Why Recycle?
By Melanie Stewart
When most people think of being green many think of recycling—and it is an easy, first step to being more sustainable. Goods are turned back into products so new resources don’t have to be used while simultaneously sending that same material to the landfill. Yes, reducing and reusing is better than recycling, but there are times when those options aren’t possible, so then it’s time to recycle.
Did you know the EPA estimates 75% of what Americans throw away is recyclable? Unfortunately the national average of materials diverted from the landfill is only 34% and Omaha is a shockingly low 11%. The Med Center is better at 19% but we still have some work to do to get to the 35% goal that’s stated in our Sustainability Master Plan.
The Waste Less. Recycle More. @ Lunch campaign started last week and asks you to take the simple pledge to recycle the materials from your lunch…frozen food trays and boxes, soup cans, bottles, plastic utensils, etc. Almost everything in a common lunch is recyclable. If you have questions on what can be recycled, see our website or watch this short video.
Have you ever wondered what impact your recycling has? It seems like such a simple action and a small item, can it really have a big impact? Yes! Your aluminum can is one of the 6,700 cans used every second and 200 billion used every year. It takes more energy to mine and produce aluminum than any other metal, yet we landfill enough to provide the auto industry with all the material it needs to build a year’s worth of new cars, which is valued at $1 Billion. However, recycling uses only 5% of the energy needed to create the same can from mined aluminum and they can be back on the shelf in 6 weeks.
Plastic is no better. Americans throw away 25 million bottles every hour. New production uses crude oil and other chemicals leading to pollution which has a negative impact on health including reproductive issues, obesity, cancer, endocrine issues, and now researchers are seeing long term effects in children when they are exposed to pollution.
Meanwhile, recycling creates 1.1Million US jobs (4 jobs for every 1 in the disposal industry), $37 Billion in annual payrolls, while reducing operating expenses on campus.
So what are you waiting for? Recycle More. @ Lunch!
Waste Less. Recycle More. @ Lunch!
By Melanie Stewart
Did you know that most of the waste generated in offices comes from food and beverage containers? And most of those food and beverage containers are recyclable! Whether it’s yogurt containers, frozen food trays, cardboard boxes or soda cans, most of what is commonly packed in a lunch can be recycled.
You are invited to join in an eight-week campaign encouraging everybody to recycle lunch containers! The challenge is for each person to pledge to recycle all of their recyclable lunch containers at least two days per week until December 23rd.
At least twice per week, you can flatten your cardboard and place it in a container or between a container and the wall, rinse your plastic and aluminum food containers and utensils and place them in the recycling bins instead of the trash—that’s all there is to it! This small action taken by all of you will divert thousands of pounds of waste from going into our landfill.
There are 5 ways to participate:
- Take the pledge to recycle all your recyclable lunch containers at least two days per week. Sign your name to take the pledge!
- Visit the website and/or watch the Recycling Guide Video to find out which kinds of common materials are recyclable, and how to recycle them.
- At least twice per week, rinse your lunch containers, flatten your cardboard and RECYCLE the container(s) in the correct bin.
- Take a picture of your recycling effort and post your photo on social media with the hashtag #RecycleMore, to encourage your coworkers to take part as well.
- Tell a friend or coworker! Recycling is an easy action that anybody can take to have a positive impact. Encourage them to participate in these same ways.
Start this week: as you finish your lunch, remember to rinse your plastic or metal lunch items and place them in a recycling bin, break down cardboard/paperboard and place it between the wall and a bin, or place it in a cardboard container. Let your EVS person know what’s what so they can get it recycled. The challenge is for just two days each week, but feel free to do it for all five!
When you take these easy steps, you help make a big difference; Happy Recycling!
Way to go, TravelSmarties!
By Melanie Stewart
TravelSmart participants set a record with Metro
Congratulations TravelSmarties! You set a new record with Metro, recording 3,870 bus rides in the month of September. That averages out to 681 trips each weekday and 233 trips each weekend-day! Did you know that by riding the bus you are:
- Saving yourself money on parking, gas, and vehicle maintenance
- Reducing stress by not having to worry about other drivers
- Using commuting time for actions of your choice (reading, homework, social media, etc.)
- Reducing pollution in Omaha, including extremely hazardous ground level ozone
- Improving health for everyone in the area, especially those with lung diseases, and helping to meet our mission
- Reducing traffic congestion around the med center and reducing parking pressure on campus
That’s a lot of positives for taking a free bus ride—way to go!
Maybe you have thought about using active transportation, but don’t feel that it works for you. That could be the case, but TravelSmart has been designed to work for most. I’ll admit, when I started carpooling it was hard to be without my car…what if I needed to leave suddenly or became ill? How was I going to make this work? I know many of you have these concerns too, especially if you have children. We took those concerns seriously in our planning. So keep in mind:
- We offer a FREE emergency ride home. You call, a car comes and takes you where you need to go, 24/7. This also includes a free stop along the way…to pick up a prescription, a child, whatever you need.
- It’s FREE to participate in all options, including the free bus pass, and you can use more than one option. There’s no cost to you, no applying for reimbursement.
- You do not have to give up your parking permit to participate. It’s an option for you to save more money, but is not required. If you do, we provide flexible parking on the days you need to drive.
- Carpoolers park in the same lot (or better) that they already use, and neither carpooler pays for parking (FREE parking!).
- Don’t have a carpool partner? Try out our carpool matching program. You can check it out without signing up or making a commitment.
- Cyclists and walkers have FREE access to showers, lockers, and secure indoor bike parking.
- You don’t have to use TravelSmart every day to participate; use it when it works for you.
Did you know that 1,300 faculty, staff, and students have already registered for TravelSmart? They use active transportation to save money, have a positive impact on the environment, and improve the health of our community.
Thinking about giving it a try but not sure? Email travelsmart@unmc.edu for help in planning a bus route, questions about the program, or giving it a “test drive” without signing up.
Fall For Gardening
photo credit: freeimages.com/RonnySatzke
By Anne Rivas
I had a neighbor up north who started planting after the ground froze in October. She thawed the ground with warm water and put in bulbs.
I’m not that industrious, but fall is also my favorite time to plant and after a too-hot summer I have a lot to catching up to do. The soil is still warm, dry, and crumbly; excellent for bulbs and perennials.
A couple of years ago I collected flower and grass seeds from a prairie garden and let them over-winter in big pots outside. A few survived, and I finally had milkweed this year, although I don’t know if it came from that batch or just blew in. I did get a good stand of bee balm out of that experiment. Overall, I’ve had better luck buying plants than starting seeds so this fall I’ve ordered the rest of the plants I want and will be very busy for the rest of the month. This time I’ll label what I plant!
This is your last chance to get rid of weeds. Most have gone to seed so if, like me, you haven’t kept up with them, your best bet is to mulch heavily now and again in the spring. I try to keep weed seeds out of my compost since they become the gift that keeps on giving when I spread the finished product over my garden. My pile never gets hot enough to kill seeds. You can try a vinegar spray to spot-kill weeds in your lawn: half vinegar, half water, and a few drops of dish soap to break the surface tension and help the vinegar stick to the weed leaves. Some people add salt, but if you want grass to grow there, leave it out.
As you continue to mow your lawn, let the clippings and shredded leaves lie. They’ll decompose and feed your soil. If you get too many leaves on your lawn to shred and – um – leave, run over them a few times with the mower and put them in your compost, set them aside until the ground freezes and use them for mulch, or dig them into your garden.
Finally, even though we need to drain the sprinkler system before it freezes, we still need to water trees, shrubs, and roses thoroughly before winter finally closes in.
Health Effects of a Warmer Climate
By Melanie Stewart
This week is Global Climate Change Week; encouraging academic communities to engage each other on climate change solutions. The topic of Global Climate Change seems too big to grasp, and has become highly politicized.
We aren’t going to talk about that today. Our mission is health. How does the fact that the earth continues to warm, causing changes and natural disasters in other places, affect us here?
This is the question the Unicameral asked when considering new legislation. So UNL’s School of Natural Resources did a comprehensive study, focused solely on implications for Nebraska. Following the publication of this report, roundtable discussions were held to discuss 8 different sectors:
- Ecosystems and Wildlife
- Human Health
- Forests and Fire
- Agriculture, Food and Water
- Energy Availability, Use and Management
- Faith Communities
- College Campuses
- Urban and Rural Communities
This report shows that the earth’s climate is changing, and Nebraska is dealing with the reality. Farmers are noting hotter temperatures, and less water with which to irrigate crops. More wildfires are being reported and they affect our air quality. Zika virus has become a concern, even in geographical areas that don’t have that the Aedes aegypti species.
If you are interested in the Nebraska-specific findings, you can watch the presentation here.
For a presentation by Ali Khan, MD, MPH, Dean of UNMC’s College of Public Health on the specific ties to health, see below.
Presentations on all 8 areas can been seen here.
While these events are worrisome as we assess the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, there is hope. More countries, including the United States, continue to sign the Paris Climate Agreement with the United Nations, 73 of the 195 have ratified the agreement accounting for 56.87% of the world greenhouse gas emissions. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted, “What once seemed unthinkable is now unstoppable.” referencing the historic changes taking place with countries across the globe.
This is why we do what we do. The Med Center’s actions can, and indeed have already had, a positive effect on health. Did you know that the energy we saved in the past 5 years would have produced the emissions of 109 million pounds (548 railcars) of coal? The result is cleaner air, which is better for all of us. As we continue to make strides, others will follow our example, and the cumulative effect could change the world.
Med Center reaches energy, water reduction goals
by Karen Burbach, UNMC public relations | April 21, 2016
Imagine cutting 25 percent energy consumption from your home. It’s a tall order for a residence, but even more so when your “home” spans more than 100 acres.
That’s why UNMC and Nebraska Medicine are proud of having reached its lofty energy reduction goals, as outlined in the Sustainability Master Plan.
The medical center’s main campus at 42nd and Emile streets used 25 percent less energy in 2015 than it did five years ago, despite adding more square footage to campus.
“I’ve always said that academic health science centers should be leading the way in energy conservation,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. “We’re especially proud of meeting this energy reduction goal. Not only does it show strong stewardship of taxpayer dollars, it also has a positive effect on the planet, people and ultimately everyone’s health.”
UNMC and Nebraska Medicine strategically reached its goal through a series of actions including:
- Implementing a new building control system providing greater control of temperatures and airflow.
- Making sure all new UNMC construction is LEED-certifiable (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design), meaning the facility uses best-in-class building strategies and practices.
- Upgrading Central Utility Plant equipment to create greater efficiencies.
- Increased employee engagement and energy curtailment practices, which included turning off lights where they weren’t needed, closing mini-blinds and curtains to reduce solar gain, shutting fume hood sashes when not in use, replacing aging equipment with more efficient models, and turning off and unplugging electrical equipment when not in use.
Over the past five years, the medical center also reduced its peak electrical use, down 28 percent from 2010. Peak electricity use is the maximum amount of electricity needed at any given time. Reducing peak electricity ensures there is enough electricity for everybody on hot and humid days and helps to keep our costs lower.
UNMC’s domestic water consumption was reduced from a baseline of 225.1 million gallons per year to 173.5 million gallons per year, a 23 percent decrease.
These combined efforts have resulted in a 20 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and has a measurable, positive effect on the health of our community, specifically air quality. And, that’s good news to anyone who has or knows someone with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or chronic bronchitis.
It also conservatively equates to more than $10 million in money the medical center would have had to spend on utilities.
What others are saying
“UNMC has been a regional leader in energy efficiency and demand reduction as evidenced by their 25.6 percent energy reduction over the past five years. These kinds of reductions and initiatives do not come by accident. They are part of a strategic focus and great examples of how to be great stewards of our resources in Nebraska.”
-OPPD CEO Tim Burke
“We commend UNMC and Nebraska Medicine on their leadership for implementing sustainable solutions in our community. We understand the importance of improving efficiencies and lowering emissions in our homes, industries and hospitals. UNMC has made tremendous strides in the past five years.”
-MUD President Scott Keep
Ash Trees on Campus
Starting the weekend of Oct 1st, the ash trees in front of the Lied Transplant Center (LTC) will be removed. While I hate seeing trees cut down, in this case it is actually good tree management.
As I hope all of you know, the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), which is an invasive species, was discovered in Omaha earlier this year and we are now in a treatment zone.
It was only a matter of time before this happened and the grounds crew on campus was prepared. They had already identified the location of all ash trees on campus including UNMC, Nebraska Medicine, and the Ronald McDonald House. Those trees, like all other trees on campus, are regularly monitored for health and condition. When EAB arrived, these trees were rigorously re-assessed, since damaged trees are a magnet for EAB, and the farther away the borer can be kept from healthy trees the better. It was determined that 26 ash trees on campus needed to be removed. A total of 79 ash trees are being saved and all of them have been treated. Treatment occurs underneath the bark of the trees and helps to protect them from the EAB larvae which are responsible for the damage that ultimately kills the trees.
Not only is it good tree management to remove diseased or damaged trees, removing some of these trees will help other trees to reach their full, healthy potential. Many of these trees were planted before there was a comprehensive landscape architecture plan, and this resulted in trees being planted too close together and trees being planted in areas that were not suitable for their eventual size. This was the case for the trees that were in front of the LTC. Because that area doesn’t support trees, ornamental grasses will be planted there instead. Other locations are still being evaluated for understory planting, species diversity, and appropriate spacing.
Do you have ash trees on your property? For tree identification help, EAB treatment options, and guidelines on finding a suitable contractor, visit the extension office site.
Daily Rate Flex Parking Update
By Melanie Stewart
Whether you are a TravelSmartie or somebody that uses Daily Rate Flex Parking every now and then, we need to advise you of two changes:
Construction to lot 50 was completed which opened up the lowest level, formerly lot 59. The previous Daily Rate Flex Parking stalls have been restored: Twenty covered stalls are located on the lowest level against the far north wall, on the western end. Please note: not all stalls on the northern wall are for Daily Rate Flex Parking, only the first 20 stalls starting from the western edge. Please pay attention to posted signs. The lowest level of lot 50 is easily accessible by Jones Street from Saddle Creek or Leavenworth, but with the completed construction can also be accessed from the upper levels of lot 50.
Due to high usage and demand, Daily Rate Flexible Parking in Lot 36 has been expanded to include an additional 11 parking stalls. These stalls are located on the west side of Lot 36, facing Charlie Graham auto, from the southwest corner to the sidewalk. See picture above. These stalls have been designated with signage, but will not be restriped a different color or numbered as we now track usage by license plate number. The existing 18 stalls facing Leavenworth are still available.
No changes have been made to Daily Rate Flexible Parking in lot 55 and it is available for use.
For and updated map or more information on Daily Rate parking, please visit the TravelSmart website.
I Want to Ride a B-cycle, I Want to Ride a Bike
By Melanie Stewart
Heartland B-cycle is Omaha’s bike sharing system; a public transportation network of bikes. With 33 stations and 180 B-cycles available to the public throughout the metro area Heartland B-cycle is a bike when you need it, and gone when you don’t.
Bike sharing makes it economical and convenient to use bikes for trips that are too far to walk but too short to drive. As a member, you can use a B-cycle to run an errand, grab lunch, travel to and from the bus stop, or just get some fresh air.
The B-cycles are specially designed for both you and the city: B-cycles fit people of all sizes, thanks to easy to adjust seat posts. Short or tall, you’ve got stuff and that’s why there’s a basket to stow your things while riding. Fenders, skirt guards, and chain-guards keep your clothes clean. Automatic lights help to keep you safe and three speeds are perfect for changing grades.
Working similar to bike share programs in other cities, to use the system you must first purchase a pass. With a valid pass you can check out a bike at any station and drop it off at any station in the system. There is no additional charge for the first hour of every ride. There are no limits to the number of times you can check out a bike, but any trip lasting longer than an hour costs extra, so instead of checking out a bike to ride home and ride back the next day, you’d check out a bike to ride to a station close to home, then check out a bike the next morning to ride back to a station on campus.
Passes are $6 for 24-hours, $10 for a monthly pass, and $80 for an annual pass, with discounted senior and student passes. Stations are located throughout the metro area, including UNO, Midtown Crossing, and downtown. Popular uses include running errands, getting exercise during the work day, or connecting to existing transit networks.
As part of a large federal grant, B-cycle is planning to expand away from downtown and this will include the Med Center. They are looking for the right locations on campus for station placement, and would like your input.
(survey has been closed)
Executive Sustainability Council
By Melanie Stewart
Sustainability is important to many of you. We see this in your actions on campus, the questions you ask, and the feedback you give us. One of you told us “UNMC and Nebraska Medicine need to serve the community by exceeding the current standards and becoming a shining example of sustainability.” We agree. Everything we do has an impact and the Med Center’s size allows us to be a leader in this field, make a noticeable difference in the world around us, and fulfill our mission to create a healthy future.
UNMC and Nebraska Medicine formally adopted the campus’ first ever Sustainability Master Plan (SMP) in 2014, marking sustainability as a high priority. An Executive Sustainability Council (ESC) was formed to leverage recent activities and further facilitate success in the short and long term. This Council is an executive level group responsible for ensuring that the strategies outlined in the Sustainability Master Plan are executed, and progress is tracked and demonstrated. The Council will consider ways current activities can be expanded and connected with academic and patient-focused activities on campus.
Executive Sustainability Council Members:
Co-Chairs:
Dr. Ali Khan; Dean, College of Public Health
Chad Brough; Chief Experience Officer
Ken Hansen; Assoc. Vice Chancellor and Director, Campus Facilities
Focus Area Leads:
Energy and Water, including Green House Gas Emissions
Ken Hansen
Transportation & Campus Planning
Jennifer Bartholomew; Director, Facilities Planning and Construction;
Waste Reduction and Recycling, including Food Services
Rick Boldt; Assistant Safety Manager, Sodexo Liaison
Robert Jennings; Manager, Materials Management
Campus Engagement
Melanie Stewart; Manager, Sustainability
Department Champions:
Information Technology Services:
Yvette Holly; Assistant Vice Chancellor for ITS
Brian Lancaster; Executive Director, Information Management
Purchasing:
Tom Strudl; Director, Procurement and Contracting
Jeff Elliott; Director, Procurement and Materials Management
Marketing:
Bill O’Neill; Director, Public Relations
Paul Baltes; Director, Communications
Human Resources
Frank Venuto; Chief Human Capital Officer
Aileen Warren; Assistant Vice Chancellor for HR
Academics:
Suhasini Kotcherlakota, Faculty Senate Representative
Mitch Nohner, Student Senate Representative
The first ESC meeting took place last week. In his opening remarks, Dr. Gold asked the group to further sustainability efforts on campus using our ITEACH values, and to change campus culture for an even larger positive effect. This group is engaged and ready to do just that. You can expect to see more great things soon!
photo credit: freeimages.com/KrzysztofSckurlatowski
