GoingTrueGreen's Blog Postings

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!

0 Comments

Roadside Litter

6/10/2019

0 Comments

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!

0 Comments

Plastic Clouds

3/19/2019

2 Comments

Plastics, Plastic Clouds, Microscopic Plastic, Plastic Fibers, aerosol particles, CEDP, Invigorated Process, Super Storms, Severe Storms, small particles, going true green, Bill Lauto, sustainable living, sustainability, going green, environmental issues, climate change, changing climate, greenhouse effect, global warming, BBV Publishing

Is Humankind creating Plastic Clouds?

Is Humankind creating Plastic Clouds? Humankind’s future “may” hold serious repercussions based on the various evidence nature is presenting today with numerous issues. Yet, no one knows when, where or how anything specific may or may not happen. There also isn’t any precedent for exact matching elements in earth’s history that mandates our attitude to be passive or to panic. Scientists don’t know the time frame for any specific disaster, healing or level of harm. Nevertheless, Humankind has created new elements that did not previously exist, so we contribute in various degrees on various issues.

With the injection of plastics into our environmental equation and because everything is connected, we have a contributing factor that quite possibly can be a major catalyst for the severe storms that are occurring around the world. After reading multiple studies on two different topics and presenting at two lectures, one in Rome and the other in New York, I am asking the scientific community to investigate a possible clandestine connection between plastic and severe storms. Combining available data from multiple studies done on microplastic fibers and studies done on severe storm conditions, problematic possibilities are presented for an ever growing interconnecting issue. Recent findings show that the smallest of particles, smaller than one-thousandth the width of a human hair, have a prodigious role in creating large storm clouds. Taking data from these research projects, I present the hypotheses that the microfiber plastic we have been adding into our environment "may" actually be a player in any stronger Invigorating Convection process of storms.

The first topic on plastic is now quantifying what has been a growing concern for many years regarding the issue with plastics and the environment. We have significant evidence that we are drinking, breathing and eating plastic fibers. One main source of plastic particulates has been shown to come from a single wash load that can release up to 700,000 Microplastic fibers into our waterways. The clothes we wear today that contain plastic, outnumber clothes made of cotton and wool. Cotton and wool naturally decay, plastic does not.
Please see my previous blog: Plastic Water, Air and Food on December 27, 2017.

The second topic has research showing how tiny particles have an impact on storm clouds. The smallest of dirt particles will rise to the top of storm clouds making the cloud bigger and the storm more severe. I am now questioning if microscopic particulates made of plastic can be a factor in larger cloud formations, holding in heat, producing more rain and larger storms. A serious interconnecting problem may be manifesting between these two environmental concerns. The question became: How are microscopic plastic particulates getting into our atmosphere?

Research Studies have shown that tiny particles are a catalysts for more powerful storms and influence weather far greater than previously known. Small particles of dust, dirt and pollutants, known as aerosols, help form clouds and air pollution created by nature and man are all contributing to this water cycle. Particles smaller than one-thousandth the width of a human hair can create clouds to grow taller, intensify the storm and cause more rain to fall. These ultra fine particles less than 50 nanometers wide were studied to learn their role in the development of a thunderstorm. The data comes from 21 authors and 15 institutions world wide that conducted a study operated by Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility.

From this research scientists found that the ultra-small particles are numerous and plentiful. They can form many small droplets where excess water vapor can condense. This increase in condensation will release more heat, which in turn makes the updrafts so much more dominant. Increase the amount of warm air to be accumulated into the cloud and we have more droplets aloft to create additional rain, hail, snow and lightning. This process known as the Invigorated Convection, though the popular phrase used by the media is now Super Storm after Sandy struck the Northeast coast.

Plastic Sparkles On Greeting Cards

Weathering Plastic Fence Decor

From all these implications, facts and queries, I present the theory that aerosol microplastic particles from worn down and weathered CEDPs (Common EveryDay Plastics) may be a new culprit to changing our climate by being a player in the Invigorating Convection process. This theoretical connection between Microplastic Fibers and Severe Storms needs to be evaluated. If microscopic particles from CEDPs are proven to be an increasing contributing factor, humankind must realize that we are all guilty. From plastic sparkles on cards to outdoor plastic fence decor, we are all putting plastic particles into our environment everyday.

Humankind needs to be intelligent about our evaluations, approach and solutions that incorporate feasible transition periods. As I proffer this theory where microplastic fibers play a role in more severe storms, a full scientific study must be done. Without any research conducted nor samples taken to be examined from the highest point of severe storm clouds, this remains a theory.

Through educating and providing a long list of solutions on all topics makes the needed difference when implemented world wide. All of humankind is on the same team.

(For additional knowledge, please use the Link below to receive an email on when my first book is published. The title is: Plastic Clouds) Thank you.

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

PLASTIC CLOUDS
by William J. Lauto; Environmental Scientist, Naturalist, International Sustainability & Energy Consultant
Is Humankind creating Plastic Clouds?
How are microscopic plastic particulates getting into our atmosphere?
What are weathered CEDPs?
From plastic sparkles on cards to outdoor plastic fence decor, are we all guilty?
What are the solutions and isn't all of humankind on the same team?

Please use the Image Link to receive an email on info to Pre-Order or when my book is published. Expected date of publishing is before the end of Spring 2020. Thank you.

2 Comments

Woolly Balls - Not Plastic!

2/26/2019

0 Comments

Wool Dryer Balls!

Laundry Day, what can I say... How about, "Ugh."

Nevertheless, when laundry needs to be done, I always look upon the task as a challenge to find a better way. After all, humankind has come a long way from washing a handwoven piece of cloth on a rock by the stream. Yet, we have brothers and sisters in our world still doing some washing of clothes exactly that way. Thus making our own individual accountability on how we wash our clothes very important in order to do the least harm to our environment. From the amount of energy we use to the kind of soap. From the amount of water we use to the kind of clothes we wear. (please see previous GTG Blog - #A)
And now, eliminating those static free sheets or plastic balls.

I know the static free sheets we add to our dryers smell nice and work well, but they are costly and create various possible waste management issues. Then came along plastic balls to eliminate static cling on our clothes and that proved to be a more cost effective way. However, as those plastic balls wear down with use, we have to be mindful of where those microscopic particles of plastic go. Each year, more and more data is showing the harm being done by microscopic plastic particles. Going True Green will be publishing next month the details of the study we have done on this subject. Last year I spoke at several conferences about my theory that addresses one aspect of the issue and we all need to be aware of the various possibilities.

So what alternative do we have now? We are not going back to washing clothes in the neighborhood stream, but we can get the plastic balls out of the dryer by using Woolly Balls. I am not sure of the final outcome for these Wool Balls that prevent static cling, but at least wool is bio-degradable while plastic is not.

The breakdown on the Wool Dryer Ball design is below:

All Natural and 100% Wool
Saves Money
Can reduce drying times by absorbing moisture out of the air in the dryer (please see GTG's previous Blog - #B)
Can save energy & reduce drying times especially with information from GTG's previous Blog, #B.
Reusable for at least one year or more
Hypoallergenic
Can be washed and refreshed with your favorite essential oil scent
Will reduce static and soften clothes
3 Wool Balls per box and use all 3 in every drying load

The testing has started and I will report back in a future Going True Green blog post. So far so good, but I hope the inside of these Wool Balls is rubber and not plastic. I will open one up soon enough with my testing. Meanwhile, if anyone else can provide me with input on their experiences, please comment below or email us at GoingTrueGreen.com. Thank you!

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

0 Comments

Plastic Water, Air and Food

12/27/2017

3 Comments

Microplastic Fibers

New studies and reports are now quantifying what has been a growing concern for many years.
Allow me to first present statements that are being considered facts today by many scientists:

We are drinking Plastic Fibers
We are breathing Plastic Fibers
We are eating Plastic Fibers

I am not trying to yell the sky is falling, but we have created a monster. For those of us who don’t eat meat or fish, grow some food, and have counter top water distillers, a sense of brief relief may arise. However, this is an ever growing interconnecting issue, that is rapidly becoming serious for the world. Mainly because we do not know what the end results will be for humankind, animals, and nature!

How we are eating plastic:
Our clothes have more synthetic materials today than any other natural material. That evening dress we will wear this New Year’s Eve, the fleece coat we will use when shoveling snow and our exercise clothes for those workouts. Polyester equals plastic. An analysis was done by Tecnon OrbiChem on the data showing chemical use worldwide. Polyester is the world’s mandated fiber since 2007.

We then wash our clothes. Microplastic fibers that can’t be seen, are washed down the drain. A recent study found each washing machine cycle could release 700,000 fibers.

Also don't forget plastic microbeads in facial scrub products! These plastic fibers end up in our waterways, our oceans, because Water Treatment plants are unable to catch all of them. Dr. Alice Wemaere, EPA Research Manager said, “Consumers can help by checking the product labels for cosmetics and cleaners to see if they are certify microplastic free."

Next these plastic fibers absorb things while in the water. Things like: Oil from spilt motor oil, Pesticides from spraying weeds, Drugs from discarded medicine pills, Bacteria from Sewage and Wastewater Treatment plants, Chemicals from just about anything that went down the street’s sewer drain. To summarize in one word… Toxins.

Plastic Microfiber being ingested, Image by Dr. Kirby

Fish then eat these polluted plastic fibers and we eat the fish. Additionally, Plankton that support the entire marine food chain also eat plastic. The image shown is a still frame from a video done by Dr. Richard Kirby. The footage shows a 3mm long blue plastic microfiber being ingested by a planktonic arrow worm. This is our Food Chain and we may be hanging ourselves with that very chain.

We don’t recycle plastic well and an additional source of plastic for fish to eat also may come from, for example, 38 million pieces of plastic waste that washed up on the sands of an uninhabited South Pacific Island.

If Polyester is the mandated fiber, then the question is… Mandated by who?
Manufacturers, Profits, Consumers? We are all guilty.

How we are breathing plastic:
Studies done in 2015 by SETAC Europe (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry) told researchers that microplastic was atmospheric and offering substance to the old adage: The sky is falling. A minimum estimated of three tons of plastic fibers were being deposited each year onto the city of Paris. The question now is: By what means are these microplastic fibers getting into the air?

Professor Frank Kelly led research done in London and reported to the 2016 UK Parliamentary Inquiry the following:
“If we breathe them [microplastic] in, they could potentially deliver chemicals to the lower parts of our lungs and maybe even across into our circulation.”

How we are drinking plastic:
Plastic fibers have been found in our tap water around the world and I don’t mean a small sample. Plastic particles are found in 83% of the samples taken. The United States of America leads the way with the highest contamination rate at a staggering 94%. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found plastic fibers in the drinking water of their Headquarters and buildings used by Congress.

India and Lebanon came in second and third with the next highest rates. The UK, Germany and France had a 72% contamination rate. An independent study done in the Republic of Ireland by Dr. Anne Marie Mahon at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology also found microplastic particles in well water and tap water.

“We don’t know what the [health] impact is and for that reason we should follow the precautionary principle and put enough effort into it now, immediately, so we can find out what the real risks are,” said Dr. Mahon.

Another statement made by Dr. Mahon causing consternation was, “If the fibers are there, it is possible that the nanoparticles are there too that we can’t measure. Once they are in the nanometre range they can really penetrate a cell and that means they can penetrate organs, and that would be worrying.”

Compound that statement with microplastics absorbing bacteria found in sewage, because some studies have shown harmful pathogens on microplastic downstream from wastewater treatment plants, now the world's population has a bigger problem.

Beer, Germany Beer, Microplastic Fibers, Microplastic, plastic pollution, plastic in water, distillers, food chain, planktonic, pesticides, water treatment, water, food, SETAC, Prof. Kelly, Dr. Kirby, going green, sustainability, going true green

Plastic with your Beer?

We now know of several sources on how microplastics can arrive into our water. Water is used to make everything, even Beer. Studies in Germany found plastic fibers in all of the 24 beer brands they tested. They also found plastic in honey and sugar.

Therefore if we are drinking plastic polluted water, then so are the animals. We then consume the chickens, cows, turkeys and pigs.

We are our own worst enemy.

We have no idea what the long term results will be for babies, children, and adults, when we consume years of microplastics with toxins. How our organs, muscle tissues, and overall health will be altered is still a quagmire.

I teach Outdoor Education part time at BOCES. I tell my students that everything is connected and there are consequences to all our actions. Our world’s ecosystems are being suffocated by plastic as these fibers become ubiquitous in the world. We are risking adverse consequences, but as I also tell my students, “There is always another way.” The last pull-over shirt I received as a gift, was 70% cotton. Much better than a few years ago, but still not the same as my 100% cotton shirts, T-shirts and jeans.

God’s green earth is becoming a plastic earth. I am sorry to say that I can’t find a Happy New Year in that possible indomitable issue.

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

TELOMERE, by L. J. Williams "Telling The Untold Stories™ BBV Publishing

3 Comments

ReTweak Medicine Cabinets

4/29/2017

0 Comments

Medicine Cabinet, Going Green, Going True Green, Earth Day, Recycle, prescription drugs, sustainability, environmental problems

How much is your Medicine Cabinet costing?

Yes, I trust you will also "retweet" this information, but I am referring to all of us "tweaking" our Medicine Cabinets. There are multiple reasons for doing so and they are: You will save Money, you will improve your Health, and yes, you will help our world's Environment!

Medicine Cabinets fall into the realm of perpetual status quo. We rarely clean them out, if at all, and they are almost always overlooked by people who do "spring cleaning" around the house.

The FIRST reason to "ReTweak" your medicine cabinet is to save you money and assist with your well being because…
Medicine Cabinets are the worst place to keep your medication!

A bathroom is plagued with wide temperature changes and moisture from hot showers to exhaust fans. From hair dryers to turning up the heat. Every time you open your medication or don't close the bottle tightly, moisture will get in and on your pills. Temperature change and moisture will degrade the life of your medications, causing them to crack, crumble, and lose their potency.

The best location for all medication is in a locked drawer, perhaps your nightstand next to your bed or a drawer behind an out-of-reach cabinet door, such as in the kitchen. Locked drawer and Out-Of-Reach are key for children's safety.

The SECOND reason will again assist with your health and help protect our world's environment because we must…
Properly discard all Expired Medicines!

Medicine Cabinets seem to collect and maintain items from years gone by. From old razor blades to unlabeled items that we don't even remember why they were used. When my Grandfather passed-over, I helped clean out his medicine cabinet. I found a glass bottle with a 1940 pharmaceutical prescription label. There was still liquid inside and the label stated, Methyl Salicylate. What in the world was this? How do I dispose of something I was unfamiliar with and didn't know? After some research, I discovered that the clear liquid was used as an external counter-irritant medication. To soothe a cut or relieve an itch from an insect's bite. The liquid is also known as Winter Green oil, something obtained by distillation from wintergreen plants since 1843. HOWEVER, if ingested this liquid can cause death.

Today methyl salicylate is an ingredient in muscle-pain relief topical products. Over application, especially with children, is very dangerous. A seventeen-year-old student of Notre Dame Academy died in 2007 from her body absorbing methyl salicylate after excessive use of a muscle pain relief cream.

Contact your local S.T.O.P. program or town recycling facility. Ask How, Where, and When, they are collecting expired medications. DO NOT POUR liquids down the drain and DO NOT THROW OUT any pills or creams. One way or another those chemicals and medication will find their way into our Waterways and our Drinking Water supply!
To learn more about this fact, consider our Water Workshop to save Money, Health, and our clean water!

Remove all labels from your medication, tear the paper up and recycle. This must be done today just to help protect yourself from Identity Theft. Then recycle any empty plastic bottles.

After your medicine cabinet has been cleaned out, I am sure you will have extra space inside. So here is another helpful accomplishment…
Place all Toothbrushes inside the Medicine Cabinet!

Every household that keeps their toothbrushes on the sink or countertop should move these toothbrushes into the medicine cabinet for better health. As you know, smells and aromas travel through the air in a room by the process of Diffusion. Bacteria will also travel through the air molecules and land on your toothbrush. The source of this bacteria can be from a sneeze or a flushed toilet when the cover is up. So put the lid down before flushing and keep your toothbrushes in a closed medicine cabinet, because just as the smell of Number 2 travels, so will bacteria.

Bill Lauto, at Going True Green
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!

Science Fiction, Telomere, Telomeres, L.J. Williams, BBV Publishing, Hitler, Living Forever, Cold Spring Harbor Lab

BBV Publishing, Telling The Untold Stories™

0 Comments

Springtime Rapture Ruptured

4/6/2017

0 Comments

Aah, Springtime! The mild warm breeze, the birds singing, the crisp fresh air, the green colors emerging, and the blissful quiet of new life being born. Until the rapture of springtime is ruptured by the bellowing noise of Leaf Blowers!

Springtime, clean air, leaf blower, composting, going green, going true green, nutrient, topsoil, mulch, lawn care, lawn contractor

Springtime Rapture is Ruptured by Leaf Blower Noise! Not One, But Two!

Once upon a time, leaves were raked up into piles for kids to jump in, then the leaves were added to compost piles to make nutrient rich topsoil. Today, we pay for "Spring" Clean Ups, we pay to blow leaves around, pay others to haul away compostable material, pay to create Noise Pollution, and pay more money to buy topsoil and fertilizer!

Can someone inform me when us humans created this new "paying" process outside the realm of what God gives us for free and nature's genius design?

I have NO tolerance for Leaf Blowers and all that is consumed by them: First consumed is your money, then gasoline, then oil, then the serenity of Springtime with a noise level that literally ruptures the rapture of Springtime. The end results are the thief of natural nutrients, so you spend more money buying mulch and fertilizer after paying someone to haul away your own FREE fertilizer! Then the sum total from using Leaf Blowers is damage to our environment and our health. My ears hurt just thinking of the noise level produced by these inventions.

The least homeowners and lawn contractors can do is use a vacuum (electric and charged with solar power) that chops up the leaves to help compost them. I say this because I have seen State contractors cleaning up a public park and along the outside fence they are blowing leaves into the street! They should be issued a summons. Also contractors can just as easily have two men with two different sized rakes, going through bushes to accumulate the leaves on a drop-cloth for collection or composting. The time difference is non-existing because blowing leaves all over takes just as much time to blow them back into a pile and off the street or lawn. Just look at the photo above!

I have multiple blog posts on this topic, just two Links are provided in the verbiage above. Also please peruse these topics by using my Category List on the right side of this page. You will emerge with rested ear drums, better health, more money in your pocket, and a better appreciation to a time God gave us that we call spring!

Bill Lauto, at Going True Green
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!

Jesus, Easter, Lord, Christ, Palm Sunday, resurrection, Sunday, Church, Christians, Son of God

This EASTER, read a Historical Novel that presents data based probabilities proving the truth.

0 Comments

Toxic Kitchen?

3/9/2017

2 Comments

Homemade GTG LOGO Soap

First, let us not become overly worried, but let us review and take some action. Toxicity levels in any household kitchen can vary tremendously. People will have an assorted volume of products in the closet or under the sink. Many items are commercial products to help clean an oven, sink, drain pipes, exhaust fans, all types of floors, countertops, stainless steel appliances, dishes, and silverware.

Then we go ahead with cooking and eating with many of these items just cleaned by any possible assortment of toxic chemicals. As I have stated in previous GTG Blogs, only 3 things Do Not put toxins into our food: Glass, Porcelain, and Wax Paper. Anything else can and will leach into our food and drink. Adding extra heat or cold to many chemicals will accelerate the transfer. For example, Water inside a plastic bottle made with BPA chemicals will leach into the water faster when placed in a freezer or hot car. Now this will not harm you tomorrow, but perhaps we should look at these anomalies like smoking cigarettes.
Why RISK potential health issues later in life?

Additionally, products such as some oven cleaners are problematic when inhaled or make contact with our skin. However, health hazards are not just from oven cleaners laden with chemicals. Dish washing soaps that employ the use of sulfates in any amount should be avoided.

So what actions should we take? First read all the labels and look up the definitions to ingredients you are not familiar with or can't pronounce. Research new organic replacement products on the web and in stores. If you decide to toss a product for a natural one, that is great but DO NOT pour down the drain or flush it down the toilet! Townships have programs to collect and properly dispose of these products. We DO NOT want them going into our Waterways or back into our drinking water table in the ground!

To start everyone off on the path to no more chemicals, better health, and saving money, I have a Dish Washing Soap formula from Mary, a Going True Green Blog reader. Please realize that while this dish washing soap may not foam up as much as your previous brand, that does not mean an inferior job is being done.

For hand Dish Washing Soap, combine the following in a Glass Mason Jar:
- Six tablespoons of liquid Castile soap*
- Two tablespoons of vegetable glycerin*
- A half of dozen drops of any essential oil for aromas*
Then mix in Two cups of cold water and shake well. Also, shake before each use for best results.
* Buy in a Drugstore

As for Hand Soap, Sean another Going True Green Blog reader, sent us his hand-made soap in the shape of our Logo letters as shown above. So creativity goes hand in hand with saving Money, Health, and God's Green Earth!

Bill Lauto, at Going True Green
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!

BBV Publishing, Telomere, Telomeres, L. J. Williams, cold spring harbor lab, cold spring harbor national laboratory,

BBV Publishing: Telling the Untold Stories.™

2 Comments

Bubbles, Bumps and Blisters

8/9/2016

2 Comments

Recycling, Recycle, Blister Packs, Bubble wrap, clamshells, PET, thermoplastic, resin, polymer, plastic ghosts, thermoformed containers

Food in Plastic

Today products are protected in packages that use plastic in the shape of bubbles, bumps, and blisters. The products being protected range from tooth brushes to LED light bulbs in these, aka, "Clamshells" of protection. The idea is great because of the extra safeguarding offered when you dropped or bang the blister package. The highly significant impact absorbing ratio of these packages prevents most common breakage. Nevertheless, a great idea can be nothing more than Crab Crap if there is a flaw in the overall equation. Here is why this idea is fundamentally flawed:

More than 60% of American Townships Do Not recycle these thermoformed containers, aka clamshells, aka blister packs. So yes, even though you have been putting all your protective plastic packaging from your purchased products into recycle bins, they are not being recycled. They are still going into landfills.

According to the FTC Green Guide, when more than 60% of American Recycling infrastructures Do Not recycle an item, then that item is deemed "Un-Recyclable" because your municipality is removing these items from the recycling conveyor belt or recovery system to bury them in a landfill where they don't breakdown. The Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides are designed to help marketers avoid making environmental claims that mislead consumers. However, in this case, we are misled by the process of omission! When a blister pack has no recycle information on it, we take the sensible option and recycle. We believe we are doing the right thing, but because we are not told that our township does not recycle thermoformed containers we are misled and continue to buy products with these protective packages. Once again, consumers, are being "sold a bill of goods!"

Blister Packs for Medicine

Plastic Protection or Tombs?

The irony to all this is that the demand for post-consumer PET exceeds the supply by a tremendous margin. Polyethylene terephthalate, aka PET, is the thermoplastic polymer resin used for containers that hold liquids, fibers that make up clothing, and containers for food. I Do Not use plastic bottles to drink from and I avoid foods in plastic or cans due to the possible BPA contaminants If you wish to learn more, please consider taking my online workshop on WATER. Classes start September, 2016.

Additionally, Bonnie who is a follower of Going True Green's blog for many years, shared an artist's exhibit created to demonstrate the impact of these blister packs that are not recyclable. You may wish to visit an article with photos on the exhibit at: A Tomb for the Plastic Ghosts We Leave Behind.

Bill Lauto , GTG
Environmental Scientist
 International Sustainability and Energy Consultant 
Contribute your comments!

Telomeres, Telomere, Cold Spring Harbor Lab, L. J. Williams, BBV Publishing,

Telling the Untold Stories: TELOMERE by L. J. Williams

2 Comments

Improve MPGs

6/28/2016

0 Comments

gas, gasoline, gas station, gas pumps, mpg, mpgs, going green, sustainability, Tesla, electric cars, solar cars, fuel cells, save money on gas mileage, save money, better mpg, tips on mpgs

Money, Gas, and MPGs

For all of us that cannot afford an electric car, such as a Tesla recharged by Solar Panels, let's look at what we can do to save money, gasoline, and our environment. I promise, you do not know all these items, especially number ten.

First, despite the fact that I Do Not own a car, I am still contributing to many car created issues. The reasons are because while I do not own a car and I use public transportation, I do drive. I will borrow a car, rent a car, or drive my neighbor to the doctor with her car. So this GoingTrueGreen Blog post is also for everyone living in a city that doesn't own a car, but can rent or borrow a car for whatever reason.

Identifying the problem is easy, it is "Poor Gas Mileage," aka low MPGs or Miles Per Gallon of gasoline used. This costs us money and lots of it, because this slow extraction of our dollars paid per gallon is rarely noticed. If your car is only getting 17 miles per gallon and you should be getting a maximum of 32, something is wrong! Let us review the possibilities contributing to your money evaporation...

1) Tune Up:
When was the last time you had your car checked by a Double R car mechanic? That is to say, someone who is Reliable and Reputable. Do you actually know the person? Did you take the time to get to know your mechanic from "day one" and were you able to become friends?

2) Oil Change:
I ask the questions in number one because your Tune Up must include an Oil Change and new Oil Filter as well as a possible new air filter, spark plugs, and cleaning your fuel injector. This is why a Double R mechanic is so important. Thus, when you pick up your car, you know the job was done right.

3) Trunk Transfer:
We have all seen this, open a car trunk and there is no empty space! From lawn chairs to tire chains, beach umbrellas to snow shovels, a case of Windex to tool kits, sporting equipment to sleeping bags, and even additional spare tires.

All of the above is deadweight and that destroys your miles per gallon! Seasonal items must be taken out and put in your basement or closet until that season returns. If you are no longer Coaching the little league team, get the bags of equipment out and you know there is more than one bag. Stop dragging along the extra weight that is costing you money and not helping our environment.

4) Wash The Car:
Yes, a car covered with layers of dirt will destroy the aerodynamics of your car. Gas mileage will decrease and so will the amount of money in your pocket. Get a bucket of water (preferably rain water collected off the roof of your house or apartment building with a mesh filter screen), some all natural soap and wash your car! This is great exercise and therapeutic, because you worked hard to own or rent a car and being accountable helps us appreciate the value.

5) Windows, Open or Closed:
This one has variables, so let us review one at a time...
a) When you are driving around town, in a city, or in traffic, open your windows and enjoy the FREE air and breeze. If rain will enter through the open windows, then just open the vents in your car to let the air circulate.
b) When you start to increase speed, let us say above 40 miles per hour and will be driving at this rate for some time, such as on a highway, using the air conditioner in your car is more fuel efficient. When windows are open at high speeds, drag forces will build up and again, destroy the aerodynamics of your car.

6) Coasting:
This is Physics. Get your foot off the gas pedal when going down hill! The car's forward momentum will do just fine when going down a hill, so no need to keep pushing gasoline into the engine until you go below the minimum speed limit. Also keep the car in gear, don't put the car into neutral.

7) Big Mac Containers:
Look up on the roof! Is that a Ski Rack? No, it is Big Fast Food Container! Whatever you have on your car roof, if the roof rack, ski rack, or enclosed container, is not being used, then take it off. Even the best aerodynamic designed container will eat into your gas mileage. For example, instead of 26 miles per gallon, you will only get 23 miles per gallon. Also if you have a Bike Rack on the back and it's not needed, take it off!

Extra Weight and Extra Drag

Bike Racks

8) Bird's Eye View and the Internet:
Short or long trips all can have traffic. Use your Internet connection to get a bird's eye view of the roads and the traffic situation. With this data you can plot alternative routes with your GPS to avoid the traffic jams and save money.

9) Got Gas:
There is no harm in reviewing the type of gasoline you buy and what is best for your car's engine. Check your owner's manual or with your reliable and reputable car mechanic. Also never buy gas at a station that just had a delivery. Wait until tomorrow so all the sediments and dirt settles. You don't want to pump that stuff into your car.

10) Early Bird Gets More Gas:
This is some wild physics that gets you more gasoline for the buck. Try to always fill up your gas tank early in the morning! All petroleum has more density under colder temperatures and that tank in the ground is coldest early in the morning. All gas station pumps deliver gasoline based on flow rate, so if one gallon is provided within 10 seconds, you will receive more fuel in that 10 seconds when under cold morning ground temperatures compared to the afternoon. For example, if the morning ground temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit compared to a hot summer afternoon when the ground temperature may reach 95 degrees, you will receive about 2.5% more gasoline for the same money.

11) Bill Of Goods:
Don't be sold a Bill of Goods when it comes to all the magic pills, liquids, and contraptions, to INCREASE fuel efficiency. The only magic here is a DECREASE in your money for the majority of the cases.

12) Beautiful Colors:
When buying or renting a car, pick a light color interior. Unless you live where cold weather prevails most of the year. With light color on the inside, the less your car's air conditioner has to work. End result is better gas mileage.

13) Check Pressure:
We all should know this one, How much air should be in your tires and check the air pressure often! Again, your owner's manual is the source to learn how much air pressure should be in your tires. Also you need to check the tire pressure before each trip and at least once a month.

So when the rubber hits the road with all of the above in mind, you should have up to 15% better miles per gallon. Translated into money, here is one example: If you spend $1,200 a year on gasoline, that will be a $180.00 savings. Not bad, just more money to save towards that electric solar recharged Tesla car!

Bill Lauto , GTG
Environmental Scientist
 International Sustainability and Energy Consultant 
Contribute your comments!