Goal For The Green

If you are interested in pursuing a career in public health, you may be thinking about getting a degree at a traditional school or through an online program. You will find that there are many options for both; USC’s MPH program is online, for example, but there are universities all across the United States with traditional programs where you need to attend lectures and classes. How you choose your program depends on what works best for you. Either way, it may open up doors to a career in administration.

The seal of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The symbol represents the American People sheltered in the wing of the American Eagle, suggesting the Department’s concern and responsibility for the welfare of the people. The colors are reflex blue and gold. This seal is now just used for mainly legal purposes; the department has a separate logo which is used for its visual identity. More information here and here. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jobs in public health administration can put you in many different settings, so some people pursue this type of career because the flexibility that it provides. For example, some organizations work with refugees in the country who need medical care. These refugees have to go to the Heath Department for initial screenings, and then they may need to go to the doctor for a checkup, immunizations or treatments. At the administrative level, all of these appointments need to be set up, and people often have to be found to bring them to their appointments because they have no cars of their own. On top of that, interpreters are often required to allow them to communicate with health professionals.

This is just a single example, but you can see how it can be extrapolated to other areas within the industry. No matter what group of people your organization works with, you need to make sure that everything is scheduled appropriately and that appointments are not missed; if they are, more appointments may not be open for weeks or even months. Furthermore, complete medical records must be kept, patient portfolios much be updated, and paperwork must be filed. This is a complex job that requires incredible attention to detail if you are going to avoid errors that could lead to delays. In a health care setting, this is of the utmost importance.

As you begin your degree, keep in mind that future employers seek candidates who naturally pay attention to detail and check their own work. You need to be organized and dedicated to sorting through all of the small print. You will learn about all the most common types of paperwork that are needed, the best practices to use when doing scheduling and other administrative work, and any legal regulations that could impact your job.

Guest Post by Zeke Iddon

Yes, the entire Internet.

A fairly odd question, but one that will probably give you pause for thought; in a world where the phrase ‘global warming’ is synonymous with SUVs, air conditioning and poor recycling, it isn’t often that we consider one of the most widely-used resources ever to grace the planet.

So, how green is the Internet? The answer will probably surprise you…

The Case Against

Putting aside for one moment the amount of energy used to power offices and home computer set-ups around the world, the data centers which they access are worth examining.

Forming the core of the ‘net, these data centers are absolutely gigantic – many are the size of large shopping malls – and house rows and rows of power-hungry cabinets as well as the systems which keep them cool.

It’s difficult to quantify exactly how much CO2 is produced globally since it can vary wildly depending on what power grid they derive their energy from (for instance, if a country runs its electricity grid via fossil fuels), but our best estimates put the worldwide CO2 emissions from data centers at around 80 megatons.

It’s a hard number to visualize, but to put it into perspective these data centers account for 1.5% of all the world’s electricity (as of 2010). By 2020, it is predicted that the emissions put out by all of the data centers on the planet will quadruple, making this sector of industry a bigger pollutant than the airline industry.

But if you think that sounds extreme, consider this: data centers are only 10% of the equation.

90% of the pollution is generated within our own homes.

Connecting to a network wirelessly (either through routers or via mobile carriers) accounts for nearly 43.2 TerraWatts of all energy usage, which carries a carbon footprint equal to putting nearly 5 million new cars on the road.

With this in mind, it’s not surprising that having this technology in our homes has implications not just for the planet, but also our own health. There’s strong evidence to suggest that radiation emissions from WiFi routers and static towers has a tangible effect on the human body, which gives further rise to concern about our reliance on WiFi. These dangers – as well as the carbon footprint – are greatly mitigated by simply plugging into a router directly.

Obviously we’re not suggesting that the world shuts down the entire Internet, but at face value, the Internet appears to be one of the biggest – and most often ignored – drains on our resources, and something that should be used sparingly… or is it?

The Case For

In order to fully understand this tricky puzzle, we need to look at the bigger picture. Every activity uses up resources; what it really comes down to is how sustainable those activities and resources are.

We cannot begin to count the amount of hours spent watching cat videos on YouTube, or how much energy is used up by teenage girls pursuing One Direction on Twitter. But what we can quantify is the energy savings afforded to businesses on a practical level:

Increased connectivity allows for better telecommuting. Home offices typically use half the energy of a corporate set-up, and hugely telecommuting reduces emissions caused by traffic congestion.

This applies to numerous industries, too – particularly ones that are moving towards digitization. If you cut out the amount of unnecessary travel, and also factor in that telecommuting is proven to increase productivity, the Internet is very much a force for environmental good.

And while the amount of data centers needed to house the ‘net is on the up, so are their efficiency levels. In part driven by Green Peace activism (and for cost reasons), many of the big data companies – Google, Apple, Facebook, etc. – are striving to make their data centers more energy efficient.

According to a Standford report, the big players have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by a huge 88%, and Apple have already managed to become carbon-neutral.

In Conclusion

So the question isn’t necessarily how green the Internet is, but more one of how green we can make it.

The answer for those of us at home?

Plug directly into your wireless routers, and try to work from home more often.

The planet will thank you for it.

Photo by Jyle Dupuis via Flickr

What is old to some can be new for others when it comes to hybrid vehicles. According to the New York Times, an estimated 415,000 used hybrids were on the market this past May, with some used Toyota Prius models listed as low as $15,000. Similar hybrid models remain competitively priced today, as a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid was recently listed for $15,495 on the used car dealership website Drive Time. However, buyers willing to spend more to own the newest models not only get the full life of a manufacturer’s warranty but they may also be eligible for the federal Plug-In Electric Drive Vehicle Credit as well as other state tax credits, as the IRS notes.

Photo by motorblog via Flickr

Whether you buy a used or new model, there are certainly advantages that come with owning a hybrid vehicle—namely the improved gas mileage that will save you money by spending less time at the pump. According to the Huffington Post, hybrid car sales rose about 73 percent from 2011 to 2012 to an estimated 440,000 units. If you do decide to look for a used hybrid vehicle, there are a few things that you will want to keep in mind during your search.

As the automotive website Edmunds.com noted, “the first and most important step a prospective buyer should take” is to conduct a thorough check of the used hybrid’s service record. As hybrid vehicle specialist Carolyn Coquilette told Edmunds, the fact that hybrids are largely computer-controlled is good because it generally means you’re not going to have the same concerns about prior driving abuse you would have with other cars. Instead, one concern for hybrid buyers has more to do with the specialized batteries.

The April 2013 issue of Consumer Reports reported that nearly 20 percent of 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid owners required a battery replacement over a 12-month survey period. Additionally, the replacement rate was more than 10 percent for 2003, 2004 and 2010 Civic Hybrid models. Because hybrid batteries can range between $2,000 and $4,000 to replace, that is an understandable concern for potential buyers.

Photo by goldberg via Flickr

However, the Times noted that federal regulations require all hybrids to carry a minimum of a 100,000-mile, eight-year battery warranty, and some tests have shown that hybrid batteries can last much longer. John O’Dell, a senior editor at Edmunds, told the Times that battery life shouldn’t be a concern if a car is less than five years old and has fewer than 100,000 miles. Additionally, two executives at top automotive battery companies told the Wall Street Journal that the cost of lithium-ion batteries used in electric and hybrid vehicles will likely be about half of today’s price by 2020.

Another important step in looking for a used hybrid vehicle is to have an independent inspection performed by a trained hybrid mechanic. While many locations will typically have signage letting you know that they employ such trained mechanics, some dealerships do not always have certified mechanics. If you are unsure where to find qualified technicians in your area, the Auto Career Development Center lists such locations.

Photo by jurvetson via Flickr

Price can understandably be the major sticking point for those torn between buying new or used, but it should be noted that David Wurster, president of automotive research company Vincentric, told Forbes that while most hybrids have higher depreciation costs than non-hybrids, about half the hybrids his company analyzed in November 2012 had lower depreciation rates than the non-hybrids. Prospective buyers should also learn about the potential incentives their state offers—many of which are tax credits worth thousands of dollars.