Archive for February, 2009
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Green Energy Sources?
Today, we are now aware of the effects of global warming. Fortunately, it’s not too late and we can still change which is why many are pushing for green energy sources.
The advantage of using green energy sources is that it is clean so it does not emit anything harmful into the air which has an impact on the environment. It is also renewable which means we will never run out of it unlike oil which is expected to dry up in a decade or so.
Although green energy facilities are expensive to build, it requires less maintenance so you don’t have to shell out a lot of money to operate it.
It can also bring economic benefits to certain areas even boost tourism.
While these sound good, there are some who say that there are advantages to using such technology.
While green energy sources can produce electricity, how much it can generate is not consistent. This is because we have no control of the weather so if a certain area relies on solar energy and there is a weather disturbance, it will not be able to convert sunlight into electricity.
Building these facilities also requires a lot of land so we may have to cut on farmland which is what many are concerned about if more wind turbines are to be put up.
Another disadvantage is the fact that some of the green energy sources cannot be installed in certain areas of the planet. For instance, wave energy can only be utilized if the waves coming from the ocean reach at least 16 feet. The use geothermal energy can only be done in geologically unstable parts of the planet.
But if you look at such arguments, places that cannot use one form of green energy source can be substituted for another. If wind turbines need more space, they can be installed near the coast instead of putting these on land. A study shows that you can generate more electricity while these are in the ocean.
While the weather is something we cannot control, it is not everyday that there is a weather disturbance so this too shall pass. If solar energy is being used and the sun is covered, the emergency generators will be activated and use up the energy that was stored.
The point is that there are ways around the arguments put by certain individuals which discourage the use of green energy sources. In fact, research is ongoing to try and harness other means to generate the power we need.
A very good example of this is called ocean thermal energy. Power is generated by harnessing the different temperatures in the water. It is currently being used on a small scale both in Japan and Hawaii.
In the US, only 7% of green energy sources are used nationally. This was much higher 11 years ago and if we don’t have to worry about the cost of oil or even reduce our dependency on it, we have to invest more in this clean energy.
We can get it from green energy sources such as biomass, biodiesel, geothermal, solar, water and the wind. These are things we have all around us and all it takes is for someone to harness it instead of relying on traditional non-renewable means to produce energy.
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February 14th, 2009
Career Shift during Recession
One of the ways to cope with recession is considering a career shift. Not too many likes the idea of changing career plans during a downturn. However, if you have already felt the effect of recession – say you’ve been laid off, why not give a different career path a chance, right? It may not have quickly crossed your mind to prioritize job security when choosing a job. However, whether you are choosing your first job or making a switch, it can be helpful, particularly during our present economic situation. Indeed, no job is 100% secure. But there are some industries that have workers feeling more confident that even if they get fired, the demand is so great that finding another job would be very easy.
So how do you choose a career that’s right for you during a recession? Here are some recession-proof careers that are worthy of consideration:
Education
There is a great shortage of teachers. No matter how down the economy is, teachers will always be in-demand. Children will continue to go to school. Also, lots of unemployed adults may decide to further their education. Although teaching is not one of the highest-paid careers there is, making only about $30,000 to $45,000 a year, people will still settle for a career that does not earn more because they are tired of being unemployed for a long time. This is especially true for those who would want to try something new anyway or those who despise the roller-coaster rid that a corporate life offers.
Healthcare
Job hunters with Information Technology background are said to be a good fit to the healthcare industry – particularly nursing. This is because Nursing is an information-driven career. And, it is one useful career during a recession because healthcare is an industry that does not usually get affected during these times.
Auditing
Auditors are also usually unaffected by downturns. In a recession, individuals and firms are more probably doing their best to get more deductions. More people are monitoring their books, so the demand for auditors or accountants is much greater.
Energy and Utilities
Energy consumers may cut back, but the consumption will not stop. The same with utilities, people will still light their homes. So, jobs like maintenance and utility administration prove to be more stable than others during a recession.
Pharmaceuticals
As long as physicians prescribe drugs, people are still going to take them. This means that if you are working as a pharmacist or as a quality assurance analyst in pharmaceutical laboratory, you are in good hands.
Military
Since the military is always hiring, particularly during wartime, during a recession soldiers will not be that affected. Serving the military also means that most of your living expenses will be covered.
Security
Recession does not stop crime. With the increase in layoffs, more people are considering robbing banks and doing other crimes. So, the need for security workers becomes greater.
Environmental Sciences
The convenient truth is that the eco-friendly trend is not going anywhere. This means that choosing a career in environment-care-related industries can be a good career choice.
Government
Working for the government can be one of your best choices during this downturn. This is because many stable jobs can be found in the federal government. The government will not cease from functioning even during crisis.
With that variety of career choices, it will not be that difficult to find one that will save you from this economic situation.
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February 12th, 2009
Where to Find a Free Debt Consolidation Quote
There are many sources online that offer free debt consolidation quotes. Quotes are overall views of what you can get from a service. The quotes are often free and should not go against your credit points. Therefore, if you are in need of debt relief, you may want to go online and get a quote from several of the providers.
Debt consolidation agencies, debt consolidation settlement plans, and debt consolidation reduction plans are available to help those people who do not feel like taking on the responsibility of relieving their own debt. Most people are unaware that there are free kits available at libraries to help them achieve debt consolidation. The forms are included and most libraries will allow you to even copy the pages..
Furthermore, many debtors are unaware that they can write their creditors and ask for reductions, settlements, and consolidation. Some creditors will even drop the debt if they see the chances of payoffs are minimal. For example, if you are disabled, you may qualify for a reduction, consolidation, settlement or dismissal. Therefore, it pays to learn all you can about debt, consolidation, and other related subjects, including your legal rights as a debtor before even considering debt consolidation.
Again, the quotes are free, but still you should investigate the site before getting a quote. It makes no sense to get a quote from a spammer if you can avoid it. One way to investigate a company is to check with the Better Business Bureau or else type in the website information in the search engine to learn all you can about the company. You could also type in the website name “+” reviews to get an insight of how the company for debt relief worked in the past.
Whatever you do, don’t feel you have to rush hastily into making a decision. Hunt around for quotes and hunt around for a good consolidation firm; and only settle when you find the best firm for your needs.
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February 11th, 2009
Saving Energy – Using CFLs Gets You 66% Less in Energy Cost
For most homes in the developed countries, lighting alone accounts for 9% of the total energy requirement. For other parts of the world, it is far more than that. Thus, using cost-efficient lights can be a real life-saver, or should we say, energy-saver.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs are made to be very efficient; it uses 66% less energy than the conventional light bulbs. Just by changing from the incandescent to the CFLs could already reduce electrical consumption to 7%.
When compared to the regular light bulbs, CFLs give the same amount of luminescence for less power and while it has a higher purchase price than the incandescent, CFLs have longer lifespan (approximately 12 times than the incandescent light bulbs, about 11,000 hours), enough to save $US30 in electrical costs during the bulbs lifetime.
A US published article claimed that if a household changes 30 fixtures in their home, investing $90, the money saved in the span of five years could be anywhere from $500 to $1,500 depending on the areas electrical costs. For commercial buildings and other bigger establishments, the savings are even greater. An average CFL at 75 watts could save $22 dollars in direct energy savings per year. If that is multiplied by the number of light bulbs in a building, and include the cost of labor that could be saved from changing light bulbs, the savings could rise exponentially. True, there is a capital investment of about $2 USD per fixture; however that could be recovered in a month from money saved.
Other manufacturers of CFLs also apply titanium dioxide coating. This is because titanium dioxide is claimed to neutralize bacteria, odors and molds. Still many manufacturers of CFLs apply a luminous coating to the bulb for the purpose of luminescence after the CFL is turned off. The idea behind is that a little light could still remain, even for a short while, in cases of power failure and accidents.
Because Carbon Fluorescent lamps do not emit as much heat as the incandescent light bulbs, there is also less work for air conditioners in cooling up the space.
Surely there must be a downside.
If this could be called a downside, CFLs behave differently from the ordinary incandescent bulbs. For one, it takes longer to attain its full brightness depending on the temperature. The colder the climate is, the longer it will take for the bulb to give off full brightness. CFL also gives off the brightest light during its first use and begins to dull gradually, giving off less light as it nears the end of its life; a CFLs is expected to reduce its brightness by 20% from its original brightness on first installation. But that is just about it.
Saving energy, in almost all conceivable phases of production, is in focus today. The fuel that is currently in use, as we are all aware, is non renewable. This is why even in the field of lighting, continuous research is being done to further reduce the coefficient of energy that has to be saved.
Solid state lighting, for example, is widely used in traffic lights; although for now, using this technology to be an energy saving method for domestic consumption is still being developed as the current cost is still high. For now, saving energy through the CFLs remains to spell a definite advantage compared with incandescent light bulbs.
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February 10th, 2009
A Little Goes a Long Way: Smart Secrets to Budgeting
There’s nothing more we want than to be able to efficiently manage our money. After all, the money that we want to manage is money that is oftentimes, hard earned. This is where a budget comes in. A budget executed properly, should help you see where your money is going, get more utility out of every buck, and help you save some extra for future use.
The first smart secret to a budget is to set a goal. What do you want to achieve? Do you want to correctly appropriate your income into bills payments? Do you want to put an amount aside for a big purchase or a huge investment? By having a goal, you will be able to shape your budget to best serve your interests.
Secondly, you would want to take note of where your money usually goes. This includes bills, major but regular purchases (like grocery costs, healthcare costs, and the like), and everyday miscellaneous purchases. Only when you list down where you know your money usually goes will you be able to identify which expenses you can do without. Once you’ve identified these regular expenditures, take into consideration what you can cut back on. How much do you spend on your daily caffeine fix in the morning? How much do you spend on newspaper deliveries to your front door? The measly $2 or $5 of these small purchases cumulatively translates to more than $3600 a year! Instead of buying your expensive latte or reading the newspaper on print, put aside the amount you would usually pay for these small routine purchases in a small container. You will be surprised at how much you’re saving out of your older budget.
Being indebted is a vicious cycle on its own. You’re talking about continuous payments, not to mention huge interest rates. The best way to deal with this is to pay the minimum on all of your debts in order to avoid paying extraneous late fees. Whatever cash excesses you may have, you can opt to add on to the payments you make in your biggest debt. This way, you are concentrated on getting the biggest debts first that cost you the greatest interest rates. Doing this progressively, you’ll be amazed at how much you’ll get off your huge debts.
The last and most important step is to jot down the amount you earn the sum you spend. You can make use of computer cash management programs, or make database sheets of your own. Make a system that works for you and will help you keep track of your monthly budgeting progress.