Goal For The Green

Para-education and green living information

Archive for June, 2014

Pursuing a Career in Public Health

Jun-30-2014 By Barbara Zak

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 He...

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.

Buying a Fence to Suit All of Your Needs

Jun-29-2014 By Barbara Zak
Fort McMurray, Alberta Location

Fort McMurray, Alberta Location (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fences are a useful tool when you want to indicate where your land starts or ends or if you need to keep animals off of your yard. If you have a garden, you don’t want to deal with deer eating your flowers or other animals eating the fruits or vegetables that you have raised to feed your family.

Those who are having a party may want to talk to a fence rentals Fort McMurray company about the cost of having a temporary fence erected. A fence can keep guests in one place, cut down on noise and make it easier to keep any mess associated with the event contained.

A fence sales Edmonton specialist will be able to tell you more about how much it would cost to buy a fence that meets your needs and your budget. It may also be possible to learn how much it would cost to have a fence installed if you don’t want to put it in yourself or are not physically able to do so.

Fences make it harder for people or animals to invade your property when you are not able to defend your property. Talking to a fence salesman may be able to help you find the fence that you need for a price that you can afford to pay.

Choosing a Home Water Filtration System

Jun-25-2014 By Barbara Zak

Bottled Water Alternatives: Simple Ways to Save Money on Filtered Water and Help Protect the Planet

The taste of tap water is completely subjective, and even some consumers can’t tell the difference between filtered water and the H20 that flows from the tap.

If you don’t like the taste of tap water, however, the bottled version is a great tap alternative.

But, if you think your bottled water is filtered, think again. In fact, many bottled water companies get their water from municipal and county sources, instead of some remote mountain spring.

For those eco-chic families who want to go green, you’ll want a great tasting, filtered bottled-water alternative that is gentle to the taste and to the earth.
Here are a few bottled water alternatives to satisfy your taste for high-quality beverages, and that are healthy and safe to drink.

Bottled water history

Bottled waters were originally specialty drinks that were marketed to consumers for their health-giving qualities. In fact, many countries had mineral springs where wealthy people would drink the water during a visit to a spa or resort.

For people who were unable to visit these remote locations, the resorts and spas began bottling the mineral waters and selling it to consumers.

In the United States, there are over 183 varieties of bottled water. The oldest bottled water brand in the U.S. is Mountain Valley Spring Water. This water is from Hot Springs, Arkansas and has been consumed by United States Senators since 1904.

Bottled water alternatives

The first option to filter your water is to use a home water filtering system. You can use a refrigerator-mounted, faucet-mounted or pitcher-style water filter.

While tap water is safe, many water filters help to remove potentially harmful toxins and contaminants. Common contaminants found in tap water include chlorine by-products such as chloroform, parasites and lead – see the full list. These home water filters also do a great job of removing the metallic aftertaste that remains after drinking tap water.

Pitcher-style water filters are cheaper than faucet-mounted filters. Depending on the amount of water that you drink each month, the water filters will need to be changed every three to four months.

The second alternative is a purified water unit. This unit looks similar to a water cooler, but it is essentially a refrigerator with a filtration system. The water inside the unit is chilled and filtered and the cost to run this unit is cheaper than investing in a traditional home water cooler.

Lastly, you could install a whole house water filter which essentially gives you spring like water through every faucet of your home. Although this option is pricier, the Pelican Water Systems whole house filter is nearly maintenance-free and easily installed in any home and has a 600,000-1,000,000-gal. /5-year capacity.

Bottled water money-saving tips

If you must drink bottled water, here are a few tips to save money when you buy bottled water.
1. Start with inexpensive bottled water suppliers first, and if you find one you prefer over the others, stay with this water company.
2. If you like the portability of water bottles, buy a few, or a large gallon jug of water, and refill them using your home water filtration system.
3. Private label water bottles sold in grocery stores, big box retailers and warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club are cheaper than fancy water brands.
4. Do not buy bottled water at drugstores and convenient stores, where the water is more expensive.