GoingTrueGreen's Blog Postings

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
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Homemade!

5/28/2019

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

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Roof Tops

5/9/2019

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Bill Lauto, roofs, roof repairs, solar, NASA, rain water, collecting rain water, rain barrels, toilets, astronauts, Florida, going green, saving water, saving money, cleaning solar panels, Tesla, gardens, watering flowers, sustainable living, sustainability

Altering Perspective

I have been on a several roof tops recently. A person's perspective is always altered when viewing their surroundings from a different angle, especially from above. I had the good fortune to meet with an American Space Shuttle Astronaut when visiting NASA in Florida one year. His view when in space was an extreme perspective of our Earth. Many astronauts described that view as an altering perspective.

Much closer to the ground, on my rooftop, I just did some air vent repairs and wiped down my solar panels for optimum performance. I also cleaned out the rain gutters to prepare for my next project. Collecting rainwater to flush my toilet!

Tuscany Rain Barrel

I can no longer subscribe to paying money for clean drinkable water to flush away waste. Rainwater is Free and after a filter system to catch roof gravel, I am planning to implement my system for at least one toilet ASAP. I already collect rain water off my roof for my garden and lawn. From Tuscany style rain barrels to a giant rock design holding 80 gallons.

One's perspective must always include all angles to truly see all their surroundings and one's impact on God's green earth.

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

4/30/2019

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Water, rain water, pool cover, swimming pools, pools, going green, sustainable living, Holy Name Society, lower water bills, save money, money saving ideas

Collected Rain Water

The other day at a Holy Name Society meeting, my friend Roger came over to share a water saving action he came up with before removing his pool's cover.

Roger grabbed my attention by telling me that he came up with a great idea and I would be proud of him. So much so, that I would do a Going True Green blog post on the subject. He was right, so below is his water saving idea.

For everyone who owns a swimming pool on their property or the roof of an apartment building and you have some cold months where you cover the pool, the following can occur: Rain water may accumulate on top of the cover and instead of letting the water spill onto the patio/walkway around or into the pool, siphon off the water for your garden. This rain water is perfect to use with a siphoning hose to water your plants coming up in a garden or flower bed.

Several gallons of water can be sitting on a pool cover, so this is an excellent way to save water and lower your water bills. Just another great action, we as individuals, can take towards being a solution and preventing any possible future environmental issues.

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

4/8/2019

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Previously on Going True Green's Blog we spoke about two products that would hopefully save Money, Energy and our Earth. The testing and evaluations are now complete and here are the results:

On February 15, 2019 Going True Green shared information about Eco-Friendly Swedish Dishcloths to see if they would replace a wasteful use of Paper Towels. The blog's title was Cheese Cloth.

On February 26, 2019 Going True Green shared information about Dryer Balls covered in Wool to replace the plastic dryer balls. The blog's title was Woolly Balls - Not Plastic!

Wool, Wool Dryer Balls, no more plastic, plastic, plastic dryer balls, dryer sheets, saving money, saving energy, sustainability, Sustainable Living, environment, green deal, going green, going true green

Wooly Balls

Eco Friendly, sponges, paper towels, dishcloth, cheese rags, cheese cloths, sweetgum, swede, threebluebirds, going green, sustainable living, sustainability, going true green, cellulose, cotton, absorbent, streak free, compostable, biodegradable

Swedish Dishcloths

First I will report on the Wooly Balls for the Dryer. They are working well with no signs of deterioration or ripping. However, sometimes socks do cling to other clothes and this can be observed at the end of the drying cycle when unloading the dryer. They come 3 to a box and all 3 are to be used in the dryer. When 4 Wooly Balls are used in the dryer, the static cling of socks dissipates. The draw back with this, is that we need to buy two boxes instead of just one. For the sake of rating, I will use 5 Oak Leaves with 5 being the best.
The Wooly Balls get 4 Oak Leaves out of 5.

The second product is the Swedish Dishcloths. They are strong and great for cleaning like cloth rags. Also very functional for polishing furniture when mixing a furniture polish/cleaner with water. They show little wear with several rounds of washing them clean. However, they are not good for dusting furniture and they have virtually no absorption ability. This last inability voids any possible replacement of paper towels that are mostly used to dry and clean up a spill.
The Swedish Dishcloths receive 2.5 Oak Leaves out of 5.

That is my report. All in all, the products have their pros and cons. They both help to different degrees, but each one of us will have to decide the full benefits from their use.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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This Easter Read a Historical Novel With 5 Stars!
Upper Room, The Way: 33AD to 57AD
The review below on Goodreads says it all.
Both Digital and Hardcopy available at Amazon.

Easter, Jesus, Upper Room, The Way, L.J. Williams, BBV Publishing, Shroud, Shroud of Turin, crucifixion

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Woolly Balls - Not Plastic!

2/26/2019

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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
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Cheese Cloth

2/15/2019

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Swedish Dishcloths

Cleaning up around the kitchen with dishcloths and paper towels always frustrated me since I had my first job at 16 years of age. I was working as a dishwasher and I could not stand wet and smelly dishcloths. Especially when left around for hours where the growing bacteria on the rag creates a rotten cheese smell. Thus the reason why we have the name “Cheese Cloth” used by the restaurant industry. I tried to toss out the old cheese cloths as often as possible, but most of my managers disapproved because of the costs involved and they wanted these cloths used until they tore or were over-ripe with odor.

Paper towels avoid the smell, but are a huge waste. A waste of money, trees and the infrastructure needed to manufacturer them. I tried various alternatives over the years, but I have yet to find a better way. Perhaps now I have received a better way…

Susan, a close friend and colleague, saw these Eco-Friendly Swedish Dishcloths in New York City when visiting on business. Knowing that I would love to test them out, she bought some as a gift for me.

The breakdown on this Eco-Friendly Dishcloth design is below:

These cleaning cloths can be used in the Kitchen, Bathroom, Workshop and all around the house.
They replace sponges, paper towels and “cheese cloths”.
They are made of 70% FSC-certified cellulose and 30% cotton.
Very absorbent and virtually streak free.
Dishwasher (top rack) safe, washing machine safe or boil clean.
100% Biodegradable and Compostable!
Can be used with soaps, spray cleaners or just water.
Each cloth is washable for over 200 times and is bleach safe. Just “air” dry.
Each cloth replaces about 17 rolls of paper towels and lasts over nine months.
They come in plain colors or with any design from dozens of choices.

So the testing has started and I will report back in a future Going True Green blog post. So far so good, and 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!

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International Recycling Market Changed!

1/22/2019

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Recycling, Recycle, Glass, Plastic, Paper, Recycling Market, going green, going true green

Flyers used by some Townships

No and no, the International Recycling Market didn't Change. The International community buying our recycling are only now holding the United States to original standards. Glass was to be clean with a small percentage of dirt being acceptable. Plastic wasn't to be mixed with paper and paper wasn't accepted with plastic mixed within. Again a small percentage of mixing was acceptable, but the Recycling systems in America changed and those changes caused the recycling market to collapse. America's recycling is heavily contaminated and very few countries want to buy a contaminated product.

Back on February 17, 2016 my blog titled "Is Recycling Striking Out?" and on May 16, 2018 called "Caught Looking! Strike Three!" were about this very issue. Now our Townships want us to think this change is by the hands of the International Recycling Market. No, the change started at America's Townships trying to make more money and cutting corners. Townships did away with multi-level sorting and we no longer had to rinse out glass jars. End results: We are no longer recycling Glass! Glass, one of the very first items that was recycled. Why? Because the Townships of America were saving money by not washing out the glass and they told us years earlier that we no longer had to rinse out the jars, so they could accumulate more glass. America started to send more and more "dirty" Glass to China. China finally said they will no longer buy dirty glass from our recycling system. This issue is the same with all recycled items.

Unwanted Recycling

The solution is easy, just REWARD those who sort and properly prepare recycling items before they are placed at the curb. Lower our taxes paid toward Recycling and watch how money is saved, even after more and more people join the ranks and receive a tax break. (Eventually the Townships will do away with the Tax break, but at least more people will be recycling correctly.) Reward for multi-level sorting done by Americans (done with RFID tags) instead of levying fines and punishing those who do not recycle correctly. Then, China may start buying our recycling items again, instead of us sending these items to our landfills or stacking unwanted recycling up in a warehouse parking lot. At least we will be helping our environment again on God's green earth.

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

1/1/2019

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Apollo 11, Tesla, Lithium-air batteries, Lithium-ion batteries, power wall, nuclear, solar, fuel cells, hydrogen, electric cars, non-renewables, sustainability, going true green, going green, bill lauto

Tesla's Current Power Wall Battery

This New Year will bring us the 50th anniversary of America's Apollo 11 Moon mission. This American accomplishment, against all odds, proves what Team Work will always give us... Success.

Currently a Team effort for better batteries is underway at the University of Cambridge. Scientists from Cambridge have recently pointed out that in less than the necessary time it takes to build a Nuclear Power Plant, lithium-air batteries could be contributing to making oil, coal and nuclear obsolete. Lithium-Air batteries are five times cheaper and lighter than today's lithium batteries.

These new developments place the technology of battery storage comparable to non-renewable fuels. Lithium-air batteries have a density that is ten times more than a lithium-ion battery. That is over 90% efficient through the discharge and recharge cycle. Also these batteries can be recharged well over 2,000 times before a need to replace them. This can drive down the cost for an electric car with batteries to a fifth of current costs. Additionally, these newer lithium-air batteries will weight a fifth of current batteries, thus allowing a car drive of over 400 miles possible on one charge.

Now technically the energy density is still lower than energy produced from oil. However, much of that oil producing energy is wasted by today's trucks and cars. The oil fuel is not utilized efficiently and as much as three-quarters of the oil fuel energy is lost in heat. Nevertheless, researchers at the University of Cambridge have shown how the development of a lithium-air battery looks very promising.

A New Year is upon us and time will tell. Meanwhile, Fuel Cells that make electricity by running off of free Hydrogen obtained from free rain water with power from free sun light working a photovoltaic panel are also moving closer to the launch pad, where we will all hear those heart stopping words, "Mission Control, we are GO for launch!"

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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All I Wanted for Christmas is Cotton and Wool

12/26/2018

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Merino Wool, Cotton, 100% cotton, sustainable material, sustainability, organic clothes, natural clothes

Merino Wool and 100% Cotton

With my recent work, presentations and investigations on plastic, I have become acutely aware that as an individual, I can be contributing a great harm to the environment by the clothes I wear. I am not talking about doing evasive action or anything drastic, I am slowly transitioning as much as possible, to 100% cotton and wool clothes. My ensemble of clothes already consist of mostly cotton products. Shirts, jeans, socks easily fall into that category. However for various reasons and possible future results from new studies, I am re-evaluating my wardrobe.

Therefore to maintain the part of my mission where helping to save our environment and saving energy does not mean making sacrifices to our current lifestyle, I am happy to report the following:
When I hear the word wool, I get itchy just thinking about wearing clothes made of wool. However, pullover sweaters made of Merino Wool is not your standard itchy wool. No sacrifices made by wearing Merino Wool when purchased on sale. This is truly a sustainable material to make fabric from and unlike clothes made with plastic, we will not be contributing any possible long term harm to our environment. I will present additional details and facts in my Going True Green blogs next year on clothes made with plastic and consequences when washing them, but for now I am just sharing some small steps I am taking. Perhaps this is a good time for all of us to consider wearing more cotton and wool clothes to live a little happier and healthier New Year.

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