please use our Link Here. If you sign up for our emails with MailChimp, (appears at bottom of our Homepage) they will send a reminder email once a month.

Additionally, look into being a Lifetime Member with the GTG Membership Link at the top of this page. Most of all, just visit our GoingTrueGreen Website and Blog once a month to see what is new with saving Money, Energy, Health and Earth, so to live a more sustainable life without sacrifice. - Thank you.

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

1/6/2021

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Christmas Star, great conjunction, star of bethlehem, rare occurrence, original Christmas star, Saturn, Jupiter, Jupiter's moons, 1226, 2020

Jupiter and moons getting in line with Saturn, Dec. 2020

Last year ended with a rare occurrence in the sky. Jupiter and Saturn had a rendezvous on December 21st right after sunset. Called a great conjunction because the planets would be in line with each other and separated by less than 0.1 degrees. The last time that these two planets were separated by that small degree was almost 800 years ago, in 1226.

With this rare occurrence taking place just before Christmas, many scholars theorized that the original Christmas star could have been a great conjunction of two or three planets. This theory is added to the other theories about the Star of Bethlehem being a supernova explosion, comet, or an act of God.

Nevertheless, passed down through the last two millennium is word about Three Wise Men using a bright light in the night sky to find the location of the infant Jesus. Christian lore later on gave names to the visiting Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. They gifted gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We celebrate the visit of Magi today on January six. Sadly with all of today's noise, a rare occurrence in the night sky goes mostly unnoticed. The complete opposite from two thousand years ago when people were enthralled with an occurrence such as this in the night sky.

I can only speak from my own experiences. Many years ago, I was blessed to see our Milky Way in the clear night sky. I was driving back to Miami from the island of Key West. I had just gone over the 7 mile Bridge, away from big city lights and small town lamp posts. I pulled off the road and stepped out of the car I rented. I took some timed photographs and stared upward while leaning on the car. Truly amazing and I was in awe. Such a wonder inspired by authority of the sacred and Sublime.

Happy New Year,
Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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Old Traditions Made New

12/17/2020

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DuckDuckGo, duckduckgo, Lincoln Logs, Log cabin toys, toys, Christmas, plastic, scrooge, grinch, save earth, saving our environment, sustainable living, making a difference, save money, Christmas Past, Christmas Future, Christmas Present, GoingTrueGreen, GoingGreen, Christmas Cards, glitter, cotton, linen. porcelain dolls, recyclable, wooden toys, Amish, Amish Toys, Amish Log Cabin toys

Real Wood Amish Made Log Cabin Toy

This holiday season, we can all make a great difference for our health and our planet’s environment just by omitting plastic from our festivities, this year and forever.

“Impossible!” Is the false cry from the Scrooges and Grinches worldwide!

Sadly, when you hear this tone from those in the above categories, they are only spinning a theme in their favor and lying through the process of omission.

I hope this GTG blog will be a helpful start for many. I used the word “start” because, I too, am not plastic free for the holidays. Yet, I have taken significant actions over the last few years leading to a finish line that shows all things are possible.

First action is to remember Christmas Past:

Think of the times when children received a truck made of recyclable aluminum, tin or wood, not plastic. Even the tires were wood or rubber. Dolls were made of stuffed material, with clothes made of cotton or linen. The head was made of porcelain and the hair was real.

Christmas and greeting cards were made with just paper or even hand made. The caring words written carried the message and good wishes. There were no sparkles or glitter made of plastic sprinkled all over the card and envelope that then would fall all over the house.

Children ran into the room to find treasures under the tree. The gifts were right there to see! Already set up and unwrapped. No wrapping paper with multiple color inks or sparkles, just a ribbon tied in a bow on top of “Wow, just what I wanted!” or “Thank you, this is just what I needed.” Then hugs, kisses, and I love you, followed. We enjoyed our gift(s) and each other before getting ready to attend Church, see friends and family.

Second action is to compare our Christmas Present:

Are the hugs and kisses with “I love you” still there? Are we still going to Church to say thank you to God? Do we mail order plastic wrapped gifts and not see family or friends? Do we plow through only our wrapped gifts and not even take time to share the enjoyment of the person next to us and the gift they received? Do we indulge ourselves way too long into a cell phone screen, wide screen TV or Social Media lies about people we don’t really know? Sadly, we are all guilty.

Final action is to plan our Christmas Future:

Here is just one example (Other examples can be found in previous December GTG blogs)

I remember when I was a kid, I would visit my grandparents and their son, who was my youngest uncle. Now these memories were before I learned the truth about a Bishop named Nicholas of Myra who lived from 270 to 343AD in the country now called Turkey and how he, Saint Nicholas, was the real Santa. My Uncle Wilton was still a teenager and he would take out his Lincoln Log sets that he had received as gifts when he was young so I could play with them.

We built cabins, cowboy barns and stables with fences. I built towers and windmills. The log sets were all made of real wood, not plastic. There were no online directions - I had to problem solve myself. There were no batteries - I had to make the sounds and use cardboard for additional parts, such as the blades for the windmill.

Log cabin sets made of real wood are still made today! They are made by hand, no power tools, and they are made by some Amish businesses. All made here in the United States of hardwood and only a non-toxic, water based stain is used. Recommended for 3 years old and up. Parts come in burlap bags with pull string. Wow ingenious! Third party partners help to make these toys available via the web. Try doing a search on DuckDuckGo, a better search engine, to find a wide variety of Amish made toys.

We all need to start evaluating the complete picture for our holidays, so we can take some action that once again, allows us to find treasures under the tree.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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Revisiting Two Old Articles

8/17/2020

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floppy discs, CDs, saving energy, going true green, going green

3.5 inch Floppy

I went through some of my old files this month, not some file drawers, but files on 3.5 floppy discs and CDs. I had to clean off and plug in my old computer that was in the attic to visit yesteryear. What caught my attention were two old articles that I had on my first Lightbulb Hotline website pages in the 1990s and then I posted them on my second website (EnergyHotwire) for 4th of July, 2003 and 2004.

I have now posted them on GoingTrueGreen.com for your viewing today. The data is powerful, but deals with compact fluorescent bulbs, so LEDs will be the way to go today with an even more powerful result. Especially when using today's much higher kilowatt rates.

Visiting the past always helps to make a better future. Feel free to use the Category Links on the right, namely the ones called Memories and Yesteryear Articles and Blogs. To go directly to these two newly reposted articles, use the Archives section on the right ( you may need to scroll down some) and click on the dates: July 2003 and 2004.

Enjoy the "Look Back" - Thank you.

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

6/11/2020

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Energyhotwire, energy, Bill Lauto, light bulb hotline, CFC, sustainable website, going green, saving energy, saving money

EnergyHotWire.com (EHW) Home Page

Hard to believe that we are going to be saying goodbye to EnergyHotwire.com. Almost 20 years after we started to build the website EHW, we created over 180 web pages of data. All to help everyone save money, energy, health and our Earth.

An interesting note is that EHW wasn't our first website. By 1994 the Internet was being explored as a tool to provide energy saving information. Recognizing a need, I first launched the Light Bulb HotLine web site off of my company's Domain in 1996. Then in April of 2001, EnergyHotwire.com was created. At the end of 2001, EnergyHotwire.com started to work on a stronger effort to present energy saving data and the Light Bulb HotLine web pages were phased out.

Today, most of the data on EHW is now on GoingTrueGreen.com. Instead of pages with text and photos, we now have videos, online classes and an official Blog dating back to my published articles from the 1980s. Over recent years we have continued re-presenting data from EHW on GTG. Obviously, most information has become redundant between the two websites. So at the end of this June, EnergyHotWire will be retired.

Below are just a few of the comments and emails, in part, that we received over the years:

Hello, I live in Kodiak Alaska. I recently purchased a 15 watt bulb from your company and I would like to buy more. What would be the lowest possible shipping charges to Alaska for a whole case of ESL-15T bulbs?
Best Regards, PV

Bill, Thanks for the quick response. I found out about these bulbs at Safeway and I wish I knew about your website sooner, I would have saved myself about $40 to $50 bucks or more and had better bulbs too. I'm going to buy the case and take them out to my cabin over on Afognak island.
PV - 2002

Bill,
I just emailed my brother Frank to read your outstanding article posted at www.Energy Hotwire.com
Phenomenal writing, I really enjoyed it.
Joe, Buffalo New York - 2002

Thanks for your response, Bill. I'm impressed with your power usage. Here in Texas with the daily high typically hitting 100, my electric bill last month was $128. Many of my friends were over $250 for similar houses. I use geothermal heat as well as all CFC light bulbs and it really makes a difference.
I'll keep in touch.
Brett in Texas - 2003

Dear Bill,
Thank you for your fantastic presentation at the North Shore Audubon meeting. I had such positive feedback from our members and I believe you gave them enough information to actually make a change. Even my husband, the electrician, learned a thing or two. Thank you especially for coming out under such a stressful time.
Wish you peace and happiness in the coming year.
Mary - 2007

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

4/16/2020

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These days many of us are using our "stay at home" time to become better connected with God, family, friends, nature and memories. Many of us have caught up on the books we were reading, projects in progress and working to heal our own faults. I have done so on all cited.

With going through albums, yearbooks, cards, letters and photos, I came across memories of the first Earth Day that was many years before I would learn how to drive a car. So bicycles were the way for me and my friends. Let them be a 3 speed, 10 speed or a bike with a Banana seat!

Earth Day, 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, Going Green, Going True Green, Bill Lauto, energy, saving energy, saving earth, earth, bikes, lightbulb Bill, sustainability, sustainable living

I remember many people, places and events, but I don't remember as a young boy screaming or demanding solutions. We were part of the solutions. Over the years, we organized bike rides with signs and later as an adult, I became the energy advisor to the Earth Day committee on the twentieth anniversary. On that twentieth anniversary I was given the nickname "Lightbulb Bill" and I continue today with presenting an educational approach to Nature's complete picture. Having a complete picture of the facts helps to present real solutions for each one of us. Mainly because each one of us, is the solution.

For Earth Day this year, the 50th anniversary, I have been working on another exciting way to provide and help share the facts for a complete picture. My next GTG Blog will be posted on Earth Day to formally introduce Going True Green's Membership program with benefits for all of us to work together as a team, while implementing solutions on our own. Until then please stay safe, be smart and be well.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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BBV Publishing, Philip Lauto, Christopher Lauto, Kid's Field Guide, How to get out of work, GOOW, Kid's Field Guide on How to get out of work

Published by BBV Publishing

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Grandpa's Wood Hangers

2/13/2020

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FTC Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate Ad link below and GTG will be compensated if a purchase is made after clicking the link. Thank you.

hangers, wooden hangers, plastic, plastic hangers, waste, garbage, sustainable Living, going green, goingtruegreen, hangers, grandfathers, cotton, wool, garment district, reduce, reuse, recycle

70 Year Old Wood Hangers Still Working

I only had one grandfather in my life when growing up. I never knew my grandfather who was killed in an accident on a loading dock for a World War Two supply ship. The other day I thought of both of them as I reviewed my clothes in the closet. I have been Reducing and Reusing over the years and I make sure that a great deal of my clothes are made of 100% cotton or wool. See my previous GTG Blog post called:
All I Want for Christmas is Cotton and Wool

This time while going through my closet, I noticed something else I have been reusing: My grandfather's hangers made of wood. The grandfather, that I was fortunate to have in my life when young, was a tailor and worked in New York City's Garment District. When the Garment district started its transition and the demand for my grandfather's talent was replaced with overseas manufacturing, the company he worked for eventually went out of business. When he saw the company throwing away all the suit hangers, he took home as many as he could. These hangers were made in the 1950s and I am still using them. I inherited some of those hangers and I proudly use them instead of any plastic hanger made today which could never perform to the same caliber as my grandfather's hangers that he saved from a landfill.

waste, garbage, sustainable Living, going green, goingtruegreen, hangers, grandfathers, cotton, wool, garment district, reduce, reuse, recycle

Curbside Garbage That Is Not Garbage

Sure over the years one or two broke, but I improvised and fixed them. I took the time to think of a way to repair them and spent the time fixing them instead of subscribing to be a member of the "throw away" society. Many times I see items by the curb for garbage pickup that are still in good working order. So many people just don't take the time, 3 to 5 minutes in reality, to make a phone call for someone else to use the items they are throwing away. One phone call to your church, community center or one of the dozens of charities that will pickup items from furniture to dishes, takes but a few minutes and others will be so grateful.

I realize the many faults of my own, even with me having less clothes now, I still have more clothes than my grandfather did. I know, because I remember cleaning out his armoire after he passed-over. I donated his hand-made suits and clothes. However, I kept the wooden hangers he was using and added them to the few he had given me many years before.

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