Wait, Wait, Don’t Push that Button Yet!
You rush up to a building and it’s so cold out that you hit that magical door opening button, also known as an ADA button, so you don’t have to touch the handle. The door swings open for you and you scamper inside.
You’ve done a good deed, right? You kept your hands cleaner, used a button that is meant to be used, and in the case of the DOC and Clarkson, didn’t use the big revolving door to sweep cold air into the building. Those are all good thoughts, but unfortunately, wrong.
ADA buttons are designed to be used by people who cannot hold the door open for themselves while safely getting through the doorway. They can also be used in areas where large items, generally carts or beds, will be taken through and the door needs to be held open.
So, let’s dispel some myths:
ADA doors are still designed to be used manually. Even if you can hear the gears moving, you are not damaging them. If you are still concerned, use the door on the other side.
Our EVS staff cleans door handles and ADA buttons regularly as part of infection control. However, the area you touch on a door is larger and you are more likely to touch a different area there, than you would on an ADA button. Not necessarily dirtier, but definitely not any cleaner.
ADA doors are often used by individuals who believe they need to use them and doors stay open much longer than they would otherwise, letting in a lot of cold/hot air. In addition to making people in the adjacent areas uncomfortable, we use a LOT of energy to counter that change in temperature.
In the case of the DOC or Clarkson revolving door, that door actually helps maintain pressure in the building and does not bring in a lot of outside air. The ADA door stays open and allows air to be sucked right into the building, making the lobby and atrium cold/hot until our system can catch up.
Who knew such a little action could have such a big impact? Think before you hit the button next time, and only use it if you need to; you’ll save energy and make spaces more comfortable for employees and visitor. Plus, you don’t turn out like this guy!
Have you got a good read?
As you may know, last year LiveGreen sponsored the construction of a Little Free Library.
The Little Free Library was constructed as an Eagle Scout project for Matthew Rothgeb, son of UNMC’s Kim Rothgeb. He collected broken pallets from campus, sanded them down, and constructed a library that has a roof made of repurposed Scrabble boards and tiles.
Our Little Free Library is located next to Cornerstone Gifts in the second-floor atrium of the Durham Outpatient Center.
Matthew also collected more than 1,500 books to help us keep it well stocked.
You can leave a book or take a book. The sharing of books has been a huge success. Many of you have borrowed books and returned them, brought some from home to donate, and collected them within your area at work.
The downside of this, if you will, is that we are now out of books. The books that are on the Little Free Library now are the end of our stock.
So, if you have books at home that are collecting dust, your kids have outgrown, or you have already read, consider bringing them here. This is a great way to:
- Promote reading for all ages.
- Fight Illiteracy.
- Give visitors in waiting rooms a welcome distraction.
- Work on your New Year’s resolution to organize your house.
- Find a book you’ve never heard of.
- Learn something new.
Even Mark Zuckerberg has resolved to read more books in 2015, saying “I’ve found reading books to be very intellectually fulfilling. Books allow you to fully explore a topic and immerse yourself in a deeper way than most media today.”
Books can be left at the library at any time, but please leave them on a shelf. They cannot go on the floor around the library, even if they are in boxes. If the shelves are full, please contact LiveGreen and we will get them from you.
Have a lot of books to bring in at once? Give us some advance notice and we’ll meet you with a cart and find a place to store them until space opens up.
Please keep in mind the Little Free Library is for books, not movies, periodicals, magazines or pamphlets/brochures.
Christmas Tree-cycling
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great holiday season and that the New Year will provide a fresh perspective. Speaking of fresh perspectives, I thought I would share some interesting information with you.
If you haven’t done so already, today is the last day to drop off your Christmas tree for recycling. Locations can be found here.
Consider leaving your tree in an out-of-the-way corner of your yard. It’s a great shelter for birds and you and your kids can have fun decorating it with popcorn and berry strings to attract them. If you want to attract a wide variety of birds, check outthese suggestions for feeding birds in the winter.
Cut off large branches and place them over perennial gardens for some extra insulation. Branches are easily removed in the spring (right into your compost pile). They also can be placed in Omaha’s yard waste collection in spring for city composting.
The city is working with Scrap Central to recycle worn out strings of Christmas lights and extension cords. Please bring only lights and cords; all boxes, bags, and other material must be removed. You can recycle them at 2728 N. 85th St. through Jan 20. They are open 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Saturdays. All proceeds will benefit Susan G. Komen Nebraska.
Just for fun, check out these Goat Grazers in Nevada. Trees were being dumped in places where people assumed they would break down or be sent to landfills, both of which created a fire hazard. This family of goats eats the trees, which are high in vitamin C, “naturally recycling” the trees and decreasing the risk of wildfire.
I see London, I see France. I see someone’s Christmas tree? Yes, that’s right, a company in France has found a way to turn Christmas trees into lingerie! Needles, bark, and wood are treated with an enzyme to turn the once prickly substance into a soft fabric suitable for undergarments. They use an enzyme process instead of chemicals and the fabric is said to be better at wicking moisture away than cotton! I haven’t vetted the process, but I like that they are thinking outside the box.
Finally, did you get new electronics resulting in old electronics that need recycling? This Saturday a collection will be held, and the proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House. Check out their website for more information.
Transportation and Parking Update
sustainability manager
Earlier this fall, an article appeared about transportation and parking on campus and how that will be changing in the future. Colleagues were invited to make their voice heard via the survey and open campus forums.
Hundreds attended the forums and more than 4,200 responded to the survey. Thank you! Your feedback was invaluable and has helped us to move forward on alternatives that will work for you.
We also heard that a lot of you understand the environmental benefits to carpooling and public transportation and would enjoy the financial savings as well. We completely understand some of your reservations about using these programs and so we are exploring:Many had comments on walking and biking to work. Due to high interest, additional bike racks have been ordered to add to some locations, creating bike-parking opportunities in locations that didn’t have them. Please make sure to always secure bikes when parking, and never secure them on steps, hand railings or in front of doors.
- Subsidized bus passes. You save money on parking, gas and wear and tear on your car while getting to work at little to no cost to you. We are working with MAT to ensure times and routes will work for employees and students, along with increasing reliability.
- Emergency ride home program. This will get you home free of charge if your carpool buddy has to leave unexpectedly or you are sick and can’t wait for the bus.
- ZipCars: Cars you can check out and use in an emergency or to run to off-campus errands or appointments if you didn’t drive that day.
- Carpool matching: Finding different ways to match you up with others on campus who not only live nearby but also like the same music (or maybe sports talk?) as well as other parameters like smoking, pets in the car, etc.
- Working with the city to connect bike trails to make it safer to get here as well as pedestrian bridges and good sidewalks for walking.
- Bike storage boxes and showers for those riding/walking in.
Plans are being developed to turn these ideas into pilot programs this spring and summer.
For more on parking, see the article that appeared in Monday’s Now email.
Lunch & Learn
LiveGreen is proud to present our next LiveGreen Scene, helping you make your home more energy efficient before winter and reducing your energy bill. Jesse Krivolavek, president of American Energy Advisors, will speak at noon on Nov. 11 in the Eppley Science Hall Auditorium, Room 3010.
Efficiency presentation
- Who: Jesse Krivolavek
- What: Learn@Lunch on preparing your home for winter
- When: Tuesday, November 11 at noon
- Where: Eppley Science Hall Auditorium (Room 3010) or at your desktop
- Why: To save you some money and natural resources.
American Energy Advisors tests homes for energy efficiency and then uses computer modeling to help the owner make changes that will increase energy efficiency, improve indoor air quality, and reduce utility bills.
Krivolavek will talk briefly about the process, but the bulk of the presentation will be on easy things homeowners can do themselves, without hiring an outside contractor. He also will provide demonstrations of several items.
Not a do-it-yourselfer? That’s OK — this presentation is designed for people of all skill levels (you may need to be able to operate a screwdriver).
Have something specific you’d like to know about? Or have a question but can’t attend? EmailLiveGreen ahead of time, and it may be included in the presentation. There will be time at the end to answer any questions from audience members.
A boxed lunch will be provided for the first 50 attendees. Please bring your own drink-in a reusable container, of course.
Interested, but can’t get away from your desktop? We will livestream here.
Can’t watch that day? Give us a day or so and you can watch the presentation whenever it’s convenient for you at 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.
