About True Cost Index
Purpose
True Cost Index is a definitional site for physical-unit true-cost measurement.
The site is written for curious generalists. It uses lifecycle assessment literature to show measurable physical quantities associated with ordinary things, while avoiding dollar conversion, single-score rankings, and argumentative comparisons.
The first worked examples are diesel, natural-gas combined-cycle electricity, chicken, and eggs. They were chosen to demonstrate the method across fuel, electricity, and food without beginning with the most politically loaded items.
Editorial Approach
Sites in the Clay Indices family follow a fact-first approach. Content is written to be directly useful, not promotional. Sources are cited. Where a topic is contested or uncertain, that uncertainty is named rather than resolved by assertion. Where opinion appears, it is marked as opinion. The goal is to make complex concepts readable without flattening them.
For True Cost Index, that means reporting physical quantities in natural units, stating functional units and system boundaries, using visible sources, separating working values from ranges, and avoiding moral ranking.
Scope and Limitations
This site is a conceptual and definitional reference. It does not provide investment advice, rank assets, or recommend strategies. The concepts covered here are simplifications of complex realities; no single page can capture every individual circumstance. Readers seeking professional guidance should consult a qualified advisor in the relevant field.
For True Cost Index, this also means the site is not environmental consulting and not a substitute for a formal lifecycle assessment. Values depend on sources, boundaries, geography, technology, and data vintage.
The site does not claim that a working value is the only valid value. It identifies the selected value, shows the boundary, and lists the sources used.
Attribution
Clay Indices is built and maintained by George Clay. His background spans graduate-level study in Organizational Leadership, undergraduate work in Computer Science, and prior service as a U.S. Navy Nuclear Reactor Operator. The family grew out of a long-running interest in transparent, rules-based reference work — and a frustration with sites and products that hide their methodology behind marketing language. Every site in the family publishes its complete construction rules or methodology. The site is a personal project, not a registered investment advisor or professional advisor in any field.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/georgefclay