Med center to plant new trees on campus
For the third year in a row, the med center has received the “Free Trees for Fall Planting” grant, a collaborative effort of the Nebraska Forest Service (NFS) and Nebraska Statewide Arboretum (NSA).
In September, the med center received 10 trees with six different tree species, including black cherry, Kentucky coffeetree, and Hastings American elms.
Fall is the best time to plant trees, because the warm soil helps new root formation and the air temperatures encourage trees to produce shoots. The new trees will be planted on Thursday, Oct. 7 from 9-10 a.m. on the west side of the UNMC College of Public Health as part of Campus Sustainability Month. Attendees at the planting can enter a drawing to win a spring-blooming perennial, enjoy donut holes and learn about the tree species being added to campus this year.
Some of the new trees will replace trees that fell due to storms this past spring and summer. Trees will be planted near Clarkson College, the Maurer Center for Public Health and the Field Club Trail – all highly populated areas. Adding trees in these locations will create more shade and add to the general tree canopy system, which helps cool down highly populated areas. Having more trees at the med center also benefits the environment, with effects that include:
- Acting as a carbon sink and cleaning the air
- Adding biodiversity and attracting different pollinators
- Reducing emissions from lawn mowing
- Cooling the streets and city by breaking up urban “heat islands”
- Preventing soil erosion and water pollution
Plus, having more natural areas on campus helps with human health and healing. In 2020, Yale Environment posted a study that observed the effects of spending two hours a week in green spaces (parks or natural environments) on human well-being. The study showed that people who spent more time in green spaces reported having better health and psychological well-being when compared to those who didn’t. Nature can relieve stress by lowering blood pressure and stress hormone levels, reducing nervous system arousal, aiding the immune system and improving mood. Find more information on the positive effects trees have on health, especially in urban areas, here.
Friday is World Vegetarian Day
World Vegetarian Day is observed annually on Oct. 1. Its aim is to bring awareness about the benefits of a vegetarian diet on human health, animal welfare, the environment and more.
Eating less meat is one of the most significant ways an individual can reduce their environmental impact while also improving their own health.
According to the American Dietetic Association, eating a well-planned vegetarian diet may help reduce the risk of certain diseases, including heart disease. In fact, “a growing body of scientific evidence indicates that wholesome vegetarian diets offer distinct advantages compared to diets containing meat and other foods of animal origin” due to higher levels of certain nutrients and lower levels of saturated fat and cholesterol. Vegetarian diets can be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of everything from cardiovascular disease and hypertension to diabetes to cancer, osteoporosis and a variety of other conditions.
The livestock industry is responsible for about 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and cattle (both meat and dairy production) account for 65% of those emissions. Widespread adoption of vegetarianism would have a significant impact on emissions worldwide. It also could save as much as $1 trillion annually in health care costs and lost productivity — and could save around 7 million lives. Widespread veganism (no animal-based products) would have an even greater impact.
If cutting out meat from your diet entirely sounds too difficult, try starting small. Eliminate meat for one day or one meal a week, or replace meat with a substitute such as tofu or plant-based alternatives. By experimenting with new vegetarian recipes on that day, you can find out which dishes you can easily include in your regular routine. One of the common mistakes people make when they become vegetarian is to eat more processed food, which negates the health benefits. Instead, be sure you do a little research about the nutrients you need and how you can get them through plants. Soon, you’ll be on your way to helping drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions and improving your health.
Sept. 22 is World Car Free Day
World Car Free Day, which encourages individuals to eliminate the use of their car for a day, will be celebrated on Sept. 22.
Avoiding using a car provides an opportunity to try using active transportation modes, such as biking, walking or taking the bus. Collectively, it demonstrates what our streets and air would look like without cars, congestion and polluting emissions. While going car-free may not be an option for everyone, it’s a chance to reexamine the way we move around our community.
Transportation accounts for approximately 29% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S. — the largest contributor. GHG emissions in the transportation sector increased more in absolute terms than any other sector between 1990 and 2019. A majority of respondents to the med center’s 2019 Sustainability Engagement Survey drive between five and 20 miles one-way to get to work, meaning there is an opportunity for individuals at the med center to help reduce emissions.
The good news is that the med center has a great system in place to support employees who can travel to work in ways other than driving alone in a car. The TravelSmart program provides free emergency rides home, free Omaha Metro bus passes, bike/walk infrastructure such as lockers and showers and carpool matching. TravelSmart has helped the med center double its mode split (the percentage of commuters using transportation modes other than driving alone in a vehicle), from 12% in 2010 to 24% in 2019.
This year, consider trying out Omaha Metro’s new ORBT system, which runs every 10 minutes on Dodge Street. OBRT has a stop right outside Clarkson College at 42nd and Dodge streets, and TravelSmart members ride for free. The buses are equipped with WiFi and real time tracking. If you cannot use ORBT to commute, try taking it to lunch this week.
When we reduce drive-alone trips to campus, we reduce the health hazards of our community from car exhaust and often increase steps, improving cardiovascular health. If you are unable to use an alternative way of commuting to work, consider doing one errand this week by biking, walking or using transit. The environment and your health will benefit as a result.
Check out the TravelSmart website to learn more and sign up today.
Back-to-school BBQ limits waste
The UNMC back-to-school barbecue took place two weeks ago, welcoming students and staff back to campus. It was a hot day with around 800 people in attendance to play games, socialize, eat food and listen to fun music. In total, 803 meals were served.
The past two years, this was a zero waste event, meaning at least 90% of all the waste generated in preparation and during the event was diverted from the landfill — either by being composted or recycled. This year, the diversion rate was 71% — slightly below the zero waste threshold. Below are the quantities sent to each end destination:
- Compost: 88 lbs.
- Recycling: 12 lbs.
- Cardboard: 16 lbs.
- Hefty EnergyBag (soft plastics): Five lbs.
- Landfill: 43 lbs.
Of a total of 164 pounds of waste, 116 were diverted. A diversion rate of 71% is pretty high, but there is room for improvement. The wrapping around the food, condiment packets, table covers and other random items could not be recycled or composted, which contributed heavily to the landfill bin. Chip bags and other soft plastics were placed in orange Hefty EnergyBags but were not counted as diverted waste because these materials are not yet being recycled — they are still sent to be burned for energy. The plates, utensils, food, leftover liquids and any wet cardboard was all composted. Water bottles, aluminum cans, plastic cups and cardboard were recycled. Volunteers stood at each waste station and helped students and staff sort their waste into the correct bin, raising awareness and educating the attendees on waste management.
A special thanks to Verdis Group for volunteering their time to help stand by waste stations and weigh the waste at the end of the event, UNMC staff and HEAL volunteers that helped plan and clean up the event afterwards, Sodexo for catering the event and Hillside for providing the compost bins.
Making events zero waste helps the med center reach their goal of creating net zero waste by 2030. You can help at future events by ensuring people are putting their waste into the correct bin and checking out our Zero Waste Event toolkit.
Hot water vs. steam for heating
For the past few years, newer buildings at the med center, such as the Lauritzen Outpatient Center, Davis Global Center, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, the UNMC Center for Drug Discovery and Lozier Center for Pharmacy Sciences and Education and more, have begun using hot water to heat their buildings instead of steam.
Steam and hot water are both the most common types of boiler heating systems. Steam boilers are known to be more traditional. They use energy to heat water to a boiling point, and the steam then travels through networks of pipes to different radiators to heat the building. A hot water boiler goes through the same process as steam but instead stops heating once the water is at a hot-enough temperature. Steam boilers still are necessary during cold months in the Midwest, but specifically during energy curtailment months and most other months throughout the year, hot water can be used to heat the majority of the med center’s buildings.
Using hot water instead of steam has many benefits. It is more energy efficient, safer and cheaper. Water can be controlled more easily than steam, since steam is a gas that has more particles, making it harder to balance and send in the right path, whereas water is easily directable. The water being used also doesn’t have to be heated to boiling temperatures, creating a much safer environment. Since less energy and water is needed, using hot water is the most cost-effective option.
The UNMC Center for Drug Discovery and Lozier Center for Pharmacy Sciences and Education had a 45% reduction in energy use by using hot water instead of steam, equaling a cost avoidance of $45,000 just from 2017 to 2020. Many other buildings on campus had similar energy reduction and cost avoidance data. The med center will continue saving in the future by switching to hot water, because steam costs have continued to rise.
Moving toward this newer heating technology helps the med center reach its 2030 sustainability goals. Using hot water to heat buildings reduces emissions and the amount of water needed. Reducing emissions and water use positively impacts the environment and population by not contributing as much to air and water pollution.
Takeaways from the report on climate change
On Aug. 9, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change — a “code red for humanity,” according to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. Below are some key takeaways.
Earth is on track to cross the critical 1.5°C threshold within 20 years
Earth’s climate is warming faster than scientists previously thought, and even if nations sharply cut greenhouse gas emissions, total global warming will reach 1.5°C within the next 20 years. The 1.5°C increase is the critical threshold defined in the Paris Agreement to prevent the worst effects from climate change. If this 1.5°C increase occurs, we can expect to see an increase in climate impacts such as sea level rise, declining biodiversity, fishery and crop decline and rising poverty, as well as many other health-related impacts.
Warming is “unequivocally” due to human activity
“It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land,” causing widespread and rapid changes, the report said.
We can still prevent the most dire climate hazards
We must take drastic action now in order to stave off the most dire climate outcomes. Doing so will require a coordinated effort among nations to rapidly shift away from fossil fuels and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.
How is health related to climate change?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), climate change is expected to be responsible for 250,000 deaths per year between 2030 and 2050. Key health threats of climate change, according to the WHO and the CDC:
- Heat stress, as seen in the recent heat waves in the Northwestern states
- Waterborne and vector-carried diseases, for which a warmer climate means a wider geographic and seasonal distribution
- Air pollution, which is associated with diminished lung function, asthma and premature deaths
Health organizations like the medical center play a key role in providing the quality care and support needed for the communities to face the effects of climate change.
How the medical center is doing its part
The UN report emphasizes the importance of large organizations achieving their sustainability goals. The med center is striving to be carbon neutral by 2030, alongside a number of other goals. Visit the med center’s dashboard to find out more.
Resources for individuals
- LiveGreen website
- Count Us In’s list of 16 actions
- United Nations individual action site
National Honey Bee Day
This Saturday, Aug. 21, is National Honey Bee Day. Did you know that honey bees are responsible for one in every three bites of food we eat?
Honey bees account for 90% of the pollination required for our crops to grow and are responsible for more than $1 billion in agricultural productivity within the U.S. Not only do bees contribute to most of the food we eat, they also:
- Help create medicines and raw materials;
- Provide food for wildlife;
- Keep waterways clean;
- Prevent soil erosion;
- Help with the production of oxygen; and
- Absorb CO2, which helps mitigate climate change and keep our air clean.
We can all help save the bees. In 2020, the med center received a grant to replace turf grass with native plants that help support pollinators like honey bees. Take a walk over to the lower level of parking lot 16, between the Truhlsen Eye Institute and Home Instead Center for Successful Aging, to check out the prairie and see some pollinators in action.
Despite the country’s massive reliance on honey bees in agriculture and other systems, these bees are declining at an alarming rate. In 1988, there were around 5 million hives in the U.S.; today there are only 2.5 million. The decline of honey bees can be attributed to several different factors: parasites, pesticides, habitat destruction, air pollution and climate change. If honey bee populations continue to decline toward extinction, many of our everyday necessities will no longer be available, and our health will be in jeopardy. We won’t have access to food we eat every day and medications we use, there will be much more air pollution, and the environment will experience huge shifts within all ecosystems.
National Honey Bee Day is an opportunity to recognize how much honey bees do to sustain our ecosystems, protect natural resources and ensure human health. It’s also a day to appreciate all of the beekeepers and honey bee associations that help support these important pollinators.
Some ways you can help save the bees in your own life include: avoiding pesticides and fertilizers, providing more trees and bee gardens in your yard, helping local beekeepers and organizations and educating others on the importance of bees. Check out this blog from City Sprouts to find out more about how you can help.
Shutting the fume hood sash saves energy
If you spend time in a lab, you have an opportunity to help reduce a significant amount of energy during the hot summer months — and all year round.
Fume hoods that are left open when not in use consume the same amount of energy as 3.5 homes in a day, and the ventilation can account for half of all energy used in a lab. Not only does closing the fume hood conserve UNMC’s energy and reduce environmental impact, it also:
- Ensures safety of self and colleagues
- Saves the university at least $700,000 to $900,000 annually by ensuring the air exchange system runs efficiently
- Limits the amount of conditioned air that exits the building
- Prevents alarms from being triggered in the evening for some research buildings
Fume hood sashes are usually see-through panels that open and close to let air in and out. When a fume hood sash is open, it essentially creates a large hole in the lab’s wall that leads directly outside, using a significant amount of energy. This is important because it filters out noxious fumes so the air in the lab doesn’t get contaminated, but when the fume hood is not in use, there is no need for it to be filtering clean air.
Check out what some of your colleagues have to say about the importance of shutting the fume hood sash:
“If you care about reducing our energy footprint, which means helping both the environment and our bottom line, please shut the sash of your fume hood when it is not in use!” – Jennifer Larsen, MD, vice chancellor of research
“By shutting the fume-hood sash, med center colleagues not only can ensure safety and significantly reduce energy use but also save money. If a fume-hood sash is left open, the exhausted air must be replaced with fresh air, which in turn must be heated or cooled, all of which uses energy. The med center could save nearly $1 million every year by shutting the sash and ensuring our air systems run efficiently.” –Andrew Balus, facilities management and planning
New “Shut the Sash” stickers are being put up in UNMC labs this week and next week. If your lab still needs new stickers or you would like to put up posters, please email LiveGreen.
Med center receives Better Buildings Award
UNMC and Nebraska Medicine have been awarded the 2021 Better Buildings Goal Achiever Award. Better Buildings is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy designed to help drive leadership in energy innovation. Better Buildings Goal Achievers are leaders in energy efficiency and stand as an example for their peers in the public and private sectors as organizations who have met their sustainability commitment(s) within 10 years.
In 2016, the med center committed 6.8 million square feet of building space to the Better Buildings challenge. As part of the challenge, the med center committed to a goal of 20% reduction in water use intensity by 2022. This year, that goal was exceeded, with a 23% annual reduction in water consumption.
This was achieved by:
- Replacing non-recirculating cooling systems on freezers, MRI, and electron microscopes.
- Repairing faucet aerators and switching to high-efficiency faucets.
- Installing high efficiency toilets and urinals.
- Updating water fountains with bottle refill stations.
- Improving cooling tower efficiency.
Along with the med center’s commitments to the Better Buildings challenge and goals, it has committed to achieving a number of other sustainability goals by 2030. These include becoming carbon neutral (net zero emissions), achieving zero waste and using less water than what falls on the Omaha campus yearly during average rainfall (currently 104 million gallons). Check out the progress and projects being implemented to achieve these goals.
By pursuing the 2030 goals and being a part of programs like the Better Buildings Challenge, the med center is striving to have a positive impact on the planet and therefore creating a healthier environment for all people to live and thrive. Everyone’s actions on campus help to achieve these goals. Here are some simple ways you can help each day at work or at home.
Energy curtailment continues
Energy curtailment — when colleagues and students are asked to help the campus by using less energy on days when the combined heat and humidity put extra stress on campus energy systems – has returned.
This week is another hot one, and the medical center has been and will continue to be in and out of curtailment throughout the summer.
By using less energy on curtailment days, we:
- Ensure continuity of essential systems for critical hospital and research functions;
- Reduce pollution;
- Improve the health of the entire community; and
- Help to save money — both now (consumption) and for the next 12 months. The next year’s electrical rate is based on our maximum usage at any given point in time. This is always important, but especially now, as budgets are tight.
So what simple things can you do to help?
- Close shades, blinds and curtains whenever possible to reduce solar heat gain;
- If you are on campus but your neighbors aren’t, please help by closing their window coverings and turning off any lights or equipment you can.
- 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;
- Open doors manually instead of using the ADA buttons if possible;
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator; and
- Tell others.
Updated technology has allowed us to control curtailment better. It is possible that spaces will get warmer as the day goes on, but there shouldn’t be freezing spaces, as colleagues have requested. For a full explanation, please visit the Energy Curtailment page.
Spaces are not controlled individually; the system cools larger areas. So while the med center has a temperature range to maintain, it’s possible your space may not be the exact temperature you want. Only call 2-3347 (Nebraska Medicine) or 9-4050 (UNMC) to report spaces colder than 66 degrees or warmer than 78 degrees.
Patient care and research spaces are not affected by energy curtailment.
