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Posted: Friday, August 7th, 2009
Category: Environmental

WASHINGTON – For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership recognized  20 partners for generating the most green electricity on site. Combined, the top 20 partners are generating and consuming more than 736 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of on-site green power annually. This is equivalent to the electricity needed to power more than 61,000 American homes annually. The partners’ contributions are helping to expand America’s renewable energy portfolio, improve the nation’s energy security, and reduce their organizations’ greenhouse gas emissions.

“These companies are leading a nationwide move to the clean energy economy, one that can create million of jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and protect against global climate change,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.  “Our Green Power Partnership leaders are setting the standard for our clean energy future.”

The top five partners from the list of 20, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, City of San Diego, San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant (Calif.), and CalPortland, consumed and generated the greatest amount of on-site green power. By using more than 535 million kWh of on-site green power, these partners prevented carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to the emissions from more than 70,000 passenger vehicles per year.

Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and low-impact hydropower. On-site green power is deployed directly at energy users’ facilities rather than at central power plants. Green power electricity generates less pollution than conventional power and produces no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

EPA’s Green Power Partnership works with more than 1,100 partner organizations to voluntarily purchase green power to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use.
Overall, the partners are buying more than 16 billion kWh of green power annually, equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions from electricity use of more than 1.6 million American homes.

EPA is also updating its other top partner lists, including its National Top 50 Purchasers list. Intel Corporation, PepsiCo, Whole Foods Market, Kohl’s Department Stores, and Dell Inc. continue to rank in the top five overall of green power purchasers.

More information on top 20 on-site users of green power:
http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/top20onsite.htm

More information on EPA’s Green Power Partnership: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower

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Posted: Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Category: Cosmetology

There are very few careers that are growing in the current economy. In fact, there are very few industries that can even manage to maintain their stance, let alone gain business in these tough times. However, the cosmetology industry is growing and more schools and programs are having to change their programs to accommodate the masses of people coming to them for professional training that will leave them with a career in the end. People love their salon appointments and their day spa treatments, and will likely hang on to them for as long as they can. While they might not come as often, they will still come, according to many salon owners.

As such, people who have been downsized or let down by jobs that they thought they loved are seeking a new career to love in the cosmetology industry. There are so many different choices once you’ve obtained the education that it’s often hard for people to choose what they want to do. Some will stick with working at a salon or day spa, while others will go into business for themselves, work in fashion shows, or even become editorial writers and professionals that work for fashion magazines.

The things that you can do with a cosmetology certification are unlimited, which means that it’s a great choice for anyone who loves beauty and helping others look good. People are willing to sacrifice a lot in these tough times, but looking good is not one of those things. Ask any person who visits a salon or day spa regularly, and they will tell you just how important those appointments are to their serenity and peace of mind. People, don’t have to look good, they simply want to, and they want to feel good too. Especially in these tough times, having a few moments to pamper yourself can be a huge blessing.

Whether people go on to open their own salons or to work for any number of the booming salons that are already out there in the world, one thing is certain. There is work for every cosmetology student and prospective student as long as they know where to look. People need to be re-trained in an industry that they can enjoy without having to spend a lot of years in school. Considering that most programs average around 5-10 months depending on the training that is needed, it’s definitely a fast track to a new career for anyone who chooses it.

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Posted: Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Category: Cosmetology

There are so many different things to consider when it comes to choosing a career. However, you also have to think about your specialty once you have chosen that career in order to make sure that you’re doing exactly what you want to be doing in your life. Careers in cosmetology are exciting, creative, and rewarding. The industry is worth more than $60 billion, and is a stable force even with so much economic chaos surrounding the world today. Cosmetology graduates can work just about anywhere they want, including day spas, salons, in their own businesses, or even in fashion and editorial work. With so many choices, here are some tips on how to find your dream job.

Determine your working style. Are you independent and creative? If you have a motivated attitude, you might be best suited for opening your own shop. If not, you could prove to be an asset to any team that you apply with, no matter how big or small.

Figure out what you like best. Do you want to rule the town with your own personal salon and beauty services, or are you content providing your services through an existing salon and not having the hassle of owning a business?

See what’s available to you. If you want jobs in fashion, for example, you’ll likely have to live in high profile cities like LA and New York, but it all depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a job at a salon, choose the size and style that you want, and then go out and find your dream position.

If you want to start your own business, make sure that there is room for it in your community. Many people succeed with their own salons because people get very attached to their professional cosmetologists, which keep them coming back for more. However, if your market is oversaturated, you might be better off working for someone else until you can relocate or you can find a need for your own business.

These are just a few tips that you can keep in mind when it comes to choosing what you want to do with your cosmetology certification. There is no limit to your options, and all that matters is that you choose what makes you happy. With millions of different openings around the world and probably hundreds of thousands in the U.S. alone, you’ve definitely got plenty to choose from in your cosmetology career.

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Posted: Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Category: Environmental

It’s not expensive to go green. It can prove to be a little daunting at first because you’ll see big things like lighting, house makeovers, solar energy, and other options that people offer to make your home and life more eco-friendly. However, you don’t have to buy a $12,000 hybrid car in order to make an eco-friendly statement. You can easily start small, and suggest to friends and family members to start small, too. Here are some great ways to go green and love it.

Recycle paper products, use recycled products, or don’t use them at all. Throwing away paper towels and plates on a regular basis is like throwing away trees. If you have to use these materials, recycle them. If you can get away with real plates and cloth napkins, just wash and re-use.

Change light bulbs in your home to energy efficient bulbs. Use the electricity savings to start a green fund so that you can make other improvements in and around your home. Light bulbs are affordable, and can save you a lot of money on electricity. Plus, it makes the world a better place.

Stop wasting gas, or any other resources that you’re using up that you don’t need to. Don’t drive around just for the sake of it, and try not to use your air conditioning unless it’s necessary, because it creates more emissions because your engine works harder.

Find fun ways to conserve, save, and stop waste. Don’t make it a chore, because then you won’t want to do it. However, if you can get creative and make it fun, you might actually enjoy being green.

Don’t be discouraged because you are only making small steps. Small steps are a great place to start, and as long as you’re trying and doing something, it’s better than nothing at all. Just do what you can with what you have.

Going green is not a difficult thing to do. You can find many different ways to help out, and even the little things make a big difference. Just take small steps and figure out what you can do that’s within your means. Everyone can do something to make the world a little more eco-friendly, and it doesn’t have to be anything extravagant or amazing, either. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make the biggest impact. If you’re thinking about going green, go ahead. There is nothing stopping you but yourself.

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Posted: Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Category: Environmental

The EPA runs a program out of Washington, D.C. that actually pays 8th graders to learn about the environment. The program is known as the Student Environmental Development Program (SEDP), and encourages middle school students to acquire life skills and learn about eco-friendly living, all while making some cool cash. The students are chosen from schools in the DC metro area, and attend the week-long program at George Washington University, where they ‘report to work’. The entire program runs for six weeks which includes classroom learning and field trips to the outdoors that culminates with a graduation ceremony for students who complete the program.

This program offers a chance for kids to go to camp when they can’t afford it, or is an alternative for those who don’t like traditional camps that are available. The students will finish the program and come out to be better educated, have public speaking and leadership skills, and be informed advocates for the environment, making them better citizens of the world. Programs like these are great for children of all ages and from all walks of life, and the best part of this one is that they’re getting paid to learn at the SEDP camp.

The program is a challenge for students, allowing them to find innovative ways of educating people about the environment, and can allow them to empower themselves and their communities to solve environmental issues when the arise. Hands-on lessons are a big part of this camp, allowing students to get their hands dirty and learn about the various issues that apply to the environment and the world that we live in today. Camps like this one aren’t going to be found everywhere, but they should definitely be offered to more children to inspire them to learn and grow in their awareness of the world.

Environmental awareness that is created in children will likely carry through to many different areas of life. However, even when the topic isn’t the environment, these programs can create a great place for kids to learn and earn and have a good time doing it. There is something for just about everyone in the world of summer camps, but very few, if any, programs like the EPA’s learn and earn summer program. SEDP is open to all students in the DC Metro area, and can be a great experience for anyone who chooses to attend. For more information, you can check out the website: http://www.epa.gov/region3/ee/sedp.htm.

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Posted: Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Category: Healthcare

Healthcare positions are important positions for people to have. There are many different areas where your job can be critical to the lives and wellbeing of others. When you have a job in the healthcare field, however, the good feeling of helping others isn’t exactly going to advance your career or get the bills paid. If you’re looking for a way to improve your salary and gain new skills while on the job, here are some things to keep in mind.

Just because the economy is in a recession doesn’t mean that you can’t keep climbing the career ladder. The process will likely be a little more difficult, but it is still something that you can take on if you so choose. Check out opportunities for growth within your particular company and see where you can improve skills and move up even when the economy is standing still.

Be aware of your choices. You need to take advantage of every opportunity, and you can’t do that without knowing what’s available to you. Take the time to figure out which options you have and then determine which one is the next best move for you. No one can tell you which promotion is best or what skills you need to have for your career goals besides yourself.

Pay attention to new medical buildings and offices opening up. Every day, all over the country, there are new facilities being built. You can often get your foot in the door before these places even open and increase your salary by taking a better position with them.

Work smarter, not harder. Do your job to 100% of your abilities, and prove to your superiors that you are worthy of a pay increase, promotion, or further training to upgrade your job status. Nothing is more important than your success, and companies always reward hard workers who deserve it.

Finding ways to improve your position within your healthcare job might not seem like a high priority right now. As long as you take the time to figure out exactly what you need, you can find many ways to improve your career without even having to leave your job or do a lot of work to find another one. Make sure that you always choose what is best for you, because sometimes money isn’t everything. If you enjoy what you do and are happy with your income, then you should be fine. If, however, you want something more challenging and rewarding, it’s probably time to take the next step up the career ladder.

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Posted: Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Category: Healthcare

Ever since President Obama was elected into office, the focus has been on reforming and revamping the public healthcare system to make it more efficient and affordable for people. By reforming the healthcare system, the goal is to get more people the health insurance and coverage that they need, but the sudden rush to find a solution is putting many people in a precarious place. When the country is in an economic state like the current one, can money really afford to be spent on something so expensive and that isn’t well-planned? What good will it do, after all, to have a brand new healthcare reform in place if it costs the country valuable money that it could have spent on more important things?

What is worse is if the plan moves forward, is developed, and then ends up failing. Then, the money that was spent on the plan in the first place is lost and we are back to square one with overpriced healthcare insurance programs that are governed by the trillion dollar insurance industry, rather than the government or people who actually need the insurance coverage. By doing too much, too soon, many representatives feel that they will do the healthcare system wrong, which is the last thing that anyone needs.

It’s been proposed that the healthcare reform issue be better planned and wait until it can be fully developed and understood before it is put into play. By taking the time to check out all of the different programs offered by other countries and even our own insurance companies, it will be quite easy to see where changes need to be made and how costs can be lowered so that the people who really need insurance can actually afford it.

The current plan is one that will tax the wealthy Americans and small businesses, which is going to cause a lot of problems for people in the way of jobs. Considering that the unemployment rate is already sky-high, people can’t really afford to lose more jobs in this economy. Many argue that there is no point in spending $1-2 trillion on a health care reform that will end up leaving more than 33 million people still without insurance, because the plan was not well thought-out. It’s definitely going to be a back-and-forth battle to the end, but congress needs to be sure that it is aware of what it is doing. Doing the wrong thing when it comes to healthcare reforms can be far more costly than doing nothing at all.

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Posted: Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Category: Alcohol & Food Safety

Food service training is sometimes required depending on the positions that you go into when training to be a server or bartender. Working in food service requires a lot of education in responsible alcohol serving, food safety, and other areas of hospitality management that you might not think about. Some restaurants and food service companies might not require as much training as others, but you need to be prepared just in case you are asked to get various training along the way. One of the best ways to learn the things that you need to when it comes to food service training is to train online, where you can find cheap courses and study at your own pace.

The internet is a great resource for career training and continuing education. If you want to make the most of your food service career, but you don’t have time to go back to school, consider working with an online program where you can learn everything quickly and on your own time and keep your job while you’re learning. Some companies that require this type of training will even pay for the courses, so make sure that you ask about that.

Hospitality management, food service, and server and bartender positions can be very rewarding and lucrative in many different ways. You’ll get to enjoy a career where you can interact with others and prepare food or serve people in a way that you enjoy. When you have more training in the industry, you will be able to get better jobs and get promoted through the ranks much more quickly than you might have otherwise. Not only that, but there is some training and education that is mandated by state law for servers, bartenders, and other food service workers. Next time that you have to attend a food safety seminar and don’t have the spare time to travel, consider asking about taking an online course.

Taking online training courses for food service can offer much more convenience and affordability. For those whose employers don’t pay for the training, this can be critical. Not everyone can afford to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on their food service training, and these programs offer a great way for people to get the things that they need and be able to make a better career for themselves on a more affordable budget. Next time you need or want training in food service areas, consider taking online courses to learn quickly and save money.

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Posted: Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Category: Alcohol & Food Safety

In a recent survey of successful additions to menus, several among the Top 400 restaurant chains around the world named non-alcoholic beverages as their most successful. While iced coffee, smoothies, and other cool drinks are hot items, alcoholic beverages seem to be less popular these days, even for the most established chains. When you have an economy like the present one, however, where people can get a cool lemonade or a fruit iced-tea drink for just a few dollars, they might be more keen to pay that than they would for a $6 or $8 alcoholic refreshment no matter how cool or tasty it might be.

Casual dining restaurants are seeing an increase in non-alcoholic beverage sales, which is putting them in a unique place. When they once worried about alcoholic service and making sure that they had proper licensure, they now don’t have to fret as much because they have fewer customers to serve. Alcoholic beverages are a big area of profit for casual dining chains, but it seems that the latest trends are winning over more customers with specialty teas, lemonades, and smoothies that are all alcohol-free.

What’s better than a great drink that offers the refreshment that you need without the added alcohol that you might not? Take out the liquor and the price drops substantially, which is what many customers are looking for. The Hard Rock Café, for example, has an entire menu of ‘mocktails’, which are cocktail-like drinks without the alcohol added to them. They’re still tasty and much more affordable than a blended alcoholic beverage at a chain like this. The name of the game is refreshment on a budget, and with all of the new twists on old favorites, alcohol isn’t always a necessity for customers anymore. Why spend $8 or more on a casual dining experience for ONE drink, when you can buy many drinks at the store and take them home to enjoy?

Not only are these drinks affordable and innovative, they’re constantly adapting and changing to try out new things. For example, one type of fruit iced tea that sells well might promote a second or third flavor to be added eventually, creating a full variety of fruit teas that can serve the entire list of patrons for an affordable price. The taste of summer is in these cool drinks, and alcohol is definitely not on the list as a priority for customers in refreshment choices this summer.

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Posted: Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Category: Insurance Training

New York Drivers have now joined the ranks of 25 other states that offer an online driving course that can lower insurance rates. Drivers who take this course will save 10% on their auto insurance costs, and those with points on their license can drop anywhere from 1-4 points once the course is completed. The course costs $50 and the results are sent automatically to the DMV, which allows them to put it on record immediately. Drivers are responsible for contacting their own insurance companies to notify them of the course completion and get their discount, though. All in all, this is a great program for those who want to save a little money and who need to find creative ways to lower insurance costs.

The only question that officials have is of the nature of the course. Since it’s online only, you can never prove that the actual driver is taking the course for themselves or if someone else is taking it for them. For example, if a teen takes the course to drop their rates, their parents could easily complete the course and get them a better score, with no one being the wiser. Still, it is now an option and is quite popular among the states that already have it implemented.

When it comes to getting insurance discounts, people are often willing to do whatever it takes to find the deals that they need. Not every state offers programs like this, which is why some people will be limited in the deals that they can find. However, if you take the time to check out all of your options, you might realize that you have more choices for insurance discounts than you think. If your state offers this course, it can save up to 10% if you do well enough on the course, but it’s going to cost you. Each state has different rates for the course, but the average is about $50-$60 per course, per driver.

In this day and age, saving money is always a bonus. People are looking to cut expenses anywhere that they can, and being able to get a huge discount on your insurance for such a small investment of your time and money can prove to be advantageous to anyone who wants to save a little more on their car insurance. For New York drivers, it’s a new chance for a great discount, just by proving that they’re still aware of driving laws and are responsible drivers.

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