GoingTrueGreen's Blog Postings - Going True Green

Olive Wood Kitchen Utensils

2/27/2025

Olive wood, kitchen utensils, handmade utensils, olive wood utensils, Made in Italy, cooking utensils, going true green, sustainability

X Out Plastic, go with Olive Wood Kitchen Utensils

They are worth the investment for many reasons!

I now have all hand made olive wood kitchen utensils that are sustainably made, and their performance is excellent.

The main reason I spent the extra money for them is to get all plastic out of my kitchen. I do not want any more microscopic plastic particles getting into my body. When cooking, the heat will breakdown the plastic. We all seen these plastic utensils peel along the edges and/or melt. And the same goes for non-stick pans. I even switched to all glass containers with bamboo tops that host a rubber gasket, thus replacing all my plastic containers. The only thing still made with plastic is the coffee maker, and while hand-press coffee is amazing, that takes time.

The second reason is because olive wood is naturally bacteria resistant. As for care and maintenance, I put together the best way to care for your beautiful looking olive wood utensils:

1). Wash them with warm water and soap. For tough stains just use a mixture of lemon juice with some salt. Use a non-abrasive sponge to scrub away stain. Lemon and salt is also a natural neutralizer for any odors. Never soak your olive wood utensils or leave them in water. The wood is porous, and the olive wood will absorb the water; which will eventually cause damage such as cracking and warping.

2) Dry immediately with a soft clean cotton towel - Do not buy towels made with acrylic, which is plastic.

3) Never put them in the Dishwasher.

4) Store or keep in a dry environment, and away from moisture. Also stand them in an upright position to avoid warping. Keep them out of direct sunlight, and away from any strong heat source.

5) Oil the olive wood with olive oil at least three times a year or every few weeks if they are used to cook every day. Again, use a soft 100% cotton towel and let the oil be absorbed overnight, then wipe off any remaining olive oil from the wood the next morning.

This is a great way to live a healthier life !

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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Stopping Old Man Winter's Wind - Naturally

12/28/2024

Wind Breaks, north winds, old man winter, saving energy, going true green, going green, installation, heating, trees, evergreens, garden

Natural Wind Break on North Side of House

About twenty years ago, I first wrote about this topic, and I believe the time has come to repeat some of the energy saving facts:

Saving energy with Nature is easy by just using closely branched trees that grow in pyramidical or columnar form. They give height and body without excessive width. Planting would most likely be best on the north side of your house to block the cold winter winds. All in all, Evergreens would be best and you should contact a certified arborist to confirm what is best for your house.

Basically any building will benefit from the wind chill factor being reduced by a Windbreak. Well designed windbreaks reduce energy costs up to 40 percent. The type of structure your house is made of and the overall efficiency of your heating system are just a few factors that determine the total savings.

However, please realize that even if a savings of up to 40 percent is realized, that savings is NOT a 40 percent reduction in the total heating bill. The savings is 40 percent off the total amount of heat being lost by the house due to not having a Windbreak.

For example: If heating is costing 7% more a year to keep the house warm because there is no Windbreak, then a 40% savings of that 7% heat lost will be saved after a Windbreak is installed. Also we must allow for the time all the trees take to grow.

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

We Should STOP Using Plastic Sparkles

12/9/2024

Christmas, cards, enviromental friendly ink, plastic, microscopic plastic particles, going true green, going green

Cards Covered with Plastic Sparkles

We have all seen those bright sparkles on Christmas cards, at birthday parties, on any type of greeting cards, inside envelopes, and used for surprise confetti. The issue is, these sparkles are no longer different bright color paper. They are small plastic pieces and they never go away. They are getting into our water, air, soil, food, and our bodies.

We need to seriously look into stopping the use of Plastic Sparkles for the holidays, and birthdays, and any celebration. There is always another way...

MAKE YOUR OWN GREETING CARDS:
Sending cards to family and friends with a few sharing words is a positive action when done a little at a time. Start early and never try to do this alone in one or two days. Do a little every other day or so, but start on December first every year, and take as long as two weeks to get the task done. Let us be creative this year by making our own cards or send a photograph card printed with Eco-friendly ink.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
- Try to be Greener by buying cards made from Tree FREE Resources, such as hemp.
- If we are making our own cards, use recycled paper or recycled card stock. Reuse old envelopes or again make our own with Tree FREE Resources. Please try to avoid using plastic or plastic sparkles.

I am very concern about all these little pieces of plastic getting into our air and water. They never go away, just keep breaking down to smaller and smaller pieces.

- Also remember having a custom look, always gives a warm and individual feel to our Christmas greetings.
- Let's use environment friendly inks when writing out our cards, printing them, or printing photos.

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

Helene the Hurricane: part three of three

11/21/2024

Realizing Solutions:

New York City’s study and report for a stronger and more resilient coastal edge was well done after Sandy hit the New York area. However, key areas of New York City need additional ten foot high naturally decorated berms with walkways and benches on top of the current 10 foot, 2 inch high edge. Since eighteen foot storm surges come with Category Five storms, twenty feet should be the minimum. Building along the edge of land is far cheaper than building a causeway with gates out in the harbor which would offer little protection. Think about all the water on the harbor side of those expensive gates. The 150 mph wind will be blowing all the water on both sides of those gates and all that water inside the harbor will still come up onto the streets of New York City.

Super Storm Sandy, Sandy, hurricanes, going green, global warming, bill lauto, going true green, gtg, sandy one year later

Area should be 10 ft. higher. Why are the lights on in the middle of the day?

Salt Marshes, Primary and Secondary Sand dunes with a catch basin, needs to be recreated by humankind along the beaches. Nature gave us these protections for free and we filled them in or we plowed them under. Boardwalks must be incorporated into the natural protection of Primary Sand dunes and we cannot leave openings in our first line of defense. We can no longer ignore what nature has taught us for the sake of an ocean view.

Everywhere in the United States needs to start sealing wires underground over the next twenty years. This should be done systematically for the main roads as they are repaved or repaired. Then with priority businesses on the main roads not losing power, repair crews will be able to attend to downed neighborhood lines that much faster. Wood poles should be replaced with stronger poles like the ones used in Florida, where the lines can’t be placed underground due to the water table just a few feet below the surface. Since these types of upgrades have been spoken about for decades, but never ratified because of the claim that cost is unaffordable, a true comparison by an outside firm should be done against the costs to make twenty years of hurricane repairs. I am presenting this request because of the understanding I received on sealing power lines underground when I worked for an electric utility. The following may stand true: Burying power lines is too expensive for the power company when they have to use their own profits to do the work instead of profits going to share holders.

When a hurricane hits and significant repairs are needed, about every ten years in the Northeast, assistance and repair money comes from the government. Yes, us tax payers, thus it is cheaper to do repairs with tax payer’s dollars instead of burying power lines with their own profits. Thus, no more tax payer bailouts for repair costs. Power companies will have to establish a fund with their own profits for repairs. Immediately you will find twenty years of hurricane repairs is much more expensive than burying power lines along main roads. Also I am not opposed to the government reimbursing a utility for burying power lines equal to the repair amount provided for an average storm. This will be done only once after all the main roads that can host buried power lines have been completed.

We also have to better understand our "changing climates" and stop the assumptions from both camps. Both sides believe they have all the data, I believe we just opened the book and finished the introduction. Yes, there are risks. I choose to error on the side of caution. Nevertheless, realize that whatever we do to help our world from our current changing climates, that will not stop us from being hammered by hurricanes. They are part of our planet’s nature, so we cannot do one solution for and ignore dealing with the infrastructure problems, and most importantly microscopic plastic pollution in our oceans that is killing our Prochlorococcus, which is the invisible green forest in our oceans. These microscopic marine cyanobacteria are probably the most abundant organism on Earth. For millions of years they have made our oxygen. So the panic claim made by some people with a big loud speaker about the Rain Forests being the lungs of Earth, is not true. The oceans are the vast production mechanism to create oxygen, and we must be smart about cleaning up the plastic in our waterways or we may suffocate ourselves. (Dear Media: Please do not make this a prediction, and run with it to scare everyone just so that your media network can sell more ads, and make more money. Present the complete picture, even when boring.)

We have to stop the money making lies and work together as one team.

To see our video on this topic consider becoming a GoingTrueGreen member with GTG Membership Link at top of page.
Then as a GTG Member you can take the three part video class!

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

Helene the Hurricane: part two of three

11/7/2024

Evaluating Storms:

To qualify as a hurricane, the new May 15, 2012 Saffir-Simpson Scale shows a maximum sustained wind between 74 and 95 miles per hour (mph) with a storm surge of 4 to 5 feet above normal to be a Category One storm. With Superstorm Sandy, that had circular rotation with an eye, but the storm didn’t meet all the qualifications to be a hurricane. The larger than normal size, the wind gusts up to 90 or 95 mph and larger storm surge still doesn’t qualify, but none of that makes any difference to all those people who lost their house, their memories, their lives.

Despite Sandy’s ranking falling short of hurricane status, we had things far worst with that storm because, this was the first storm to hit at high tide and with a full moon. This was the main reason for a storm surge along the coast that had a wave height characteristic of a category three or four hurricane, not climate change. Nevertheless, with that said, that does not mean changing climates are not real!

With Helene, as the storm moved inland, new warnings should have been issued for people to evacuate near rivers due to the strong possibility of Flash Floods going over the top of river banks. The amount of rain fall was tremendous, but wheater outlets seemed to think the people on higher ground need not worry. That proved to be a horrible error. Even people in the mountain area, but by rivers, lost their property and many lost their lives.

Super Storm Sandy, Sandy, hurricanes, going green, global warming, bill lauto, going true green, gtg, sandy one year later

Power Lines Hanging Like Spaghetti

Old and Antiquated:

How complacent have we become that we tolerate zero protection along the water and an infrastructure that is 70 years old? Water pours onto the city streets to flood tunnels, parking garages, and basements of apartment complexes. Flash Floods override river banks and we wonder why? We have power lines hanging like spaghetti from wood poles installed by Ma Bell in 1940. We disobey Mother Nature’s rules and then we use Global Warming to place fault. Next we claim we are shocked, shocked to find so much destruction, but we still all want to collect our winnings. Yes, like the lines in a classic movie, the root to all this is money. Profits or paying share holders all comes first before improving our infrastructure to save lives in the future.

The last part of this Going True Green blog post will be at the end of this month. Until then, also consider seeing our three part video as a member... Hurricanes: The Situation, Problems and Solutions

To see our video on this topic consider becoming a GoingTrueGreen member with GTG Membership Link at top of page.
Then as a GTG Member you can take the three part video class!

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

Helene the Hurricane: part one of three

10/29/2024

Super Storm Sandy, Sandy, hurricanes, going green, global warming, bill lauto, going true green, gtg, sandy one year later

View of a Hurricane on Earth from Space

As men, women, and children, still struggle to get some respite from the hurricane named Helene, we hope and pray that everyone will be doing better before this Thanksgiving Day.

As I wrote after Super Storm Sandy hit, we must have a process to identify the prevailing causes for this much destruction. On the political front, blame is quickly placed on Climate Change and humankind's lack of effort to curtail this phenomena. On the financial front we have humankind's complacent attitude that favors the status quo and increasing profits. Before we can identify proper solutions, data must be collected, evaluated, and realized. We must have a complete picture! Let’s start again with what is given to us and what we take away.

Disrespecting God’s Green Earth:

Our green planet provides us with FREE protection from storms along the coast and rivers. However for some reason, we humans, think we know better. Mother Nature gives us Salt Marshes, a natural Rain Basin (aka: Catch Basin) between Primary and Secondary Sand Dunes along beaches that are held together by vegetation such as: Marram grass, Lichen, or Bayberry. If you never seen this natural protection when visiting a beach, that is because humankind removed them!

We look at a Salt Marsh with money in mind and so we fill in the Salt Marsh to build a football stadium. We drive dune buggies over the vegetation along the beach just for self satisfaction and build where natural sand dunes once existed. We have failed to realize that a Salt Marsh filled with detritus is the “Super Market” for life in the ocean. If we fill in a Salt Marsh where fish lay eggs, then don’t wonder why there are less fish! We are not over-fishing, we are aborting the birth of new fish by removing nature's incubators! To feed ourselves, we should be creating a multitude of new salt marshes, especially to replace the ones we destroyed. Our food chain has already been disastrously affected for centuries, and this is completely our fault. Case, and Point: Remember the TV show Cheers? Well, in Boston the real Cheers Pub is called the Bull Finch Pub, and that building - that whole area - is built on a Land-Fill. A landfill that filled in a Salt Marsh, and that was done in the 1700s!

If we fill in a Salt Marsh where fish lay eggs, then don’t wonder why there are less fish! We are not over-fishing, we are aborting the birth of new fish by removing nature's incubators!

We build cities up to the edge of river banks, and along ocean beaches. Then we argue over who should pay for the reconstituted beaches that were washed away in a storm, because there was no natural protection for all those private beach houses along the water. Beach houses sometimes owned by people who voted against replacing sand dunes and salt marshes so not to disrupt their view of the water!

We scream the oceans are rising and fail to realize 40% of those areas with higher water levels are sinking because of us and I do not mean with changing climates. The land is sinking because we remove natural protections, we build towering buildings, and cities adding massive weight to the land, and then we pump out of the ground all the clean drinking water, which lowers the underground water tables causing the land to sink.

We "want" a water view by the ocean or river, we do not "need" that view. Our government says, "Yes, yes, go ahead build there, here is your permit." Why? So they can collected more TAXES at a premium because we want that water view. This also applies to those views from mountain slopes in California. The government knows about the high risk for mud slides, but hand out building permits anyway so they can collect premium tax dollars. They know about a river's flood plain, an ocean's destructive power especially when all natural protection has been removed. Yet, they want to collect more premium taxes! Then they acted shocked when property damage is so massive and lives are lost.

Yet, the premium views can still be obtainable while respecting nature and nature's natural protection zones. Just build behind the natural protection and a little higher for the view. Alas, just like there are no protective basement requirements written into the building codes for areas in tornado zones... We allow homes and businesses to be built along river banks and beaches. All these areas by water should be (to name just a few examples) parks, playgrounds, camping sites, ball fields, nature studies, outdoor educational classrooms, picnic grounds, "under the sky" concert areas, fishing locations, schools for lessons to swim / fish / surf / dive, SCUBA diving, vacation houses, community meeting places, trails for bicycles, walking, and hiking. If the land is privately owned, the owners can rent or operate the land for any of the above uses and more. In other words... These areas are for visiting, and should all be deserted in bad weather! Greed must be removed from the equation by both people and government!

To see our video on this topic consider becoming a GoingTrueGreen member with GTG Membership Link at top of page.
Then as a GTG Member you can take the three part video class!

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

The Answers are Blowing in the Wind

10/7/2024

Some are dubbing the environmental problems caused by broken wind turbine blades "acceptable" because wind is renewable energy. Energy from oil is consistent until all sources have been depleted, thus non-renewable. Wind is inconsistent, but will not be completely gone one day in the future.

Therefore, should people start to label different fuel sources based on pros and cons or an evaluation that puts all the facts into perspective, and perhaps finds a better way?

Pros and cons are key to scientific evaluations, but we should not allow that to stifle our intelligence to create another way, a better way. Think about what we are saying here… Are we trying to justify the “hurt” to people and our environment based on reasons of renewability or non-renewability? Based on consistency or non- consistency?

Compared to oil that is non-renewable and the environmental problems from fossil fuels have caused, we all know this fuel is not acceptable for the long term. However, oil pumped from the ground like all actions taken, have pros and cons. Using oil as a fuel has adverted many environmental issues such as: cutting down trees for wood to burn, killing whales to use whale oil, and reduced the burning of toxic kerosene for heat, and light. Yet, kerosene is still used in various countries around the world, and that is a problem for children's health. For more details on this, please visit: (https://www.goingtruegreen.com/gtg-blog/gravitylight)

We need a complete picture, because without one we “use” someone or something for our own gain of power, finances, and pleasure – that is a sin. That is wrong. That is unacceptable. Especially when we know the energy answer for the world. Sadly, we have no politicians or companies willing to provide funds for research, development of the equipment, and maintenance, because Hydrogen Fuel Cells as the energy answer will lead to the elimination of monthly fuel bills for everyone worldwide.

Just selling and maintaining equipment with Hydrogen Fuel Cells will have less profits, but that industry will have profits, and free the world. Perhaps all the tinkers, inventors, improvisers, handymen and handywomen should unite so we ourselves can provide clean, safe, and renewable energy that eliminates monthly energy costs for the world.

Gather data from NASA, Sir William Grove (1839), Stanley Meyer whose prototype car went cross country on less than 20 gallons of water, and peruse my previous Going True Green blogs on Hydrogen Fuel Cells by using the SEARCH box at the top of the page. Let us lead the way, another way to an amazing future.

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

On The List

8/25/2024

All Going True Green's followers know that I have been speaking and writing about Hydrogen Fuel Cells as the world's energy answer for decades. Well...

What we have from NASA's technology is a company in Ohio called Hyperion Motors announcing their methodology for hydrogen fuel cells that can be used at a business, home and of course, in their car. Their XP-1 Hydrogen Sports Car is schedule for limited production by the end of this year.

Due to my GoingTrueGreen blog and being able to help promote this new Hydrogen Fuel Cell sports car, I was allowed to be on the list for possible trial use, or even to purchase. Some of the data is in the videos below. Each video is from and credited to Hyperion Motors' website... Enjoy!

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

Garden Time

7/28/2024

Not just Summer, but Spring, and Fall gardens too!

Over the years I have posted several Going True Green blogs about the food gardens I grow. Hoping to encourage more people to grow food in their backyards, rooftops, and windowsills, this year is not any different.

Planting crops in the small space I have is a challenge, but then again, I always love a good challenge. This year I am more acutely aware of the seasons, and planting times, so that I can increase my harvest, save more money, and enjoy fresh picked organic food!

Below is my breakdown for 2024, and I hope this is useful for many readers of GoingTrueGreen blogs. Note how some items can be planted twice in one year, while others are growing once for all three seasons:

SPRING PLANTING

Spinach
Lettuce
Onions
Artichokes
Peppers
Carrots
Eggplant
Green Beans
Sweet Peas
Cauliflower

SUMMER PLANTING

Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Lettuce

FALL PLANTING

Spinach
Onions
Broccoli
Cauliflower

ALL THREE SEASONS

Herbs / Green Squash / Yellow Squash / Blueberries / Grapes / Tomatoes / Cucumbers / Strawberries / Beets

Also as part of the GoingTrueGreen membership, you can email us specific questions on gardening anytime.
Happy planting !

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

This Summer Accomplish Something Big

7/7/2024

This summer accomplish saving money, saving energy, saving health, and saving Earth.

You can enjoy the fact that you make a difference by doing any or all of the solutions below, and didn't add to the problems.

First start with your own home, next, bring these solutions to work with you. Then volunteer. Here are a few solutions and actions presented over the years by Going True Green:

STOP BUYING WATER IN PLASTIC BOTTLES

KEEP A LARGE DEFAULT TOWEL IN YOUR CLOTHES DRYER

REDUCE WASTE PRODUCTION

WIPE OUR MOUTHS WITH CLOTH

REAL CHRISTMAS TREE VS PLASTIC TREE

CHANGE ALL YOUR LIGHT BULBS

Look into volunteering with family and friends at communities, clubs, organizations, and townships.

Volunteer to pick up litter by joining a team scheduled to clean up a town park or beach. Just 100 volunteers will collect over 400 pounds of trash in a few hours.

Townships along seashores should have programs to seed their harbors with native sea life, such as oysters and clams. These programs that place approximately 12 million claim and oyster seedlings bolster the local economy and improve water quality.

Actions like the above, actually accomplish real solutions. Those who truly make a difference, don't throw paint on anything. We "use" intelligence to solve, and we are not "used" by the elitists that make money and power from creating fear by not presenting all the facts. A. K. A.: Lying through the process of omission.

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