Environmental Science Degrees

Face masks are gaining popularity as an excellent method of preventing biological or environmental illnesses. You no longer have to worry about changing the way you live your life or consider giving up a beloved profession or pastime with the use of face masks. If you work or enjoy hobbies around potentially dangerous particles or want to protect yourself or others from illness, the following list offers five different situations in which wearing a face mask can help.

1. Artists. Artists who work with mediums that give off particles probably want to avoid breathing in these fragments, and face masks can facilitate this. Those who work with such mediums as pastels, stone carvers, or wood workers can keep from inhaling tiny bits and still enjoy their art.
2. Environmental pollutants. Whether you live in an area with high pollution or are visiting such an area, face masks can help ensure you and your family are not breathing in poor quality air. For those with lung problems, face masks can provide a freedom to leave the house for those who may normally have to stay indoors during high pollution days.
3. Allergy prevention. Allergy sufferers don’t have to worry about breathing in offending pollens, molds, and other irritants when wearing face masks. Instead of passing weeks or months indoors to avoid allergy triggers, face masks provide freedom to participate in normal activities.  Attending outdoor events in areas with high dust are another excellent place to use face masks to keep from breathing in irritants.
4. Disease prevention. Face masks can help keep you safe in case of disease outbreak such as the recent N1H1 influenza pandemic. It can also provide those who may be feeling ill with the ability to go out in public without worrying about infecting others. Certain professions such as health care workers can safely attend to their jobs without fear of spreading illness to their patients.
5. Workplace. Those whose profession exposes them to particles such as carpenters or stone cutters can perform their jobs without fear of endangering their health by wearing face masks. Face masks can block these tiny particles that can lead to dangerous lung diseases such as emphysema, COPD, or even lung cancer.

Have you ever wondered how you could use less energy at home and conserve more resources while saving money at the same time?  Here are some useful tips to having a green, cost saving home.

1. Choose compact fluorescent bulbs over other kinds of light bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs are the most cost-efficient among all the others. Although it might cost more at first, the end result is, you will still save money. It uses only ¼ of the energy compared to the other kinds of bulbs.
2. Turn off the refrigerator at night, especially when it’s not full or has many perishable goods. Ref uses the most energy among all the household appliances, about 20% of the entire electricity use.
3. Don’t turn on the light during the day. Natural sunshine is healthier and feels homier. You don’t need the lights anyway, so why waste some precious energy? When sleeping, do the same. Your mind will need the darkness in order to fully recuperate anyway.
4. Fix leaky faucets. It will save tons of water. Did you know that when you leave leaky faucets, you’re wasting 30,000 gallons of water a year? Imagine how plenty that is, how much it would mean for dry areas and such. A small repair could do that much.
5. Limit the use of thermostats. Instead of firing up the temperature, wear jackets and sweatpants. You don’t have to waste one cent. But if you’re uncomfortable, just put the temperature at the lowest you can tolerate and still wear heavy clothing.
6. Replace air filters on air-cons and hot-air furnaces. Dirty filters make it harder to do the job right. It will use unnecessary energy.
7. Prevent from using the dryer after washing your clothes and washing the dishes. Just leave them off to dry. The clothes smell better when dried under the sun, so it’s an advantage. The dishes easily dry off so there’s no need to use electricity for that.
8. Replace old appliances with new ones. Choose Energy Star appliances. Although pricier than the others, the energy saved will make it worth every penny. Getting a suitable-sized appliance is better than getting the biggest or the most expensive.
9. During the summer and winter months, close unused rooms. This will lessen the energy spent when using air-cons and thermostats. No one will appreciate the rooms anyway.
10. Use cold water when washing clothes. It will save up to 150-500 pounds of carbon dioxide, depending on the kind of heater used. You’re saving money and helping the environment as well.
11. Refrain from using cars when you’re alone. Instead, find someone to carpool with. Better yet, bike or walk your way to your destination. Commuting by using mass transit is the best choice, since it is faster and serves a lot of people in one ride.
12. Prioritize good mileage when buying a new car. Of course, not everyone can commute or walk. But doing this small thing will make up for the energy you used up needlessly. A hybrid car is the best, but not everyone wants this.
13. Buy goods with the least packages. You will reduce the waste being sent to dumpsites. Also, choose recyclable goods instead of disposable ones, because disposable goods are harder to biodegrade.
14. Paint your house with the right color. When living in a tropical climate, paint it with light colors. With cooler climate come darker colored paintings. Although it won’t save as much as the other methods, it will still make a change.
15. Insulate all the walls and ceilings of your house. On a much cooler weather, superinsulating will do the trick. You will not only save tons of carbon dioxide, but also money from electricity bills.
16. Plant shade trees. This is good for the air quality of your house, since plants get carbon dioxide from the air and converts it into oxygen.
17. Use power strips on the electricity plugs. Power strips prevent the appliance from consuming too much energy when not in use by putting.
18. Computers and monitors should be shut down when not in use. Some falsely believe that turning on and off the computers continually will damage it. When still in doubt, simply set the option on power save.
19. Instead of stoves or ovens, use microwaves for heating whenever possible. We know that microwaves don’t fit for all types of food, but for those that do, use a microwave.
20. If you have a pool, use a solar heater to warm the water. Solar energy uses the sun’s energy, so you’re already recycling in a way. Also, the pump should be set at the minimum to save more energy.