Are You on the Move?
By Melanie Stewart
photo: freeimages.com/John Pilge
Have you taken the Med Center on the Move challenge? Med Center on the Move is a campaign encouraging Med Center employees/students to try taking an active mode of transportation for one of their commutes each week.
That’s it, just one trip per week! You pick the day and the mode that works for you.
Whether it’s walking, taking the bus, biking, carpooling or a combination of modes, active transportation helps keep you healthier AND cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions. This campaign aligns with the City of Omaha’s Midtown on the Move, an active transportation campaign for all of Midtown.
Using any of the 4 modes will save you money, allow you to fit exercise into your day and reduce pollution and traffic congestion in Omaha.
In addition to those benefits, if you sign up for TravelSmart* before July 1st you’ll have a chance to win a free bike tune-up at Ponderosa Cycles, a gym/travel bag, a Camelbak water bottle, a walk/bike safety light, a drawstring backpack, or a hot/cold beverage tumbler!
If you’re already a TravelSmartie, refer a coworker for a chance to win a 20-minute massage from the Wellness Center, walk/bike safety light, or zippered padfolio! Make sure they give us your name while signing up.
*We encourage any employee or student to use active transportation. However, please note that only employees and students at the 42nd and Dewey campus are currently eligible for TravelSmart.
Did you know? TravelSmart offers….
- FREE parking for carpoolers (in your same lot!)
- FREE bus passes
- FREE indoor bike parking, shower, and locker access for cyclists and walkers
- FREE emergency ride home if needed
- FREE carpool matchingif you need help finding a carpool partner, and
- Convenient $3 daily-rate flexible parking.
Please note that you do NOT have to give up your current parking permit, nor do you need to use active transportation every day to participate in TravelSmart or see the financial benefits.
If you are interested in active commuting but don’t think it will work for you, contact me. I will be happy to help you with trip planning. We have 1,600 people signed up for TravelSmart so far, so we know that moms and dad with kids, students and people with inconsistent schedules, and business professionals can all use TravelSmart.
It doesn’t have to work for you every day; even 1 day a week, can have a significant impact.
Energy Curtailment
By Melanie Stewart
Though summer hasn’t officially arrived, the heat and humidity have, which means we are in energy curtailment.
That heat and humidity puts extra stress on our systems as these curtailment days are our highest energy-users. Energy curtailment allows us to control our maximum energy demand or “peak”. If we can reduce energy where it isn’t needed, we ensure that everything that needs energy is getting it. Lower energy means lower emissions, better air quality, and better health for our community–our mission. It also saves us money as our utility rates are based on peak use. The maximum of energy we use at any given time determines the rate we pay for the entire next year. I can think of many other things to spend money on, can’t you?
Energy Curtailment can be confusing though. Many have asked, “If we’re saving energy, why is my office so dang cold? Aren’t we wasting energy by keeping spaces cold when it’s so hot?” That’s true of your home, where the system adds cool air and then turns off, waits for the temp to rise, and then adds cooling again.
However, patient care and research spaces require a constant rate of air flow. In buildings with these activities, we combine both heated and chilled air, regulating temperature the way we adjust the water in a shower – adding both hot and cold to create a comfortable temperature. During curtailment, we decrease the amount of heated air we produce, because creating heat when it’s already hot it is a waste of energy. This means some spaces will feel cold. See our website for further explanation.
We need your help! When the outside temperature becomes unbearable, we’ll ask you to help ease the energy load:
- close shades, blinds and curtains whenever possible to reduce solar heat gain;
- lower lighting levels where possible, turn off lights in unoccupied areas and when leaving a room;
- turn off and unplug all electrical equipment not in use (computers, coffee makers, printers, chargers, etc.);
- shut fume hood sashes when not in use; and
- open doors manually instead of using the ADA buttons.
These easy steps combine to have a huge impact, on the hot days and for the year ahead.
If improving health, reducing pollution, and saving money aren’t enough incentives; how would you like the option of pie-ing one of your favorite campus leaders? Stay tuned for more details!
Little Steps Big Impact
By Melanie Stewart
You usually can’t see it, but the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area has a problem with air quality, especially during the warmer spring and summer months. It is ground-level ozone. When working, playing, or exercising outside, the quality of the air we breathe affects the health of our families, which affects the strength of our businesses, and future economic development.
Ozone located six miles up in the second layer of the atmosphere helps protect us from harmful UV rays. Ozone at ground-level is a pollutant that damages our health, especially for people who already have heart and lung conditions. Ground-level ozone forms when nitrogen oxides from fuel combustion combine with volatile organic compounds, such as fumes from gas and other solvents, and “cook” in the summer heat. Vehicle emissions are one of the leading creators of ground-level ozone.
Ground level ozone can cause a variety of health problems, but tends to affect children, the elderly, people who work or spend large quantities of time outdoors, and anyone with a lung ailment, especially asthma. Ground level ozone also has negative health effects on pets and can damage plants and ecosystems.
On October 1, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued new air quality standards and tightened the ozone standard.
On an average hot day, the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area is close to exceeding this new standard for ground-level ozone. If the metro area air quality falls below federal standards, known as being in “non-attainment,” it will result in stricter pollution controls including increased car ownership costs, vehicle inspections, more industry regulation and increased paperwork and reporting for businesses.
The Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA) runs the Little Steps Big Impact campaign that aims to raise awareness about the ozone problem through education.
Just because you can’t see ground-level ozone doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
By considering the consequences and taking small steps, together we will make a big difference in air quality. This means having a real impact on adult and child respiratory issues, which can reduce health costs.
One of the easiest ways to help is to sign up for TravelSmart! It’s free, we provide a free emergency ride home, you can keep your parking permit if you want, there’s no minimum use requirement, and if you sign up in June, you can win prizes!
“Little Steps” you can take that can have a “Big Impact”:
. You don’t have to give up your usual mode of transportation entirely. Drive smarter. Combine errands; carpool to social events. Only drive when you have to. Consider using alternative transportation by taking the bus, biking, or walking instead of driving by yourself in your car. This is all free with TravelSmart!
. When refueling your vehicle, don’t fill up your tank past the click. Do refuel during the cooler parts of the day so fumes can disperse overnight.
. Choose cleaner-burning renewable biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel. All vehicles can use E10. FlexFuel vehicles can use E10, E15, E30 and E85.
. Avoid idling your vehicle. Even 30 seconds uses more fuel than stopping and starting the engine. Turn the car off when waiting to pick up kids, and go inside instead of using drive-throughs (it’s usually faster anyway!)
. Go electric or manual with mowers, leaf blowers and trimmers if possible or use gas-powered lawn equipment during the cooler parts of the day. Gas-powered mowers release as much as 25% unburned gasoline in the air.
. Keep lids tight on paints and solvents.
Go Play Outside
by Melanie Stewart
photo credit: freeimages.com/BrainLary
Memorial Day celebrations are wrapping up, signaling the unofficial beginning of summer! That means school is out and now the fun challenge of keeping kids occupied (without a screen) is here. Did you know that spending time in nature is great for kids and adults and can improve health? There are lots of inexpensive ways to spend time outside whether you are a seasoned naturalist or a newbie, and you don’t even have to leave the area.
Most of you are probably aware of options like the Henry Doorly Zoo and Lauritzen Botanical Gardens, but LiveGreen would like you to know there are LOTS of options in and around this area: hiking, biking, fishing, bird watching, trains, camping, relaxing, there’s something for everyone. Everything below is linked to easily allow you to find details and make plans for your weekends or staycations (and some have day camps for kids and teens):
- Fontenelle Forest
- Two Rivers State Recreation Area
- Chalco Hills & Wehrspann Lake
- Mahoney State Park
- Hitchcock Nature Center
- Neale Woods – which includes the Millard Observatory
- Heron Haven
- Boyer-Chute National Wildlife Refuge
- Loess Hills State Forest –did you know that Loess is a soil found in only two places on earth?
- Ponca State Park
- Kramper Lake at Danish Alps
- Omaha City Trails
- Prairie View Recreation Area
- DeSoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge
- Gifford State Forest
- Blackbird Marsh County Preserve
- Fremont State Recreation Area
- City of Omaha Parks (lists all parks, locations, and amenities)
- Schramm Park State Recreation Area and Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium
- Platte River State Park
- Prairie Queen Recreation Area
- Fort Atkinson State Historical Park
- Lake Manawa State Park
- Douglas County Parks with access to rivers
- Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari (Check out the calendar so you can time your visit to see enrichment activities for the Wolves and Bear. Go in the summer but make sure you come back in the fall to hear the elk “bugle”, it’s an experience you won’t forget!)
- Nebraska Game and Parks
Have fun and enjoy your summer!
P.S. Know of something we forgot? Feel free to share it in the comments below!
Challenge Accepted?
Tis the season to get outside and get moving, so why not earn some prizes along the way?
We know you’ve heard of Med Center on the Move; a campaign this spring to encourage Med Center employees to pick an active mode of transportation for one of their commutes each week. Just one trip per week! You pick the day and the mode that works for you.
Whether it’s walking, taking the bus, biking, carpooling or a combination of them, active transportation helps keep you healthier AND cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions. Did I mention you can earn prizes by participating? Or prizes for encouraging others to participate? Click here for full details.
You can also take part in Nebraska’s Sesquicentennial celebration by participating in the NE 150 Challenge. Join UNMC’s team or form your own to challenge others and qualify for special prizes. Click here for details.
While you’re at it, sign up for the Live Well Omaha Commuter Challenge. It occurs in conjunction with the National Bike Challenge and encourages all of us to use active transportation. Sign up for the Omaha Commuter Challenge here and log bus, bike, walking, and carpooling trips. Oh, did I mention you can win prizes here too?
Participate in the National Bike Challenge. Signing up is free, (indicate your team as Omaha VeloCity and your employer as Nebraska Medical Center), it allows you to track your cycling miles whether for transportation or recreation, can promote improvements to cycling infrastructure in our community, and you can win prizes. Are you sensing a theme here?
Omaha VeloCity began in 2014 to compete with other mega-teams created in other cities across the country. Omaha VeloCity finished #2 in the nation in 2014, #5 in 2015, and was back to #2 in 2016. Jack Mayfield, an avid cyclist who worked on campus and with UNeMed, was instrumental in starting and promoting team Omaha VeloCity and you can read about him here.
If tracking and prizes aren’t your thing, consider the 30×30 nature challenge, from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). You don’t have to sign up, there’s no cost, no checking in; just the simple task of putting down electronic devices and spending 30 minutes a day in nature, for 30 days. Physical and mental benefits are the prizes here.
So what are you waiting for? Challenge yourself! Prize or not, everyone wins.
Earth Week Tally
By Melanie Stewart
We had another fun Earth Week this year, even if the weather didn’t completely cooperate. We put a new spin on some old favorites, offering a variety of different activities, as well as opportunities related to your work and personal life. Now that it’s all said and done, we can provide you with tally and the impact.
A special thank you to all of our awesome volunteers—without you this week would not have been possible!
Without further ado, here is Earth Week by the numbers:
- 500 LED, photo-sensing nightlights were distributed at Earth Day Omaha.
- 1,000+ people stopped by our booth to learn about the ways the Med Center is leading the way, with our new Net Zero Emissions, Waste, and Water by 2030 goals.
- 34 people entered the Re-Purpose Contest, 523 people voted, awarding prizes to 5 people.
- 232 people came to the Sustainability Expo, sampled 200 vegan cookies, and visited with the 27 different experts on hand.
- 1 rain storm prevented most people from watching the planting of 1 maple tree, but it did not stop the 3 intrepid souls from Grounds who made sure it was done right.
- 120 Elderberry trees and 100 packets of pollinator friendly wildflower seeds, containing 18 different plant types went to new homes.
- 264 people dropped off items at the recycling event
- 309 pounds of VHS tapes, DVDs, CDs, and floppy disks
- 3,820 pounds of electronics
- 4,600 pounds of TVs and computer monitors
- 5,749 pounds of paper for shredding
- 14,478 pounds (that’s 7.2 tons or 3.5 average US cars!) diverted from the landfill. That impact?*
- 15 trees saved
- 151 gallons of oil not used
- 340,040 hours of electricity saved
- 4,603 gallons of water
- 47 eyeglasses donated to the TEI clinic; ~4500 pop tabs to Ronald McDonald House
- 122 hours by campus volunteers over 6 days of activities
- Numerous pictures and videos taken, available on our Facebook page.
Great job and thanks again to all of our volunteers, the creative people who entered our Re-Purpose It contest and are already inspiring new projects, all who participated, and those of you looking for new, better, and healthier ways to live at home and at work. If you have any additional comments, suggestions, or changes for next year please email us.
*Estimated impact; actual totals may vary slightly depending the exact mix of electronics turned in.
Let’s Get the Med Center on the Move
Would you like to save money? Are you looking for ways to fit more exercise in your day? Would you like to reduce pollution and traffic congestion in Omaha? Have more fun?
Then let’s get the Med Center on the Move!
Med Center on the Move is a campaign this spring to encourage Med Center employees to try taking an active mode of transportation for one of their commutes each week.
That’s it, just one trip per week! You pick the day and the mode that works for you.
Whether it’s walking, taking the bus, biking, carpooling or a combination of modes, active transportation helps keep you healthier AND cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions. This campaign aligns with the City of Omaha’s Midtown on the Move, an active transportation campaign for all of Midtown.
Between April 17th and June 30th, sign up for TravelSmart* and have a chance to win a free bike tune-up at Ponderosa Cycles, a gym/travel bag, a Camelbak water bottle, a walk/bike safety light, a drawstring backpack, or a hot/cold beverage tumbler!
If you’re already a TravelSmartie, refer a coworker for a chance to win a 20-minute massage from the Wellness Center, a walk/bike safety light, or a zippered padfolio!
*We encourage any employee or student to use active transportation. However, please note that only employees and students at the 42nd and Dewey campus are currently eligible for TravelSmart.
Did you know? TravelSmart offers….
- FREE parking for carpoolers (in your same lot!)
- FREE bus passes
- FREE indoor bike parking, shower, and locker access for cyclists and walkers
- FREE emergency ride home if needed
- FREE carpool matchingif you need help finding a carpool partner, and
- Convenient $3 daily-rate flexible parking.
Please note that you do NOT have to give up your current parking permit, nor do you need to use active transportation every day to participate in TravelSmart or see the financial benefits.
Did you know?
- Moms and dads with kids to drop off and pick up use TravelSmart
- Students and colleagues with inconsistent schedules use TravelSmart
- Business professionals use TravelSmart
… and so can YOU!
If you are interested in active commuting but don’t think it will work for you, contact me. I will be happy to help you with trip planning.
Earth Week Winners Announced, Feedback sought
By Melanie Stewart
Earth Week was a little cold and rainy this year, but that didn’t stop us from having fun! We celebrated our new 2030 goals, had our first booth at Earth Day Omaha, saw how creative, resourceful, and talented our fellow colleagues are in the Re-Purpose It contest, collected items from your home for appropriate recycling, brought in lots of subject matter experts to answer your questions and provide you with information (and free stuff!), taste-tested vegan chocolate chip cookies, planted a tree, gave away free trees and seeds, and last but not least, got expert advice from Master Gardeners.
So we want to know what you thought! Please click on the link below to take our less than 2-minute survey. Your feedback will help us to know what to do, or not do, next Earth Week and what changes we can make so it’s even better.
Click here for Earth Week Survey.
Re-Purpose It Contest Winners:
- Grand Prize, Winner of popular vote:
- #1 Bret Gardner, MD/PhD Student; Cedar fence pieces into dining benches.
- Receives a 20-minute chair massage from the Wellness Center ($20 Value) and $25 Gift Card to Union Junktion Store.
- Second Place in popular vote:
- #31 Cynthia Pickinpaugh, Patient Financial Counselor, UNL Health Center; Toddler bed into garden bench
- Receives a $20 HyVee gift card courtesy of Sodexo
- Third Place in popular vote:
- #19 Deana Sorgenfrei, Prof Coding Sr. Assoc, Orthopaedic Revenue Cycle; Fire pit lid to solar gazebo chandelier
- Receives a hot/cold tumbler, Bobble filtering water bottle, and 8GB USB drive
- 2 Winners selected by LiveGreen Ambassadors:
- #11, Tuire Cechin, Program Coordinator for Path/Micro, IPID; Wall sheeting, lumber scraps, pallet pieces, netting, hollow plant stems into a pollinator house.
- Receives a $25 gift certificate to The UNMC Bookstore
- #4, Patty Ostronic, Volunteer Services Lead; Wedding Dress into pillows, tree skirt/bag, sachets, wreath, and rosary bag
- Receives a $25 gift certificate to The Company Store
Winners of 10-minute chair massage from Sustainability Expo feedback drawing:
- Pam Welch, Vice Chancellor for Research Office
- Anne Skinner, AH Research Administration
We’ll get information gathered from our recycling event, the rest of Earth Week and the effect it had, and bring that to you in a future article.
Thanks for helping to make Earth Week a success and for your valuable feedback.
Earth Week in Full Swing
By Melanie Stewart
Earth Week is here! Here’s everything you need to know:
The RePurpose It Contest has some great projects to show off. Your colleagues are incredibly talented and creative! Many entries will inspire you to look at items you have in your home a different way, helping to save you money and reduce waste. Voting has begun so make sure you check out the entries here and vote here.
Tuesday, April 25th 11am-6pm and Wednesday, April 26th 6am-1pm:
Have items at home you can’t put in the trash? We will accept:
- Personal electronics to recycle; hard drives will be shredded. Most items will be free, but there will be a nominal cost for tube TVs, CRT monitors, and hard drives.
- Free personal document shredding.
- Free personal single use alkaline battery recycling.
- Free ‘techno trash’ recycling
- Eyeglasses will be collected for donation to those in need.
- Have books for the Little Free Library? Make it easy and drop them off here.
- Have pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House? Bring those too!
Click here for complete information
Thursday, April 27th 11:30am-1:30pm, in Lower Storz:
The Sustainability Expo will give you the opportunity to talk to experts from a host of different sustainability groups. Learn how to make a rain barrel, discover how fryer oil can be turned into fuel for vehicles, connect with groups working on topics that are of interest to you, and learn more about recycling, solar, safe food storage, permaculture, or even vermicomposting (yep, that’s worms!). We’ll have prizes, vegan cookies, and food to taste-test (all first come, first served). Check our webpage for a complete list. Bring items to be collected by the EHS office and we’ll collect eyeglasses as well.
Friday, April 29th 11:00am-12:30pm, Green Space by COPH and SLC
Need some expert advice as you get back into gardening this spring? We’ll have two Master Gardeners on hand to answer all your garden/lawn/tree questions and they will have a tower garden on display. We will celebrate Arbor Day and our status as a Tree Campus USA by planting a tree and giving away free elderberry trees and wildflower seeds. Check our website for more info. Finally, the UNMC bookstore will be hosting a special sale on their most “green” items all day.
No matter what your interests are, there will be something for everyone at this year’s Earth Week Celebration and we hope to see you there!
Items Collected at Sustainability Expo
By Melanie Stewart
Next week is Earth Week! We have lots of great entries in Monday’s RePurpose It contest, look forward to seeing all of you at our personal document shredding, electronic and techno trash recycling event on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sustainability Expo on Thursday, and Master Gardener Q&A and tree planting on Friday.
There will be many great groups to talk to at the Sustainability Expo, but one of the new additions this year is the UNMC Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) department. They will be collecting items that need to be properly disposed of but are often overlooked in office/non-laboratory areas, such as aerosol cans, batteries, and flammable chemicals.
Aerosol cans (including empty aerosol cans) must be handled as hazardous waste, according to The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ). All used, unwanted, empty aerosol cans must be collected. Examples of aerosol cans include: compressed air dusters, WD-40, spray paint, hair spray, whipped cream and cooking spray. For more information on Aerosol Can Disposal, refer to the Hazardous Material Fact Sheet: Aerosol Can Disposal.
EHS will collect flammable chemicals from office and non-laboratory areas. These items include, but are not limited to, hand sanitizers, rubbing alcohol, correction fluid (white out).
Batteries are generally regulated because of high amounts of heavy metals. Though alkaline batteries are not EPA regulated, work-related batteries can be recycled at no cost to your department through the Alkaline Battery Recycling Program. When you have a full container of used alkaline batteries you may now request a pick-up on-line here.
Rechargeable and button batteries are not recycled through that program; they need to be tagged and turned in to EHS. Look at the Hazardous Material Fact Sheet: Battery Disposal for proper management methods of the different types of batteries.
Did you know? The med center has recycled 5.8 tons (11,694 pounds) of alkaline batteries since 2014!
If your work area has any aerosol cans, flammable chemicals, or batteries to dispose of, you can bring them to EHS at the Expo; no tag needed! Please place any corroded or leaking batteries in a plastic bag and keep battery types separate.
If you are unable to attend the Expo but have these items, please contact EHS for proper disposal at 9-6356 or unmcehs@unmc.edu
If you have any questions about items you may have in your area, please reference the Hazardous Material Fact Sheet: Office and Non-Laboratory Areas Checklist.
