Earth Week Wrap Up
The 5th anniversary of Earth Week on campus added some new events to the old favorites.
We kicked off the week by planting two trees in front of the Durham Research Center— commemorating Arbor Day, and celebrating our designation by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree Campus USA.
On Tuesday the campus voted for their favorite Repurpose It contest entries. There were 40 fantastic projects to choose from and here are your winners:
- Popular Vote: 20 minute massage from the Wellness Center & $25 gift certificate to The Union Junktion store
- Jessica Odvody, Rotary Hoe-Flower Yard Art
- Habitat for Humanity Restore: $25 gift certificate to the Restore
- Mike McGlade, Pallet/Planter- Patio Table with Drink Chiller
- Reclaimed Enterprises: Handcrafted serving tray made by Barnwood Trays & 10% discount at Reclaimed Enterprises
- Dot Northwall, Kitchen Island of Shutters/Stairs/Fence/Curtain Rod
- Verdis Group: 20 minute massage from the Wellness Center
- Jocelyn Pearson, Center Pivot Swing Set
- LiveGreen Committee: One received a gift certificate to The Company Store, the other a UNMC Bookstore gift bag.
- Samantha Straw: Pallet/construction supplies- Dog House
- Kelli Ryan: Leftover Floorboards -Wall Art
You can see the projects here. We hope you will be inspired to repurpose items at home and take pictures to enter next year’s contest!
We added single use alkaline batteries and techno trash to the electronic-recycling and personal document shredding collection. We received over 4 tons of material, provided identity protection to donors, and sent it to be recycled instead of to the landfill. This equals the size of a white rhinoceros, and will prevent 12 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, equivalent to not consuming 1,350 gallons of gasoline.
5,049 lbs of electronics
2,788 lbs of paper
389 lbs of techno trash
92 lbs of batteries
The first Sustainability Expo capped off the Earth Week festivities. Attendees picked the brains of master gardeners, tasted great recipes using high-protein plant sources like quinoa and bulgur, and learned about recycling on campus and at home. There was information about green cleaning, the Commuter Challenge, Vermicomposting, UNMC student bicycling club, tele-health and wellness, and as a special treat, a fun remote control car race that will help kick off TravelSmart on campus June 1st.
Thank you for attending and for your interest in Earth Week on campus. If you have any ideas for next year or would like to help plan activities, please email livegreen@unmc.edu.
Plant Based Eating: Food for Thought
by Anne Rivas
I’m a meat eater, a carnivore. Like my mother and grandmothers before me, I plan and cook meals where meat is the main attraction. I enjoy a high protein diet, and for the past 4 years have focused on eating mostly whole or minimally processed foods, organic fruits and veggies, and pasture-raised meats. I even tried paleo for a little while, but eliminating whole food groups didn’t seem healthy.![Anne0701[1]](https://livegreennebraska.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Anne07011.jpg)
This spring I found out I need to lower my cholesterol. I wasn’t surprised. To avoid medication several years ago, I gave up red meat and walked or biked 90 minutes a day. It worked. Three months later my cholesterol was down.
My doctor and I discussed shifting to a plant-based diet. I’ve watched Forks Over Knives, read The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, by Caldwell B. Esselsten, Jr., M.D., and most of Michael Pollan’s books. The USDA has revamped dietary recommendations once again, this time including plant proteins. Maybe I don’t need three meat-based meals per day.
I decided I could do it. I would switch to a completely plant-based diet and exercise vigorously for 90 minutes every day. My doctor deserves a medal for keeping a straight face during this conversation.
I confess that for years I have flirted with vegetarian eating. I have made smoothies and “ice cream” with frozen bananas and tofu. I’ve grown my own organic vegetables, made my own bread and yogurt. I have mad hippie skills, but they’re not necessary now that organic vegetables, good bread, and yogurt are easily available.
A lifetime of cooking meat and saving leftovers for sandwiches proved more difficult to change than expected. My all-or-nothing approach has already failed, but it did distract me from exercising. Switching from a diet of mostly meat to a diet of mostly plants takes trying new recipes and developing new tastes. I am moving toward more plant-based, but not totally vegetarian eating. Cutting out an entire food group still doesn’t seem healthy. I still eat fish, eggs, and yogurt. And sometimes hot dogs – the good ones without nitrates.
I’ve found a couple of recipes I like: Black Bean Patties from Moosewood, and White Bean Soup.
Pollan’s words are my new motto: “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” And I’m looking for reasonable ways to incorporate more exercise.
White Bean Soup
1 lb. dried white beans (navy or cannellini), rinsed;
10-11 cups water, vegetable stock, or chicken stock.
1 large chopped onion,
several cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
¼ Cup of grated or shredded Parmesan Cheese
Bring the beans and water or stock to a boil on the stove, then dump into the crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. Blend as much as you want to with immersion blender. Sauté the chopped onion and minced or pressed garlic cloves in the oil, then add to the soup. They should be a little crunchy. Stir in the cheese; add salt and black pepper to taste.
Monarch Migration Stations
Today is the 45th anniversary of Earth Day. The original Earth Day was a “national teach-in on the environment” as a response to an oil spill in California, industry pollution, and heavy use of leaded gas. Through the years numerous environmental causes have been brought to the forefront and different people have embraced different causes in different ways. Finding something you are passionate about supporting is important, whether it’s rainforest protection, energy conservation, or even the plight of the pangolin.
One topic that’s made headlines lately is the Monarch Butterfly. It’s one of the most iconic butterflies and is known for its impressive migration. Millions of butterflies migrate thousands of miles across North America into Mexico, where they stay in the same trees every year. What makes this even more impressive is that one complete migration cycle takes multiple generations of Monarchs; each generation completing only part of the journey. Two major migration routes pass through Nebraska.
What many people don’t know is that their population has declined to less than 10% of their original numbers, making them vulnerable to extinction.
This is largely due to habitat loss; ground used for farming instead of native plants and pesticides used in ditches next to roads. Interestingly, Monarchs are dependent on milkweed (Asclepias spp.). Not only do adults feed on the nectar and need to lay eggs on milkweed, but caterpillars only eat milkweed plants. Milkweed also provides a chemical maintained by the caterpillar/adult that serves as a defense against predators.
So what can you do? Plant some milkweed! Most people are familiar with the Common Milkweed with broad leaves and pinkish flower, but other species are native to Nebraska and zone hardy (so they come back next year) including Swamp Milkweed (shown above), Ice Ballet (white flower), and Butterfly Weed (orange flower).
Check out Iowa State’s Monarch Conservation Consortium, they are currently testing milkweed types to see if Monarchs have a favorite.
Visit MonarchJointVenture for information on habitat, gardens, land use, and to find different types of milkweed plants and seeds for purchase. The Xerces Society has information on native pollinator plants for this region, which help butterflies and other pollinators like bees. You can even create your own certified Monarch Waystation.
Watch more here or check out this month’s Nebraskaland magazine for more. Planting flowers for butterflies and other pollinators? Let us know by emailing livegreen@unmc.edu
Looking Ahead to Earth Week
Next week will be the fifth anniversary of Earth Week on campus, and LiveGreen has planned a variety of activities based on your feedback.
Monday:
Kick off Earth Week with a celebration of Arbor Day and our second year as a Tree Campus USA. We will have a tree planting in front of the Durham Research Center buildings at 10:30 a.m. Free serviceberry trees will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Tuesday:
Second annual ReUse It Contest: This year, we have even more prizes to award, and entries are due tomorrow. Entries must contain an item that has been repurposed to make something new. Check out the LiveGreen
sustainability manager
website for all the details. Watch the Habitat for Humanity Restore Lunch and Learn for tips, tricks and inspiration. Check out the LiveGreen Pinterest page for inspiration on ways to repurpose items around your house, saving
you money and reducing trash. You’ll also find information on a variety of other sustainability related topics.
Wednesday:
Earth Day’s 45th anniversary will be celebrated worldwide. Take part in local and online events. We will provide additional information online.
Thursday:
Electronics recycling and personal document shredding is a favorite event, and this year we are collecting even more items. In addition to personal electronics and documents, we will collect your household alkaline/single use batteries as well as “techno-trash,” including computer disks and VHS tapes. Visit the LiveGreen website for a full list of items we will accept as well as prices for recycling some of them.
Friday:
You asked us to provide information on a variety of topics to help you live more sustainably, so we are happy to announce the inaugural Sustainability Expo! Come visit us in the Student Plaza (rain location DOC Atrium) from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. to talk to local experts. We’ll have information on recycling, food, composting, travel, health, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) memberships, types of gardening, plus more free trees and wildflower seeds. Master gardeners and other experts will be on hand to answer your questions. Spirit Day will celebrate with us this year, providing snacks, prizes, and more giveaways! Check the LiveGreen website often for a full list of exhibitors.
LiveGreen looks forward to celebrating Earth Week with you. Add these events to your calendar, and we’ll see you there!
Find Your Park
I love national parks.
When I need to go to my happy place in my mind, it’s always a national park. I love the views, the smells, the history, and the time spent at that park’s activities, which for me often includes hiking and a little quiet time. And of course I love the fact that they are preserving these spaces for future generations, and have developed a robust sustainability program to help.
I think one of the greatest things about national parks is that there’s something for everybody. Mountains, oceans, deserts, beaches, volcanos, rain forests, historical places, whatever wildlife, landscape, and temperature interests
sustainability manager
you. You can be with groups of people, find solitude, totally rough it or stay in luxury. They offer kid’s activities, can educate you on anything from ancient to recent history, many portions are ADA accessible, help you to find a new appreciation of Mother Nature, and there are so many (464!) that you are always within driving distance.
So I was surprised to learn that park attendance is down. The baby boomer generation helped make national parks thrive harkening back to the “see the USA in your Chevrolet” days. As that generation ages, new generations aren’t flocking to national parks the way they used to.
In anticipation of the National Park’s 100th birthday, the National Park Service has started a “Find Your Park” promotion. You can find your favorite park, new park, or park that’s close by and visit. Your entry fee helps support the parks and keep them protected for future generations.
Getting ready to plan your summer vacation or a weekend trip? Stay local and save some gas money by visiting one of Nebraska’s 6 parks or one of the 43 parks in neighboring states.
Don’t forget, this year 4th graders and their families get in free!
Check out the Find Your Park page to see the map of all national parks, information on each park with specifics to help you plan your visit, special events going on throughout the year, and even information on being a citizen scientist! For more information you can also go to the National Parks Service.
One less paper towel a day
Do you dry your hands correctly? I know it sounds like a silly question. If your hands are dry, you’ve done it correctly, right?
I beg to differ.
Did you know Americans use 13 million pounds of paper towels every year?
Just on this campus, we currently use 7,750 miles of paper towels every year. That’s not a typo, that’s miles of paper towels. Need perspective? Laid end to end, that will get you from Omaha across the Atlantic, through Europe, and all the way to New Delhi, India — with 200 miles of paper towels to spare!
sustainability manager
But what are you supposed to do about it? Washing hands is important, as is drying them. The question is, how many paper towels do we really need to dry our hands? Most of us take three — some take a few more.
If you want to be really efficient you can get by with just one paper towel every time you wash your hands. For a quick tutorial on how to do it, check out this short TED talk video.
I’ll admit, I was skeptical. It’s not like our paper towel holders are stocked with the super-duper-absorbent-quilted-whatever paper towels. But I had to try. Much to my delight, the technique described works. You Melanie Stewart
sustainability managerdo have to follow all the steps, including the folding in half, with the most important part being shaking the water off.
Important note: Do not shake water all over the mirrors, counters and floors. Making a mess elsewhere isn’t sustainable or polite. If your infection-control procedures require you to do something specific, do not change your protocol. Health and safety is always more important.
Did you know that if every American used just one less paper towel per day, we would reduce the use of paper towels by 571.2 million pounds per year? That would save 11.4 trillion gallons of water and 4.8 million trees a year. Not to mention all the gas consumed and pollution emitted to convert trees into paper towels and transport them to their destinations.
I challenge you to try this out. One less paper towel per person per day. At home and at work, you can make a simple change that will have a huge impact.
Pinterest to Repurpose It
For those of you able to attend or watch online, we hope you enjoyed the LiveGreen Scene presentation from David Klitz with the Habitat for Humanity Restore. If you missed it, you can watch it from anywhere with this link:
You will need Quick Time on your computer to watch this presentation and can download it here. If you have issues viewing it, please contact the ITS helpdesk at 9-7700.
You may have also missed our announcement that LiveGreen now has a Pinterest Page! We have hundreds of ideas pinned that can be used for the Repurpose It Contest. Everything from sewing to carpentry with skill levels ranging from “never picked up a screwdriver” to “I have my own shop.” Entries do not have to come from this page, it’s just there to help you with ideas—and maybe inspire you with some other projects. 
Some projects are big and seem really impressive, but it’s often the simple things that are the most inspiring. Remember the lunch boxes we were going to recycle from Wednesday’s LiveGreen Scene? A volunteer repurposed them—put leftover pieces of craft paper on the top or sides to make them cute boxes to give treats to friends and family. Others will be used to send leftovers home with kids who can’t remember to bring the good containers back. How awesome is that?!?
The LiveGreen Pinterest page also has:
- Gardening tips, plants and flowers (yeah, it’s finally Spring!)
- Recipes to use what you have grown
- Information on food storage, different edibles, and definitions of organic and non-GMO foods
- Tips and recipes for “green cleaning” (non-toxic, and they will save you money!)
- Pictures of natural wonders and all kinds of animals (reaffirming how amazing this planet really is)
- And some items that are just for fun because, you know, it’s Pinterest!
If you need further inspiration or places to find supplies, check out both locations of the Habitat for Humanity Restore. Their inventory changes weekly. Have items to help the cause? You can drop them off or contact them to arrange pick up.
Also, Reclaimed Enterprises facilitates deconstruction in metro area buildings and saves items for sale and repurposing. Trim, doors, old growth lumber, they have it all. Contact them for more information.
Happy repurposing, we look forward to your entries!
Earth Week Events on Tap for Campus
Since 2011, LiveGreen has been proud to help the campus celebrate Earth Day by planning a week’s worth of activities, known on campus as Earth Week. This year, Earth Week will be held Ap
ril 20-24.
Last year you asked for more notice of these events. LiveGreen is proud to announce our bigger and better line-up of activities.
Monday: Kick off Earth Week by celebrating trees and Arbor Day. We will have a tree planting in front of the Durham Research Center buildings at 10:30 a.m. Free serviceberry trees will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Tuesday: Second annual RePurpose It Contest! This year we have even more prizes to award, so start preparing your entry now! Entries must contain an item that has been repurposed to make something new. Check out the LiveGreen website for more details. Attend Wednesday’s lunch and learn at noon in the Eppley Science Hall Auditorium for tips, tricks, and inspiration.
Wednesday: Earth Day’s 45th anniversary will be celebrated worldwide. Take part in local and online events. We will provide additional information online.
Thursday: Bring your personal recycling and shredding. This is a favorite event, and this year we are collecting even more items! In addition to personal electronics and personal documents to shred we will take personal alkaline/single use batteries as well as “techno-trash” which will include VHS tapes. Please visit the LiveGreen website for a full list of items we will accept as well as prices for recycling some of them.
Friday: You asked us to provide a variety of information that would help you to be more sustainable, so we are happy to announce the inaugural Sustainability Expo! Come visit us in the Ruth and Bill Scott Student Plaza (rain location: Durham Outpatient Center atrium) from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to get information from local experts. We’ll have information on recycling, food, composting, travel and gardening — just to name a few. There will be experts on hand to answer your questions, plus more free trees and wildflower seeds. This year, Spirit Day will celebrate with us, providing snacks, prizes, and more giveaways! Information is still being added, so check the LiveGreen website often for updated information.
LiveGreen looks forward to celebrating Earth Week with you. Make sure to add these events to your calendar! If you would like to volunteer to help at Thursday or Friday’s event, please email us.
Preparing for Repurpose It Contest
Last year during Earth Week, LiveGreen held its first ReUse It contest. You were invited to take any item that had outlived its original purpose and transform it into something new.
We had a lot of great entries and even if you didn’t enter, lots of ideas to inspire you to reuse in your own home.
That contest will return this year with even more prizes and LiveGreen would like to help get you started now.
Next Wednesday, March 18th at noon in the Eppley Science Hall Auditorium (3010) Habitat ReStore Director, David Klitz, will present helpful tips, tricks and ideas for affordable repurposing, recycling and remodeling—all using Habitat ReStore materials. Bring your drink in a reusable container and LiveGreen will provide the first 50 attendees with a boxed lunch.
Your entries do not have to use items from the Habitat ReStore, but if you need ideas, inspiration, or something to make your project complete, they may be able to help.
Contest rules will be announced at the end of the presentation and you can get started!
Who: All employees and students on campus
What: Habitat for Humanity ReUse It Demonstration
When: Wednesday, March 18th at 12pm
Where: Eppley Science Hall Auditorium, room 3010 (main level when entering from South side)
Why: To learn about ways to reuse common household materials, save money, save the planet, and to inspire you to begin your Earth Week ReUse It Contest project
And: Boxed lunches will be provided for the first 50 attendees, please bring your own drink in a reusable container
Want to watch, but can’t leave your desk? Click here to watch live from your desktop.
Want to watch it later? Click here to watch anytime, anyplace (but give us a little time to get it uploaded).
You will need Quick Time on your computer to watch this presentation and can download it here. If you have issues viewing it, please contact the ITS help desk at 9-7700.
Omaha’s two Habitat ReStore outlets are nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers that sell new and gently-used furniture, home accessories, building materials (doors, cabinets, windows, lighting, flooring, etc.), and appliances at up to 70% off their new retail price. Omaha’s Habitat ReStore sells these items to the general public with proceeds going toward building and renovating additional Habitat homes in the area.
Anatomy of a Parking Fee
Last fall we started a process to provide more alternatives to transport people to work in ways other than a single occupant vehicle. As we work on these Active Transportation options, the most common concern we hear revolves around the cost of parking: Why do we have to pay to park here? Where does all that money go?
Seemed like this should be something I should know, so I decided to find out.
As it turns out Parking does not generate profit. Yes, money is collected but it actually covers a variety of expenses. I was shocked to learn that a major snowstorm can cost us $45,000 or more! While some businesses can wait until it stops snowing to clear snow, we are 24/7 and for your safety sidewalks and lots are continuously and repeatedly cleared and salted, while snow from parking garages actually has to be hauled off site.
Here’s a list of where your parking fee goes:
- Bond Payment; paying off loans and interest for the construction of parking garages, 46%.
- Operating Expenses; snow removal, jumpstarts, 16%
- Personnel; staffing for Parking office and enforcement, 14%
- Utilities; water and electricity in parking lots and garages 6%
- Supplies; fuel, signage, hardware, elevators, mandatory fire alarm testing, 4%
- Improvements; resurfacing, minor repairs, lighting upgrades, 2%
- Capital Improvement; whatever is leftover is put into Capital Improvement to cover future major expenses or overages, averages 12%. This covers anything from the unexpected demo of Lot 4, excessive snow, expansion joint repair, or expenses related to vandalism. Collecting a little bit at a time prevents them from having to increase parking fees by a large amount anytime something major happens. All money goes back into parking infrastructure, it doesn’t cover anything outside of that. If this account has more money than it needs, your parking rates may stay the same. If not, they could go up.
So this begs the question, how do other places in town handle parking if they don’t charge their employees to park? Answer: they do, they just don’t tell them. If parking is owned or leased by an employer, the employee helps to pay for expenses. It may not be a line-item on the pay stub, but they pay for it with fewer vacation days, fewer benefits, smaller raises, something. We have an advantage because we have a choice. If I don’t want to pay, I don’t park and that’s money I save.
Interested in saving money? We’ll be rolling out multiple options this spring that will get you to campus while saving you money.
