GoingTrueGreen's Blog Postings

Earth Breeze Product Review

10/21/2022

Earth, earth breeze, laundry, detergent, eco, clean, fragrance, biodegradable, he, detergent sheets, sustainability, sustainable living, energy savings, water savings

My cousin Emily told me about Earth Breeze's laundry detergent sheets. These solidified soapy sheets Immediately provide benefits to eliminate large plastic containers from our environment. This offers savings on the issues with raw materials, manufacturing and disposal of the large plastic laundry detergent containers.

After using and testing this new product for three months, I am happy to report that my clothes are just as clean. I no longer have to clean up liquid laundry detergent from the occasional spill. They work fine in my energy and water efficient front load washing machine and you can enlarge the above images to read more about the details.

However, these solidified soapy sheets are made in China. We must consider components like price that will always be affected by the supply chain size. Distance between manufacturing and consumer is considered sustainable by most scientists when within 200 to 250 miles. I myself always ask if the carbon emissions created by shipping across half the planet outweigh the carbon emissions saved. Therefore, when consumer choices must be made in the realm of sustainability, all factors must be evaluated. I will be seeking out another manufacturer who makes the same product but with a far shorter Supply Chain, because everything will be made here in the United States of America.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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Sneezing Outside The Box

10/7/2022

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Sneezing, Think outside the box, paper, cardboard, plastic, refill, tissues, improvise, sustainability, going true green, Fire departments, recycle, waste pail, wooden boxes, paper bags

Homemade Tissue Box

We all use them...
Tissues are very useful and because everyone uses tissues one time or many times in their lives, perhaps we should use some good old American ingenuity to improvise the way they are sold.

The image shown is a tissue box I made to cover the cardboard tissue box purchased in a store. I used left over pieces of wood from other projects and made a matching waste pail. Now while these actions avoided the purchase of new wood and a tissue box cover and pail made of plastic, the key word is plastic, I also was trapped in a whirlpool of thought involving redundancy.

The very wooden cover I made in the shape of a box, was covering a cardboard box. A cardboard box that may get recycled, tossed into the garbage or very rarely today, used to build a house for toys by turning the box inside out and drawing windows and doors upon the surface. When I was a kid, I did that all the time. Cereal boxes became castles, cookie boxes became Fire Departments for Matchbox cars and Refrigerator boxes became space ships. Sadly, are those days of creativity over?

Nevertheless, my wooden box and plastic box covers create redundancy. We do not need two boxes, so hopefully the manufacturing companies of tissues in boxes can take this suggestion to the bank. They can save production money while less cardboard is used or wasted. A lower manufacturing cost should mean lower prices for us the consumer! Additionally, all the cardboard being saved will help our environment.

The solution is easy... sell the tissues in a paper, not plastic, a paper bag as a refill in the boxes we already have at home. Perhaps even do an Introductory Offer by selling different sized decorative boxes for the bag of refill tissues. My parents had a nice metal tissue box cover from when they were married. That decorative metal tissue box cover lasted almost 50 years before the edges started to rust. When I saw the rust, I painted the box with a new color.

Tissues sold as refills and packaged in paper instead of cardboard will be more sustainable across-the-board. Reason being, paper gets recycled more than cardboard.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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SMALL TOWN RESTAURANT PROVES HOW INDIVIDUALS HELP SAVE ENERGY AND EARTH

9/26/2022

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Front Street Station restaurant, greenport, southold, north fork, long island, LIRR, David Sailor, Sharon Sailor, saving energy, sustainability, saving money, saving earth, going green, going true green, waterless urinal, kohler, infrared motion switch, greenport new york

Front Street Station Restaurant In Greenport

I had the pleasure to visit, over a two day period, a family owned restaurant that does more proportionally to help our environment and save energy than big corporate chain restaurants. Additionally, the food and desserts were amazing.

Out near the end of the North fork of Long Island, Sharon and David Sailor operate their restaurant, Front Street Station, in the town of Greenport, New York. Located at 212 Front Street, this daughter and father team have an old style bar in an old train car that opens to an atrium for full service dining. Located by the very last stop on the Long Island Railroad that was built for those traveling from New York to Boston in the late 1800s, the restaurant displays photos and railroad history in several ways. At this last stop in Greenport, travelers would disembark the train and then take a boat for the rest of their journey to Boston. While I was enjoying dinner and lunch with David and Sharon, I took in all the history and become acutely aware of their energy and environmental saving actions that many other corporate owned restaurants have not done.

A family owned restaurant taking the initiative to accomplish these actions are especially difficult in a quaint town dependent on summer tourism and now dealing with inflation locked in tandem with a recession after two years of COVID. Nevertheless, Sharon and David should be very proud of their restaurant, community outreach and sustainable accomplishments.

The first item I noticed was the Kohler waterless urinal in the men’s room. Just this one item saves 14 thousand gallons of water per year and cut their water bill in half. This low maintenance unit involves buying a gallon of Kohler’s liquid sealant that is used once a month and lasts for years. Total cost was $300.00 for the waterless urinal, $300.00 professionally installed, $100.00 for the liquid sealant. Payback less than 6 months!

Next were the automatic infrared motion light switches. Very helpful for the time we were misinformed about COVID spreading via surfaces. Yet, since the Flu spreads with surface contact, these switches are very sanitary.

Of course LED light bulbs were being used throughout the restaurant and the payback for that change over is also months.

The bathrooms also utilized Dyson Airblade hand dryers thus saving on the cost to buy rolls of paper towels and then paying for their disposal. FYI: Cost of disposal includes an employee’s time, plastic waste bags, garbage pickup, along with soap and water to wash hands. Then the environment cost comes into play with the process used by the sanitation department.

Hand Dryer

Atrium Facing NE with Evergreens

I was also impressed that the glass enclosed atrium for the dinning area was facing northeast and shaded by Evergreen bushes. These Evergreens offer natural protection from cold winter winds and they are tall enough to provide shade on hot sunny days.

David and Sharon Sailor from Front Street Station, Greenport

These actions stated above were just the ones I noticed while dinning there. I am sure there are other sustainable elements that they did and perhaps additional actions that can still be done. I did not do an energy and sustainability study for the operation and structure of Front Street Station. So I had no influence on Sharon and David at all. As individual business owners they have taken action on their own.

Sadly, our Planet will be in real trouble if individuals keep doing nothing, because they believe that a politician, corporation, political party, government, organization, celebrity or the UN will save us all. Gratefully, we have many Sharon and David Sailor being real superheroes helping to save our world.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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The Complete Truth About Sinking Cities

9/12/2022

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sinking cities, montauk, long island, miami, east end, new york, miami of the north, changing climate, climate change, indonesia, PNAS, seawater, sea levels, peer reviewed, Mr. Fisher, carl fisher, InSAR, satellites, southeast asia, subsidence, groundwater, recharge, solutions, going true green, sustainable living

What is the real cause for some sinking cities?

Allow me to start by sharing a lesson from the 1920s and 1930s that developed on the end of eastern Long Island, in a town call Montauk, New York. This town is named after Montauk Sachem, who was the tribe leader around 1665 that ruled from the eastern end to the western end of Long Island for decades. However, to share this lesson we must first head south to Miami during the 1920s. Miami had become the popular spot to stay in the winter months for prosperous people living in the northern states. Yet, when the hot summer months came in Miami, they abandon Miami to head back north for cooler temperatures.

From this, Carl Fisher who developed Miami Beach in the 1920s, wanted to make Montauk the "Miami of the North" for the summer months. Therefore, all those that can afford the travel, would be able enjoy beach weather all year long without the extreme heat. Miami beaches would be enjoyed in the winter months and Montauk beaches in the summertime. Plans were drawn up to construct hotels, restaurants and clubs to accommodate the potential crowds visiting Montauk in the summer.

For Mr. Fisher, alas, his dream did not come true for one main reason. This reason is the lesson never learned and now a major contributing factor as to why so many cities are sinking, and sinking fast...

Major coastal cities around the world today are sinking and facing flooding caused by the all encompassing battle cry prediction under climate change. Cities such as Miami are losing land to the rising water levels, but is that the complete truth?

The journal Geophysical Research Letters published a study of 99 cities with the end result showing some of the major cities around the world are sinking more than the rising sea around them. How can that be? This is by far a threat more urgent than previously predicted under climate change. Yet, climate change (I prefer, a changing climate) does not have anything to do with this phenomenon. This is what the study reported:

Over 33 cities are sinking more than one centimeter per year. At that rate we find based on data from the PNAS, (National Academy of Sciences) a peer reviewed journal that offered recent estimates of global sea-level rise, we have a sinking rate that is five times faster than the rising seawater levels.

The fastest sinking cities are located in Southeast Asia. Indonesia's capital has a city with 10.5 million people. This city, Jakarta, is sinking fast. So while these cities are not sinking fast because of climate change, they are sinking fast because of other humankind actions.

From InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar), a technique for mapping ground deformation using radar images of the Earth's surface, we have collected data from orbiting satellites that show the following:

coastal cities, sinking cities, montauk, long island, miami, east end, new york, miami of the north, changing climate, climate change, indonesia, PNAS, seawater, sea levels, peer reviewed, Mr. Fisher, carl fisher, InSAR, satellites, southeast asia, subsidence, groundwater, recharge, solutions, going true green, sustainable living

Montauk never became the "Miami of the North" because there wasn't enough clean drinkable water under the narrow land strip of eastern Long Island. Pumping water up from the ground would allow salty seawater to encroach and within a few years, there would be no clean domestic water left to use in all the hotels, restaurants and clubs. If this lesson was remembered and expanded upon, humankind would not have pumped up water from below our cities and our cities would not be sinking faster than the rising sea. The humankind issue with the fastest sinking cities isn't called climate change, the name is subsidence.

Subsidence is when land settles or is compacted due to a drastic change well underground. Subsidence is the cause for many of our cities sinking at a faster rate. All of humankind's actions to pump groundwater up and out, causes buildings to sink more and more. If the "Miami of the North" became a reality like Miami in Florida, we would now be comparing the problems of a sinking Miami to a sinking Montauk.

We must now rethink our developments and paving over our land with blacktop and cement. All of this prevents rain from recharging the water tables below. A process that takes centuries when not disrupted. Additional, alternatives must be found so massive extraction of groundwater is reduced or stopped. One advantage New York City has is that their drinking water reservoirs are upstate and not a contributing factor to reducing the water tables below the city. Around the start of this century, the Indonesian government has been regulating the extraction of groundwater. The city of Jakarta was sinking on average 20 centimeters a year for the past three decades. Recently, after new citywide actions, the city only sank 3 centimeters in the past seven years.

So because the media is only pushing a narrative that makes advertisement dollars, they fail to present the complete truth to the public. After all, the media deems facts and truth boring. End result, a delay in knowing the complete story and bringing forth real solutions.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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Al Borland and Rounded Curves

8/29/2022

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Richard Karn who played the character Al Borland in the TV show Home Improvement saw and Liked our GoingTrueGreen blog called, MORE POWER. These two words happened to also be a widely used saying in the TV show, thus obtaining the attention of Mr. Karn.

The information was put out by our parent company, BBV Publishing and the image below captures the details, as well as our more power created by my solar system on my energy efficient house. No electric bill what so ever for over 7 years now. In fact, the utility pays me for the excess power I create. AND all done without any sacrifices, yes the AC is running all summer long. Note the smooth rounded curve in the image!

We are thankful and greatly appreciative to Mr. Karn for finding our blog noteworthy.

More Power, Tool Time, Home Improvement, Richard Karn, Tim Allen, solar, solar power, BBVpublishing, history, Al Borland, tomatoes, composting, pizza, naples, italy, pewter, hybrid, mangia, goinggreen, going true green, sustainable living, saving money

Cherry tomato on left for size comparison

In other news from GoingTrueGreen that has Rounded Curves, I want to share this image of my own homegrown bumpy tomatoes! They don't have smooth rounded curves because this is what tomatoes really looked like originally!

The smooth rounded supermarket tomatoes are from the work done by Alexander Livingston in the 1860s where his hybrid tomato offered a more uniformly rounded fruit with more red color. Compared to the odd shape and bumpy original tomato, the groundbreaking work increased sales as the commodity was more pleasing to the eye.

However tomatoes were misunderstood many times:
- Fruit or Veggie? Tomatoes are fruit.
- They were believed to be poisonous in eighteenth century Europe because aristocracy ate off of pewter plates which had lead in them. The tomatoes acidity caused some of the lead toxin to leach out and some people died from lead poisoning.
- In the early 1900s, bigotry increased against Italian immigrants in New York City selling tomatoes on street carts, but the bill to label tomatoes poisonous and make them illegal to sell never came to be.

Nevertheless, along with the first pizza being created in Naples Italy, the rest is history or herstory. Either way, his story or her story, the fruit is delicious. Especially when grown in your own garden, with your own compost and picked fresh to eat that very same day.

Mangia! Mangia!

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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Inflation + Recession = Food Gardens

8/15/2022

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Recession, Inflation, Food Gardens, garden, food shopping, sustainability, going green, going true green, Biden's Recession, Victory Gardens, saving money, saving health

Offset Recession and Inflation with a Garden

I have been blogging for years that we all should grow whatever food we can, wherever we can. From empty lots to roof tops and from backyards to window sills. Below are a few Links to those blogs, peruse their content when you want to learn more:

Victory Gardens / Mowing Down The Lawn / Green Earth / Benefits To Growing Food / Watermelon With Seeds

Because the United States now has high Inflation along with a Recession added into the equation, the media is talking about the need for people to start thinking about growing some of their own food! After all, many Food Markets are low in stock and skimpy in available choices.

Don't get me wrong, having a food garden of any size is work and having one to provide for yearly food needs is not possible for most of us. I put a great deal of time into my garden and that takes precision scheduling on my part. I have a well diversified work, business and volunteer schedule. I am not a farmer, yet this year I am enjoying the bounty of fresh grown produce such as:

So please don't hesitate giving a GO or Hand at growing a food garden. Especially now that prices are through the sky with our economy holding high inflation and saddled with a recession. Also do not overlook composting! Use my 'SEARCH' box at the very top of each page to find info and blogs on composting.

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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What Is A Triple 'C' Person?

7/31/2022

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Don't Be A Triple 'C' Person

We all know someone who is a Triple 'C' person in our lives. They are not part of our diversified team, they do not evaluate all the facts or the complete picture. They act out because they are being used by others, truly scared, misinformed, have a need to put others down in order to feel better about themselves, or just oblivious to the truth. These people are used by the media that sensationalizes to make more advertisement dollars. That is exactly what a Triple 'C' person does not need. They need support, love and the truth.

Several climate activist make claims that we have no time to waste with saving our environment. They state that we wasted decades of time not doing anything significant to make a difference. That statement I take as a personal insult to me and all my colleagues who are unpretentious scientists like myself. We have helped make a difference for 40 years and we do not look for or demand 15 minutes of fame. These climate activist easily fall into being a Triple 'C' person.

They Constantly Complain and Criticize others while doing little or nothing themselves to help. They are not part of the solution, they are part of the problem. In fact, instead of helping with any one issue, they are doing damage to positive team building and teamwork that is moving forward to solve an issue. Those who scream that we have not done anything, but only wasted energy and time, are in fact the ones causing road blocks against long term solutions. Several are telling lies to foster profits and power. Decades ago real scientific work started in earnest to protect our environment and save energy. We have major success stories from the Ozone layer to renewable energy production. Our planet is healthier despite those who led dishonestly and failed to recognize that a true leader must only serve, never gain.

Negative Triple 'C' influence is especially true when we are looking at the young adults and children of today. Whenever I am speaking to a group of students about our environment, I see in many faces that they were told little about solutions and everything about being doomed. Each survey I do with students of all ages, I have 30% of them raising their hands to state that they are truly scared about the future. Yet, none can cite a study or report to justify that fear, only the screams of a Triple 'C' person on TV or a misinformed climate activist in front of the classroom. As far as I am concerned, this is child abuse. No scientific study has stated that the world is doomed. We have challenges, but we are prevailing. None of the horrifying predictions of the past about the environment have come true. We are past due on all the doom sayers time tables as far back as 50 years ago. Human intelligence is prevailing and we will continue to do so if we work together!

One additional point, I know climate activists who do dangerous actions such as blocking traffic on a three lane highway, claim they must do those disruptions because this is comparable to pulling the fire alarm at 2 AM in a building that is burning to the ground. That is the right thing to do in order to save lives in a building about to be consumed. However, you do not pull a fire alarm in a building just because someone made money predicting the building may catch on fire someday.
That action is illegal.
That action can cost lives.
That action will do damage to positive team building.
That action will destroy the teamwork moving toward solutions.
That action proves you have been lied to and are being used to make some Triple 'C' person more money.

Work with us and do all the solutions you can do in your own house, place of work, place of worship and neighborhood. Then, the future will no longer be feared by anyone. We Got This!

Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
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BBV Publishing, BBV Pub, untold stories, upper room the way, Telomere, How to get out of work, Marti, francis Bacon, L. J. Williams, Bill Lauto

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Hallmark's "Christmas In July"

7/16/2022

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Hallmark is running Christmas movies in July because many people enjoy a Christmas movie in the middle of the summer. So I decided to do a GoingTrueGreen Christmas blog in July. After all, having a head start on this information will prove useful for many. Especially compared to me posting this blog sometime in December and perhaps a day late for many who already made a decision that can hurt or help our environment.

I have been asked many times by many people, "What kind of Christmas tree should I buy?"
My answer is always the same, "I prefer a Douglas Fir, however a Fraser Fir is just as nice."
Their reply is always, "Oh no, I mean between a fake tree or a real tree. Which is best for the environment?"

Well, the answer is always a real tree will be better for the environment. Here are the reasons and facts as to why:

Christmas, Hallmark, Christmas in July, Christmas trees, fake Christmas trees, sustainability, goingtruegreen, going green, chirstmas tree association, Hallmark movies, NASA, recycling, composting, carbon emissions, trees, hot chocolate, candy canes, saint Nick, forests, douglas fir, fraser fir

A Christmas Tree Farm

NASA has published findings that state we can take positive action for our environment by restoring our forests. Some other reported data shows that if all the Christmas tree farms in the United States of America are managed properly that would cut into carbon emissions up to 30 percent. I am not sure if that percentage is across the total amount of emissions nation wide or toward a specific discharge of carbon emissions. My research source did not elaborate, so I point this out because we must always be wary of any process of omission to create a narrative. Nevertheless, the truth will always triumph over one sided narratives.

Additionally, real trees purchased from a local Christmas Tree farm or a Garden Center such as the Powers' Country Gardens, does not produce the extreme carbon emissions that occur in the manufacturing of a plastic Christmas Tree and shipping 85% of said product from China seven thousands miles away. This is not counting the miles shipped across our country to stores.

I have read stats showing that we have here in the United States thousands of tree farms, many are growing Christmas trees. Up to 35 million real Christmas trees are sold each year as farmers plant up to 3 seedlings for every Christmas tree harvested according to the National Christmas Tree Association. I believe between the United States and Canada, approximately 350 million Christmas trees are growing every year.

Now the cost for buying a real Christmas tree every year can average out to $75.00. Well, actually the cost will be more and that is because at least half a day should be devoted to buying a Christmas Tree with family and friends. That means car pooling, getting a bite to eat together and don't forget the hot chocolate or candy canes! Perhaps a snowball volley will be possible due to the weather. How about a visit to see one of Saint Nicholas' helper or even Saint Nick himself for the kids! Also some ice skating or attending church services can all be done before visiting the local Garden Center or a Christmas Tree farm where you actually get to pick and cut down your own Christmas Tree! Sharing Christmas cheer with the farm workers and the family operating the farm or garden center is far better than pulling a plastic tree out of the attic or basement that lacks the fresh pine scent from a real tree. The reality of all this is that any day like the above with family and friends is priceless.

We must also include in our decision the facts that real trees are renewable, biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable into useful wood. At last count, there are over 4,000 Christmas tree recycling programs nation wide.

Comparing real trees to the annual 10 million artificial trees sold each year that have non-biodegradable plastic, possible other toxins such as lead, and cannot be recycled after an average 7 year life span, real trees are far more sustainable and better for the environment.

After all, what would you enjoy more? Spending a day like the one described above making real memories or being inside a store to buy a fake tree invented by the toilet bowl brush company called Addis Brushes. Yes, a fake tree isn't anything more than a giant green plastic upside down toilet bowl brush! Besides, who has memories of the time buying a fake tree?

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

6/30/2022

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Batman, Solar, panels, solar panels, electric bill, save energy, batwing, GTG, GoingTrueGreen, Going green, kWs, sunset, energy production, Tesla, solar city, solar power

Nice Batwing Batman!

Well, not exactly. The image shown has a graphic that is like a Batwing chart represents the pattern of light being given off by a light producing fixture. However, this image on the right is my energy production for the day from my solar panels. Nice smooth increase from early morning and a steady decline as the sun sets behind trees, other houses and the horizon.

So far this summer, I have no electric bill due to the excess kWs I have in the bank. Not only covering my electric cost, but taxes and fees included. Additionally, still producing excess power beyond what I used for the day and placed those kWs in the bank for the winter months and next year.

If you are interested in going with solar, become a GTG member and email us all your concerns and questions. We will be happy to provide additional basic info. Also for specific steps to reduce your own electric consumption without sacrifice is another benefit to being a GTG member.

Even if you already have a solar system and want to save more, membership can offer you additional access to specific energy saving actions to save big. Let us help make your current solar system shine brighter for you!

Bill Lauto , GTG
Environmental Scientist
 International Sustainability and Energy Consultant 
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Many Contractors Do What They Want, Not What You Need

6/17/2022

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contractors, insulation, energy, heating, energy consulting, sustainability, going green, environmental science, AOC, political leaders, joists, certified, vapor barrier, energy efficiency, how to install insulation, attic, doomed, fiberglass, energy bills, energy, heating, peace

Another Contractor's Job Done Wrong

With warmer weather, we tend to do more work outside around our home. Maintaining and fixing up around the house is an endless mission. Obviously, when financially feasible, one may hire a contractor to do some work or repairs. After all, some things we can't do because we know our limitations and perhaps we just want more time to do some other things, like visiting with family and friends or dare I say, just to have some time at peace praying?

Now when repairs or improvements are done in tandem with energy bills, we really don't want mistakes. However, hiring a contractor does NOT guarantee that mistakes will not happen. I can say with almost every improvement I made on my house when using an outside contractor, I found errors that would cost me more money on my energy bills.

Errors and lies were made almost all the time. Half truths were told to me just to sell me something I did not need. If the contractor took some time to realize what I was about as an Environmental Scientist and Energy Consultant, they wouldn't have been so surprised, when I questioned them about their half truths, flat out lies and errors! I must confess, seeing their mouths drop open when I hit them with facts that proved them wrong, was rewarding. Especially when they made the changes to do the job correctly.

The photo shows an old house being repaired. The outside wall was damaged and the old inefficient "bat" insulation was pulled out and replaced with new fiberglass insulation. This would be fine, but the new insulation was installed backwards and stuffed in between the wooden joists, thus compromising the integrity of the insulation. In the photo you can see the brown paper vapor barrier facing outward. This is completely wrong. The vapor barrier ALWAYS faces in toward the warmer side. Also the insulation was made for placement between joists 16 inches apart on center. These joists are 12 inches apart on center. So stuffing the insulation in with the vapor barrier facing the wrong way will cause mold and mildew build up, heat lost and condensation build up inside the wall.

These facts are the basics for insulation jobs and yet these contractors had no idea what they were doing. What makes this worse are our so called political leaders yelling for more weather stripping around doors and windows to save our Earth. Well, here is a News Flash - We have been doing those actions since the late 1970s!

How about testing contractors to be licensed? Make the tests easy by breaking the exams down for each trade or topic. For example, doing insulation jobs, then test for just that work. No need to know how to install a multi-set back thermostat or replacement windows. We test accountants, doctors, but if the world is doomed why are contractors unlicensed and free to do anything... especially when their labor produces energy inefficiency?!

I had to take classes to be certified and everyone who works on my team is certified or licensed in their field. They are experts. Therefore, all contractors need to be tested on their craft, not just the managers. I say this because after catching employees installing the wrong insulation in my attic, they called their manager and over the phone that manager tried to sell me the mistake his employees made. I knew the facts, but the average American does not! The manager that spoke to me didn't stand a chance and had no choice but to order the costly change so the job was done correctly. My house ended up being done correctly because I knew the facts as an energy consultant, but my house is only one of the many dwellings in our country. Sadly, the majority of Americans are unaware of these details and as such, across our nation, this creates an abundance of wasted energy due to uneducated, careless or corrupt contractors.

Most political leaders would do us all a world of good by stopping to pretend they are experts in everything. Most of the time they do not know what they are talking about, especially when it comes to energy and our environment.

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