http://sustainability.ucsf.edu/sustainability_rss UCSF Sustainability News en Copyright 2013 2013-05-10T01:03:37+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.342 UCSF is featured in “Hospitals Go Green on Cleaning Supplies” in the San Francisco Chronicle. Also see the story by the Advisory Board Company called Hospital Cleaning Supplies Go Green. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-05-13T21:18:24+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.320 NEW! Informational webinar Been thinking about installing solar on your home, but don’t know where to start or what technology is best for you? Want to go solar, but think it’s just too expensive?  San Francisco SunShares is here to help! UCSF is excited to announce a new partnership with San Francisco SunShares, a solar discount program being offered to employees of the City and County of San Francisco, Blue Shield of California, Pacific Gas & Electric and UCSF. Sponsored by the SF Department of the Environment and Business Council on Climate Change (BC3), this limited time program allows employees living in the nine Bay Area counties to pool their buying power to secure significant discounts on a range of financing options (both purchase and lease) for residential solar installations. SunShares simplifies the process of researching and choosing the right contractor, making it easy for you to save money and reduce your carbon footprint. Here’s how it works: 1.  An evaluation committee of representatives from each participating organization reviewed proposals from qualified local solar contractors. The proposals were vetted and scored based on a suite of criteria including experience, pricing, financing options, and customer service. The scores are in and the committee has selected REC Solar to provide you with a no-cost site evaluation and proposal. 2.  Visit the program Website to register with your contact information and some basic information about your home energy use and roof condition . After you have signed up, you will be connected with the REC Solar team who will work with you to schedule your site evaluation. 3.  Once you have received a proposal, the next step is to decide if solar is a good fit for your home and budget.  If you decide to proceed, you will sign a contract with REC Solar. If you have any questions about the process or your proposal, the SunShares program technical advisors are available to answer questions. The program is open to all UCSF employees living in the nine Bay Area counties and is available until June 30, 2013. Click HERE for more details on pricing specifics and to register for the program and a no cost site assessment. For more details, see the program flyer HERE. Attend an Informational Meeting Informational meetings are scheduled for UCSF affiliates from noon to 1pm on the follow days: SFGH: April 29, Rm 2A6, 2nd fl Mission Center Building:  May 20, Room 126 (1855 Folsom Street) Parnassus Campus:  May 21, Room N-729 in the Nursing Building (2 Koret Way) Mission Bay Campus:  May 23, Rock Hall 102 (Pottruck Auditorium)  Laurel Heights Campus: May 29, S1-24 Auditorium Please RSVP to Sustainability@ucsf.edu and note which date/location you plan to attend. REC Solar The SF SunShares employee evaluation committee has selected local firm REC Solar to provide residential solar to offer you discounted cash purchase pricing and several lease options to help you go solar. In addition to offering SunShares participants solar electric systems at a discounted price, REC Solar will also provide a $599 incentive for each system leased through the program, if the total installed solar capacity exceeds 250 kilowatts. Register for the group and we will connect you with REC Solar to schedule a free evaluation! With more than 7,000 installations over the past 14 years, REC Solar is one of the most experienced solar installers in the United States. REC Solar will make going solar easy working closely with you to identify the solar solution that meets your specific needs and budget, using quality products and professional workmanship. In addition to the great discounted pricing offer for those interested in owning your solar system, through their partnership with SunRun, Inc., REC Solar is also providing a PPA/Lease option that enables you to install your project with little to no money upfront and immediate savings on your utility bill. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-05-10T01:57:32+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.337 NIssan is offering a special discount for UCSF employees through June.  This is a fantastic deal with a $1000 below dealer invoice, $7500 federal tax credit, $1000 charging station tax credit, a $2500 state EV purchase rebate, and SOV lane sticker.  See below for more details!  UCSF Photo ID required.  Offer expires June 30, 2013. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-05-10T01:03:37+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.324 UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Children’s Hospital received a 2013 Partner for Change with Distinction Award from Practice Greenhealth for integrating environmental responsibility into its operations.  Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the healthcare community committed to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. The Partner for Change, with Distinction Award, issued on April 24, 2013 at the CleanMed Conference & Exposition, is very competitive award that recognizes health care facilities that have achieved improvements in their mercury elimination, waste reduction, recycling and source reduction programs – above and beyond the Partner for Change basic criteria. This includes at least 20 percent recycling, generating 10 percent or less regulated medical waste, a more extensive sustainability program and more programs covering a wider range of areas (such as food, energy, water, chemical minimization, and more).  These facilities must also show leadership in the local community and in the health care sector. “UCSF was selected as an Award winner ‘with distinction’ because they have demonstrated achievements far beyond the guidelines for the Partner for Change Award,” said Laura Wenger, RN, Executive Director, Practice Greenhealth. UCSF is truly demonstrating leadership for the future of health care.” As evidenced in a recent Health Care Research Collaborative study, “Can Sustainable Hospitals Help Bend the Health Care Cost Curve?” introducing environmental sustainability measures in hospitals not only results in significant savings, it won’t increase operating costs.  The implications are clear — given the return on investment, all hospitals should adopt and expand their sustainability programs.  Gail Lee, UCSF Sustainability Manager, took the lead on gathering the necessary data and completing the Practice Greenhealth award application.  “As summarized in our first UCSF Medical Center Sustainability Report, UCSF continues to push the envelope on integrating sustainable operations into the medical center.  This recognition could not have been made without staff supporting our efforts.  From clinical staff to engineers, they all deserve to be recognized for moving UCSF Medical Center forward on our sustainability path.” Dan Henroid, medical center director of Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) and sustainability officer, was among those involved with applying for the award. “We are proud to continue be cited as a leader in developing and implementing programs that protect our environment and the health of our patients, staff and community,” said Henroid. “We look forward to working with Practice Greenhealth to shape the future of health care sustainability.” Jack Henderson, Assistant Director for NFS, received second place in the new Exemplary Food Service Professional Award at the conference.  He led efforts to sign the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge and developed the Nutrition and Food Services department sustainability policy. He leads his team to increase sustainable food purchases from 8.5% in 2010 to over 14% in 2012. He helped develop their waste management practices, including waste oil donation to a bio-diesel cooperative, donating leftover food to local pantries and implementing a robust recycling and composting program achieving 85% diversion.  He is a founding member of the very successful Health Care Without Harm Bay Area Hospital Leadership Team, a model which is now being implemented in several regions around the country.  He champions local and sustainable foods for the Medical Center patients, staff and visitors. Some highlights of the UCSF Medical Center sustainability program were recently highlighted in the Medical Center Sustainability Report and summarized in a recent post last month. Highlights of Waste Reduction and Other Sustainability Initiatives • Completed construction of two LEED-certified facilities that will save energy throughout their lifetime • Replaced toxic cleaners with certified Green Seal cleaning products • Purchased low-flow toilets, rechargeable batteries and conversion to paperless record-keeping • Composed 90% of food waste from cafeterias, staff lounges and patient rooms • Certified four “Living Green Offices” to reduce energy and waste • Organized “Bike to Work Day” and added 256 bike parking spaces and 40 carpool parking spaces. • Donated over 13,000 lbs of medical equipment and supplies to international hospitals/clinics • Serving organic baby food at the medical center. About Practice Greenhealth Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the health care community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. For more information on Practice Greenhealth, visit www.practicegreenhealth.org. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-04-29T17:37:46+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.317 Empowered to LiveGreen Thursday, May 9, 2013 11:00 am-2:00 pm Millberry Union Game Room 500 Parnassus Avenue The LivingGreen Fair showcases sustainability efforts around the UCSF campus and provides information on how students, staff and faculty can help fulfill our goal of “a healthy environment, sustainable future”.  In the past, the fair has focused on engaging attendees to be more sustainable at UCSF. This year, we look towards integrating greener behaviors into our personal lives and community.  Over 70 vendors from Sierra Club to Rainbow Grocery to car share programs will be providing information on their products and programs. The 2013 fair features a LivingGreen prize wheel, a Recycled/Reclaimed Art Show, information on car share programs, electric bikes and electric cars, the opportunity to test drive a Leaf and Tesla, eyeglass, book and sneaker recycling, and the opportunity to learn about community organizations such as Sierra Club and the Parks Conservancy. Ride your bike to work as part of Bike to Work Day;  Recology will be installing bike bells! Click here to see locations of energizing stations.  UCSF Transportation Services will have an energizer station at Irving at 2nd Avenue.  This station will provide water, coffee, fresh fruit and pastries to all UCSF student, faculty and staff who bike to work.  The station hours are from 7:00 am – 9:30 am.  All bicyclists will receive a free lunch that can be pick up at the Fair. So mark your calendar and plan on attending May 9th from 11 am to 2 pm.  Here are five reasons for attending: 1.  Eat sustainably:  Something fun to do over lunch area with lots of yummy, healthy food vendors.  Taste chocolate, learn about UCSF’s sustainable food program and cage-free eggs.  Sign-up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box and get fresh veggies delivered right to your house!  Food vendors expected include:     Carmelina’s Taqueria (veggie burritos)   New tree chocolate   Alvarado St Bread   USFoods   Wilcox Cage-Free Eggs   Honest Tea   Bay Cities Produce   CAFF (Community Alliance for Family Farmers)   HCWH (Health care Without Harm)   Three twins   Froovie 2.  Learn more about LivingGreen:  Take a personal pledge and learn more about the LivingGreen Office/Lab Certification Program:  Visit the Culture Shift table to learn more about how to get your office or lab certified. 3.  Go solar:  Learn more about UCSF’s new partnership with Sunshade, a program that provides UCSF faculty, staff and students a discount on residential solar installations. 4.  Test drive an electric car or bike:  Both Nissan and Tesla have been invited to showcase their electric vehicles and The New Wheel Cyclery will bring its electric bikes.  Come take a test drive. For a limited time offer, Nissan is offering a discount program for UCSF staff members engaged in instruction, research, administration, or related educational activities. 5.  Check out the Recycled/Reclaimed Art Show:  The Visual Arts Club at UCSF and Campus Life Services Arts & Events have presented the Faculty and Staff Art Show for the past 25 years. This year, the Club has partnered with the 2013 LivingGreen Fair to present the inaugural Recycled/Reclaimed Art Show. The recycled/reclaimed theme is appealing to even the “non-artists”, as many of the submissions are from people who don’t normally show in the annual staff and faculty show. Art work is made from a range of suggested materials including: • Used wood, metal, tiles, material • Used canvas (if you are a painter, you could paint over an old painting) • Photography should be reclaimed photos. Maybe, old photos painted, collages • Styrofoam, cardboard, discarded packaging, plastic bags, containers, lids • Used toys, jewelry, clothing, dishes UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-04-28T19:38:38+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.323 The Visual Arts Club at UCSF and Campus Life Services Arts & Events have presented the Faculty and Staff Art Show for the past 25 years. We are excited now to be partnering with the 2013 LivingGreen Fair to present the inaugural Recycled/Reclaimed Art Show on May 9th, 2013 from 11 am to 2 pm at the Millberry Union Game Room, 500 Parnassus Avenue. Mark your calendars.  We’re looking forward to a great show! The Visual Arts Club at UCSF helps create a culture of engagement, pride and high spirits within the UCSF community and provides an alternative outlet for art appreciation and self expression. The recycled/reclaimed theme is appealing to even the “non-artists” among us, as many of the submissions we have received so far are from people who don’t normally show in the annual staff and faculty show. Some of the artists and their work are highlighted below: Marisa and Sadie McFarlane, Gastroenterology and Anesthesia “I liked the idea of taking broken objects and giving them new life. The watch faces have a lot of character and the vintage pieces / watch innards bring a cool steampunk quality into my artwork that I love and cannot get with all new pieces purchased. Also, broken watches are cheaper to buy and as an independent artist, I look for the cheapest, yet most aesthetically pleasing materials with which to work. I want to present my work in an event created by people who appreciate art that is hand-made with found, reused, recycled, upcycled objects and that are one-of-a-kind.  To have an art show within a medical academic institution is a very unique opportunity and a privilege for anyone working here because I doubt that is very common or encouraged in a non-artistic institution.” Wenia Lee, Department of Surgery, SFGH “Rock Stars are made with grout left over from grouting sessions.  Each rock is formed by hand and are unique in shape, weight and size. 90% of the stained glass used are scraps. Mirror is from broken mirrors collected. Loose beads and jewelry parts are also used. Peggy Woodward, Radiology, MRI “The evolutionary process by which this unplanned, recycled project was accomplished began with a simple piece of palette paper (lower right) that contained very basic colors of blue, red and yellow, a canvas board previously painted on but “discarded” (left), and an old, beat up piece of wood (lower bottom edge).  By applying big dollops of those colors to the top edge of the canvas board and using the old piece of wood to scrape the colors down the canvas to the bottom, a streaky, somewhat insipid accumulation of colors emerged.  However, when I turned the palette paper upside down, in various directions onto that canvas board, the piece began to take on a much more interesting and varied character.  In fact, the leftover paint on both the canvas and the palette paper were transferred to the each other, leaving each with more paint than how they began, allowing further experimentation with the process.  One last time I applied the now, almost spent palette paper to a small canvas and -voila!-my first print!”  Dulce MacLoed, Department of Surgery, Transplant “My art is about reinventing the joy of color and words and ideas. I use books with colorful images, old comic books or poetry books. I reuse discarded paintings as canvas.  I use the paper images like paint by cutting out the shape I want . I use collage, paint and brushwork to get the image out of my head and on to a flat surface. I don’t fully understand the meaning cause that isn’t what matters to me. Its the color and ideas that are exciting to me. I love to look for new ‘old’ items to use in my work. I look for discarded books and small trinkets for media. There is a sense of ‘another’ in these items that is appealing to me.” Metal work from Haiti Haiti’s metalwork tradition is most often associated with the life and work of Georges Liautaud (1899 - 1991) an artist from the town of Croix-des-Bouquets, 12 km from Port-au-Prince.  Liautaud’s intricate ironwork cemetery crosses in the French tradition caught the attention of visiting American artists, who encouraged him to explore a diversity of themes in his work, including scenes of everyday life in rural Haiti and representations of Vodou spirits and cosmology. These pieces are made from the steel barrels that are used to transport fuel into Haiti.  After being flattened and burned to remove paint or varnish, artists trace designs with chalk and, using a hammer and chisel, cut and texture the steel.  The pieces in this exhibit are all made from the lids of the drums, which vary in sizes. Metalworkers in Croix-des-Bouquets organize themselves into atelye (ateliers) or workshops.  These workshops are generally comprised of eight to twelve members and involve apprenticeship, mutual support and division of labour.  Most of the pieces in the show were made by members of the Anti-Stress Atelier, a group of young men who learned metalwork from their fathers, uncles and brothers.  They are in their late teens and twenties, and support their family and kin networks through the sale of their art.  Pierre Minn, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UCSF’s Department of Anthropology, History and Social Medicine, has been conducting research on health and medicine in Haiti for over fifteen years.  He has been working to raise funds for a number of health, education and rural development initiatives in Haiti, including the Lambi Fund, Fonkoze, Konbit Sante and Haiti Outreach Pwojè Espwa. All proceeds from this art will be used to support programs in Haiti. Mary Margaret, Analyst, School of Dentistry “When I learned of the Visual Arts Club’s upcoming art show I was thrilled.  This is my kind of show!  My artwork (I like to call it sacred play) always uses found and recycled materials.  My elemental assemblage is entitled—The Clock Is Ticking”. Silk lined wooden box:  Presentation Tea Box from China via Japan to a colleague, gifted to me. Crystal:  From our Mother’s bowels, to a rock shop bought by a friend, gifted to me Feather:  Found on a wild iris covered hillside, 1976, Mendocino Paper (cream, black & red):  Hand painted long ago in China, brought to USA with family, given to grandchildren, sold at estate sale, resold at a vintage paper show in 1980, SF Key:  Found in basement of my childhood home, 1957, Mansfield, OH Clock:  Second hand, Community Thrift, SF (batteries rechargeable) Ink for text:  Made from walnut shells, 1992, Sonoma County Tape & glue:  Second Hand, SCRAP, SF Buttons:  Bone, shell & Bakelite from my grandmother (all being used for at least the second time) UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-04-28T17:20:52+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.336 Book Drives are being held at all three UCSF libraries:  Kalmanovitz(Parnassus), SFGH, and Mission Bay(Rutter Center) libraries through June 15 UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-04-10T13:50:32+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.310 Did you know that the typical flume hood used in a lab consumes as much energy as three houses on a yearly basis? A typical ultra-low temperature freezer consumes as much energy as one typical household annually?  These fun facts are brought to you by the people at What’s Your Watt, a new program that lets people borrow metering devices so that they can figure out what their biggest energy hogs are. Sponsored by Wells Fargo and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), What’s Your Watt is a collaborative effort by the San Francisco Public Library’s Green Stacks program, the Department of the Environment (SF Environment), and the Business Council on Climate Change (BC3). Wells Fargo presented the idea for the program and a seed grant to purchase meters, which are now available for check out at all 28 San Francisco public libraries. Borrowers may take the devices home or to the office/lab to determine wattage, associated costs and C02 emissions information for all electrical appliances, including computers, refrigerators and hair dryers.  UCSF faculty, staff and students are encouraged to utilize the program to better understand where they can save energy at home, the office or lab. Where to Get a Watt Meter To check current availability click here or contact one of these libraries.  See the Department of Environment for more details. ANZA BRANCH BAYVIEW BRANCH BERNAL HEIGHTS BRANCH CHINATOWN BRANCH EUREKA VALLEY BRANCH EXCELSIOR - Adult GLEN PARK BRANCH GOLDEN GATE VALLEY BRANCH INGLESIDE BRANCH MARINA BRANCH MERCED BRANCH MISSION BRANCH MISSION BAY BRANCH NOE VALLEY BRANCH NORTH BEACH BRANCH OCEAN VIEW BRANCH ORTEGA BRANCH PARK BRANCH PARKSIDE BRANCH PORTOLA BRANCH POTRERO BRANCH PRESIDIO BRANCH RICHMOND BRANCH SUNSET BRANCH VISITACION VALLEY BRANCH WEST PORTAL BRANCH WESTERN ADDITION BRANCH BOOKMOBILE - Adult MAIN - 5th Floor, Stegner Center Circ. MAIN, 4th Floor Green Stacks Another resource to check out is the San Francisco Public Library’s Green Stacks, dedicated to helping the City go green. This new, citywide program highlights environmental initiatives, programs, exhibitions and information created and supported by today’s library system. The Library strives to give users the inspiration and information for living a greener life, including enlightening public events, reading lists and resources for sustainability, and real-world examples from practices in our own eco-friendly libraries. Green Stacks is a partnership of San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco Environment and Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, and is created in conjunction with the Library’s Wallace Stegner Environmental Center. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-03-22T17:36:30+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.321 The UCSF Medical Center recently published their first sustainability report.  Balancing saving lives and doing no harm with protecting the environment is a top priority at UCSF and the sustainability report details UCSF’s journey to greener operations at the medical center—cutting waste, saving energy and saving money. Sustainability and Health Care UCSF recognizes that healthcare’s ethical responsibility is “first, do no harm.”  However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that one percent of all solid waste in the U.S. originates at healthcare facilities;  the medical industry generates over two million tons of waste annually and consumes more than eight percent of the total energy used in U.S.  Hospitals and other healthcare facilities are on average among the most energy-intensive buildings in the country.  UCSF is a leader in identifying and implementing sustainability measures at the medical center.  Over the past four years, the medical center has earned Practice GreenHealth’s (PGH)‘s Partner for Change with Distinction Award, recognizing efforts to cut waste, reduce toxins and cut energy; UCSF was just awarded the award again for 2013 (stay tuned for details on the award next month). The medical center is also a signatory of the Healthier Hospital Initiative, committing to three of the six planks:  engaged leadership, healthier food and less waste. This initiative was founded by 11 of the largest, most influential U.S. health systems, comprising over 490 hospitals with more than $20 billion in purchasing power. It serves as a guide to help hospitals reduce energy and waste, purchase safer and less toxic materials and serve healthier foods. The medical center’s sustainability efforts save money, reduce waste, reduce emissions, improve quality and increase efficiency, as well as shift the culture, reducing UCSF’s impact on the environment and community.  Highlights of Savings: LivingGreen is good for the environment and helps UCSF save money.  Savings from sustainability programs include: • $846,000 in rebates for installing energy-saving upgrades for the cooling and lighting systems at the Parnassus hospital • $751,000 saved by approving reprocessed medical devices • $250,000 saved by reducing medical waste • $240,000 saved through the purchase of reusable pillows • $105,000 saved by reusing sharps containers Highlights of Waste Reduction and Other Sustainability Initiatives • Completed construction of two LEED-certified facilities that will save energy throughout their lifetime • Replaced toxic cleaners with certified Green Seal cleaning products • Purchased low-flow toilets, rechargeable batteries and conversion to paperless record-keeping • Composed food waste from cafeterias, staff lounges and patient rooms. • Certified four “LivingGreen Offices” • Organized “Bike to Work Day” and added 256 bike parking spaces and 40 carpool parking spaces • Donated over 13,000 lbs of medical equipment and supplies to international hospitals/clinics • Serving organic baby food at the medical center     UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-03-20T18:35:05+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.326 Save the date for two upcoming webinars co-sponsored by Health Care Without Harm and the Pew Charitable Trusts Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming. May 16th and May 22, 10-11 am PST.  More details, including registration information can be found on the Health Care Without Harm website here. Saving Antibiotics: A Clinical Perspective on Antibiotic Overuse in Agriculture, May 16, 2013, 1-2pm ET / 10-11am PT Antibiotic resistance is increasing across the country. Yet, antibiotics continue to be used prolifically in food animal agriculture. Eighty percent of antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used for animal agriculture, primarily for non-therapeutic purposes, and are available over-the-counter with no veterinary supervision. There is strong consensus among independent experts that such antibiotic use in agriculture contributes to growing antibiotic resistance, and poses a serious threat to human health. Doctors, nurses, and other clinicians have a powerful voice to provide in urging more prudent antibiotic use in agriculture. Join us as we discuss the role the clinical community can play in protecting antibiotics. Dr. Gail Hansen, Senior Officer, Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming, will explain the environmental and health risks to antibiotics overuse in animal agriculture, and describe the policy landscape. Dr. Tom Newman, Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Pediatrics at University of California-San Francisco Medical Center and National Board member of Physicians for Social Responsibility, will speak about how clinicians can become more involved in antibiotics advocacy in their practice and communities, and with their patients. This webinar is co-sponsored by Health Care Without Harm and the Pew Charitable Trusts Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming. To register, go this link. A second companion webinar will also be offered: Antibiotics & Agriculture: Protecting Public Health With Your Purchasing Dollars May 22, 2013, 1-2pm ET / 10-11am PT Eighty percent of antibiotics sold in the United States are used for animal agriculture, primarily for non-therapeutic purposes, to compensate for unsanitary and inhumane living conditions of food animals. There is strong consensus among independent experts that such antibiotic use in agriculture contributes to growing antibiotic resistance, and poses a serious threat to human health. Several large-scale institutions are increasingly committing to procuring meat raised without non-therapeutic antibiotics. Health Care Without Harm is currently working with 92 hospitals that are reducing meat procurement and/or are sourcing more sustainable meat. Learn more about why and how hospital food service can source sustainable meat on our webinar. Dr. Lance Price, Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at George Washington University will speak about the public health concerns of antibiotics in animal agriculture. Christopher Linaman, Food & Beverage Manager and Executive Chef at Overlake Hospital in Washington State will describe Overlake’s efforts at finding and procuring meat that has not been produced with non-therapeutic antibiotics. This webinar is co-sponsored by Health Care Without Harm and the Pew Charitable Trusts Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming. To register, go to this link. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-03-19T06:42:59+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.312 On Feb. 19th PG&E awarded $846,000 to UCSF, the latest energy efficiency incentives that have become a regular occurrence at one of the world’s leading centers of health sciences, research and patient care.  Last spring, PG&E presented the university with a nearly $3 million check for incentives earned by implementing energy-saving measures over three years, including motion sensor lighting and variable speed ventilation throughout UCSF buildings.  The chiller project represents the largest energy savings for a single project at UCSF, and it is the first big-scale energy upgrade project at a UC medical center. Kudos to UCSF’s Sukhjeet Sandhu and team The old 1970s steam-driven chiller, which chills water that’s piped throughout the hospitals for needed air conditioning in operating rooms, relied on natural gas. According to Sukhjeet Sandhu, Director, Engineering & Utilities, UCSF Medical Center – UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, the old chiller was unreliable, required a lot of maintenance and had an inadequate cooling capacity. The new 600-ton chiller is electric and while electricity use went up for the chiller, the overall energy savings was tremendous. UCSF estimated that its yearly utility bill is reduced by $1.3 million a year.  “It’s a phenomenal change from what we had,” said Sandhu. “You can rightfully say that this is as efficient as any chiller system out there.” It was a complex project, requiring upgraded chilled water piping and controls. The work also had to be done while keeping the hospital fully staffed and running.  “We were never an inconvenience to this hospital,” Sandhu said. “They never even knew this was happening.” “Sukhjeet’s vision and tenacity — that really has made it so successful,” stressed PG&E customer relationship manager Eric Jansen. Energy savings equivalent to removing 551 cars The upgrade saves almost 411,000 kilowatt hours and more than 650,000 therms of energy each year, savings equivalent to avoiding nearly 8 million pounds of carbon dioxide or powering 921 homes for one year or removing 551 cars from the road. To find our more, the presentation can be found here. Photos by David Kligman. Text by Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-02-21T02:57:11+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.311 Here are four ways to join the fun and support UCSF’s sustainability efforts:  *Nominate a co-worker for a sustainability award by March 18th * Attend the Sustainability Awards & LivingGreen Office and Lab Certifications ceremony May 2nd, noon *  Submit your artwork for the recycled/reclaimed art show *  Attend the LivingGreen Fair May 9th 11 am - 2 pm. Nominate a Co-Worker for a Sustainability Award Nominations are now being accepted for the third Annual Sustainability Awards. Faculty, staff, students and teams that are employed, enrolled or affiliated with UCSF are all eligible.  LivingGreen Office, Labs and event teams are welcome to apply! All nominees must met at least one of the following criteria: 1. Engaged the campus/medical center in an ongoing dialogue about reaching UCSF’s environmental sustainability goals; 2. Gone above and beyond the duties of their position to integrate environmental sustainability into existing campus programs in education, research, operations, and public service; 3. Instilled a culture of sustainable practices amongst their peers; and/or 4. Shown a positive impact on UCSF’s sustainability goals. Nominators must specify the person or team that best fulfilled the selection criteria listed above.  Self-nominations are permissible and encouraged. Please click HERE to download the award application and send to Gail.lee@ucsf.edu for consideration.  The deadline is March 18, 2013.  Attend May 2nd Ceremony On May 2, noon in C-701 we will announce the sustainability award winners, as well as present the LivingGreen office, lab and event certificates.  If you are seeking certification, plan on attending. Submit your Artwork for the Recycled/Reclaimed Art Show Join The Visual Arts Club at UCSF for our inaugural Art Show featuring recycled and reclaimed artwork by the UCSF community. We will be showing the artwork at The LivingGreen Fair on Thursday, May 9, 2013, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. All UCSF, students, staff and facility are invited to join the show. Criteria for art to be submitted into the show: All submittals must be made 99% from recycled, reused or reclaimed material. Please see suggestions below. If you are interested in recycled materials please let us know and we can put you in contact with the UCSF Recycling Coordinators. Suggested materials: • Used wood, metal, tiles, material • Used canvas (if you are a painter, you could paint over an old painting) • Photography should be reclaimed photos. Maybe, old photos painted, collages • Styrofoam, cardboard, discarded packaging, plastic bags, containers, lids • Used toys, jewelry, clothing, dishes Please download application for more details, including specific art drop and pick up instructions. All art may be for sale if you choose to sell your piece. Please provide a photo of your artwork along with your completed application. For questions, please call Pilar Deer 514-1614. You can view the flier by clicking here UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-02-19T05:24:55+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.309 The UCSF Mission Bay campus has welcomed a new chef to shape the daily menus at the Pub and the Mission Bay Conference Center located inside the Rutter Center. Executive Chef John Finley, who joined the culinary team in December, aims to cater to UCSF’s ethnically diverse population with specialties in Turkish, Moroccan, South American and Central American cuisines. And as a native of Louisiana, he also brings his southern background with traditional creole and Cajun dishes. With more than three years as executive sous-chef at the Oakland Coliseum, Finley has delighted the palates of many high-profile guests from the sports industry and catering to large crowds there. Finley is committed to taking advantage of the wealth of local produce in the Bay Area to inspire wholesome and delicious meals for the faculty, staff and students at the Mission Bay campus, as well as those attending meetings at the Conference Center. If you haven’t dined at the Pub or attended a conference or event lately, now is a great time to come back and see what’s on the menu! Click HERE for more information about holding events at the Mission Bay Conference Center. When you hold a meeting at the Mission Bay Conference Center, obtaining the UCSF LivingGreen Event Certification is easier, since the Center incorporates a number of best practices, including providing clearly marked compost and recycling bins and using reusable dishes and linens. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-02-19T04:57:01+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.128 The Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS) is pleased to announce the third annual Sustainability Awards for 2013, which will recognize individuals and groups for their contributions to sustainability at UCSF. Nominate a UCSF Green Champion! Please take a moment to nominate a green champion—staff, student, faculty or a team who deserves recognition for their sustainability efforts.  The ideal candidate is an individual or group that has:Engaged the campus/medical center in an ongoing dialogue about reaching UCSF’s environmental sustainability goals;Gone above and beyond the duties of their position to integrate environmental sustainability into existing campus programs in education, research, operations, and public service;Instilled a culture of sustainable practices amongst their peers; and/orResponsible for a positive impact on our sustainability goals.   The nominee must be employed or enrolled at UCSF or an affiliate of UCSF.  Nominators must specify the person or team that best fulfilled the selection criteria listed above.  Self-nominations are permissible and encouraged. Please complete the award application and send to Gail.lee@ucsf.edu for consideration.  The deadline is March 1, 2013.  Winners will be announced at a special ceremony on May 2, 2013 at the Parnassus campus. Winners will receive an environmentally friendly award certificate, campus-wide recognition, and be eligible for scholarship to attend the Annual Sustainability in Higher Education Conference to be held June 23-27, 2013 at UC Santa Barbara. John E. Plotts Senior Vice Chancellor Finance and Administration Co-Chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability David Odato Assistant Vice Chancellor, Human Resources Chief Administrative and Human Resources Officer, Medical Center Co-Chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-02-02T00:26:07+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.305 The University of California (UC) 2012 Annual Report on Sustainable Practices was released in January, providing an overview of UC’s green accomplishments.  The report highlights the main sustainability achievements for 2012, as well as external recognition, faculty, staff, and student collaboration, the California Higher Education Sustainability Conference, and training programs.  The report specifically highlights some of the UCSF Medical Center’s achievements, which are summarized below. UC-Wide Achievements In 2012, the University continued to be recognized in the top tiers of national campus sustainability rankings evidenced by twenty national and state sustainability awards. The San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Davis medical centers each received a national award for their sustainability practices. The University received media acclaim in local and regional newspapers, national publications such as Forbes, and in television and radio news broadcasts. Davis hosted the 11th annual California Higher Education Sustainability Conference, with nearly 1000 faculty, staff, and student participants. UC also partnered with the California State University system to offer a total of 730 persondays of energy efficiency and green building training in 2012, including certification trainings for building operators and energy managers. UC has the most LEED building certifications of any university in the country. Twenty-seven new certifications were awarded in 2012, bringing the University total to 114 LEED certifications which include new construction, renovations, and maintenance and operations categories. UCSF Medical Center 2012 Achievements In 2012, five UC medical centers implemented numerous cost-saving sustainability initiatives. “Across all medical centers, there is an increased focus on reusable materials that are reprocessed between each use cycle, in lieu of disposable materials,” stated the report. UCSF Medical Center’s program to reprocess single-use medical devices realized $670,000 in cost savings in FY 11-12, diverting over 14 tons of waste in their effort to reach the Policy’s waste reduction goals while simultaneously cutting costs. Other successful waste reduction initiatives at the UCSF Medical Center highlighted include implementation of in-patient room recycling, onsite steam sterilization of medical waste, achieving 14 percent sustainable food spend in FY 2011‐12, and successfully composting 90 percent of all patient and retail food waste. The Medical Center also received its 4th Practice GreenHealth Award. Overview of Other Achievements In 2012, the campus and medical center had over one million square feet of LEED certified space, certified 20 LivingGreen Offices, launched the LivingGreen Lab and LivingGreen Event certificates, and reached a 63 percent solid waste diversion rate.  Energy efficiency projects in campus and medical center buildings avoided over $1 milion in costs last year.  The diagram below presents a great overview of UCSF’s green achievements to date.                                           Moving Forward As we move into 2013, there is more for UCSF to do!  Below are a few ideas for how you can do your part.   UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-01-30T15:06:25+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.95 UCSF has kicked off a new certification program:  LivingGreen Event (LGE) Certification. With just a little bit of upfront planning, you can easily host a low-waste, green event and earn a seal of endorsement to help promote the event.  The UCSF LivingGreen Program seeks to recognize events that have taken steps to implement green practices and reduce their environmental footprint. This effort—jointly implemented by the UCSF Green Campus Program and the Office of Sustainability—identifies a set of conditions and actions (some optional and some required) that events encompass. Certification is contingent on documenting all of the required prerequisite criteria and specified number of the total optional criteria. Certification is good for every 2 years; criteria and other requirements may change over time.  The new assessment aims to certify the sustainable practices of individual events and send a consistent message throughout the entire campus: UCSF implements green measures in all aspects of its services and programs. The LGE certification program awards events based on the steps they have taken to be eco-friendly. If you have an upcoming event and would like to be officially recognized through the UCSF Office of Sustainability, please contact the LivingGreen Team at: livinggreen@ucsf.edu. What Makes a Meeting Green? The ideal green meeting creates little or no waste and incorporates environmental considerations throughout planning and execution in order to minimize environment impacts.  It is easier than it sounds.  The certification program requires you to consider six key areas in planning your event:  carbon neutrality, sustainable food, zero waste, water conservation, culture shift and toxic reduction. At a minimum, you must comply with 25% of the items on the checklist to gain a Bronze ranking.  Below are five tips to get you on the right track to greening your next meeting. Tip #1:  Request Recycling and Composting Bins for Your Venue or Meeting Room When you reserve your venue or meeting room, let Facilities Management (FM) know you will need both recycling and compost bins with clear signage in the meeting room and lunch/meal location. FM will provide the appropriate waste receptacles (blue, green, black) for catered events. This step will help you earn points in the carbon and zero waste categories of the checklist. Tip #2:  Pick a Green Caterer Pulling off a green event will be much easier if you select a caterer familiar with UCSF’s LivingGreen Catering Best Practices. When possible, give preference to Moffitt Catering at UCSF, which offers sustainable catering, or UCSF Restaurants, which are already implementing many green practices.  If you use an off-campus catering service, be sure to provide them with the LivingGreen Catering Best Practices.  If you must use an off-campus service, please use a caterer on the City of San Francisco Department of Environment’s list of caterers with a commitment to sustainability. This will help you earn points in the sustainable food category of the checklist. Tip #3:  Ban Plastic Water Bottles Eliminating plastic water bottles is a simple ways to green your event. Serve drinking water in pitchers or at water stations, reducing your carbon footprint and the amount of waste produced. Food and Water Watch offers a resource to help you plan a bottle-free event called Free Your Event from Bottled Water. Tip #4: Use Reusable Dishes, Glasses and Linens If your budget allows, another way to minimize waste is to ask your caterer to use reusable dishes, glasses and linens. If reusable isn’t an option, follow these guidelines: Avoid polystyrene foam:  The City and County of San Francisco prohibits any establishment that serves food prepared in San Francisco from using polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) containers.  Any caterers from outside San Francisco are expected to avoid polystyrene foam service ware. Avoid plastic plates and bowls: Paper plates and bowls can be composted. Use paper cups where appropriate:  Paper cups can be composted.  If clear plastic is necessary, use plastic cups and recycle them. Avoid compostable clear plastic cups and flatware:  To avoid confusion, we currently do not encourage the use of compostable plastic cups and flatware (they often end up contaminating the recycling bins).  We recommend using plastic flatware and cups that can be recycled. Use high post-consumer recycled content for paper napkins, towels and tablecloths:  Do not use plastic tablecloths. See the LivingGreen Catering Best Practices for more guidelines on how to serve food. Another easy way to reduce waste is to notify hungry students if there is leftover food, using http://twitter.com/#!/FreeFoodatMBay or http://groups.google.com/group/ucsf-free-food?lnk=srg. Tip #5:  Reduce Use of Virgin Paper and Minimize Paper Waste Where possible, communicate with participants electronically and print any necessary pre-meeting materials on high post-consumer recycled paper.  Be sure the meeting room has a clearly labeled recycling bin. Another simple step is to ask presenters to minimize paper hand-outs and to print necessary materials on high post-consumer recycled paper. Think twice before you offer a meeting giveaway. To learn more: Green Meeting Industry Council Blue Green Meetings Ten Easy Tips   UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-01-28T14:17:44+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.300 Over the years, I have participated in countless outreach events across UCSF diverse campuses as a member of the LivingGreen team. These events have included Scientific Vendor Showcases, Moffitt Café Food Day, Chancellor’s New Student Reception, and the Mission Bay Block Party. All of these experiences have been meaningful for LivingGreen to maintain our presence to students, staff, and faculty and increase visibility of the Sustainability Action Plan and its objectives to live a life less wasteful. Nevertheless, there is one event that I am most compelled for our team to participate in every year – this is the LivingWell Expo. If you are not familiar, LivingWell at UCSF is dedicated to stimulating and supporting comprehensive wellness programs and resources designed to promote mental, physical, social, and cultural balance. They strive to become a leader in health promotion programs, empowering people to lead healthier, more productive lives. In this effort, an annual exposition features both UCSF and external vendors giving away free information, fresh produce, snacks, free healthy lunch, and hundreds of wellness resources. This year’s LivingWell Expo highlights included ‘Know Your Numbers’ health assessments and even chair massages. It was a Certified LivingGreen event, meaning that the event met the Office of Sustainability’s criteria for endorsement. Moreover, various wellness lectures, including keynote speaker, Susan Kaiser Greenland, JD, author of The Mindful Child, were well-attended – I couldn’t get a seat! In this celebration of wellness, the connection within UCSF community for living “well” and living “green” became more salient than ever to me. LivingWell and LivingGreen are not mutually exclusive. LivingGreen believes in “healthy environment, sustainable future”. Environment influences emotion, behavior, and health. Conversely, a person’s well-being influences their behavior towards being more sustainable. This could be eating healthy, walking, or bike riding. You know, ”if it’s good for you, good for the planet”. After speaking to Kirk McLaughlin, spokesperson for Outdoor Programs at the Expo, we were struck by how we are also faced with similar obstacles; most urgent being habitual behavior-change. More than often, Kirk finds that recreation activities and the fitness center are under-utilized. LivingGreen urges a pledge to reduce waste, conserve energy, and save water. Distress and fatigue exhaust an individual’s ability to self-regulate. However, when provided with the appropriate challenges, incentives, and social connectedness, we appear to have found success. Simply demonstrating a concept of what is possible with peer exercise classes or sharing savings calculations from previous LivingGreen lab certifications makes all the difference in creating sustainable, healthy habits. LivingWell and LivingGreen offer the support, resources, and action-oriented goals necessary to increase intrinsic motivation. The Sustainability Action Plan was created with the idea that through carbon neutrality, zero waste, toxics reduction, sustainable foods, and culture shift, we will fulfill UCSF’s mission in “advancing health worldwide”.  Through these campus programs we can achieve this on both an individual and environmental level. This may be in part why this year’s LivingWell Expo has become the first Certified by LivingGreen event ! UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-01-28T14:17:29+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.294 UCSF’s Toxic Reduction Work Group was formed in FY11-12 as part of the Sustainability Action Plan to address efforts to reduce exposure to toxics in the environment where there is emerging evidence of exposure risk and greener alternatives are available.  Given UCSF’s goal to incorporate best practices to reduce the use and disposal of toxics in the operations and activities at UCSF facilities, we are pleased to announce that on January 9th, Jeanne Conry MD, PhD, President-elect for the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and Assistant Physician in Chief, North Valley, Kaiser Permanente, gave an inspiring Grand Rounds presentation at UCSF calling on obstetricians and gynecologists to address environmental health issues with their patients and policy makers in order to improve women’s health. Dr. Conry discussed that, in light of the relationship between the environment, pregnancy and child health outcomes, reproductive environmental health is among her top priorities for her tenure as President of ACOG. Following the lecture, Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Jared Blumenfeld, EPA Region IX Administrator, presented Dr. Conry with the EPA Region IX Environmental Health Champions award in Children’s Environmental Health. Administrator Jackson applauded Dr. Conry’s dedication to her patients and her commitment to advancing children’s health by working to create a safer environment for pregnancy and reproduction. UCSF’s Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE) nominated Dr. Conry for the award because of her long-standing commitment to environmental health and her groundbreaking leadership in making environmental health an important new area of action for ACOG, ensuring that the focus on children’s environmental health begins early in development—when preventative actions can play a profound role on the health of the pregnancy, the child and the adult that she/he will become. Congratulations Dr. Conry! Appreciation to Lisa Jackson Lisa Jackson is a clean air and climate leader for our nation and for our children. During her tenure as EPA Administrator, America has taken historic strides towards cleaner air, a smaller carbon footprint, and a healthier environment. Under her leadership, the EPA has: *  Determined, on the basis of an irrefutable body of science, that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare, establishing a bedrock science-based foundation for our nation to address climate pollution under the Clean Air Act. * Worked with the Department of Transportation to reduce the carbon footprint of passenger cars and trucks, saving consumers billions of dollars at the pump while promoting our country’s energy independence. *  Saved tens of thousands of Americans from premature death and prevented hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks through far-reaching reductions in mercury and other toxic air emissions. Over the last four years, Jackson has worked tirelessly to improve our air quality, protect America’s waters, strengthen chemical safety, and clean up our communities. She has stood strong against the dirty air lobby, and has earned our appreciation.  If you would like to leave Jackson a personal message as her time at EPA draws to a close, click HERE. Picture:  From left to right: Linda C. Giudice, MD, PhD, MSc Distinguished Professor and Chair The Robert B. Jaffe, MD Endowed Professor in the Reproductive Sciences UCSF Department of Obsterics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences Lisa P. Jackson, MS Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency Tracey J. Woodruff PhD, MPH Professor and Director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment UCSF Department of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences Jeanne Conry MD, PhD President-elect for the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and Assistant Physician in Chief, North Valley, Kaiser Permanente Learn more about the UCSF’s Program on Reproductive and Environmental Health at their website and 2012 Annual Report UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-01-11T05:58:39+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.289 Happy New Year!  While you are contemplating your resolutions for the year, here are a few easy suggestions for ways to LiveGreen in 2013.  With over 20,000 employees, each of us can take one small action that collectively can make a big difference. Download the BigFix If you only have time for one small action, this is an easy one that can really make an impact.  Computers are a significant part of total energy use at UCSF.  Do your part to help us reach our energy reduction goals by installing the BigFix, a power management software tool that makes it easy to reduce energy use on your desktop or server computers by managing power settings and monitoring overall power usage. bigfix Click HERE if you are working on a MAC. Click HERE if you are working on Windows. The goal of the BigFix is to reduce energy use when a computer is inactive or idle, while ensuring responsiveness when the computer is needed again.  BigFix offers advantages over manual settings that your computer may have already enabled. Certify Your Next Meeting or Event UCSF has kicked off a new certification program:  LivingGreen Event (LGE) Certification. With just a little bit of upfront planning, you can easily host a low-waste, green event and earn a seal of endorsement to help promote the event.  If you have an upcoming event and would like to be officially recognized through the UCSF Office of Sustainability, please contact the LivingGreen Team at: livinggreen@ucsf.edu. To learn more about how to green an event, click here. Watch the UCSF Sustainability Video If you haven’t seen it yet, take a few minutes to watch the UCSF Sustainability Video.  See what Dr. McGreeny has to say about LivingGreen. Dispose of Electronic Waste Wisely Always dispose of your old electronic gadgets, often referred to as e-waste, responsibly.  Due to toxic components, they can’t be thrown in the trash.  At UCSF, do not simply put your old devices in the hallway for the janitor to pick up.  Take that extra moment and contact UCSF Campus Recycling at recycling@ucsf.edu.  They can help you determine the best, low-cost disposal method.  For small pick-ups that take less than 30-minutes, CLS Distribution & Storage will pick items up free of charge (part of Surplus pick-up).  To learn more about ewaste disposal, click here. Be a Vampire Slayer! When left plugged in, our electronic gadgets and basic appliances still use what’s called phantom or vampire energy even when they are turned off or in sleep mode. A plugged-in cell phone charger sucks energy even when it’s not charging your phone.  Turn off your computer monitor; unplug your cell phone charger; switch off the printer.  Together, these small actions can add up to meaningful energy savings (estimates range from 5 to 10 percent).  To learn more about cutting vampire energy, click here. Buy ENERGY STAR When it comes time to buy new appliances for the office, remind procurement to buy a device with the ENERGY STAR® label. ENERGY STAR is a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products. Appliances, computers, and lighting with the ENERGY STAR label generally use 20 to 30 percent less energy than required by federal standards. Buy Local Food While not everyone is ready to become a pure vegetarian,  eating less meat, and local, sustainable food, is one of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint. Pick one day a week where you will only eat vegetarian food. The Mission Bay and Parnasus farmers’ markets make it easy to purchase local, sustainable food.  Click here to learn more about UCSF’s sustainable food successes. Buy Green Computers UCSF has made it even easier to green your computer purchases with a new program called JACS or Joint Administrative Computing Standards Program.  The program makes it easy to purchase a new Dell or Apple computer and ensures that you are selecting the greenest, most energy efficient models available, as well as benefiting from preferred pricing. Choosing the right electronics makes a difference.  JACS has selected EPEAT rated computers, a comprehensive environmental rating that helps identify greener computers and other electronic equipment. Buying EPEAT green labels is an easy way to reduce energy use. In addition, all JACS computers are ENERGY STAR, a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.  Click here to learn more about JACS. Switch to Recycled-Content Paper Purchasing paper with recycled content is an easy way to help UCSF go greener. Choosing recycled paper has a multitude of environmental benefits, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and protection of biodiversity and native forests.  Work with procurement in your department to ensure they are purchasing a minimum of 30 percent post-consumer waste (PCW) copy paper;  even better, push for 50 or 100 percent PCW paper. If everyone at UCSF made the shift to 30 percent recycled paper, the campus would save more than 1,000 trees worth of paper each year, without an increase in cost—the switch will not cost more.  UCSF’s contract with OfficeMax has negotiated a price on 30 percent recycled paper that is no more than if you used virgin paper!  While 50 or 100 percent PCW costs slightly more, if you find ways to go paperless and reduce paper use around the office, it can be easy to offset the slight cost increase. Sign up for the UCSF LivingGreen listserve It will only take a few seconds!  Sign up for the UCSF LivingGreen listserve on the Sustainability Web site homepage and receive periodic updates and cutting-edge content on how you can LiveGreen throughout 2013. Story written by:  Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-01-04T01:51:37+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.290 Yes, we realize it is not Halloween.  But as 2013 kicks off, one easy way to LiveGreen is to be a vampire slayer! When left plugged in, our electronic gadgets and basic appliances still use what’s called phantom or vampire energy—even when they are turned off or in sleep mode. A plugged-in cell phone charger sucks energy even when it’s not charging your phone.  Here are a few easy tips for cutting vampire energy at the office and home: • Turn off your computer monitor at the end of the day; •  Unplug your cell phone charger when not in use; •  Switch off the printer, stereo and other electronic devices when not in use; •  When buying new appliances, make sure they have earned the EnergyStar® rating; and •  Better yet, plug all your appliances and the chargers for your mobile phones and other gadgets into a power strip, and flip the power strip to “off” when not needed. Using a “smart” power strip that automatically shuts off when devices are inactive makes this even easier for you. Together, these small actions can add up to meaningful energy savings (estimates range from 5 to 10 percent).  Learn More How to Kill a vampire with a voice over by Josh Fox from Whitty Worldwide on Vimeo.     UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-01-04T00:18:47+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.292 A new survey shows that 70 percent of Americans believe in the reality of global warming.  George Mason University’s Center for Climate Change Communications and the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication conducted the survey to explore Americans’ attitudes and actions toward global warming.  Below are some highlights from the September 2012 report titled: Americans’ Actions to Limit Global Warming.                       • The report shows that Americans’ beliefs about climate change have bounced back sharply from the decline witnessed between 2008 and 2010. Belief in the reality of global warming increased by 13 points since January 2010, to 70 percent in September 2012.  More than half of Americans (54 percent) believe global warming is caused mostly by human activities, an increase of 8 points since March 2012. • Many Americans say people around the world (40 percent, up 8 points since March 2012) and people in the United States (36 percent, up 6 points since March) are being harmed right now by climate change, and Americans increasingly perceive global warming as a threat to themselves (42 percent, up 13 points since March), their families (46%, up 13 points), and other people in their community (48 percent, up 14 points). • A majority of Americans say they “always” or “often” set their thermostat no higher than 68 degrees during the winter (53 percent), although this is below the highest level reported in November of 2008 (62 percent). • Compact fluorescent light bulbs continue to be adopted by Americans, with 57% now reporting that most or all of the light bulbs in their home are CFLs - up from 40 percent in 2008.                                                          • Americans have become less confident, however, that their individual actions to save energy will reduce their own contribution to global warming (32 percent, down 16 points since 2008).                                                  • Three Americans in ten (32 percent) say that in the past 12 months they have given business to a company as a reward for their steps to reduce global warming. Nearly a quarter also say that in the past 12 months they have punished companies for opposing steps to reduce global warming by not purchasing their products (24 percent). • About one in ten (12 percent) have contacted a government official about global warming by letter, email, or phone, while 15 percent have volunteered or donated money to an organization working to reduce global warming.  UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2013-01-03T06:15:04+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.276 Tis the season.  Office parties and gatherings can create a wake of waste.  Check out some easy tips below to green your holiday party.  What Makes a Party Green? The ideal green event creates little or no waste and incorporates environmental considerations throughout planning and execution in order to minimize environment impacts.  It is easier than it sounds.  Below are five tips for hosting a low-waste, green party. Tip #1:  Request Recycling and Composting Bins When you reserve your venue or room, let Facilities Management (FM) know you will need both recycling and compost bins with clear signage. FM will provide the appropriate waste receptacles. Tip #2:  Pick a Green Caterer Pulling off a green event will be much easier if you select a caterer familiar with UCSF’s LivingGreen Catering Best Practices. When possible, give preference to Moffitt Catering at UCSF, which offers sustainable catering, or UCSF Restaurants, which are already implementing many green practices.  If you use an off-campus catering service, be sure to provide them with the LivingGreen Catering Best Practices.  If you must use an off-campus service, please use a caterer on the City of San Francisco Department of Environment’s list of caterers with a commitment to sustainability. Tip #3:  Ban Plastic Water Bottles Eliminating plastic water bottles is a simple way to green your event. Serve drinking water in pitchers or at water stations, reducing your carbon footprint and the amount of waste produced. Food and Water Watch offers a resource to help you plan a bottle-free event called Free Your Event from Bottled Water. Tip #4: Use Reusable Dishes, Glasses and Linens If your budget allows, another way to minimize waste is to ask your caterer to use reusable dishes, glasses and linens. If reusable isn’t an option, follow these guidelines: Avoid polystyrene foam:  The City and County of San Francisco prohibits any establishment that serves food prepared in San Francisco from using polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) containers.  Any caterers from outside San Francisco are expected to avoid polystyrene foam service ware. Avoid plastic plates and bowls: Paper plates and bowls can be composted. Use paper cups where appropriate:  Paper cups can be composted.  If clear plastic is necessary, use plastic cups and recycle them. Avoid compostable clear plastic cups and flatware:  To avoid confusion, we currently do not encourage the use of compostable plastic cups and flatware (they often end up contaminating the recycling bins).  We recommend using plastic flatware and cups that can be recycled. Use high post-consumer recycled content for paper napkins, towels and tablecloths:  Do not use plastic tablecloths. See the LivingGreen Catering Best Practices for more guidelines on how to serve food. Tip #5:  Reduce Use of Virgin Paper and Minimize Paper Waste Where possible, communicate with guests electronically and print any necessary materials on high post-consumer recycled paper.  Be sure the party room has a clearly labeled recycling bin. Think twice before you offer giveaways.     UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-12-07T20:25:14+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.275 It is that time of year.  Perhaps you will get a new personal computer as a gift or it is time to upgrade at the office.  Either way, here are three key tips to safely dispose of your old computers and other electronic equipment, including computers, monitors, peripherals, phones, TVs, VCRs, DVD players, stereos, microwave ovens, PDAs, and iPods. A is for Always Always dispose of your old electronic gadgets, often referred to as e-waste, responsibly.  Due to toxic components, they can’t be thrown in the trash.  At UCSF, do not simply put your old devices in the hallway for the janitor to pick up.  Take that extra moment and contact UCSF Campus Recycling at recycling@ucsf.edu.  They can help you determine the best, low-cost disposal method.  For small pick-ups that take less than 30-minutes, UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-12-07T20:24:01+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.274 UCSF has made it even easier to green your computer purchases with a new program called JACS or Joint Administrative Computing Standards Program.  The program makes it easy to purchase a new Dell or Apple computer and ensures that you are selecting the greenest, most energy efficient models available, as well as benefiting from preferred pricing. Choosing the right electronics makes a difference.  JACS has selected EPEAT rated computers, a comprehensive environmental rating that helps identify greener computers and other electronic equipment. Buying EPEAT green labels is an easy way to reduce energy use. In addition, all JACS computers are ENERGY STAR, a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.  Ordering a New Apple Computer Just Got Easier You now have an easy way to find Wi-Fi iPads and JACS Apple bundles through the BearBuy Home Page, including the new Mac Book Pro Retina Display. Under the “Shop Everything” box at the top of the page, simply search and order JACS standard Apple bundles and iPads without visiting Apple’s website. To learn more go here. Other Resources for Getting Started Here are some links to get you started! How to Buy JACS FAQs Bearbuy Updates Ordering an Apple Eco-Benefits of EPEAT? Since a picture is worth a thousand words, this great graphic summarizes the eco-benefits of an EPEAT computer: UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-12-07T20:23:26+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.226 Lisa Hartmayer, RN, from the UCSF Orthopedic Institute was recently awarded the UCSF 2012 Sustainability Award.  Ms. Hartmayer has actively promoted sustainability for many years and single-handedly started the UCSF Green Group that brings together nurses, physicians, environmental services and support staff to plan and implement sustainable practices across the medical center. She did all of this outside of her work hours. We had the opportunity to ask the Ms. Hartmayer a few questions about sustainability at UCSF. 1. Why do you think sustainability is important for UCSF? Environmental sustainability concepts innervate all areas of health and the health care system. Incorporating sustainable actions into our every day work is necessary for UCSF to continue to be a leader in healthcare.    2. What do you see as the link between health and the environment? In the late 1800s, Florence Nightingale said “It may seem a strange principle to enunciate as the very first requirement in a hospital that it should do the sick no harm”.  However, we often forget that our health is connected to the health of the environment.  Patients and staff’s health is directly connected to the wellness of the Medical Center and clinic settings.  We need to work to create healthy environments, including the hospital environment so that our patients can heal and recover.  We must emphasize prevention of disease just as we should emphasize protection of the environment. We must understand the connection between the products, materials, water, and air quality to our own health and living environments.  3. What accomplishment are you most proud of around promoting sustainability at UCSF? I am most proud of the work I have done around changing the culture of sustainability at UCSF.  When I became interested in environmental health, I was disappointed to learn there was no system in place at that time to address sustainability issues. I worked to get nurses, students and staff together to discuss their concerns as well as ideas to make UCSF a more sustainability medical center and university. We worked together to start the Green Group, but more importantly start the movement of both a bottom up and top down approach to sustainability. When I hear students talk about an environmental health project they are working on, or that a staff member was able to donate medical equipment to Remedy I feel that I have contributed to help create a culture shift at UCSF. 4. What is one action you would like to see your fellow staff/students take? I would like to see everyone make a change that they are capable of within their daily work.  Whether that is to bike to work instead of driving, or turn off their computer monitor at the end of the day each small step towards a more sustainable working environment is meaningful.  When an individual takes action and makes changes he or she is able to consistently carry out, that influences others to make changes.  Over time, many small sustainable changes makes UCSF a more environmentally sustainable place to work and study. Congratulations to Ms. Hartmayer. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-11-02T18:23:11+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.267 For a Quick and Easy Download Click HERE if you are working on a MAC. Click HERE if you are working on Windows. Computers are a significant part of total energy use at UCSF.  Do your part to help us reach our energy reduction goals by installing the BigFix, a power management software tool that makes it easy to reduce energy use on your desktop or server computers by managing power settings and monitoring overall power usage. The goal of the BigFix is to reduce energy use when a computer is inactive or idle, while ensuring responsiveness when the computer is needed again.  BigFix offers advantages over manual settings that your computer may have already enabled. After a successful pilot project, the software is now available for all UCSF owned computers on campus. At the Medical Center,  a similar power saving tool has been deployed on all non-shared computers.  For the campus computers, once BigFix is installed,  it will cause the screen to “sleep” after 20 minutes.  Moving you mouse will wake it up!  If the BigFix is loaded onto 22,000 computers, that would save 1.58 million kWh of energy and save us $205,920 per year!  With energy rates going up, we’ll save even more each year.  That’s enough energy to power 1,580 homes! Another easy tip for saving energy:  turn off your screensaver. They suck more energy than you realize and are no longer necessary to protect monitors. Quick and Easy Install Please keep in mind that computers will need to be connected to the UCSF network in order for the download to work.  Click HERE if you are working on a MAC. Click HERE if you are working on Windows. If you work at the UCSF Medical Center, power saving software has already been loaded on all non-shared computers.  Contact your IT desk support if you have questions or need assistance. Learn More BigFix at UCSF Eco-Friendly Tips for Your Computer UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-11-01T18:25:16+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.268 Gail Lee, UCSF Sustainability Manager and I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Dr. Niraj Sehgal, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Chair for Quality and Safety, Department of Medicine. The Department of Medicine at UCSF is the largest department in the School of Medicine, with nearly 600 faculty and more than 300 trainees and provides clinical services at medical centers across multiple campuses. A New Focus:  Quality and Safety If you look at most academic departments, they focus on the patient care, educational and research missions and leadership structures reflect that.  A relatively new role for UCSF’s Department of Medicine is Dr. Sehgal’s position—to focus on quality and safety. Dr. Sehgal’s work focuses on better aligning the clinical and educational enterprises in the context of quality and safety activities. This includes an emphasis on innovation, scholarship, and providing outstanding clinical care to diverse patient populations across multiple campuses. One aspect of his work is identifying opportunities to cut waste and reduce costs of care while improving overall quality.  “How can we be proactive in the setting of healthcare reform and shift our energy to providing the highest value for care rather than the simply most costly, particularly with unnecessary testing?” asked Dr. Sehgal. Radiology Utilization Awareness Campaign Dr. Sehgal and a project team designed a two-phase intervention focused on providing information about cost and radiation exposure for commonly ordered radiology tests. The goal was to determine whether providing this information would influence ordering practices for hospitalized patients. Faculty were also provided with an educator’s facilitation guide to jump-start conversations with trainees during rounds. Teams were encouraged to discuss and reflect upon whether recently ordered radiology tests were in fact indicated, whether test results changed their clinical management and how big is the problem of over-ordering radiology tests. The cost awareness phase of the project led to reduced radiology test ordering in five of six studies evaluated.  The UCSF Department of Medicine’s recent strategic planning retreat focused on “Choosing Wisely”, which reflects a broader commitment to embedding cost consciousness and high-value care into patient care, education, research, and policy missions. The Link to Sustainability The three legs of sustainability are people, planet, profit.  While choosing tests more wisely reduces costs, it also improves the overall quality of care, connecting the concept of cost consciousness back to healthier people.  In addition, at its core, it is about reducing waste.  A recent article in JAMA summarizes that getting serious about six categories of waste—over treatment, failures of care coordination, failures in execution of care processes, administrative complexity, pricing failures, and fraud, and abuse—at a minimum could save 20% of U.S. health care costs. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-10-30T03:15:04+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/2.262 Each month we will features a different TEDTalks video of the best sustainability talks from TED conferences, TEDx events and partners—anywhere the world’s leading thinkers and doers can give the talk of their lives in less than 18 minutes. Agriculture for the Next Generation A skyrocketing demand for food means that agriculture has become the largest driver of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental destruction. At TEDxTC Jonathan Foley shows why we desperately need to begin “terraculture”—farming for the whole planet.  Jonathan Foley studies complex environmental systems and their affects on society. His computer models have shown the deep impact agriculture is having on our planet. Get Inspired!, 2012-10-12T00:29:10+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.237 The adage you are what you eat, seems even more important when you are eating at a hospital cafe or sick in the hospital.  UCSF has a commitment to moving the needle on sustainable food as it works to meet its goal of procuring 20 percent of its food from sustainable sources by the year 2020.  At UCSF, sustainable food must meet at least one of several standards:  USDA certified organic, grown within 200 miles of San Francisco, domestic or fair trade certified or certified humane raised and handled, cage-free, grass-fed or pasture raised. Sustainably produced food supports a healthy environment by:  conserving and protecting natural resources, reducing UCSF’s carbon footprint, providing fair wages for workers, promoting the humane treatment of animals and using less pesticides. I had the pleasure of speaking recently with Jack Henderson, Associate Director, Nutrition and Food Services, at the UCSF Medical Center.  Here is an update on UCSF’s impressive progress on moving the needle on sustainable food at the medical center and at the Moffitt Cafe. Organic Baby Food:  If your child is sick at the UCSF Medical Center, you will be happy to know the medical center has switched to organic baby food for pediatric patients.  The following organic baby foods are now in use:  organic apples, apple sauce, bananas, carrots, carrots/corn, chicken/brown rice, peas, sweet potatoes, pears and turkey/squash.  This switch came as result of both the priorities of the Sustainable Food Working Group and external pressures from parents. “Many parents came in concerned,” explained Henderson.  Local and Organic Fruit:  All whole fruits served at the Moffitt Cafe are now local, organic or both.  If you buy an apple or banana in the cafe, it will be organic and/or local, where possible.  Portions of the salad bar are also organic.  To top it off, all whole fruit is under a dollar! Cage-Free Eggs: Since late last year, the medical center and cafe are using cage-free eggs from Wilcox Family Farms.  The eggs are sustainably farmed from chickens with outdoor access, vegetarian feed, no GMOs or antibiotics and Food Alliance and American Humane Society Approved. Organic, Local Rice and Bread:  The medical center and cafe have also switched their whole wheat breads and wheat rolls to Alvarado Street Bakery, which provides local and organic bread.  In addition, all brown rice is organic and local, from Lundberg in the Sacramento Valley. Organic, Local Yogurt:  You may be delighted to learn that all the yogurt in the cafe and medical center is local and organic from Wallaby in Sonoma.  All Wallaby organic products are made using organic milk from cows raised on local, pasture-based farms. All these great changes begged the question—is this costing more?  Henderson explained that by being smart about what the medical center is buying in other areas he does not expect to see an overall net increase in costs.  The medical center is capturing savings from the popular Meatless Monday and just in time purchases, which reduces waste. Learn More UC Healthcare Supports Healthier Menus UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-10-11T01:33:41+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.249 10th Annual Campus Sustainability Day | Wednesday October 24th, 2012 Join UCSF in celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Campus Sustainability Day - a national day of action and reflection on the success of the sustainability movement in higher education.  Together, colleges and universities, and the people and organizations that support them are moving new programs and initiatives in education forward in order to create the leaders of a sustainable future. Campus Sustainability Day is a day of focus - on what has been accomplished and what is needed to maintain momentum. Emphasis in 2012 is on connecting to new groups and allies on campus, highlighting student stories, connecting diverse planning efforts and reaching out to external partners who can help you move toward success.  It is devoted to the achievements of - and challenges for - the students, faculty, and staff who are integrating sustainability principles and practices into their institutions and surrounding communities. Opportunities to Get Involved 1.  Register to watch the keynote broadcast live on Wednesday, October 24th, 11am - 12:30pm to hear national leaders in sustainability education discuss the solutions and challenges to preparing students to meet the needs of a changing economy, society, and planet. Unable to make this live broadcast?  A recording of the broadcast will be made available shortly after the event.  Please register if you would like to receive information about the recording or live broadcast. 2.  Organize your own campus conversation (or tune in to the West Coast regional conversation) to bring your ideas to the table.  Nominate a student leader from your conversation to take notes, and Second Nature will work with students from across the country to compile a guiding document of the most important steps colleges and universities can take to prepare the next generation of leadership to create a just and sustainable society. 3. Visit the LivingGreen table at the Moffitt Cafeteria’s World Food Day/Campus Sustainability Day to find out what more you can do to support Sustainability.  They will be taking pledges, signing up office and labs for the “LivingGreen Lab” or “LivingGreen Office” certification, giving away reminder stickers, and a prize wheel for free water bottles! UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-10-11T01:28:38+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.260 Take the Pledge Join the nationwide campaign for delicious, healthy, and affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.  National Food Day is October 24—a nationwide celebration and a movement toward more healthy, affordable and sustainable food.  Join your fellow University of California students, faculty and staff in the nationwide campaign for delicious, healthy, and affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane, way. Take the UC EATS REAL Food Day Pledge! UCSF will have activities in both the retail and patient food services area, focusing on local and sustainably based meals for the day. Learn more about National Food Day priorities here UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-10-03T23:32:29+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.257 While the Olympics might be over, here at UCSF, UCSF labs and offices still have a chance to achieve bronze, silver or gold.  All labs at UCSF can now be certified as a LivingGreen Lab, helping the university save money and reduce its carbon footprint.  Part of the assessment includes a tool kit of energy saving tools, such as timers, power strips and reminder stickers.  The first step is a walk through of your lab during which you will jointly complete a checklist consisting of 30 items covering Zero Waste, Culture Shift, Water Conservation, Toxics Reduction and Carbon Neutrality. The list focuses on a range of specific actions that can be implemented in any lab, such as improving recycling systems, installing a Steris pipette rack, utilizing appliance timers on electronic equipment that would otherwise be left on, using CFL or LED-based light bulbs for task lighting and ordering only 50% or better Post Consumer Waste office paper.  After the walk-through, the lab will receive a preliminary score along with a series of recommendations for improving it. During the quarter following the preliminary assessment, the LivingGreen team will return to see what improvements have been made. After this review, a score will be given. Based on the score, certifications are awarded at the following levels: 25 points=Bronze, 50 points=Silver, 75 points=Gold. Please contact livinggreen@ucsf.edu to schedule your site visit today. No time for a site visit? Click HERE to learn more. Pipette Wash Rack Program If your lab is using glass pipettes, then participation in this program is a no-brainer. Here’s the deal. The Office of Sustainability will give you, at no charge, Steris racks that will allow you to wash your pipettes in a glass washer. That’s it! Switching over to this method from the Nalgene system will save water and money.  If Genentech Hall installed 25 new Steris racks, it is estimated that over 11 million gallons of water per year would be saved, resulting in cost savings of over $51,000 per year.  With UCSF’s initial investment of $1600 per rack, this is a great deal for everyone involved. Better hurry though, the offer ends October 1st.  Click HERE to learn more. Refrigerator Rebate The refrigerator rebate program is designed to replace old, inefficient refrigerators with new efficient ones in an effort to reduce electricity consumption. Any refrigerator ten or more years old, or with an annual energy usage rating of 800kWh or higher, or that is not functioning efficiently is eligible for the program. Labs choosing to take advantage of this offer will receive a rebate of 50% of the replacement cost. Based on information from the EPA’s Energy Star Website, today’s energy efficient refrigerators consume only 400-450 kWh per year, depending on the size. Compared to the minimum-eligible 800 kWh units, that will provide savings of $57-60 per year. But considering that some older and larger models might use twice as much energy, or more, the savings could add up quickly. It should also be kept in mind that the estimated annual usage shown on the sticker is based on a brand new unit in perfect condition. Your mileage may vary. As components age and heat exchangers get dirty, efficiency goes down. It is also likely that over the typical ten year operating life of a refrigerator, the cost of electricity will go up, resulting in even further savings realized by the purchase of a new, energy-efficient unit now. This offers also expires October 1st, so act today!  Click HERE to learn more. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-09-24T05:40:31+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.225 The Eddie Book residents from the Pediatrics Department, led by Catherine Ratti, UCSF Pediatric Residency Program Manager, and three second year residents, Suratha Elongo, Adam Schickedanz, and Maura Madou, were recently recognized with a UCSF Sustainability Award for their efforts to reduce waste and costs by switching the design of the Eddie Book to a durable binder format and an easily navigable electronic format with iPhone and Droid “apps”. The Eddie Book is the UCSF Department of Pediatric’s directory and clinical reference manual. Traditionally, it has come in a spiral-bound format that is reprinted in its entirety every one to two years.  The switch to a durable binder format will save $2,900 over the next year and reduce waste. We had the opportunity to ask the Eddie residents a few questions about sustainability at UCSF. 1. Why do you think sustainability is important for UCSF? Sustainability is definitely not only important to UCSF; it is paramount to preservation, maintenance, and innovation as we move forward in all realms. Sustainability as it pertains to the sharing of medical knowledge and guidelines specifically requires attention to an infrastructure that will allow continual updating and changing as we gain new knowledge as a field and as our priorities and resources change. 2. What do you see as the link between health and the environment? Health and the environment are inextricably linked.  Without a healthy environment, it is nearly impossible for individuals maintain physical health. Whether you’re discussing environmental pollutants and asthma incidence or well-maintained green space and physical activity, the environment where people live, work, and play has direct consequences for their physical health.  As health care providers, it is our responsibility to safeguard the environment for the health of our patients the same way we attend to their physical health in the clinic. 3. What accomplishment are you most proud of around promoting sustainability at UCSF? We wanted to keep the tradition of the pediatric resident’s “Eddie Book” alive in the shape of its predecessors, but we are proud to have begun the process of its transformation to fit the needs of current and future resident classes by making it easily editable and electronically accessible.  For the print version we created a durable binder format so that the casing can be recycled for many years to come.  Furthermore rather than reprinting every single page, in future years we can just reprint those pages that have been updated.  Recognizing that in this day and age, much of our lives revolve around both computers and PDAs, we also designed an easily navigable electronic version.  We created a dynamic PDF with internal bookmarks, links, and search which simulates an iPhone “app” when used with iPhone’s iBooks as well as ezPDF Reader on Droids.  This PDF can similarly be accessed on any computer from our residency program Website.  As more and more people gain familiarity and comfort with this new electronic version, we anticipate that in the future we may only need to print a few print versions.  4. What is one action you would like to see your fellow staff/students take? With the transition to more robust electronic medical records at Parnassus, Mt. Zion, and San Francisco General Hospital, and the VA, we now no longer have any excuse not to move most –if not all – of our clinical references, correspondence related to patient care, clinical documentation, and all of those slips of paper we tote around in our pockets to electronic formats.  It would be wonderful to see UCSF lead the way among academic medical centers toward becoming paper-free and doing that much more to protect our natural resources. Congratulations to the Eddie Book residents. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-09-17T01:49:32+00:00 8/23/12 Johnson & Johnson to Remove Formaldehyde, Other Chemicals from Products. J&J will phase out formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, which release tiny amounts of methylene glycol, as well as triclosan, a commonly used antibacterial ingredient, and 1,4 dioxane, a trace material that’s the byproduct of the process that makes cleansers mild and nonirritating. Johnson & Johnson, owner of personal care brands Aveeno, Neutrogena and Clean & Clear, says it will remove a number of potentially harmful chemicals, including formaldehyde, from its line of adult consumer products by the end of 2015. The company already pledged last November to remove specific chemicals from its baby products, such as Johnson baby shampoo, by 2013. Sustainable Healthcare: A Perfect Match. Jeff Benavides, Senior Project Manager, ecoPreserve shares observations on what works for programs in Green Healthcare and other institutions.  “In healthcare, taking care of employees is an absolute necessity.” Biodiversity Steps Up a Gear. Professor Dieter Helm, Chair of the UK Government’s Natural Capital Committee, said that biodiversity is where climate change was 10 years ago. Then, the Stern Review put a price on damages (US$85/tonne) and climate change action stepped up a gear. With current inertia in practices and processes based on valuing most natural assets at zero, up to half of all species globally could be extinct by the end of the century. Sustainability: More than Just Being ‘Green’. No single company, government or institution alone can solve these inter-connected global challenges. To the contrary, truly impactful solutions will derive from collaborative innovation between corporate, governmental, non-governmental and academic institutions. said BASF executive. Intel Recycles 1,500 Pounds of Plastic Into Pencil Boxes. Recycling the 1,500 pounds of polystyrene into 4,100 pencil boxes avoided 19 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to the effect of 487 trees over 10 years, Intel said. Apple, Others Come Out Winners in SEC’s Conflict Minerals Decision. Conflict minerals are tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold – all of which can be found in electronic and other products.  They can be found around the world, as well as the Congo. Congo profits from their export are used to fund the war that is devastating the country. Hence the unfortunately realistic accusation of blood phones. Tracking a supply chain and riding it of conflict minerals, however, is no small undertaking for companies that source these minerals. 8/22/12 BMW revs up EV car sharing in San Francisco. This week, executives from BMW came to San Francisco to showcase a flexible, premium car-sharing program featuring the all-electric BMW ActiveE. The dos and don’ts of sustainable value chain management.  A recent study identified proven management practices and cost-saving approaches of sustainable value chain management. According to the findings, the supply chain is where the ROI on sustainability gets into triple digits. It’s also what separates “real” sustainability from “greenwashing.” That’s why many businesses are looking at how to make the value chain (supply chain, distributors, partner organizations, etc.) more sustainable. Dr. Jeanne Conry awarded the 2012 U.S. EPA Environmental Health Heroes of the Pacific Southwest in the category “Children’s Environmental Health”. Dr. Conry is a practicing obstetrician and the President-Elect for the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.  Dr. Conry was recognized for her long standing commitment to children’s environmental health and her leadership in making environmental health an important new area of focus, ensuring that the focus on children’s environmental health begins early in development when preventative actions can play a profound role on the health of the pregnancy, the child and the adult that she/he will become. Dr. Conry’s award was also highlighted in the Sacramento Bee. Healthcare energy savings: Do you have the buy-in to achieve it? Healthcare Design Magazine. There are many documented procedures that will reduce energy consumption and cut utility costs — facilitating them is the fun part, when sleeves are rolled up and hands are dirtied, installing, balancing, calibrating and programming high-tech equipment purchased by a facility to make dreams of energy savings a reality. However, getting to this point is contingent upon first achieving buy-in from decision-makers who must finance the efficiency program. Sometimes — perhaps more often than not — that buy-in isn’t achieved, and the program never takes shape. The Healthcare Campus: Workshop on New Concepts in Strategic Design and Facility Development Considerations. The Center for Health Design. The Pebble Project, in conjunction with The MedStar Health Institute for Innovation, has designed a one and a half day immersive experience to explore, network and learn about creating successful mixed-use healthcare anchored campuses and developments. Join us for an interactive conversation with top industry thought leaders who will explore how mixed-use spaces, new ownership models and capital strategy are being implemented across North America. Learn by example and share knowledge to optimize and improve the performance and return on investment of healthcare real estate assets across the continuum of care and beyond. Free Webinar: ‘Local and Sustainable Food Purchasing and Policies in Healthcare.  September 13, 12pm PST. Health Care Without Harm and Healthier Hospitals Initiative. Hospitals and healthcare systems have the opportunity to support a sustainable food system through their purchasing decisions. By procuring and serving sustainably-produced and seasonal foods, healthcare institutions can provide direct benefits to their patients and staff; while also boosting the larger economic, ecological and public health of their communities. Developing and implementing sustainable food policies can support and drive these sustainable procurement efforts. Registration required. Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies Launches Ingredient Transparency Website for Baby and Beauty Products. Johnson & Johnson announced the launch of http://www.SafetyandCareCommitment.com an initiative to help consumers better understand all the measures we take to make our beauty and baby care products as safe as can be.  Registration required. Free GreenBiz Webcast, Breaking Down Silos to Reach Campus Diversion and Sustainability Goals, August 28, 10am PST. Educational institutions often face barriers to achieve environmental goals and establish system-wide practices around materials management and procurement, to drive diversion goals. Should recycling and composting be “owned” by the sustainability director or the head of facilities? What are the roles of procurement, human resources, and other departments? Failure to break through organizational silos often undercuts ambitious goals and good intentions. These questions and more will be explored in a one-hour webcast that includes real-world case studies. 8/21/12 Lawyers in Big Tobacco Suits are Targeting Major Food Makers for Products marketed as “Healthy” or “Natural.” Featured in August 18, 2012 New York Times. More than a dozen lawyers who took on the tobacco companies have filed 25 cases against industry players like ConAgra Foods, PepsiCo, Heinz, General Mills and Chobani that stock pantry shelves and refrigerators across America. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) announces funding opportunity:  Minerva Research Initiative. The program focuses on areas of strategic importance to U.S. national security policy and seeks to increase the Department of Defense’s intellectual capital in the social sciences and improve its ability to address future challenges and build bridges to the social science community. One target involves the social science of change in energy and the environment, namely, Models of Societal Resilience and Change (2-A) Economic factors (2-B) Energy, environment, and resource factors (2-C) Other factors impacting societal stability and change. Fiver year awards from 1.5M to 7.5 million. Mosquito District Waits on West Nile Test Results. San Mateo County is monitoring for West Nile virus by testing both animals and mosquitos. The mosquitos are trapped and then sent to UC Davis for testing. 11-mile Stretch of Mississippi River Closed Due to Low Water Levels., stranding 40 northbound vessels and 57 southbound vessels according to the U.S. Coast Guard - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is using dredges to dig out sand and ensure the navigation channel is deep enough for barges loaded with coal, steel, agricultural products and other goods. FedEx Sustainability Report: Absolute CO2 Emissions Up 4%.  FedEx’s absolute carbon dioxide emissions rose around 4 percent from 2010 to 2011, from 15.1 million to 15.8 million metric tons, according to their 2011 corporate sustainability report. Global Food Companies ‘Should Upgrade Sustainable Supply Chain Strategies. Only four of the world’s largest food producers – Danone, Heinz, PepsiCo and Unilever – have invested in wide-ranging codes of conduct to guide their suppliers’ environmental performance, according to a new report from Verdantix. 8/20/12 EU amps up e-waste collection rules for companies, consumers. Stringent new EU e-waste rules officially came into effect yesterday, paving the way for a fundamental overhaul of how companies and consumers handle waste electronic equipment and devices. Inside the effort to strip toxics from U.S. hospitals.  It’s not easy to wrangle the largest players in any industry to give up competitive advantages. But that’s what the five largest health care group purchasing organizations in the U.S. (Amerinet, HealthTrust, MedAssets, Novation and Premier) did when they agreed to work together. Kaiser Permanente Farmers Markets Grow to More than 50.  Kaiser Permanente announced this week that it now hosts more than 50 farmers markets and farm stands at its hospitals and facilities. Greener Office Practices.  It takes about a gallon of oil to make a new laser cartridge. Nearly eight cartridges are thrown away per second in the United States. In North America, over 350 million cartridges per year are discarded in landfills, and that number increases by 12% annually. 70% of used printer cartridges throughout the world are thrown out. Gibson Guitar settlement strikes chord with wood companies. A wake-up call for companies thinking about importing illegally logged wood. The government is going to take violations of the Lacey Act seriously. UC Davis Ranked No. 1 in Green Colleges List. UC Davis tops Sierra Club’s annual “green” colleges list, jumping from No. 8 to the No. 1 spot by diverting about 70 percent of its trash, opening the country’s largest planned zero-net-energy residential community and encouraging bike use on campus. Real-time energy monitoring emerges as top building retrofit. The market for energy efficient retrofits in commercial buildings—particularly in energy management software—is set to grow exponentially. It will nearly double by 2020, according to a recent study by Pike Research. 2012-08-21T14:07:23+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.233 What do you think of when you hear save resources, reduce waste and be more efficient?  While you might think we are speaking about going green, for San Francisco General Hospital, it refers to improving quality of care, being more efficient and reducing wait times for a colonoscopy.  The hospital has successfully reduced the wait time for a colonoscopy from 125 days to an average of 26 days over three years and reduced clinic wait time from 345 days to 130 days over 5 years.  This is consistent with the theme of “Choosing Wisely” highlighted in the Spring 2012 edition of the Department of Medicine’s Frontiers in Medicine. UCSF Sustainability Manager Gail Lee and I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Lukejohn Day, who has helped to develop a new model to increase colorectal cancer screening rates at San Francisco General Hospital.  While the hospital’s main goal is to improve quality of care, there are some interesting lessons learned that translate to UCSF’s broader goal of promoting LivingGreen. By promoting teamwork, garnering input from all staff, creating a colonoscopy education class, involving nursing staff, streamlining patient access to care and going to electronic, paperless documentation, Day has seen a range of benefits, including increased provider satisfaction, improved communication and accountability, reduction in unnecessary referrals, 50 percent reduction in wait time, increased clinic capacity and elimination of a huge amount of paper. And while it is difficult to put a dollar value on this model of efficiency, I offer the following four lessons learned from the hospital’s success: 1.  Look for opportunities to cut out inefficiencies in your systems.  Where is paper needlessly wasted?  Where can time and resources be saved? 2.  Identify clear metrics for tracking your success.  General Hospital has identified a range of metrics to track success in the GI Clinic, including wait time, referral review time, scheduling time, volume, no-shows, patient wait time and patient satisfaction.  What metrics can you identify to track your success? 3.  Create a culture of teamwork and ask all staff for input and ideas.  Day stressed that part of their process was to create a culture of teamwork where individuals are encouraged to speak up about opportunities to be more efficient.  How can you inspire your staff to try new things?  Ask your staff, what can we do better and encourage them to speak up. 4.  Efficiencies are good for the environment.  A major force driving Day is his desire to provide high quality care to patients at the County hospital and reduce wait times.  “It is about quality of service and doing things better and safer,”  stressed Day.  By streamlining processes and centralizing key processes, it is also possible to save money and resources.  While it is hard to measure the savings from elimination of piles paper forms, reducing waste is the right thing to do.  Good for the planet and good for patients.     UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-08-17T03:10:37+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.234 The UCSF Reprocessing Team was recently awarded the UCSF 2012 Sustainability Award. The Reprocessing Team identified single-use devices used in the operating room (OR) that can be collected, reprocessed by a third-party vendor, and potentially purchased for reuse.  This entailed working with OR and sterile processing staff, and third-party reprocessors, to create processes to ensure reprocess-able devices are collected and appropriately stored.  The team also evaluated the economic viability of purchasing reprocessed devices and, where viable, created new purchasing and inventory processes.  Education, training, and information opportunities were provided for surgeons and staff.  Efforts spanned the Parnassus and Mt Zion campuses and the Orthopedic Institute.  In the first six months of implementation, the OR Reprocessing Program diverted 4,000 pounds from the landfill and reduced OR costs by nearly $150,000.  The team continues to meet, monitor progress, and evaluate additional devices that could be added to the program.  In the past two years, OR and Cath lab reprocessing saved over $600,000 and diverted approximately 10,000 pounds of medical waste from landfills. Dr. Stan Rogers, physician champion and member of the OR Reprocesing Team, told colleagues this is “an effort to improve efficiency and ameliorate the negative environmental impact of our operating rooms, while continuing to provide superior health care to our patients.”  Congratulations to the OR Reprocessing Team Members: • James Bennan, Administrative Director of Patient Care Services for the OR • Chris Bogan, Buyer, Purchasing • Dr. Jonathan Carter, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of General Surgery • Nicole Collins, OR Nurse, POD Manager for Orthopedic, Ortho-spine & Neuro-spine Surgery • Robin Diehlman, Manager, Materials Services for the OR • Debbie Gee, Director, Orthopedic Institute • Mike James, Manager, Sterile Processing Department • Sandra Wienholz, OR Director • Joyce Nacario, OR Nurse, Greening the OR Committee Member • Kevin Pattison, Director, Materiel Services Administration • Christine Pollak, Operations Improvement • Dr. Stan Rogers, Chair of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Co-Chair of Healthcare Technology Assessment Program • Dr. Susan Ryan, Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology, Greening the OR Committee Member • Susan Schubert, OR Nurse, POD Manager for General Surgery • Valerie Sullivan, OR Nurse, Mount Zion • Donna Tramontozzi, OR Nurse, General Surgery UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-08-17T03:05:44+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.227 Sandrijn van Schaik, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Pediatrics was recently awarded the UCSF 2012 Sustainability Award.  Dr. van Schaik is professor of Pediatrics in the School of Medicine and has been a champion of UCSF sustainability for many years.  She is driven by her personal interest in environmental stewardship and has incorporated this into every aspect of her various clinical, research and leadership roles at UCSF. She worked closely with Capital Programs in the construction of the LEED Gold certified medical simulation center known as the Kanbar Center, where medical students work with highly technical robots to learn patient care skills in a controlled simulated setting. We had the opportunity to ask the Dr. van Schaik a few questions about sustainability at UCSF. 1. Why do you think sustainability is important for UCSF? UCSF is a leader in the field of health care and medical science, and has a responsibility towards society to model the way towards a sustainable future. This should exemplify itself not only in how we think about health care delivery, but also in our every day operations. The medical sciences are inherently wasteful, since so much of what we do in patient care and research is based on trial and error. This, combined with increasing use of disposable equipment to handle infectious disease concerns and decrease labor associated with reusable materials, has led to incredible amounts of waste. But if we don’t pay attention to the impact of all this waste on our natural environment, we will end up battling ourselves since disrupting the environment will have major consequences for human health. 2. What do you see as the link between health and the environment? Our natural environment provides us with essential resources to maintain health, including clean air to breath, fresh, unpolluted water to drink, natural food products for nutrition. If we destroy the natural environment with pollution and waste, we will loose these resources, but also disrupt natural balances with the ecosystem that will lead to new (infectious) diseases and other threads to human kind, such as natural disasters due to climate change. 3. What accomplishment are you most proud of around promoting sustainability at UCSF? I have to be honest that I am slightly embarrassed to get this award, since I really have not done much. Perhaps my quarterly column in the Resident Report gets some attention, and I continue to try to convince people to recycle their plastics and papers, turn off lights when they leave a room, use double-sided printing, tap water instead of bottled water, etc. But I am certainly not perfect myself - I forget my coffee mug regularly and too often print things that I could have just read electronically. But, I do bike to work every day! 4. What is one action you would like to see your fellow staff/students take? Too often disposable equipment gets thrown away even if it was never used. Someone opens the wrong lumbar puncture kit, or takes out a central line kit but only uses one item out of it. Other items expire and get disposed, or perhaps a new model is introduced and the old ones are no longer used. The Kanbar Center for Simulation and Clinical Skills can use many of these items for skills training of students of all levels, but outside of what I find in my own clinical arena, the pediatric intensive care unit, I don’t seem to be able to get a hold of this equipment. If all clinically active personnel could keep an eye out for such equipment and save it for Kanbar, we would come yet another small step closer to reducing waste and increasing efficiency. Congratulations Dr. van Schaik. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-07-17T02:08:33+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.196 Did you know UCSF encourages telecommuting from home offices to create a supportive work environment?  According to a recent post on GreenBiz.com, teleworking can “save office expenses while significantly cutting environmental emissions and paper consumption.  The green benefits of teleworking are undisputed: cleaner air, lower operating costs, and increased efficiency, for starters. Assuming a 40-mile roundtrip commute, each employee allowed to work from home saves the company—and the planet—40,000 pounds of CO2 emissions annually. And that’s just for one day telecommuting per week.” Telecommuting is a voluntary work arrangement in which an eligible employee with approval “works one or more days each work week from home instead of commuting to a work place.”  Telecommuting is assessed and approved by management on a case-by-case basis.  While not appropriate in all situations, UCSF’s Guidelines and Procedures for Telecommuting outline the process for proposing a telecommuting arrangement. Other resources, including a model telecommuting agreement, can be found here. Movi, a desktop video conferencing tool, is now available to UCSF Faculty and Staff for general use. Movi can help increase the productivity of telecommuters and help all employees eliminate emissions associated with traveling to meetings. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-07-16T03:28:51+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.224 Kristen Fitzhenry from the School of Medicine Dean’s Office, was a 2012 Sustainability Award Winner in the staff category.  Ms. Fitzhenry created, organized and now chairs the Team Green Committee for the School of Medicine Dean’s office units.  She developed their Green Charter, various initiatives, Green tips for Medical Education blog and is a great example of a team player and LivingGreen leader. We had the opportunity to ask Ms. Fitzhenry a few questions about sustainability at UCSF. 1. Why do you think sustainability is important for UCSF? As a large employer and presence in our community, UCSF is in a position to make a tremendous impact. We are very fortunate to work at an organization that has made a commitment to sustainability, and that commitment continues to grow. From compost bins, to the refillable water stations, bike racks, etc, UCSF makes it easier to follow green behaviors in the work place. 2. What do you see as the link between health and the environment? Living in a clean, non-toxic environment is an important factor in optimal health. I think we all have a right to optimal health and should all do our part to maintain clean environments in our local and global communities. 3. What accomplishment are you most proud of around promoting sustainability at UCSF? I am most proud of our Green Team. I think it’s important to remember the impact that grassroots efforts can have. We’ve focused on education and awareness, as well as acknowledging the green behaviors of Medical Education staff. I have to give credit and thanks to my fellow Medical Education Green Team members – Sylvia DeCourcey, Patricia Ramirez, and Jewel Smally. 4.  What is one action you would like to see your fellow staff/students take? Recognize the power in modeling green behavior. My colleague, David Rachleff, collects our compostables and recyclables after meetings and takes them to the closest bins. As a result, I think we’re all more aware of waste and how easy it is to take action. Congratulations Kristen! UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-07-14T23:47:17+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.212 UCSF’s Senior Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration John Plotts and David Odato, Vice Chancellor Human Resources and Chief Administrative Officer of UCSF Medical Center, presented the second Annual Sustainability Awards to five winners, as well as gave out 18 LivingGreen Office certifications, at a ceremony May 10th, just prior to the 2012 LivingGreen Fair. Our hearty congratulations to all of this year’s Sustainability Award winners and certified LivingGreen offices.  Thank you for your initiative and passion for making UCSF a more sustainable place to learn and work. The UCSF community nominated 24 individuals and teams from all areas of the campus and medical center to be recognized for their dedication to sustainability.  Faculty, staff, students and teams that are employed, enrolled or affiliated with UCSF were all eligible. All nominees met at least one of the following criteria: 1. They engage their peers/campus in an ongoing dialogue about reaching environmental sustainability;  2. They integrate environmental sustainability with existing campus programs in education, research, operations, and/or public service; and/or 3. They instill a culture of sustainable long-range planning and forward-thinking design. A selection committee comprised of selected Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS) members and last year’s award recipients reviewed this year’s nominations.  Winners received a framed certificate and registration to the upcoming California Higher Education Sustainability Conference. LivingGreen Office Certifications Eighteen LivingGreen office certifications were awarded to UCSF departments or offices that met specific criteria in the areas of energy, water, waste, food, toxics and shifting the culture. Plotts joked that the certifications stimulated some friendly competition.  “If the Dean’s office can do it, we can do it,” he said. Please contact greencampus@ucsf.edu to find out more information about the LivingGreen Office certification process. The certification process begins with a simple on-site visit from our Green Campus team or by completing a relatively simple LivingGreen Office certification checklist designed to help department members improve their level of green practices.  Specific points are earned for implementing key best practices, including tracking sustainable food and green engagement among co-workers. LivingGreen Fair Immediately after the Awards ceremony, the LivingGreen Fair was kicked off.  We had 60 vendors representing the UCSF Sustainability Action Plan objectives to engage the UCSF community, including various tables to highlight our objectives to achieve carbon neutrality, zero waste, water conservation, toxics reduction, sustainable food and shifting the culture towards sustainability. The offerings also included organics samplings, recycled crafts, a sneaker take-back program, bike auction, book drive, environmental groups, green buildings, music and raffle prizes.  All who attended had a great time. 2012 Sustainability Award Winners Faculty Category:  Sandrijn van Schaik, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Pediatrics Dr. van Schaik is professor of Pediatrics in the School of Medicine and has been a champion of UCSF sustainability for many years.  She is driven by her personal interest in environmental stewardship and has incorporated this into every aspect of her various clinical, research and leadership roles at UCSF. Her role was critical in the construction of the LEED certified medical simulation Kanbar Center. Student Category:  Eddie Book Residents, Pediatrics Department The Eddie Book residents, led by Catherine Ratti, UCSF Pediatric Residency Program Manager, and three second year residents, Suratha Elongo, Adam Schickedanz, and Maura Madou, were recognized for their efforts to reduce waste and costs by switching the design of the Eddie Book to a durable binder format and an easily navigable electronic format with iPhone and Droid “apps”. The Eddie Book is the UCSF Department of Pediatric’s directory and clinical reference manual. Traditionally, it has come in a spiral-bound format that is reprinted in its entirety every one to two years.  The switch to a durable binder format will save $2,900 over the next year and reduce waste. Staff Category: Kristen Fitzhenry, Undergraduate Medical Education, School of Medicine Dean’s Office Ms. Fitzhenry created, organized and now chairs the Team Green Committee for the School of Medicine Dean’s office units.  She developed their Green Charter, various initiatives, Green tips for Medical Education blog and is a great example of a team player and LivingGreen leader. Staff Category: Lisa Hartmayer, RN, Orthopedic Institute Ms. Hartmayer has actively promoted sustainability for many years and single-handedly started the UCSF Green Group that brings together nurses, physicians, environmental services and support staff to plan and implement sustainable practices across the medical center. She did all of this outside of her work hours. Team Category: Operating Room Reprocessing Team – James Bennan, Chris Bogan, Dr. Jonathan Carter, Robing Diehlman, Debbie Gee, Mike James, , Joyce Nacario, Kevin Pattison, Christine Pollak, Dr. Stan Rogers, Dr. Susan Ryan, Susan Schubert, Valerie Sullivan, Donna Tramontozzi, and Sandra Wienholz The Reprocessing Team identified a cost savings and sustainability opportunity to collect single-use devices used in the OR for reprocessing by a third-party vendor.  Selected reprocessed devices are then purchased from that third-party vendor at a discount.  This project required a huge team effort working with staff from the OR, sterile processing, procurement and the reprocessor to education, train and address concerns by surgeons and staff at Moffitt/Long, ACC, Mt Zion and the Orthopedic Institute.  In the first six months of implementation, the OR Reprocessing Program diverted 4,000 pounds from the landfill and reduced OR costs by nearly $150,000.  Certified LivingGreen Offices Gold Certified Nutrition and Food Services Mission Bay & Parnassus Retail Services Medical Center Administration School of Medicine Dean’s Office Student Information Systems Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics Oral Epidemiology & Dental Public Health Chancellor and Senior Vice Chancellor’s Office Silver Certified Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology Information Technology Services Family Health Care Nursing & Community Health Systems Department of Orthopedic Surgery Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences SON Administration and Finance Physiological Nursing MC Design and Construction Vice Chancellor’s Office of Academic Affairs Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease Campus Life Services Arts & Events Bronze Certified Medical Education Photo by Susan Merrell Story by Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-06-01T01:29:46+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.197 Save the Date! June 18th–22nd, 2012 University of California, Davis Registration is now open for the Eleventh Annual California Higher Education Sustainability Conference (CHESC), June 18 - 22, 2012, hosted by the University of California, Davis! This unique event is jointly organized by independent/private colleges, California Community Colleges, California State Universities, and the University of California, to create the opportunity for dialogue across institutions.The California Higher Education Sustainability Conference highlights cutting-edge research, as well as case studies with proven successes in curriculum development, operational programs, and community partnerships. This unique event is jointly organized by independent/private colleges, California Community Colleges, California State Universities, and the University of California creating the opportunity for dialogue across institutions. The University of California, Davis, in partnership with the statewide steering committee, has introduced a systems-thinking approach to this year’s conference, challenging potential speakers to find ways to engage stakeholders across multiple divisions.  Each session will be a “pairing” between two or more diverse topic areas.  This year for the first time UCSF’s Sustainability Manager Gail Lee is co-chairing a healthcare track starting with a pre-conference workshop on Jun 18 and a full day healthcare track on June 19 which has been opened up to all California hospitals. Through this topic area, CHESC aims to present waste diversion, toxics reduction, sustainable food, and behavior change case studies relevant to hospitals, medical centers, hospitals,  nursing programs, and student health facilities. Other examples of sessions this year will include: *  Creative Composting: Renewable Energy through Anaerobic Digestion (a pairing between the Energy, and Waste Reduction and Recycling topic areas) *  Community connections through urban agriculture (a pairing between the Food Systems, Social Equity, and Currriculum topic areas) *  Towards a Systems Approach to Dining Facilities and Efficiency in Design (a pairing between Green Building New Construction and Renovations, and Food Systems) *  Budgeting to institutionalize energy efficiency and conservation (a pairing between the Institutionalizing Sustainability, and Energy topic areas) *  Water efficiency opportunities in campus central plants (a pairing between Water and Landscaping, and Energy) For the first time, UC Davis will host the conference. UC Davis is a recognized leader in campus sustainability practices, sustainability research, and environmental education, as demonstrated in recent World University Rankings (11), Sierra Magazine Cool School Top Ten (8), Sustainable Endowment Institute rating (A-), and Thomson Reuters ScienceWatch (1), among others.  The city of Davis is equally sustainability-minded and active in greenhouse gas reduction programs, bicycle commuting programs, and innovative housing developments, including co-housing and several types of cooperatives. The city and campus are lovely places to visit, with a lively downtown, many parks and a beautiful campus Arboretum, which has a number of eco-friendly landscapes and research programs aimed at helping commercial nurseries and regional residents transition their landscapes and gardens to ecologically friendly plants and irrigation practices.  In addition, 2012 will be the first year that the conference has been in Northern California since 2005. For more information, click here. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-05-20T16:10:06+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.213 Stephen Szeto, a past UCSF sustainability analyst intern, has been recognized by the San Francisco State Department of Business for distinguished academic accomplishment. While at UCSF, his research project helped to implement environmental and energy management software that tracks and analyzes GHG emissions and environmental impacts at UCSF and its suppliers. Data related to energy, water, waste and transportation was imported into a central database and analyzed to identify areas of opportunity, measure sustainability initiatives or projects over time, and report key performance metrics to UCSF stakeholders. He is member of the student team to receive the 2011 Student Energy Efficiency Best Practice award from the University of California Office of the President. Stephen is an environmental and energy management (EEM) implementation manager for the Smart Building Solutions group at McKinstry. He is a project manager for large-scale energy efficiency, energy management, and Smart Grid projects. He served as the vice president of technology for the SF State Net Impact chapter. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-05-19T20:19:27+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.207 Dear UCSF Colleagues:   As a member of our UCSF community, we hope that you will take this short five-minute survey to provide some important information about how you commute to UCSF. This valuable data will be used to facilitate transportation sustainability programs in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that affect air quality and contribute to global climate change.  Take me to the survey. Password: commute May 15 - June 8, 2012 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Take the Survey ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In appreciation for your time and consideration, participants will be eligible to enter a raffle for a chance to win one of several prizes; see survey for a list of prizes. Individual responses will be maintained in confidence. Survey closes June 8, 2012. With your input we can become better stewards of our environment and better serve our campus community!  Take the survey now. Your password is: commute Or paste this URL into your browser: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/UCSF_2012_Commute_Survey ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you for your participation in this important UCSF sustainability effort. —— Angela Hawkins Associate Vice Chancellor-Campus Life Services, Facilities and Administrative Services Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability Gail Lee UCSF Sustainability Manager David Morgan Medical Center Executive Director Kevin Cox Director Transportation Services Find us on the web ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Find us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter http://www.campuslifeservices.ucsf.edu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-05-15T19:31:12+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.202 On May 2, 2012 UCSFMC received the Practice GreenHealth Partner for Change Award with Distinction.  This premier award indicates that UCSFMC reached significant levels of sustainability achievements in energy, waste, water, green cleaning and sustainable food.  UCSF is pleased to announce that it has made a significant commitment to environmental sustainability by having been a Practice Greenhealth member for three years, winning the Partner for Change Award in the first year and Partner for Change with Distinction in the second year.  This is UCSFMC’s third award in three years.  In the next year, UCSFMC will strive to join the highest level of achievement, the Environmental Leadership Circle by working to incorporate sustainability into many practices throughout the medical center. Jack Henderson, Bruce Mace, Dan Henroid, Gail Lee, Carl Solomon, Tracy Hook, Louise Hallberg and consultant, Jessica Rios travelled to Denver for the annual CleanMed conference to accept their award from Laura Wenger (4th from the left), executive director of Practice GreenHealth.  In addition to bringing back the award, the team brought back a high level of enthusiasm, helpful tools, exciting best practices, and true inspiration to make UCSFMC even more sustainable.  Practice Greenhealth is a membership organization for institutions and businesses in the health care field who are engaged in reducing their environmental footprints.  Over 1100 hospitals (including many major healthcare systems), as well as leading GPOs, suppliers, and architectural firms, belong to Practice Greenhealth. It provides practical guidance, training, consultation and business solutions to help its members in their efforts to implement environmentally responsible practices.  Congratulations to the 2012 Award Winners!   Environmental Leadership Circle - New Inductees Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Downers Grove, IL Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago IL Madigan Healthcare System, Tacoma, WA Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA MetroWest Medical Center/Framing­ham Union Hospital, Framingham, MA MetroWest Medical Center/Leonard Morse Hospital, Natick, MA   Environmental Leadership Award Members UCSFMC is striving for this in 2013! Borgess Medical Center, Kalamazoo, MI Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo, MI Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz, CA Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, VT Gundersen Lutheran, La Crosse, WI Metro Health Hospital, Wyoming, MI Northern Michigan Regional Hospital, Petoskey, MI Providence Milwaukie Hospital, Milwaukie, OR Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR Providence St. Patrick Hospital, Missoula, MT Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Portland, OR Ridgeview Medical Center, Waconia, MN Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire, WI Sequoia Hospital, Redwood City, CA St. Francis Hospital – Eastside, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Greenville, SC St. Francis Hospital- Downtown, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Greenville, SC St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Stockton, CA St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, Green Bay, WI University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, Ann Arbor, MI University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA DEHP-Free Award Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center-Richmond, Midlothian, VA   Partner for Change with Distinction UCSFMC received this in 2011 and 2012 Advocate Christ Medical Center and Hope Children’s Hospital, Oak Lawn, IL Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, Barrington, IL Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, IL Advocate South Suburban Hospital, Hazel Crest, IL Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA Bon Secours Community Hospital, Bon Secours Charity Health System, Port Jervis, NY Christiana Hospital, Newark, DE Columbia St. Mary’s Health System, Milwaukee, WI Department of Veterans Affairs, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR Euclid Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Euclid, OH Fairview Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Cleveland, OH Fairview Southdale Hospital, Edina, MN Good Samaritan Hospital, Bon Secours Charity Health System, Suffern, NY Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA Inova Alexandria Hospital, Alexandria, VA Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, Fairfax, VA Inova Loudoun Hospital, Leesburg, VA Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, Alexandria, VA James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center, Altoona, PA Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center, Baltimore, MD Maryview Medical Center, Bon Secours Virginia – Hampton Roads, VA Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY MI nursing Restorative Center, Lawrence, MA Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children’s Hospital, Spokane, WA Providence st. Peter Hospital, Olympia WA Saint Anthony Community Hospital, Bon Secours Charity Health System, Warwick, NY San Diego V.A. Healthcare System, San Diego, CA South Pointe Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Warrensville Hts., OH Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI St. John’s Regional medical Center, Oxnard, CA St. Joseph Regional Health Network, Reading, PA St. Mary’s Health System, Lewiston, ME St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay, WI Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA The Ottawa Hospital – General Campus, Ottawa, ON UCSF Medical Center/UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, San Francisco, CA University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview – Riverside Campus (West Bank) Minneapolis, MN University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview – university Campus (East Bank) Minneapolis, MN Washington Hospital Healthcare System, Fremont, CA Wilmington Hospital, Wilmington, DE Youville Place, Lexington, MA   Partner for Change Award UCSFMC received this in 2010 Advocate Condell Medical Center, Libertyville, IL Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock, AR Ashtabula County Medical Center, a Cleveland Clinic Affiliate, Ashtabula, OH Baptist Hospital fo Miami, Miami, FL Bethesda North Hospital, Cincinnati, OH Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center, Bon Secours Virginia – Hampton Roads, Norfolk, VA Bon Secours Hospital, Bon Secours Baltimore Health Corp[oration, Baltimore, MD Bon Secours Maria Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Bon Secours St. Petersburg Health System, St. Petersburg, FL Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center, Bon Secours Virginia – Richmond, Mechanicsville, VA Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital, Bon Secours Virginia – Richmond, Richmond, VA Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center, Bon Secours Virginia – Richmond, Midlothian, VA Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, TX CHRISTUS Saint Frances Cabrini Hospital, Alexandria, LA Cleveland Clinic Family Health & Surgery Center, Independence, Independence, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health and Surgery Center, Beachwood, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center, Brunswick, Brunswick, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center, Westlake, Westlake, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center, Chagrin Falls, Chagrin Falls, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center, Solon, Solon, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center, Strongsville, Strongsville, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center, Willoughby Hills, Willoughby Hills, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center, Wooster, Wooster, OH Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weston, FL Community Hospital of San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN Doctors Hospital, Coral Gables, FL Evans Army Community Hospital, Fort Carson, CO Evergreen Healthcare, Kirkland, WA Fairview Ridges Hospital, Burnsville, MN Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati, OH Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Towson, MD Hillcrest Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Mayfield Heights, OH Homestead Hospital, Homestead, FL Hudson Hospital & Clinics, Hudson, WI Huron Valley Sinai Hospital, Commerce, MI Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA Iowa Health – Des Moines, Des Moines, IA Kaiser Foundation Hospital Antioch, Antioch, CA Kaiser Foundation Hospital Walnut Creek, Walnut Creek, CA Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center, Baldwin Park, CA Kaiser Permanente Georgia Region, Atlanta, GA Kaiser Permanente Health Plan of Ohio, Cleveland, OH Kaiser Permanente of the Mid Atlantic States, Rockville, MD Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center, Riverside, CA Kaiser Permanente Sacramento, Sacramento, CA Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center, San Jose, CA Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA Lakewood Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Lakewood, OH Lexington Medical Center, West Columbia, SC Lutheran Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Cleveland, OH Mariners Hospital, Tavernier, FL Maristhill Nursing and Rehab, Waltham, MA Mary Immaculate Hospital, Bon Secours Virginia – Hampton Roads, Newport News, VA Marymount Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Garfield Heights, OH Mayo Clinic Health System – Luther Campus, Eau Claire, WI Medina Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Medina, OH MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, Baltimore, MD MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, Baltimore, MD MedStar Harbor Hospital, Baltimore, MD MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, Gilbert, AZ Moncrief Army Community Hospital, Fort Jackson, SC New York – Presbyterian Hospital/The Allen Hospital, New York, NY New York – Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY Northridge Hospital Medical Center, Northridge, CA Northwest Hospital, Baltimore, MD Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital, Bon Secours Kentucky Health System, Ashland, KY Palomar Medical Center, Escondido, CA Pomerado Hospital, Escondido, CA Providence St. Mary Medical Center, Walla Walla, WA Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center, Oregon City, OR Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA Saint Francis Medical Center, Grand Island, NE Saint Vincent Hospital, Worcester, MA Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center & Orthopaedic Hospital, Santa Monica, CA San Francisco VA Mecial Center, San Francisco, CA Schneck Medical Center, Seymour, IN Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, Grass Valley, CA Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD South Miami Hospital, South Miami, FL Spectrum Health Reed City Hospital, Reed City, MI Spectrum Health United Hospital, Greenville, MI St. Andre Health Care, Biddeford ME St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor, WA St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham, IL St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood, WA St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way, WA St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Detroit, MI St. Joseph Hospital, Nashua, NH St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma, WA St. Mary Health Care, Worcester, MA Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, FL The Ottawa Hospital-Civic Campus, Ottawa, ON The Ottawa Hospital-Riverside Campus, Ottawa, ON UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA VA Medical Center Huntington, Huntington, WV W.S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI Westlake Hospital, Melrose Park, IL   Making Medicine Mercury-Free Award UCSFMC received this award in 2003 Cleveland Clinic Family Health & Surgery Center, Independence, Independence, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health and Surgery Center, Strongsville, Strongsville, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center, Brunswick, Brunswick, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center, Willoughby Hills, Willoughby Hills, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center, Chagrin Falls, Chagrin Falls, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center, Westlake, Westlake, OH Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center, Wooster, Wooster, OH Evans Army Community Hospital (EACH) Fort Carson, CO Hudson Hospital & Clinics, Hudson, WI James E Van Zandt VA Medical Center, Altoona, PA Lexington Medical Center, West Columbia, SC Marymount Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Garfield Heights, OH Provena Mercy Medical Center, Aurora, IL Providence Holy Family Hospital, Spokane, WA Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, Grass Valley, CA South Pointe Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Warrensville Heights, OH Spectrum Health United Hospital, Greenville, MI St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor, WA St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham, IL St. Elizabeth Hospital, Enumclaw, WA St. Joseph Healthcare, Bangor, ME Westlake Hospital, Melrose Park, IL Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT To read more about PracticeGreenHealth organization go here,  UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-05-08T01:05:44+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.201 Second Nature and the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have announced that 10 academic institutions have been chosen to receive their prestigious Third Annual Climate Leadership Awards. The University of California system is one of the winners!  The award recognizes the University of California system’s achievements in cutting the carbon footprint of its campuses. UC campuses, labs and medical facilities are among the greenest of any university in the country, driven by a groundbreaking Policy on Sustainable Practices that was implemented in 2004. Among the policy’s achievements: *  Goals by 2020 (which UC is on track to meet) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent, to make 20 percent of its food purchases sustainable and to send zero waste to landfills. *  93 U.S. Green Building Council LEED-certified facilities, the most of any university in the country. *  Investments in energy efficiency and conservation that have cut costs by $32 million annually. “UC is committed to being a sustainability leader and will continue to seek innovative solutions for reducing energy use and cutting greenhouse gas emissions on our campuses,” said Nathan Brostrom, UC’s executive vice president for business operations. “The Climate Leadership Award is a testament to the hard work of our students, staff and faculty, who are making UC the greenest university in the country.” The awards are presented to ACUPCC signatory schools that demonstrate unparalleled campus innovation and climate leadership that helps transition society to a clean, just and sustainable future. The winners were among 20 finalists chosen by Second Nature’s board. The ten recipients represent the diversity of institutions of higher education and are located throughout the United States. “These institutions are leading the way for the academic community by demonstrating how sustainable practices can be put into place on campus that have a long-term impact on creating a sustainable society for the benefit of all,” said Dr. Anthony D. Cortese, president of Second Nature. “They have all shown tremendous creativity and an unrelenting commitment to integrate sustainable practices into their campuses and society as a whole.” All winners will be recognized in an award ceremony with their peer institutions at the ACUPCC Climate Leadership Summit in Washington, DC on June 21 and 22.   The winners include:  Doctorate Granting University Arizona State University, AZ University of South Florida, FL Baccalaureate College Allegheny College, PA Luther College, IA Associate/Tribal College Austin Community College District, TX Haywood Community College, NC Master’s Colleges & University Florida Gulf Coast University, FL University of Central Missouri, MO Special Focus Institutions / Other Pratt Institute and PALS, NY University of California System, CA UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-05-04T18:55:25+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.195 On May 10th, there will be multiple opportunities to join the UCSF community in LivingGreen.  If you can, ride your bike to work!  And attend the Sustainability Awards ceremony and LivingGreen Fair for some good green fun. LivingGreen Fair The LivingGreen Fair, to be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Millberry Union Gym on May 10th, provides an opportunity to learn how to incorporate environmentally preferable practices at work and at home. Come join the UCSF community and more than 60 non-profit groups and environmentally responsible businesses to learn about safe cosmetics, green building material choices, non-toxic cleaning products, water and energy conservation, gardening and composting, electronics recycling, earth friendly gift items, organic food tastings, alternative fuel vehicles and more. The focus again this year is to share our Sustainability Action Plan’s six strategic objectives:  Carbon Neutrality, Water Conservation, Zero Waste, Toxics Reduction, Sustainable Food and Culture Shift.  When you arrive you will receive a quick information flyer encouraging you to visit our work group tables highlighting these objectives. There will a range of fun and interesting activities offered, including:  *  Bid for a bike at the Bike Auction! *  Make a the Pledge, and have an chance to win a steel water bottle; *  Recycle your old sneakers and get a fitness center pass *  Win a moonlight kayak paddle trip for two from UCSF Outdoor Programs *  Give your unwanted books a second chance (see below); *  The first 100 participants who bike to work will receive a free lunch voucher redeemable at Fair (see below); and *  A vegetarian lunch (veggie burrito, chips/salsa and drink) will be available for only $5.  Bring Your Own Cup (BYOC)! *  Taste sustainable foods *  Enjoy live music   Book Drive Bring your unwanted books to the Fair!  Better World Books (named a “responsibility pioneer” by TIME magazine) partners with over 1600 campuses to provide a socially and environmentally responsible outlet for unwanted books. The majority of the books collected are college textbooks that students are unable to sell back after finals, as well as books professors are weeding from their offices. Look for the “Culture Shift” table for the book collection boxes. Sustainability Awards Immediately prior to the Fair, at 10:30 am in the Game Room, UCSF will announce the 2012 Sustainability Awards.  Launched last year by the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS), the award recognizes staff, students, faculty and green teams for their contributions to sustainability at UCSF.  Recognition will also be given to departments who have obtained the LivingGreen office certificate. Bike to Work Day Sign up for Bike to Work. Details located at flyers at or around the bicycle cages. The first 100 participants who bike to work will also receive a free lunch voucher redeemable at the LivingGreen Fair.  The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is hosting three Energizer Stations near the Mission Bay area at 4th & Townsend,  7th & 16th Street, and 3rd & Cesar Chavez.  The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will be hosting an energizing station near the Owens Street garage. The Parnassus campus’ Energizing Station will be located at 2nd Avenue & Irving Streets from 7:30am-9:00am, hosted by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and Transportation Services. Other energizing stations will be located throughout the City.  Click here to find an energizing station near you.  Each station provides free donated snacks and beverages, as well as a convenient reusable tote bags for future commutes, filled with goodies! Bid on a Bike at the Bike Auction Interested in bidding on a bike?  Be prepared to take one home and bring a lock so you can take the bike immediately after the Auction.  UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-04-19T20:08:59+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.179 UCSF Facilities Management has been focusing its conservation efforts on energy and recycling, but is now turning its attention to water conservation. Water costs have risen 16 percent in the last year due to the City’s project to seismically improve the pipeline from the Sierras that brings San Francisco its water. UCSF has already implemented many water conserving programs. Parnassus Central Utility Plant (PCUP) For instance, UCSF labs require very clean water that is filtered at the Parnassus Central Utility Plant (PCUP). In 2008, PCUP engineers replumbed the plant to use the “reject” water that previously went down the drain.  The “reject” water is now sent to the plant cooling towers to cool the engines. This project saves UCSF 4.7 million gallons of water at a cost savings of $50,000 per year and won a Best Practice award at the Higher Education Sustainability Conference. The PCUP more recently focused on maximizing the amount of condensate (condensed steam) returned from campus while minimizing the amount that was put down the drain. PCUP engineers made repairs and operational adjustments a top priority and conducted daily trend analysis to identify losses before they become a long-term problem. These efforts have resulted in a drop in the water usage at the PCUP from 44,000 gallons of water per day to 12,000 gallons of water per day. Over the course of a year, this represents an estimated savings of 11.6 million gallons of water. (see Table 1 - PCUP Boiler Water Makeup) Table 1:  PCOP Boiler Water Makeup Average Gallons Used per Day (Before):  44,316 Average Gallons Used per Day (After):  12,499 Daily Average Gallons Water Saved:  31,817 Annual Estimated Gallons Water Saved:  11,613,095 Cost Savings Water 1-Year:  $199,178.69 Cost Savings Energy 1-Year:  $79,951.70 TOTAL COST SAVINGS:  $279,130.39 The PCUP has also installed a new turbine that does not need to use water to control air pollution emissions like the previous turbine. The prior system also used 6,000 gallons of water a day totaling 2,190,000 gallons per year − water that is now saved with the new turbine. Parnassus Campus Water Audit UCSF has just undertaken a water conservation audit at Parnassus campus to determine how our water is used and where we can improve. The study’s recommendations show that UCSF can save approximately 32,500 gallons of water per day by implementing several small and moderate scale projects with a potential savings of $275,000 per year. The small-scale and moderate-scale projects included reduction of pressure on laboratory distilled faucets, installation of low-flow faucet aerators in industrial, exam room, and laboratory faucets, retrofitting public restroom fixtures with high efficiency flush valves and other projects to curtail water consumption throughout the Parnassus campus. While the final report is in production, we’d like to recognize the extent of the collaborative effort that made the audit possible. This project, like so many that UCSF Facilities Management commissions, involved multiple units and is an example of UCSF staff’s commitment to support each other as we strive to fulfill our mission of “creating an exceptional physical campus environment in support of advancing health worldwide.” Everyone at UCSF can help the campus save water. Please report water leaks through our See it – Fix it program to the Customer Service Center at 476-2021. If you have other suggestions for how we might save water, please forward them to Winifred Kwofie (Winifred.Kwofie@ucsf.edu). Irrigation Controllers Facilities management is also implementing a water conservation program for UCSF irrigation systems that will eventually reduce UCSF’s irrigation water consumption by 37 percent. The system continually measures the amount of moisture the grounds are receiving from nature, and automatically adjusts the sprinkler system to calculate of how much additional water to supply.  It also alerts the staff about any anomalies in the flow that indicate leaks, breaks or electrical problems. It is controlled remotely, by desktop computer, in addition to a handheld remote device. Testing started in 2007, and installation began in 2009. Facilities management staff is slowly implementing it building by building. The system is currently installed at Mission Bay in the Quad, the Helen Diller Building and The Smith Building (Cardiovascular Research), at 654 Minnesota Street and the Kirkham Childcare and Dolby (IRM) buildings on the Parnassus Campus. Savings are already significant − staff is measuring and testing to see if they meet or exceed the projected 37 percent savings. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-03-23T05:13:57+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.178 The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded UCSF’s HSE5 Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration LEED-CI (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Commercial Interiors) Gold Certification.  LEED is the nation’s preeminent sustainable design rating system for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.  To achieve LEED Gold for a laboratory, which consumes significantly more energy per square foot than the average building due to the specialized equipment is a major accomplishment and recognition for UCSF’s commitment to outstanding sustainable design and construction methods. The project embodies the best of sustainable design, functionality, flexibility and research in a biomedical research laboratory. The Design Partnership, UCSF, Gayner Engineers and Whiting-Turner partnered to achieve this rating under LEED for Commercial Interiors 2.0. LEED for Commercial Interiors is the green benchmark for the tenant improvement market. It is the recognized system for certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work; are less costly to operate and maintain; and have a reduced environmental footprint. LEED for Commercial Interiors gives the power to make sustainable choices to projects who do not always have control over whole building operations. The design encompasses a holistic approach to sustainability, from planning and schematic design through construction. The new open laboratory provides daylight to 100 percent of all non-light-sensitive research spaces and promotes a healthy and uplifting workplace by maximizing access to daylight and views via unobstructed perimeter windows. Additional sustainable features include: • Use of more than 20 percent recycled materials and low-emitting materials in all paints, adhesives, carpets and wood products; • Diverting more than 80 percent of construction waste from the landfill; • Reduced energy consumption 15 percent below ANSI/ASHRAE/IENSA 90.1-2004; and • Optimized HVAC and thermal control and monitoring systems. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-03-23T01:33:36+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.177 There are some very obvious money saving advantages to UCSF team work: no tax on internal transfers, operational excellence, economies of scale, shared legacy systems, shared expenses, shared resources and a reduction in our environmental foot print. And especially when inside services are equal or superior to outside vendors, it’s just common sense to keep UC dollars from leaving UCSF. Six years ago, Capital Programs and Documents, Media & Mail consulted to consider the above and determined to give working together a try. As illustrated by the following print LiveGreen milestones, the results speak for themselves: 2006 Focus on Quality Control • Intensive front-end quality control has stopped wasteful printing. All incoming projects are reviewed to ensure that every supplied document matches the index. By itself this one very basic quality control check has stopped tens of thousands of pages from printing in error. • By ending these print errors, there’s been additional green savings in lowered reprinting, packaging and mailing costs. 2007 UCSF Plans & Specs Internal Website • http://ucsfplans.com is both intuitive and user friendly. This site has powered a substantial improvement in project specific communications between bidders, contracts, project managers and builders exchanges. 2008 On-line Ordering • Plans & Specs can now be ordered at http://ucsfplans.com. • Outside architects, engineers and contractors can receive secure access to place internal printing orders for their specific projects. This curbs wasteful printing and possible reimbursable abuse. 2009 Conversion to Recycled Paper • All 8-1/2”x11” bond paper for specification books is now 100 percent PCW (Post Consumer Waste). Roll paper stock for half & full size plans (blueprints) are 30 percent PCW.  • Eco Audit Saved: 5,455 trees, 2,327,280 gallons of water, 257,462 pounds of solid waste. 2010 Paperless Document Distribution along with Digital Archiving • Space Management now has secure on-line access to the current contracts bid sets (saving time and money previously spent on after project document scanning). • Bidders now have option to purchase the digital version of plans and specs, saving them re-scanning costs. Feedback indicates very high satisfaction for this service. Builders Exchanges have also been very satisfied with Capital Programs paperless implementation. • And most importantly, paper consumption has been reduced by greater than 50 percent. 2011 Materials and Service • Although the cost of paper products has substantially increased, thoughtful reduction in consumption, along with sensible staffing and shrewd equipment purchases has limited this impact. •    Print Management is now available to size the right multi-function printer (includes copier, scanner, and fax) for your department and eliminate expensive desk printers while providing recycled content paper,reusable toner cartridges, and repairs all for one price. This saves dsepartments money on toner cartridges and ensures recycled content paper supplies. So YES, working together has been a very good thing! Date:  March, 2012 UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-03-23T01:15:48+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.172 We are proud to release our sustainability video, LivingGreen at UCSF, highlighting UCSF’s commitment to sustainability and providing a range of simple ways students, staff and faculty can LiveGreen.  Enjoy! We recommend you pause the video until it is fully loaded before playing.  Once the video begins, you may open the full screen by clicking the lower right corner box [  ].     UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-03-11T22:31:51+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/2.129 ACUPCC reports emissions levels of nearly 700 colleges and universities More than 300 colleges pledge climate neutrality before 2050 Collective now represents third-largest purchaser of RECs Feb. 16, 2012 - The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), an agreement between nearly 700 colleges and universities to promote sustainability through teaching and action, today released new data on the positive environmental impact of colleges and universities across the country in reducing their carbon footprints. Among the findings: • The 599 colleges that submitted greenhouse gas inventories reported CO2 emissions of 28m metric tons, roughly as much as 2.58m homes or 5.2m passenger vehicles emit annually • 306 institutions set a target of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 or before; 93 pledged neutrality by 2030 • Collectively, the ACUPCC network has purchased more than 1.28 billion kilowatt-hours of renewable energy credits (RECs), making it the third-largest buyer in the country Avoiding catastrophic climate change will require transforming our economy, our institutions, our daily lives within a generation.  Only higher education has the influence, the critical mass and the diversity of skills needed to do this. John Olson, associate professor at Villanova University, an ACUPCC signatory, explained the value it derives from the network. “The fact that Villanova is a signatory of the ACUPCC has helped focus our efforts in many ways. It has prompted us to collect data that are crucial to monitoring our progress. It has also forced us to set milestones for achieving specific and concrete goals and serves as a touchstone for developing academic programs on campus. Finally, the pledge we made when signing the Commitment has allowed us to join the broader coalition of institutions that have similarly committed to climate neutrality and sustainability; such collaboration is energizing.” The ACUPCC has fundamentally shifted higher education’s attention on sustainability from a series of excellent but distinct programs to a strategic imperative of presidents, academic officers, business officers and trustees - becoming a key lens for measuring success. It represents a cultural shift to focus on all aspects of social, economic and ecological sustainability. “This wealth of data speaks to the enormous commitment and impact our member colleges have made,” said Dr. Anthony D. Cortese, president of Second Nature, the lead supporting organization of the ACUPCC.  “The ACUPCC truly is an example of courageous leadership by college and university leaders. This is the first major U.S. Sector to commit to climate neutrality and the first time since WWII that higher education in the US has collectively stepped forward to take on a major societal challenge without waiting for some external entity to request it or fund them.” ACUPCC data shows that signatory schools have secured on average $2,343,787 from outside sources to support efforts related to the Climate Action Plan. The data is publicly available on the ACUPCC’s online reporting system - www.acupcc.org/reportingsystem - a platform that enables schools to quantify the sustainability activity that is taking place on their campuses, and hold themselves accountable by sharing their progress in a transparent way. The full data set addresses current emissions levels, target dates for emissions reductions and climate neutrality, sustainability-related courses, degrees, and research initiatives, sources of funding, projects recently completed, and a wealth of other newsworthy information. The data is available in a variety of formats; contact Ulli Klein for more information.   —- About the ACUPCC The ACUPCC is a high-visibility effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments from college and universities to accelerate the education, research and community engagement to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate, and eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions from their own operations. Learn more at: www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org.     About Second Nature Second Nature works to create a healthy, just, and sustainable society by transforming higher education. Second Nature is the lead supporting organization of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, a growing network of over 675 signatory higher education institutions in all fifty states that have made a public commitment to transform the educational experience for all students so they are prepared to solve the climate crisis. Learn more at:  www.secondnature.org. Get Inspired!, 2012-02-28T23:34:42+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.125 This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability.  Thank you for your efforts!  This piece focuses on Kristen Fitzhenry, an analyst with the School of Medicine (SOM) Dean’s office. Kristen founded the Medical Education Team Green in 2009, a grassroots committee of staff who are committed to sustainability in medical education. The members come from across the wide continuum of medical education—medical student to resident to continuing medical education staff. The team has about 10 members across seven distinct units. She consistently engages the team and others in Office of Medical Education (OME) about sustainability issues and practices.  The team has done a number of projects including: • Posting regular “Green Tip” ideas to the medical education blog; • Encouraging low waste food options at meetings; • Posting signage at printers to print double sided, recycle and to use higher percent recycled fiber in printer paper; • Encouraging composting in Dean’s office kitchen; and • Exploring best options for teleconferencing (web, video and/or phone) so staff can communicate more efficiently without commuting. Kristen has provided initiative, leadership and energy to this extraordinary group of staff who are passionate and committed to making UCSF a greener place to work. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-02-16T04:39:54+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.124 Healthcare centers are the second largest contributors to garbage in the United States, creating an average of 6,600 tons of waste daily and more than 4 billion tons of waste annually. Seventy percent of this waste is generated by operating rooms (ORs) and labor-delivery rooms [1]. OR waste consists mainly of recyclable materials such as paper and plastics from medical disposables including blue wrap, paper and plastic packaging, drapes, convertors, used catheters and other single-use medical equipment. It has been estimated that up to 50 percent of medical waste is paper [2]; in fact, 85 percent of this waste is similar to regular waste [3]. Today, most waste is collected perioperatively as part of the medical waste stream and steam sterilized, before joining municipal waste in landfills. UCSF’s OR Greening Initiative started in 2006. Since then, we have identified and successfully implemented several recent programs to reduce OR waste to landfill. A key initiative has been launching recycling in the OR. This involves harvesting as much recyclable packaging and blue wrap as possible prior to incision.  Pre-incision recyclable waste (paper, cardboard and hard plastics such as packaging and irrigation bottles) is recovered for recycling instead of being sterilized and directed to landfills. Joyce Naracio, RN and Sandy Wienholz, RD lead the way in this effort. UCSF is also actively pursuing opportunities in the use of reprocessed single-use medical devices. Driven by the release of favorable experimental data and increasing FDA acceptance, there is growing acceptance of reprocessed single-use medical devices among clinicians to achieve waste reduction and cost benefits [4]. By working closely with a leading reprocessing service provider, UCSF currently reprocesses a variety of high margin single-use devices such as harmonic scalpels. Part of UCSF’s waste reduction efforts include creating paperless work process solutions. Through a collaboration between a clinician and a software engineer at UCSF, CaseView was developed and implemented as an electronic operating room scheduling system at both UCSF Parnassus and Mt Zion medical centers.  Prior to CaseView, more than 40 OR roster documents 50-plus pages thick had to be printed and distributed around the hospital daily. Besides significant reduction in paper consumption, CaseView has also enabled a hassle-free, real-time platform for clinicians to access and manage facility and clinician scheduling information for each surgical case.  The team behind this effort include Joyce Narcario, RN, Dr. Kulli, and Ho Lom Lee. UCSF also donates opened and unused medical supplies from the OR to MedShare.org, a non-profit organization that sterilizes and repackages these supplies specifically for use by third world hospitals and clinics.  In 2011, UCSF donated 6,000 pounds of medical supplies through the Remedy project with supplies collected and delivered to MedShare by medical students and lead by Sharad Jain, MD.  These early efforts built up momentum for the work that lies ahead. UCSF, together with the other UC campuses, has committed to a goal of zero waste by 2020. To achieve this goal, UCSF will work closely with all key stakeholders, including medical device manufacturers, to develop the next-generation of green surgical solutions and practices.  UCSF’s success in environmental stewardship is a team effort that will only be realized through individual effort. The author, John Eng, is a graduate student in the UC Berkeley/UCSF Joint Master’s Program in Translational Medicine. References: [1]  Kwakye, G., Brat, G. A., Makary, M. A., (2011). Green surgical practices for health care.Archives of Surgery, 146(2), 131-136. [2]  Profile of the Healthcare Industry, at p. 65, citing Health Care Without Harm’s “Setting Healthcare’sEnvironmental Agenda” Waste Management White Paper. [3]  Health Care Without Harm.Global Green and Healthy Hospitals. 2011. http://www.noharm.org/lib/downloads/building/GGHHA.pdf. [4]  Kwakye G, Pronovost PJ, Makary MA. Commentary: A call to go green in health care by reprocessing medical equipment. Acad Med. 2010;85:398–400. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-02-16T03:05:49+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.122 Recology, our solid waste hauler, is hosting an Art and Wine Tasting event onThursday, February 16th at 111 Minna at 2nd (near Mission and Howard Streets) from 6:00-9:00 pm. All interested UCSF faculty, staff and students are invited. Please RSVP at www.Recology.eventbrite.com UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-02-15T18:01:42+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.119 Note:  Reprinted from the Green Campus Program. One area of improvement we come across at almost all of our LivingGreen Office Certification assessments is printers and copiers. Offices often have one or more multi-function machines that are capable of performing all the printing, copying, scanning and faxing needs of the office and the office also has many other personal printers in cubicles and offices. More times than not, using one newer, larger multifunction machine will be much more energy efficient than using multiple personal printers. If you think your office has too many printers, you may benefit from UCSF’s Print Management Program. Documents, Media and Mail (DMM) Copier Management Program allows a copy professional to handle your office’s copy needs. DMM can select the right copier for your office, delivery and installation, basic service and supply (paper and ink) replenishment.  Charges are based on per copy use and codes are assigned to each user. UCSF Campus Life Services will provide a monthly statement listing your copy totals and recharges made to your account. This helps your office track usage and reduce consumption to save paper and toner. UCSF Campus Life Services leases or buys the equipment and deals directly with the sales people, so your office does not have to deal with maintenance issues and rising service costs. Using DMM Copier Management Program makes the best of UCSF’s resources and can also save paper and electricity by using one central machine instead of many personal printers. If you are interested in the DMM Copier Management Program, please contact Steve Westwood at (415) 502-0502 or Steven.Westwood@ucsf.edu. (Please know the dimensions of the space where the printer will be placed and the approximate number of copies per month). UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-01-24T02:56:55+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.108 This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability.  Thank you for your efforts!  This piece focuses on Gerti Partsch-Miller, a nurse at the Mt. Zion. Partsch-Miller walks the talk when it comes to extending patient care to care of the planet.  She has embraced the challenge to lead her department in its efforts to recycle and reuse.  In her role as a healthcare provider to peri-operative patients at the Mt. Zion Operating Room, she uses her professional voice to draw attention to the impact peri-operative services has on the health of the environment.  She believes everyone in the peri-operative setting has an opportunity to become aware of and participate in programs that reduce the operating room’s burden on the environment.  UCSF Medical Center participates in reuse programs such as MedShare.  Upon learning of the program, Partsch-Miller lead the campaign to get the Mt. Zion Operating Room involved in the program.  She researched the details of an appropriate collection site, a method to transport the collection box to the Parnassus Campus on a weekly basis, along with setting up a safe and suitable receiving site.  She recruited a core team of staff to facilitate the ongoing success of the department’s involvement in the reuse program.  She has educated the peri-op staff about the reuse program by using one-on-one conversations, presenting the program at staff meetings and including an article in the department newsletter.  In addition, she occasionally volunteers at MedShare sorting medical supplies and enthusiastically invites staff members to join her. She is currently investigating the infrastructure of implementing a ‘blue wrap’ recycling program in the Mt. Zion Operating Room.  UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-01-24T02:52:19+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.118 Organ, tissue, bone marrow or blood donations are the ultimate sustainability act. As part of UCSF’s mission of Advancing Health Worldwide, the UCSF community can support this effort in various ways. You can save a life by registering! Today, January 17, at the 100% You photo exhibit in Milberry Union’s Golden Gate room, a book signing and reception for the opening of the Multicultural Center, you will have an opportunity to help or at the Kip Fulbeck lecture at Cole Hall (noon).  Not only can you see the multicultural face of UCSF, you can register as a bone marrow donor in a recent campaign for a 4 year old boy, Kyle Crawford with aplastic anemia.  Multi-ethnic donors are the most difficult to find when multi-ethnic recipients are in need.  A table will be available so that you can register for this campaign. Tomorrow, January 18, at the LivingWell Expo, you can learn how to live a healthier lifestyle and support our donor program.  Not only will our LivingGreen table be there, but our Zero Waste and Bone Marrow program representatives will be available to accept your registration.  Learn how to improve your health, save the earth and save a life, all at same time. If you missed these events, you can still register.  See the flyer below or go to www.aadp.org/homekit to get a mail-in registration kit.  UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2012-01-17T17:49:31+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.117 Happy New Year!  As you reflect on your resolutions for 2012, consider making a LivingGreen 2012 resolution.  Here are a few easy ideas for LivingGreen in 2012.  At UCSF, with over 20,000 employees, collectively our individual actions can make a big difference. 1. Use energy only where you need it How many times have you walked out of a conference room or office at the end of the day and left the lights on? If you’re leaving for the day, take a moment to turn the lights off.  Not only will you make a difference in energy consumption, you will help UCSF reduce its carbon footprint.  Write the Green Campus Program at Greencampus@ucsf.edu if you want to pick up some “turn off the lights” stickers to post in your office. 2. Report water leaks Every small water leak is the equivalent to wasting almost 8,000 liters of water annually.  There are opportunities to notice leaks at every turn at UCSF, be it in the labs, training clinics, restrooms or drinking fountains.  You can do your part to LiveGreen by reporting water leaks to facilities management by calling 415-353-1120 at the Medical Center and 415-476-2021 on campus.  They will come at no charge to repair the leak! 3.  If you must drive, drive an electric vehicle Finding an electric vehicle (EV) charging station at UCSF just got easier!  While not everyone can swing purchasing an EV, if you do have one, UCSF Transportation Services now has Electric Vehicle charging stations at the Parnassus and Mission Bay campuses. 4. Eat meatless on Mondays While not everyone is ready to become a pure vegetarian,  eating less meat, and local, sustainable food, is one of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint. Pick one day a week where you will only eat vegetarian food. The Mission Bay and Parnasus farmers markets make it easy to purchase local, sustainable food.  And campus cafes, such as the Moffitt Café at the Medical Center, often feature vegetarian Meatless Monday menus.  Keep your eyes open for the organic salad bar coming soon to the Moffitt Café. 5. Use alternative transportation options for commuting Transportation Services has implemented an impressive array of programs to make it easier for staff and students to get out of their cars, including: • An online carpool organizer (Zimride) • Preferred parking for carpools • Vanpools • Commute Club • City CarShare • Intercampus shuttle services 6.  Participate in the LivingGreen Office Certification program The LivingGreen Office Certification program identifies and recognizes department teams that have taken extra steps to implement green practices and reduce their environmental footprint.  One of the first steps to becoming certified is for your office or workspace to undergo an initial environmental assessment by a UCSF Green Campus Program Intern. Write the Green Campus Program at Greencampus@ucsf.edu to get started. 7. Turn your monitor off One simple way to make a direct impact on energy use at UCSF is to remember to turn off your monitor when your computer is not in use.  Not only is this good for the planet, but this simple action can save $50/year. 8. Switch to 30 percent post-consumer waste, recycled-content paper Purchasing paper with recycled content is an easy way to help UCSF go greener. Choosing recycled paper has a multitude of environmental benefits, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and protection of biodiversity and native forests.  Work with procurement in your department to ensure they are purchasing a minimum of 30 percent post-consumer waste (PCW) copy paper.  If everyone at UCSF made the shift to 30 percent recycled paper, the campus would save more than 1,000 trees worth of paper each year, without an increase in cost—the switch will not cost more.  UCSF’s contract with OfficeMax has negotiated a price on 30 percent recycled paper that is no more than if you used virgin paper!  Even better, switch to 100 percent PCW, which costs slightly more, but if you find ways to go paperless and reduce paper use around the office, it can be easy to offset the slight cost increase. The next time your office or lab needs to order paper, consider ordering ASPEN 30. Go to the OfficeMax Solutions Web site or order through P2P, the paperless P2P system for purchasing supplies. For 30 percent recycled paper, use the part #P1054901 ($3.04 per ream). For 100 percent, use the part #P1054922 ($3.65 per ream).  9.  Kick the bottled water habit Do something good for the environment and your pocketbook—next time you head to campus, bring your refillable water bottle.  UCSF has installed several Global Tap water bottle filling stations on campus. One can be found at Mulberry Union East near Palio’s, one is located at Mission Bay on Gene Friend Way near 3rd Street and one is outside of the new Aldea Community Center. 10.  Sign up for the UCSF LivingGreen listserve It will only take a few seconds!  Sign up for the UCSF LivingGreen listserve on the Sustainability Web site homepage and receive periodic updates and cutting-edge content on how you can LiveGreen throughout 2012. Story written by:  Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-12-27T22:34:10+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.107 This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability.  Thank you for your efforts!  This piece focuses on Carly Clemence, clinical nurse. Clemence’s contribution to helping UCSF go greener has included consistently educating her coworkers about how to minimize waste. Despite initial resistance, she successfully brought recycling cans to the inpatient rooms at Mt. Zion.  Eden Rivera, supervising nurse, stressed, “With her tenacity, Carly was able to collaborate with hospitality to bring the cans into the patient rooms. She educated staff and patients on what to recycle. Now, the process is much more supported as part of every inpatient unit at Mt. Zion and Parnassus.” At staff celebrations, Clemence’s unit was accustomed to using disposables. With her persistence, the unit made a commitment to using non-disposable utensils.  “Carly has made a positive impact with our staff regarding recycling and conserving. There have been occasions when I have heard some staff say that Carly’s commitment has influenced them to do better with recycling paper, using less plastics, ride sharing and/or biking to work,” continued Rivera. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-12-27T21:23:51+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.110 At the end of September, the Dean’s Office at The School of Medicine became one of the first workspaces to participate in LivingGreen Office! One of the first steps to becoming LivingGreen Office certified is for your office or workspace to undergo an initial environmental assessment by a UCSFGreen Campus Intern. The assessment addresses five areas of environmental sustainability: waste, energy, water, toxics, and culture.  Stephanie Belger, Manager – Special Events for the Dean’s Office, School of Medicine is leading the effort for her office to become LivingGreen Office certified. After Ms. Belger contacted the Green Campus Program, two interns went to the Dean’s Office for the initial visit and preliminary assessment. The Green Campus Interns found some positive sustainability measures in the Dean’s Office, but also some areas where sustainability initiatives can be implemented. This is the case with just about every single office or workspace in any organization. Here are some highlights from the LivingGreen Office initial assessment: • Excellent job recycling office paper, plastic bottles, and even batteries. • Office uses paper that has 30% post-consumer waste content. • Office uses lots of natural light and energy efficient lighting in under-lit areas. • Has signage up encouraging employees to be more sustainable and submit ideas to BrightIdeas. The LivingGreen Office assessment also found some things the Dean’s Office can improve on. These issues are common among all offices in any organization. We encourage all offices to address these issues, which not only saves your office money, but also reduce its environmental impact. • Program or set printers, computers, and monitors into standby or power saving mode when idling or not in use. • Purchase environmentally friendly products such as office paper with 50% post-consumer waste content, non-toxic cleaning supplies, and EnergyStar appliances and office equipment. • Install faucet aerators in offices with kitchen and/or bathrooms. • Have a plan or process for employees to turn off lights at the end of the day. The Green Campus Program has sent Ms. Belger our list of recommendations and ranked them by priority. Green Campus Interns will also help the Dean’s Office, School of Medicine to implement these recommendations. By participating in LivingGreen Office, your office will qualify for free tools to improve the sustainability in your office. Some of these tools include energy-saving timers and occupancy sensors, faucet aerators, smart strips, “Turn Off the Light” stickers and “Turn Off Your Monitor” stickers. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-12-27T21:11:28+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.115 An Introduction to the Sustainability Action Plan The Sustainability Action Plan at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) is the result of a deliberate effort that began in the fall of 2009, and an outgrowth of the sustainability efforts that have been in place at UCSF for nearly ten years. This document is intended to encapsulate a single cohesive approach to the challenges of implementing sustainability in the educational, healthcare, research and regulatory environment of UCSF. There are many shared goals between sustainability and healthcare: the desire to provide for the future, an attention to the holistic body as well as the discrete injury, a general pledge to not make things worse. And just as there are shared goals, there are also many shared frustrations: imperfect knowledge of the forces in play, unforeseen consequences to decisions, and the loss of life. For the purposes of developing this Sustainability Action Plan for UCSF, the definition of sustainability has been adapted through the lens of advancing health worldwide. Each of the strategic objectives has been developed with the goals of preventing harm, preserving human health and safety, and ensuring that sustainability at UCSF takes responsibility for the related problems of public health and climate change. Finally, the development of not just a set of guidelines or recommendations but an actionable plan for treatment is based on the recognition that despite our inability to see the future, we must act - using the best information available. By taking this ambitious step forward in developing an action plan that unites the sustainability efforts of the educational, medical center, and research arms of the university, UCSF is once again providing clear leadership to the healthcare community. The Sustainability Action Plan has been designed for the UCSF audience, including students, staff, faculty, managers, practitioners, researchers, patients, etc. Despite this institution-specific audience, UCSF also recognizes that other institutions have faced similar challenges, and there is a hope that this action plan might offer guidance on the best practices for sustainability at any academic healthcare research university. Every attempt has been made to present information that is well documented, rooted in evidence-based decision making, and reflective of stakeholder concerns. Complete supporting documentation is available through the UCSF Office of Sustainability for this action plan as well as the baseline assessment. The intent of the plan is to be a document of engagement that clearly identifies the strategic objectives for UCSF, the measures that will be used to gauge progress, the considered reasoning behind each initiative, and the next steps that are needed to implement the initiative. As a document of engagement, there is also an assumption that the UCSF stakeholders will provide feedback, and participate in revising and updating the Sustainability Action Plan on a regular basis. The Sustainability Action Plan is only useful if it is relevant, and it is incumbent upon the stakeholders of the institution to take ownership of this action plan and the identified initiatives, and to revise it according to the demands of the institution and its users. Read more. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-11-24T00:15:10+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.113 Finding an EV Charging Station just got easier! UCSF Transportation Services would like to take this opportunity to introduce Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at our Parnassus and Mission Bay campus. These units will be available for public use beginning on Monday, November 28, 2011. EV Charging Stations are located at: • Mission Bay – Owens Street Community Center Parking Garage, 1625 Owens, 1st Floor • Mission Bay – 3rd Street Parking Garage, 1650 3rd Street, 2nd Floor • Parnassus – Millberry Union Parking Garage, 500 Parnassus, Level P7 A new service is now available for EV’s arriving before valet service hours.  Instructions are posted at the permit parking elevators on level P7. Click here to find out how to use the charging stations. UCSF permit holders who park in the Parnassus ACC permit garage may utilize the EV charging stations by notifying the valet attendant, who will make arrangements to move the vehicle to be charged. Charging is subject to availability and free for Chargepoint America ChargePass members. Public parking patrons access the charging units based on availability and is free for Chargepoint America ChargePass members. ChargePoint ChargePass cards can be purchased from Transportation Services office locations at Mission Bay & Parnassus for $11.25 Charging will be limited to 4 hours maximum per day. Public parking hourly fees still apply. The charging stations were funded by the US Department of Energy Chargepoint America grant obtained thru Coulomb Technologies to provide EV Charging Stations accessible to the general public. ChargePoint Network Charging Stations range in capability from 120 Volt to 240 Volt AC charging and up to 500 Volt DC charging. For more information, please contact:  Robert Wong  at 415-476-1513 UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-11-22T18:08:10+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.112 UCSF Campus Strategic Sourcing, UCSF Medical Center Strategic Sourcing, and UCSF Campus Life Services are pleased to announce a new partnership with OfficeMax.  Beginning November 21, 2011, UCSF Campus Life Services will begin providing desktop delivery of OfficeMax product to the Campus and Medical Center. The program will begin with deliveries to 505 and 513 Parnassus on November 21, and expand to all of Parnassus, Mission Bay, Mission Center, Laurel Heights, San Francisco General Hospital, Mt. Zion, and 2300 Harrison by early 2012. The program will reduce the amount of traffic, associated pollution, and our carbon emissions at our busiest campus locations.  This effort will also lower costs for UCSF, while providing the same next day desktop delivery service that OfficeMax customers have come to enjoy. Office Max and UCSF have been working closely to ensure a smooth transition and are committed to providing an excellent standard of customer service. OfficeMax Customer Support will continue to provide all customer service functions via telephone or instant message, including requests to return product and order inquiries. For additional information about the program, please email or contact Angela Chan at 415-353-4701.  We are pleased to partner with Office Max, and look forward to the expected sustainable, financial, and service benefits created by our new agreement. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-11-17T16:56:40+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.111 There are many simple steps you can take that make a direct impact on energy use at UCSF. One of the simplest steps is turning off your monitor when your computer is not in use; the problem is that you have to remember to do it. How does turning off your monitor make such a difference? Let’s do a simple calculation to show how. Monitors, from flat screens to CRTs (Cathode Ray Tubes), consume anywhere from 17w to 75w (watts) of electricity. If you make the assumption that a monitor can at least be turned off outside of the eight-hour workday (128 hrs/week) and combine that with UCSF’s electricity rates that start at $0.11 kwh, then conservatively, you could save between $0.24 and $1.06 a week or potentially around $50 a year. This translates to a CO2 savings of 261 lbs a year or the equivalent of 13 gallons of gas.* Even more impressive, this calculation doesn’t consider that monitors turned off during breaks, meetings, vacation, or other times you might be away from your desk for even greater energy savings or that UCSF’s rates are sometimes as almost 50% higher. So the numbers are incredible convincing, but still somehow it’s still difficult to remember to take the simple action and turn of your monitor when appropriate. There are a few things you can do to help. The key is to use triggers or to automate the process. You can write a reminder on a Post-it, pick-up one of the LivingGreen monitor reminder stickers (at Green Campus tabling events, through the Office Certication program, and upon request), or have IT help you set your computer power settings. The effort really can be that simple and it can make a big difference toward helping UCSF make one of its main sustainability goals. *  This calculation was done using PG&E’s green house gas calculator (GHG) and assumes all of UCSF’s electricity comes from the utility. In reality, the University’s electricity comes from a variety of sources that is more difficult to calculate and is used for illustrative purposes only. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-11-04T20:38:48+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.105 This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability.  Thank you for your efforts!  This piece focuses on Dr. Susan M. Ryan, a clinical professor of anesthesiology. Dr. Ryan is bringing questions and solutions for sustainability to anesthesia and the operating room.  She is the co-chair of the new Environmental Task Force for the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).  The Task Force is pulling together anesthesiologists from all over the country to share experiences and information, encourage research and promote education. According to Alex Lee, anesthesia resident, “Dr. Ryan is a true champion in raising environmental awareness among practitioners in medical field that contributes a surprising amount to the total impact of medical care on the environment.” Every day, anesthesiologists produce a large amount of medical waste, in the form of endotracheal tubes, syringes, medicine vials, lines, plastic tubing and many other products. In addition, few anesthesiologists are aware that some commonly used inhalational anesthetic gases are actually potent greenhouse gas agents. Lee explained, “Dr. Ryan has changed awareness and practice in the department of anesthesia, particularly among the residents who make the everyday decisions that most affect the environmental impact of anesthesiology and OR medicine. Dr. Ryan has truly been an effective spokesperson for the environment in a field where these consciousness-raising efforts can have a big effect on the total environmental impact of medical practice.” Dr. Ryan helped post signs showing wasted anesthesia equipment (endotracheal tubes) with suggestions for decreasing waste.  She also taught small groups of anesthesia residents about other various OR sustainability issues, including reprocessed equipment, recycling options, greenhouse gases and energy efficiency.  Her efforts have helped to reduce the amount of redundant supplies, cut down on waste and reduce the emission of greenhouse-effective inhalational anesthetic gases.   In 2010, Dr. Ryan co-authored an article on environmentally friendlier anesthesia in Anesthesia & Analgesia, a scholarly journal.  According to Dr. Ryan, the choices that anesthesiologists make at a midsize hospital can have the carbon footprint of a small fleet of automobiles.  Last year the Seattle Times highlighted Dr. Ryan’s work.  “Changes people could make in their practice right away could improve the health of the community and the planet,” stressed Dr. Ryan. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-10-18T04:15:34+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.104 UCSF has made a commitment to construct all new buildings to the equivalent of LEED-NC (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design new construction) Silver Certification.  LEED is the nation’s preeminent sustainable design rating system for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.  One of the latest examples of UCSF’s commitment to green building is the Aldea Center, nestled upon Mount Sutro.  The Center brings together the best of green building and community building principles and offers the UCSF community an exciting new gathering space. Bringing the Outside Inside By rebuilding on the existing footprint of a previous building, the new center did not impact the unique, serene setting found on Mount Sutro.  It brings the outside inside by incorporating large windows that offer natural light and scenic views. Green aspects of the Center—reuse of the original redwood timber, materials made of recycled content, energy and water efficiency, natural drainage, green housekeeping, diversion of over 75% of the construction waste, use of renewable materials such as bamboo, solar panels on the roof, native landscaping and radiant floor heat—will all help the building gain LEED-NC Silver, or possibly even Gold, Certification. The main meeting room is elevated off the ground, creating the feel of a tree house that offers the ambiance of the outdoors with the comforts of the indoors.  Downstairs, the outside meeting space offers a fully-covered open area with seats, a fireplace and heat lamps. The Center offers UCSF Aldea housing tenants, UCSF community groups and neighborhood organizations the perfect opportunity to gather, dialogue and celebrate.  It is set up to host a variety of events such as retreats and team-building events, seminars, speakers, trainings, private parties and celebrations and community events. It Takes a Village The new center is a result of a community planning process that brought together key stakeholders, including the Mount Sutro Stewards, to be sure the Center would meet the needs of the surrounding community and not harm the ecology of the area.  Issues important to the community included development density, connectivity and protection of the existing trees.  The Center, which is one mile from Parnassus, is served by the UCSF shuttle.  Or, if you bike up the hill, they have put in a Global Tap Station, making it easy and convenient to fill up your water bottle! Perfect Location for Your Next Green Event The first step in holding a successful green event is finding the right facility, that offers recycling and composting.  At the Center, in addition to a catering kitchen, big screen television and wireless web connections you will find recycling and compost bins to make it easier to host a zero/low waste event.  For more tips on organizing a green event, click here. Learn More Interested in a tour? E-mail housing@ucsf.edu to book your appointment. Writing and photos by Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-10-17T21:09:45+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.106 This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability.  Thank you for your efforts!  This piece focuses on Bruce Adams, associate specialist at the UCSF Diabetes Center.  Adams was an active member of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS) from FY 2009-2010 to FY 2010-2011.  As the only bench researcher on the committee, he offered an unique perspective.  He has taken a leadership role on implementing the Diabetes Center’s commitment to sustainability, identifying a number of areas where it could make immediate and meaningful changes.  “Adams was very proactive and hands on in getting new recycling bins for every location that needed them.  He worked on getting appropriate signage, he held brown bag lunches for the staff and in general made sure that we made it easy for our employees to recycle,” shared Susanne Hildebrand-Zanki, UCSF Associate Vice Chancellor for Research. She added, “He is committed to sustainability and willing to take action.”  Bruce’s initiative has resulted in many positive changes at the Diabetes Center. When asked what actions he would like to see fellow UCSF staff to take, he responded, “I really appreciate when I see people take any action, small or large, towards making a difference regarding sustainability. Unfortunately, bench science generates a lot of waste, but people can do a lot to reduce the negative impact of their research - reuse things more, make the effort to recycle as much of your materials as possible, turn off equipment and lights not in use. Do the things you would do in your own home to save money and to think about your children’s future.” He also would like to see PIs take sustainability efforts more seriously - the next generation tends to mimic their mentors. “I think that the moment that we think our bench work is more important than the environment we all work or live in, we have taken a step backward,” stressed Adams. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-10-16T21:10:43+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.103 October 24 is National Food Day!  Food Day is about eating more food that comes from farms and less food that comes from factories.  It is an opportunity to celebrate real food and the growing movement to reform the American food system.  Consider one of the following actions to support National Food Day 2011: 1.  Eat Meatless on Monday on October 24th:  On Monday, October 24, The Mission Bay Pub and farmers market will feature two seasonal vegetable recipes created by our UCSF Living Well Nutritionist, Kristin Doyle in honor of National Food Day. Stop by The Pub to enjoy a healthy treat!  Moffitt Café in the Medical Center will feature UCSF’s vegetarian Meatless Monday menus at the Entrée and Chef’s Stations. The Chef’s station will feature vegetarian south Indian dosas made by guest chefs from the Spice Hut restaurant. In the dining rooms, there will be a vivid display of fruits and vegetables from Bay Cities Produce. Ariane Michas will represent CAFF, (the Community Alliance for Family Farmers) and will answer any questions you may have about local farms and local produce. There will also be a tasting by Peets of locally roasted premium coffees and a representative from a Community Supported Agriculture business. 2. Get Involved:  Ask your representatives to support Food Day’s goals: 1.      Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods. 2.      Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness. 3.      Expand access to food and alleviate hunger. 4.      Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms. 5.      Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids. 6.      Support fair conditions for food and farm workers. 3.  Talk Food At the Family Dinner:  Dedicate the family dinner the week of the 24th to a conversation about where your food comes from, who is behind its cultivation and what can be done to make the food system more just and sustainable.  Try shopping for your food Wednesday, October 26th at the Mission Bay farmers market, which will be offering two seasonal vegetable recipes created by the UCSF Living Well Nutritionist, Kristin Doyle in honor of National Food Day (while supplies last).  See how much of your meal can be locally sourced.  The two recipes are for cabbage-almond slaw and roasted squash and barley salad. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-10-13T21:56:10+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.102 This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability.  Thank you for your efforts!  This piece focuses on Aria Yow,  Fellowship Assistant at UCSF’s Center for Tobacco Control Research & Education.  She has contributed significantly to raising awareness of sustainability issues and creating policies and procedures that enhance sustainability at the UCSF Library at 530 Parnassus Avenue. Yow volunteered to work with the UCSF Library’s Sustainability Committee in the winter of 2009 as a representative of the Center for Tobacco Control Research & Education, one of the non-library departments housed in the library building. She has taken a leadership role on committee projects, volunteering to gather data, working with other UCSF departments to implement projects and reporting on successes to organizations outside of UCSF.  Some of Yow’s achievements include: Coordinating the filing of an application for the Medical Libraries Association Green Project Award Working with Facilities Management to obtain composting bins for library staff Educating library patrons and staff about conservation steps they can take Assisting in the implementation of the library’s recycling program and purchase of green and/or recycled supplies Encouraging other staff working in the library to think about sustainability issues Yow’s efforts helped the library to reduce its electricity consumption by 32 percent and its water usage by 25 percent from FY 2008-09 to FY 2009-10. In addition to her work with the Library’s Sustainability Committee, Yow integrates environmental issues into her position as fellowship coordinator in the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.  Using blogs and list serves, she has worked to raise consciousness among tobacco control researchers about the negative environmental impacts of the tobacco industry. When asked why she thinks sustainability is important for UCSF, Yow replied, “I love the fact that many sustainability initiatives also improve operational efficiency. On one of my favorite sustainability projects, I learned how some measures have resulted in substantial and quantifiable costs savings for UCSF.  Examples of these measures are those that improve energy and water efficiency; reduce durable goods consumption; reduce waste (and the associated disposal costs); and enhance other performance metrics. The success of these measures is due in large part to the wonderful team at Campus Life Services Facilities Management and the high-level, top-down support within UCSF for sustainability programs.” Yow concludes, “I would love it if each of my fellow staff/students could compost one item every day, something he or she would normally add to the waste stream. I am optimistic that we each can and do make a difference.”   UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-09-09T18:24:26+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.100 This series is part of our effort to recognize the hard work of UCSF staff and students in our journey to sustainability.  Thank you for your efforts!  This first piece focuses on Andrew Bird, facilities projects team manager at UCSF Medical Center Facilities.  Prior to his current position, he worked with Real Estate Services. “Andrew Bird was a very significant and key member of the staff at Real Estate Services. His enduring dedication to sustainability inspired and encouraged all within the department and outside of it to strive harder to be better individuals and responsible members of society and the fragile planet we live on,” stressed Victoria Fong, UCSF Director of Project Development.  “He served as a great promoter and champion for sustainability, both on an individual level as well as organizationally,” concluded Fong. Bird is a great advocate and supporter of the sustainability program on campus. He served as the Real Estate Services representative on sustainability issues, recently participated in Earthfest and spearheaded an effort to incorporate sustainability into all leased sites throughout the City.  He also helped to manage the building of the new LEED Silver Osher Building.  Bird explained, “As an architect I’m interested in how the built environment affects people.  One of the primary focuses of the green building movement is in how design can positively impact the lives of building occupants.  From increasing natural lighting, providing higher levels of fresh air, and using materials with low VOC content, new sustainable building practices are creating healthier places to work.” When asked why he thinks sustainability is important for UCSF, Bird stressed the adage “as California goes, so goes the nation.” “Considering that UC is a major player in California policy decisions, it’s reasonable to believe that our actions here at UCSF can ultimately set precedent for the nation as a whole,” replied Bird. And he walks the talk, by walking to work or taking the shuttle.  Bird acknowledges healthcare and research both have an extraordinary amount of regulated protocols and procedures, and that a high level of expertise with these processes will be required to implement innovative sustainable practices.  He would like to see his colleagues at UCSF analyze their individual job tasks and brainstorm on ideas for reducing workflow waste, while still maintaining a safe and healthy workplace. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-09-09T17:48:40+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.99 The Moffitt Café is kicking off Meatless Mondays for lunch starting on September 19th. Through the end of the year, the Café will be highlighting meatless options.  Don’t panic, your favorites at the grill, pizza and deli will still be available.  But there are benefits to both your heath (and the planet’s health) by going meatless one day a week.  Come check out our meatless options at the Chef’s Station and the Entrée Station.  The following Monday, September 26th, Moffitt Café will have a guest chef event featuring south Indian foods cooked to order at the Chef’s Station by Joseph Manoharan and Christin Malar from Spice Hut Indian Restaurant. They’ll be selling dosas (thin rice crepes filled with curried potatoes) accompanied by sambar (lentil vegetable soup) and two chutneys ($6), as well as samosas ($1.50). Follow the Moffitt Café Facebook page for updates. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-09-09T17:12:52+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.97 Many of the strategies to reduce energy use at UCSF happen behind the scenes, invisible to staff and visitors. However, at the 3rd Street Garage at Mission Bay, UCSF has installed solar panels on the roof and south side of the garage. The thin black panels might seem decorative in nature, but are actually a 250-kilowatt (KW) solar energy project. “In 2009, the solar panels generated 61 percent of the electricity needed to power the garage,” said Kevin Cox, associate director of UCSF’s Transportation Services. According to Cox, in peak summer months (June – September), the panels generate enough energy to meet the needs of the garage, which is mostly lighting and elevators. The system saves the campus approximately $33,000 in energy costs each year and reduces UCSF’s carbon footprint by 100 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year. The University of California (UC) Board of Regents has mandated that the UC campuses together produce 10 megawatts of renewable energy from solar, biomass, landfill gas and hydroelectric power by 2014. To help reach this goal, if the funds can be raised, the new Mission Bay Medical Center includes plans to install a 500 KW photovoltaic system on the roof and parking structure, with an estimated annual yield of 1,279,092 kWh per year.  Once installed, the Mission Bay system would reduce CO2 output by 390 tons per year. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-08-22T20:42:11+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.94 When it comes to sustainability, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is the mantra.  But when it comes to the surgical or invasive procedures environment, there can be resistance to the idea of remanufacturing and reusing medical equipment.  Yet here at UCSF, the Electrophysiology (EP) lab, which performs cardiac catheterization, cardiac ablations, pacemaker implantation and ultrasound (Intra-cardiac echocardiography) catheterization, has successfully implemented a catheter reprocessing program, where a third-party remanufactures the catheters to their original manufacture specs and resells the product at a discount price.  Initially, the program was unsuccessful due to various concerns around quality, reliability, safety and acceptance.  After the appointment of Dr. Byron Lee as UCSF Electrophysiology Lab Director last year, and improvements in the quality of reprocessed products, the EP lab overcame objections and launched a successful program, saving money and reducing waste. The quality, reliability and safety of reprocessing by Ascent have significantly improved over the years, but the significant difference with the most recent re-introduction of reprocessing was the influence of Dr. Lee in his support of the use of reprocessed catheters. During his fellowship at Stanford Medical Center, Dr. Lee had used reprocessed catheters as standard practice and experienced first hand the cost and environmental savings that could be realized while still proving high-quality care; a win-win situation worth advocating for. “It takes that extra step to explain to other physicians the value of this change.  If you take the time to explain to them that this catheter is reprocessed, retested and meets the same quality, we can still provide the same high level of care and look what we have to gain… then they get it,” explained Dr. Lee. “We’re all part of a team here and when the medical center recognized what we are doing, this recognition justified requests for new equipment and created more willingness to fund these projects,”  continued Lee.  It was important to let the doctors know that the reprocessing is not going unnoticed or unseen. EP reprocesses 1,000 catheters per year, as well as recycles the ablation catheter tips for metal recovery, for a cost savings of over $248,000 per year for reprocessing and approximately $20,000 per year for recycling. The cost savings from recycling has gone back into a heart and vascular fund and is used for staff education expenses. Nursing and technical staff are able to request these funds for educational seminars, helping garner support by showing staff a direct benefit from reprocessing efforts. The savings also allowed the hiring of an RN to provide patient support services, which directly impacts patient care and satisfaction and has been hugely successful.  Lee concluded, “If we have the potential to save this much money, why not do it?”  Says Jeff Kalin, operations director of UCSF’s Heart and Vascular Center,  “Having Dr. Lee, who’s a leader and innovator, on board really helped immensely to implement this change.  You need to have an individual like him to make this type of an effort successful.  Getting the staff to buy into and support it is important too.  You have to provide them with the information needed to create understanding and commitment to help collect and segregate the waste so the supplies can be reused and recycled.” UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-07-05T23:39:19+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.92 The U.S. Green Building Council awarded UCSF’s new Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building LEED-NC (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design new construction) Gold Certification last week.  LEED is the nation’s preeminent sustainable design rating system for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.  To achieve LEED Gold on such a structurally complex building located on a challenging, sloped site is a significant accomplishment.  UCSF’s commitment to sustainability extends to minimizing the environmental impact of its laboratories, which consume significantly more energy per square foot than the average building due to the specialized equipment, such as laboratory fume hoods, minus eighty degrees freezers and other research equipment.  According to Energy Design Resources, it’s no easy undertaking to design a high-performance laboratory building that uses very little energy while meeting comfort, health, safety and programmatic requirements. Laboratory buildings typically have very energy intensive heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that operate 24 hours per day and use 100 percent interior exhaust and intake of outside air. Elegant Design Meets Green Design Nestled against the steep slopes of Mount Sutro on the UCSF Parnassus campus, the elegant Ray and Dagmar Regenerative Medicine Building is the new headquarters of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research.  It is comprised of 68,500 square feet, over two football fields long, and designed with communal break rooms to promote collaboration among researchers.  Completed and occupied in November 2010, the building supports 25 UCSF scientists and their teams to understand the basic biology of stem cells and to translate those discoveries into medical therapies for presently incurable diseases and debilitating injuries. On a challenging site, the New York designer Rafael Viñoly created a breathtaking building that exudes collaboration and interaction. The innovative split-level design addresses environmental and site concerns and allows for easy flow between the labs.  “The double stacking of the office over the labs, with adjacent break rooms and conference rooms, enhances cross-fertilization of ideas,” explained Michael Toporkoff, associate director, Capital Programs, UCSF Capital Programs & Facilities Management. The design was made a reality by a collaborative team and integrated process, which was envisioned and supported by UCSF and led by SmithGroup (Architect of Record) and DPR (contractor).  The team identified sustainable strategies that pushed the building from LEED Silver to the Gold range.  Utilizing the latest green design and construction tools, including building information modeling or BIM and Lean Construction, the design and construction phase took a total of two years, a remarkably short period for such a complex project. Sustainable principles are reflected in the building’s design which integrated the use of low-emitting materials, including carpets, paints and adhesives and high-recycled content and recycled materials.  Over 75 percent of the demolition materials were reused and diverted from the landfill.  Other unique green features include:  integration of water efficient devices and energy efficiency strategies, built-in recycling containers in strategic locations, more than 90 percent of areas have access to natural light, and a terraced, green roof that functions as open space for scientists and staff as well as providing additional roofing insulation. By using less energy and water, the LEED certified lab will save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. The result is an award-winning building (American Institute of Architects/New York 2011 Design Award, American Institute of Architects/San Francisco 2010 Honor Award for Integrated Project Delivery and Design and Build Institute of America Western Pacific Region’s 2010 Projects In Progress Award) that sets a high bar for all new green laboratory projects. To Learn More Video on Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building UC Green Buildings US Green Building Council Design of New UCSF Building is a Good Fit Why Virtual Construction is the New Normal Story:  Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact Photos:  Roberto Yabot and Michael Toporkoff   UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-06-22T14:37:03+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/2.91 The City and County of San Francisco, UCOP and UCSF all have a common goal:  To divert 75% of all our solid waste from landfill by June 30, 2012.  UCSF has made great strides in past years, chiefly with the efforts of recycling coordinators, Susan Bluestone and Kathryn Hyde.  When Hyde and Bluestone began institutionalizing recycling as standard policy and procedure a decade ago, UCSF was diverting only 9 percent of its waste from going to landfill. Twelve years later, they have achieved a 59 percent diversion rate.   “People want to make the right environmental choices.  So our job is to make participating in recycling, composting and waste reduction as simple as possible. We appreciate all the changes that students, staff and faculty have been able to incorporate into their daily routine,” explained Hyde. “That’s what brings progress—each person knowing that what seems like a small act is part of the very big picture of bringing UCSF one step further toward zero waste,” continued Hyde. In 2004, Hyde and Bluestone inaugurated a behind-the-scenes composting program for kitchen food scraps from food preparation at the campus cafes. In 2008, Campus Life Services launched Going Greener, a do-it-yourself customer compost program.  Customer-compost station locations include the Millberry Union Food Court, Palio Café and the Courtyard Cafe at Parnassus, the Pub and Café 24 at Mission Bay and the View at Laurel Heights. Moffitt Hospital introduced a recycling and compost program with great success in the cafeteria and for patient food. The program composts or recycles 84 percent of cafeteria discards and 87 percent of patient food discards. Recently Hyde and Bluestone launched restroom paper towel composting and office kitchen composting, in five buildings (School of Nursing, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Building, Laurel Heights, Kirkham Child Care and Minnesota Street). Over time, this program will be set up throughout UCSF. The recycling coordinators provide hands-on orientations for office suites and labs. This helps the occupants understand what can and cannot be placed in each bin.  Challenges Ahead Despite all of the progress, it will not be easy for UCSF to meet the UC goal of diverting 75 percent of its waste by 2012. The recycling coordinators explained, “In order to reach 75 percent, the UCSF campus will need to increase the percentage of standard materials that are recycled, composted or re-used. The first step is the expansion of the post-consumer food waste collection programs in office kitchens and paper towel compost collection in the restrooms.” Expanding these programs will require ongoing outreach and education for UCSF’s student population, staff and faculty. Important Reminders Here are a few important reminders to help make the system work best: 1. Just think: It’s compost if it was made from a plant, tree or animal. 2. Paper coffee cups go into the compost, not the recycling. 3. Restroom paper towel compost bins are for paper towels only (no food waste). 4. For milk cartons and juice boxes, if the carton was purchased as a perishable, the carton is compostable; if it was purchased as an unrefrigerated carton, it is garbage. 5. “When in doubt, put it in the trash,” said Hyde and Bluestone, because a key to a successful program is to avoid contaminating a load of compost or recyclables by mixing in garbage, which compromises the usefulness of these resources. The following can be composted:  • Paper cups and plates • Paper towels and napkins • Coffee grounds and filters • Food and tea bags • Paper milk cartons • Pizza and doughnut boxes • Waxed cardboard Closing the Loop Choosing to place your compostable items into the compost bin has impact—compostable organics make up more than 20 percent of UCSF’s overall waste stream. If compost is simply hauled away as garbage to a landfill, it is fated for anaerobic decomposition (meaning no oxygen present), which produces significant quantities of methane, 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. In contrast, composting the same material in a well-managed compost facility is fundamentally an aerobic process, which does not produce methane. According to the Composting Council, if everyone in the United States composted all of their food waste, the impact would be equivalent to removing 7.8 million cars from the road.  In addition to the greenhouse gas benefits, composting at UCSF contributes to a closed-loop system. Once collected from the campus, UCSF’s compost is transformed over a 60-day period at a compost facility in Vacaville, where it is turned into nutrient-rich compost for California vineyards and farms. Learn More: UCSF Campus Recycling Program Jepson Prairie Organics The Joy of Dirt Discard Electronics (Goodwill Stores) Composting Council Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact Get Inspired!, 2011-06-09T22:39:04+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.90 Under the leadership of Jack Henderson, associate director of Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) at the medical center, the NFS staff have developed model programs that integrate sustainability practices into procurement and operational systems, such as sourcing local, sustainable food, and actively recycling and composting waste. The medical center’s NFS is responsible for serving more than 1,500 patient meals per day, as well as managing the Moffitt Café, its satellite retail outlets in the hospital and catering at two of the five campuses.  In 2009, with the input of staff, a simple system was implemented to efficiently sort the waste from meals into one of three bins:  green for compost, blue for recycling and black for landfill. Henderson’s leadership has resulted in a significant, quantifiable impact.  Some of the NFS accomplishments include: UCSF is the only medical center in the UC system that is composting and recycling patient food waste. By composting all patient waste food, paper plates, cups, and bowls and recycling all rigid plastics, packaging and waste paper, reduced landfill food waste by 87 percent (from 30 bags to 4 bags per day). Before it was all going into the landfill.  NFS purchasing policies and practices have been designed to purchase increasing percentages of products that are organic or steroid free and from local vendors to ensure a smaller carbon footprint. UCSF staff have been engaged in sustainable activities, such as composting and recycling.  NFS also conducted educational presentations and interactive activities within the Moffitt Cafe on sustainability, as well as participation in LivingGreen and other campus sustainability programs.   Henderson’s department has also played a leadership role in developing the sustainable food services section of the system-wide UC Policy on Sustainable Practices and has influenced sustainable food services nationally by participating in a study of the potential reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that could result from a reduction in meat consumption in hospital food services. For these reasons, NFS was awarded the 2011 Annual Sustainability Award in the team category. Story by Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact Photo by Susan Merrell UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-06-01T17:25:53+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.89 Over two years ago, Steve Dalton, an accounts payable staff person in Ob., Gyn. & R.S., approached his supervisor with a variety of ideas on how to reduce the unit’s use of paper, toner and other products.  Under Dalton’s direction, the unit slowly began to implement changes.  By Summer 2010, the unit reduced copying charges from over $1000 a month to $200 and toner purchases from $750 a year to less than $3 a year.  Then in January 2010, the MyExpen$e reimbursement program was piloted, providing the ability to send electronic receipts and financial reports in PDF format via email.  The unit realized that using PDF technology and setting up server archiving systems they could go almost entirely paperless. Last year Dalton initiated and led the staff to implement new paperless systems, including a a fully operational paperless Accounts Receivable system.  The implementation was a collective effort of the entire business team, which included Loreen Hanak, Lynn Velloza, Jane Wong, Tammy Shelly, Mary de la Roca, John Rosin and Siobhan Hayes. After only a month, the unit was close to 95 percent paper free. In addition, the electronic documentation and archiving has resulted in better record keeping and flow of documents.  This system is a model for other business units and one that strongly compliments the new electronic accounting systems, such as P2P and MyExpen$e.  For these reasons, Dalton was awarded the 2011 Annual Sustainability Award in the staff category at the recent LivingGreen Fair.  Photo by Susan Merrell Story by Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-06-01T17:03:35+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.88 Dr. Tom Newman was awarded the Sustainability Award in the faculty category at the recent LivingGreen Fair.  He has been a tireless sustainability champion at UCSF in the areas of global warming and sustainability. Dr. Newman has put his knowledge about climate change into action, going out on a limb to look at changes in behavior that would make UCSF “greener”. He lobbied for the creation of the UCSF Academic Senate Sustainability Task Force, served as its co-chair and helped draft the Academic Senate Report on Sustainability.  While chairing the Academic Senate Task Force on Sustainability, he presented with great clarity on the issue of sustainability to numerous groups at UCSF.  In addition, Dr. Newman has been an active member of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability since its creation. He critically reviewed the Sustainability Action Plan, participated in stakeholder workshops and was on the search committee for the Sustainability Manager, and has twice presented at the California Sustainability in Higher Education Conference. His other many accomplishments include: Founding and chairing the UCSF Department of Epidemiology Green Committee. This committee raised awareness about sustainability and led to changes in policies within the department. Giving the keynote address at the 44th Annual UCSF Advances in Pediatrics: “What Every Pediatrician Needs to Know about Global Climate Change”. Presenting at the 2011 UCSF Sustainability film and lecture series: “Global Climate Change and Health”. Member of the National Board of Directors of Physicians for Social Responsibility and an active member of the S.F. Bay Area chapter Steering Committee and speaker’s bureau. He has also spoken at numerous hospitals about nuclear weapons, the ultimate threat to sustainability.  Chairing the “Every Trip to Hayward a Wanted Trip to Hayward” campaign of the Social Action Committee of the Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo, which lobbied successfully for better signs on the approach to the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. Dr. Newman has been providing outstanding service to the University as Professor of Epidemiology and Pediatrics and Head of the Division of Clinical Epidemiology, with a very large set of teaching, research and clinical activities. Beyond this, he stands out for a truly remarkable level of commitment to civic participation and to the initiation of community change. Photo by Susan Merrell Story by Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact   UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-06-01T02:06:25+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.87 Whether as a professional or as an individual, Maric Munn, Director of Facilities Management, is exemplary in her commitment to environmental sustainability.  For these reasons, at the LivingGreen Fair last month, Munn received one of the four Annual Sustainability Awards. Munn was recognized for her exceptional leadership in engaging her colleagues in on-going dialogues on enhancing environmental sustainability and for her success in advancing environmental sustainability through the programs and services she oversees.  Well before she came to UCSF, Munn was already deeply engaged in efforts to create dialogues on environmental sustainability.  She was a key manager at UCOP who collaborated with campuses to develop system-wide policies to affect change. In 2004, it was set of policies and goals first for clean energy and in 2006 for climate change. Both were approved by the Regents and set UC on a course for achieving ambitious environmental sustainability goals. Munn came to UCSF in the spring of 2007 as Director of Facilities Management.  Immediately, she took upon herself to work with multiple campus groups, particularly the Sustainability Steering Committee (SSC) that had been formed the year before to engage campus departments in sustainability efforts. With the departure of her supervisor in 2008, the SSC efforts faltered and stalled.  Without any prompting, Munn stepped up to chair the Steering Committee to continue the work. To widen participation, she partnered with Dan Henroid of the medical center to co-chair the committee.  Around the same time, the CACS was appointed to serve as a coordinating body on sustainability efforts and recommend changes to increase sustainability at UCSF.  Munn then strategically aligned the goals of the SSC with CACS, and worked to provide direction and framework to the work groups. As the Director of Facilities Management, Munn led her staff to develop and implement initiatives that would help UCSF achieve its sustainability goals.  Below are just a few examples of her successes: • Implemented energy efficiency projects that brought in over a million dollars in PG&E rebates and annual savings of $2-3 million in energy costs. • Received recognition for the first Bay Area LEED-EB certified laboratory building, Rock Hal, last year. • Steady progress of 42% to 56% diversion to achieve UC Regents recycling goals through investment in equipment as well as education and outreach.  • Partnered with Green Campus Program to enlist UCSF graduate students to participate in energy efficiency and water conservation projects and developed expertise within her staff in energy efficient operations with resulting cost avoidance of more than $800,000. Munn‘s commitment to sustainability is also evident in her personal lifestyle such as traveling via shuttles, car sharing and even investing in solar panels for her residence. Photo by Susan Merrell Story by Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact   UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-05-31T23:36:18+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.86 May was a busy month for UCSF on the sustainability front.  We had 779 attendees attend eight events in May.  A key event was the LivingGreen Fair, where the first Annual Sustainability Awards were announced. Twenty-six individuals were nominated by the UCSF Community to be recognized for their dedication to sustainability and the impact of their work.  Faculty, staff, students and teams that are employed, enrolled or affiliated with UCSF were all eligible. The nominations were reviewed by a selection committee of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS), which included a representative from the UCOP and the medical center. “This award effort was identified in the Sustainability Action Plan development to recognize outstanding sustainability efforts across the campus and medical center and to encourage others to support similar efforts,” explained John Plotts, UCSF Senior Vice Chancellor Campus and Co-Chair of the CACS. Plotts continued, “I am happy to say we have four winners of the sustainability award: one faculty; two staff; and one team.  All are shining examples of how one person or group can make a huge difference.  They were chosen based upon their personal commitment that went above and beyond the duties of their positions and their significant impact to make UCSF more sustainable.” This years winners were: Jack Henderson, Nutrition and Food Services Department, team category Tom Newman, M.D., Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, faculty category Maric Munn, Director of Facilities Management, staff category Steve Dalton, Ob., Gyn. & R.S., staff category Over the next few weeks we will highlight their great accomplishments. Photo by Susan Merrell Story by Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-05-31T23:05:11+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.85 Adele Dow, facility manager at the Helen Diller Family Cancer Research Building and Mount Zion Cancer Research Building, is a true UCSF green ambassador. Recently nominated for the new UCSF Sustainability Award, which recognizes staff, students, faculty and teams for their contributions to sustainability at UCSF, she has been behind the scene for years promoting sustainable practices.  Below we highlight some of the successes. Host a Going Green Event Back in 2006, she got started by hosting a “Going Green at UCSF”, a mini eco-fair where faculty, staff and students gathered for lunch in the courtyard of the UCSF Mount Zion Cancer Research Building to learn more about what UCSF and Bay Area organizations were doing to help the environment. A team of volunteers from the building assisted in planning and organizing this event.  One employee made a poster to raise awareness about wasted paper from unclaimed printer and copier jobs and to encourage employees to use both sides of the paper.  The event also included a sustainable zero waste lunch;  everything not eaten was either composted or recycled.  Eliminating Bottled Water Back in 2007, Dow decided to tackle eliminating bottled water from break rooms. At the Mount Zion Cancer Research Building.  The ultimate solution involved working with facilities management to install one central filter in the basement that filters water feeding drinking fountains on each floor. The Chief Engineer in the building was extremely supportive of this initiative.  He identified the type of filters that would work best in this application.  He also procured and installed tall gooseneck spouts on the water fountains making it easier to fill up re-usable water bottles. Departments can now explore installation of individual filters on selected sinks to dispense filtered drinking water for a fraction of the cost of bottled water.  UCSF has a favorable pricing contract with Arrowhead for water filters. New Employee Orientation One of the unique methods Dow employs to ensure that new employees know about the recycling and composting programs in the buildings is to require attendance at a brief building orientation prior to activating building access on the employee ID badge. Dow initially established this meeting as a way to ensure compliance with requirements to inform employees of the emergency exit plan and increase awareness of building security protocols.  Recognizing that new employees often have questions about composting and recycling, Dow includes these topics as an essential component of the briefings. Waste Reduction With support from UCSF’s Refuse & Recycling Program, Dow has successfully implemented both recycling and composting systems in two buildings.  Any department can set up a recycling system and request support by e-mailing recycling@fm.ucsf.edu.  Only selected buildings have composting at this time.  Communications “The sustainability efforts have just grown leaps and bounds,” explained Dow.  And while she is the one who has brought up the issues, she stressed the importance of giving people a forum to express their concerns.  She has used SurveyMonkey and e-mail announcements to keep staff posted on new developments and allow them the opportunity to provide feedback and input. Dow has been successful at articulating the link between health and sustainability.  From her perspective, as a health services campus with a mission to advance health world wide, UCSF must look at sustainability.  “Sustainability and health are tightly linked, like two fingers on the same hand.” “Everywhere UCSF has a footprint, we need to be sure it is a green footprint,” concluded Dow. Story:  Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-05-31T22:09:23+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.79 Spring is the perfect time of year to walk the green talk and put your green values into action at work.  Below we outline four simple actions to consider. Action Idea #1:  Create a Formal UCSF Green Team A green team is a group of self-organized employees who voluntarily come together to identify and promote specific solutions to help their department operate in a more environmentally sustainable fashion;  for example, promoting recycling in the office or reducing the use of plastic water bottles.  Collectively, if all staff and employees take a small action, it can make a real impact. UCSF is tackling sustainability on many levels, and the Sustainability Action Plan details both short-term and long-term goals in six strategic areas:  Culture Shift to Sustainability, Sustainable Food, Toxics Reduction, Zero Waste, Carbon Neutral and Water Reduction. A green team can educate, inspire and empower other employees to take action in any of these areas. Here are a few tips for getting started: Create a formal UCSF Green Team for your Department with representatives from multiple areas of the department, such as procurement and facilities. Meet at least quarterly and ask members to sign up for the UCSF Sustainability list-serv (sign up on the sustainability website homepage). The Office of Sustainability along with the Green Campus student interns are available to help you get started.  You can contact the Green Campus team at: Greenucsf@gmail.com.  The interns will soon have a Green Team toolkit and related resources available to support you. Another idea for getting started is to ask members to make a personal pledge. Engage your Department management and request they send a short email to sustainability@ucsf.edu stating their support. The ideas suggested above will help qualify your team to eventually participate in the Green Campus Green Team Certification Program, which identifies and recognizes department teams that have taken extra steps to implement green practices and reduce their environmental footprint.  This certification program is currently being piloted at three UCSF locations. The UCSF Green Campus Program is recruiting two part-time paid positions to round out the current team. If you are interested in getting more involved, check out the job description here.  Qualified applicants must be currently enrolled at UCSF, although post-doctoral candidates will also be considered. Action Idea #2:  Switch to 30% Recycled-Content Paper Work with procurement to ensure that your department uses 30 percent post-consumer content copy paper for at least 90 percent of purchases.  If possible, purchase 100 percent PCW.  If everyone at UCSF made the shift to 30 percent recycled paper, the campus would save more than 1,000 trees worth of paper each year, without an increase in cost, according to the Environmental Defense Fund’s paper calculator and UCSF Procurement. The next time your office or lab needs to order paper, consider ordering ASPEN 30. Go to the OfficeMax Solutions website or order through P2P, the paperless P2P system for purchasing supplies. For 30 percent recycled paper, use the part #P1054901 ($3.04 per ream). For 100 percent, use the part #P1054922 ($3.65 per ream).  Purchasing paper with recycled content is an easy way to help UCSF go greener. Choosing recycled paper has a multitude of environmental benefits, including a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and protection of biodiversity and native forests. Action Idea #3:  Eliminate Bottled Water Departments can now explore installation of individual filters on selected sinks to dispense filtered drinking water for a fraction of the cost of bottled water.  UCSF has a favorable pricing contract with Arrowhead for water filters. If you are not ready to make a full commitment to eliminating bottled water, consider banning their use for the day or week to raise awareness about alternatives.  Or, have a water taste test to discourage bottled water use or alternatively, hold a viewing of the new video The Story of Bottled Water (from the makers of the Story of Stuff!). One of eBay’s Green Teams was determined to phase bottled water out of the office. It invited employees’ children to participate in a poster contest with the theme “what does water mean to you?”  Winning posters were displayed around the office, along with facts and statistics to educate employees on the environmental impact of bottled water production and consumption. The team credits the poster campaign with increasing awareness and support for the project. Click here for more tips on kicking the bottled water habit. Action Idea #4:  Reduce Waste A prerequisite for the Green Campus Certification Program is to have well-labeled recycling bins in all offices, copy rooms, and common areas (like break and meeting rooms).  If you need more containers or signage, or want support setting up a system, send an e-mail to recycling@fm.ucsf.edu. Composting is gradually being offered in office kitchens in selected buildings. The following can be recycled: Aluminum Foil + Cans Cardboard CD’s and Diskettes Milk Jugs Paper (staples + paper clips okay) Pipette Tip Boxes (clean) Plastic + Glass bottles + jars Reagent bottles (dry) Small rigid plastics (#s 2, 4 and 5 Plastic Tubs + Lids (1 through 7) A reminder that paper coffee cups go into the compost if available, not the recycling. The other prerequisite for the Green Campus Certification Program is to set-up a system for recycling all toner and printer cartridges.  Every building has a designated drop off spot for cartridges.  One way to encourage recycling is to place a labeled bin in a designated spot in the department for dropping off cartridges and have one person responsible for emptying the bin each week.  You can also consider having a small bin for disposing of batteries, since they are dropped off at the same location as the cartridges. Designated locations include the following (see UCSF Recycling Program web site for updates): 654 Minnesota Street:  Room 208, copy room CVRI:  1st floor vending machine room Helen Diller Building:  2nd & 3rd floors photo-copy areas Genentech Hall:  3rd floor vending machine room Laurel Heights:  1st floor vending machine room Medical Center, Mt Zion:  B649 and B739 Mission Center Building:  4th floor break room Mt Zion Cancer Research Building: N423 Parnassus Campus:  University Store Regeneration Medicine:  Outside near Main Entry Rock Hall / 19B:  1st floor vending machine room Use your existing departmental communication channels to get the word out about the location of recycling bins.  Consider holding a new employee orientation to provide a brief overview of the department’s recycling system. Learn More UC Office of the President:  Sustainable Purchasing at UC ASPEN products California Integrated Waste Management Board Conservatree EDF paper calculator Environmental Paper Network US Purewater What is Post-Consumer Waste (PCW)? According to the Environmental Paper Network, post-consumer waste (PCW) is the amount of consumer end products used in recycled paper. For example, office wastepaper, junk mail and magazines are considered post-consumer waste. PCW is distinguished from pre-consumer waste, which is the reintroduction of manufacturing scrap (such as trimmings from paper production) back into the manufacturing process. By purchasing paper with PCW content, you are supporting diversion of waste from landfills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions (including methane and carbon dioxide) and supporting the infrastructure for recycling programs. Story:  Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-04-24T21:45:41+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.80 UCSF’s sustainability program is always looking for examples of faculty and staff working to make the connections between sustainability and health care.  Below we highlight the recent work and accomplishments of Daphne Miller, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Miller has coined the term “Park Prescription”:  a movement to create a healthier population by strengthening the connection between the healthcare system and spending time in natural, open space.  It involves prescribing to patients that they spend time in nature, with the goal to increase physical activity to prevent and treat health problems from inactivity and poor diet. While the convergence of natural lands and health is still a fringe topic, it is a growing area of peer-reviewed research and Dr. Miller is actively involved in promoting the concept nationally, garnering the attention of both the recreation and medical establishments in Washington. Her work was recently highlighted in an article in the New York Times and she spoke last year to the Bay Area Open Space Council, as well as actively participating in the Institute at the Golden Gate’s Park Prescription Initiative.  She was also a featured speaker at the ARC’s Partner Outdoors 2010 conference. Take Five Minutes and Call Me in the Morning Did you know that only five minutes of exercise in nature can boost your mood and improve self-esteem? Miller has actually started to give park prescriptions in her office, providing patients a specific prescription, something she writes on a pad, to motivate patients.  She uses two web-based resources, the California State Parks Find Recreation website and the Bay Area Open Space Council’s Transit to Trails website, providing patients a concrete “prescription” with directions, maps and distances to open space areas. Miller explains, “Nature has the possibility to be a health care intervention, a prescription, almost like a pill. In many of the studies, there is a dose response relationship.  The more you get, the better the outcome.” She points to recent research published in the Environmental Science and Technology journal. The research looked at people with moderate depression and found a minimum of five minutes outside in greenery decreased depression scores 40-50 percent, more effective than a typical antidepressant, which decreases scores around 20-30 percent. Miller is working to integrate the connection between nature and health into her teaching at the Osher Center and medical school. To Learn More New York Times Parks Prescriptions: Profiles and Resources for Good Health from the Great Outdoors Washington Post YouTube   UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-04-18T21:39:14+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.73 The UCSF School of Medicine’s program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, housed within the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, is dedicated to creating a healthier environment for human reproduction and development by advancing scientific inquiry, clinical care and health policies that prevent exposures to harmful chemicals in our environment. But is a rather tall order. Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, director of the UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE), is lead author on a new study, which found that virtually all U.S. pregnant women carry multiple chemicals, including some banned since the 1970s and others used in common products, such as, food packaging and beverage and food cans and sunscreen.  Woodruff recently told Time Magazine, “We looked at data on 163 chemicals and found that many of them are present in virtually all pregnant women.” “It was surprising and concerning to find so many chemicals in pregnant women without fully knowing the implications for pregnancy,” Woodruff said in the UCSF news release . Woodruff counted the number of chemicals that pregnant women are exposed to and discovered that 43 of the 163 chemicals tracked were found in more than 99 percent of pregnant women. “Our main challenge is to put this issue on the radar of professional groups focused on pregnant women. It has taken the past three years to engage with groups like ACOG (spell out) to see the connections between environmental and fetal development,” explained Linda C. Giudice, MD, PhD, founder of PRHE and chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at UCSF.  “Our findings indicate several courses of action. First, additional research is needed to identify dominant sources of exposure to chemicals and how they influence our health, especially in reproduction,” said Woodruff. “Second, while individuals can take actions in their everyday lives to protect themselves from toxins, significant, long-lasting change only will result from a systemic approach that includes proactive government policies.” Tips and Resources Woodruff offers these tips on how everyone can avoid environmental toxins from contaminating their bodies and adversely affecting their health: Eat healthy.  Eat a healthy diet low in fats because according to Woodruff some chemicals like to hang out in fat. Choose personal-care products carefully.  Choose personal-care products wisely, opting for those with fewer, less toxic ingredients. Skin Deep is a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products. This database pairs ingredients in nearly 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases and provides safety ratings for nearly a quarter of all products on the market. Reach for a mop. Lead, pesticides and flame retardants are present in dust. Sweeping or dusting may spread toxins into the air instead of removing them from your home. Don’t spray bugs. Avoid pesticides, which are toxic chemicals made to kill unwanted insects or weeds. Instead, keep your home clear of food crumbs and spills. Use baits and traps instead of sprays, dusts or bombs. Avoid using chemical tick-and-flea collars or dips for your pets. Avoid dry-cleaning clothes. Most cleaners use a chemical called perchloroethylene (PERC), which can pollute the air in your home. Use water instead. Most clothes labeled as “dry clean only” can be washed with water. Hand wash them or ask your dry cleaner to wet clean them for you. Check air quality forecasts. Exercise as far away as possible from sources of air pollution (such as traffic or factories) and do not exercise on bad air quality days. Toxic Matters is an online and print resource created by an alliance of partners led by PRHE. It is designed to help consumers make smarter decisions about substances that can harm general and reproductive health. The brochure and web page include tips on reducing exposure to metals and synthetic chemicals in everyday life — at home, at work, and in the community — and provide links to other sources of detailed information. “We’ve identified key areas where exposures are constant and avoidable,” said Woodruff. “Although certain groups are most vulnerable, toxic substances in the environment affect every person, every day and are the responsibility of all of us.” Learn More Environmental Health Expert Offers Advice on How to Reduce Exposure to Toxins Environmental Chemicals in Pregnant Women in the US Reproductive Environmental Health for Clinicians Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: An Endocrine Society Scientific Statement New study demands far more than a pregnant pause: Expectant women carry dozens of toxic chemicals in their bodies Pregnant Women are Carrying a lot More Than Just a New Baby Pregnant Women Awash in Chemicals. Is that Bad for Baby?  Story by Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact Photo by Susan Merrell     UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-03-11T19:24:47+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.72 UCSF’s commitment to sustainability extends to minimizing the environmental impact of its laboratories, which consume significantly more energy per square foot than the average building due to the specialized equipment, such as laboratory fume hoods, minus eighty degrees freezers and other research equipment. Despite the challenges of greening laboratories, though, UC has committed to build all new laboratories to be LEED-NC (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design new construction) Silver or better and all renovation projects over $5 million to be LEED-CI (commercial interior) certified.  LEED is the nation’s preeminent sustainable design rating system for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. According to Energy Design Resources, it’s no easy undertaking to design a high-performance laboratory building that uses very little energy while meeting comfort, health, safety and programmatic requirements. Laboratory buildings typically have very energy intensive heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that operate 24 hours per day and use 100 percent interior exhaust and intake of outside air. In fact, they report that it is not uncommon for HVAC systems serving lab spaces to use from five to ten times more energy than HVAC systems serving office spaces. Three New UCSF Green Laboratories UCSF, never one to shy away from a challenge, has recently opened not one, but three new green laboratories: The renovation of the UCSF School of Dentistry Mesenchymal and Craniofacial Research Laboratory, on the 15th Floor of the Health Sciences East Research Tower (HSE-15) at the Parnassus campus recently received LEED-CI Gold certification. This project involved renovating an entire floor of the existing high-rise research tower. It is the first lab renovation on the UCSF campus to receive LEED Gold, proving that green laboratory retrofits are achievable without sacrificing schedule or budget. The elegant and green Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building is the new headquarters of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF.  Nestled against the steep slopes of Mount Sutro on the Parnassus campus, the new building is aiming for LEED-NC Gold. The building is comprised of 68,500 square feet, over two football fields long, and designed with communal break rooms to promote collaboration among researchers.  It was completed and occupied in November. UCSF’s Cardiovascular Research Building (CVRB), designed by SmithGroup with Jim Jennings Architecture and constructed by Rudolph and Sletten, will allow 48 principal investigators to conduct bench-top research and translate findings directly into medical care in the same facility. The CVRB will improve the University’s already distinguished program of cardiac research. CVRB is also aiming for LEED-NC Gold.  It will be highlighted in a future piece. These laboratory projects provided UCSF an opportunity to integrate cutting-edge energy and water efficient design and to implement sustainable operating practices, including: Integration of water efficient devices and energy efficiency strategies; Improved recycling programs during and post construction; Use of low-emitting materials, including carpets, paints and adhesives; Use of high-recycled content and recycled materials; Over 75 percent of the demolition materials were reused and diverted from the landfill; and Over 90 percent of spaces have daylight and views. By using less energy and water, LEED certified labs save money, reduce greenhouse gas emission, and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. A Walk Through the New School of Dentistry Mesenchymal and Craniofacial Research Laboratory The $4.985 million renovation of the UCSF School of Dentistry Mesenchymal and Craniofacial Research Laboratory actually was completed two months ahead of schedule becoming the third UCSF laboratory to receive LEED-CI Gold certification.  “The idea of getting LEED certification for a laboratory is a big deal. Doing it in an existing building is a really big deal,” explained Bonnie Blake-Drucker, FAIA, principal architect with BlakeDrucker Architects and lead on the recent renovation. The entryway of the new floor at HSE-15 is light and airy, compared to some of the older labs.  A hallmark of a green building is using access to natural light — not only does this reduce the need for lighting, therefore saving energy, it also enhances productivity and creates a healthier work environment.  The labs have an expansive feel conducive to research work. “People are more productive and happier when they can see outside,” explained Blake-Drucker. The floor plan consists of two large open labs with 28 benches separated by a core of common spaces for equipment, cold room, tissue labs, microscopy rooms and a shared histology core, as well as five principal investigator offices, with conference and break room areas. The design integrates perimeter lighting controlled by photo cells — the lights only come on when they sense that it is dark out. Occupancy sensors automatically turn the bench lights on as you get close to a bench; the lights magically turn off shortly after you walk away. The lab integrated recycled materials, used 40 percent local materials (from within 500 miles), low VOC paints, has designated recycling bin areas and used no materials with urea -formaldehyde. Behind the scenes, in the design and construction stages, a unique computer-based design model, known as building information modeling or BIM, helped the UCSF/AE/contractor team save time and money by combining the virtual construction model with principles of Lean Construction.  “The Lean Constructions mantra is ‘go slow to go fast,’” explained Blake-Drucker.  This “lean” approach takes the time upfront to get all the right information, to be efficient and effective and to reduce the typical construction waste.  It allowed the plumbers, electricians and flooring team to collaborate together upfront, using a 3D computer model so clashes could be identified early and resolved.  A similar process is being used for the design and construction of UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay. “This was one of the most pleasant construction jobs I have been involved with, everyone knew what they were to do” shared Blake-Drucker. Ray and Dagmar Regenerative Medicine Building:  Elegant Design Meets Green Design Suspended on the steep hillside of UCSF’s Parnassus campus, the new green Ray and Dagmar Regenerative Medicine Building supports 25 UCSF scientists and their teams to understand the basic biology of stem cells and to translate those discoveries into medical therapies for presently incurable diseases and debilitating injuries. Utilizing the latest green design and construction tools, including BIM and Lean Construction, the design and construction phase took a total of two years, a remarkably short period for such a complex project. On a challenging site, the New York designer Rafael Viñoly created a breathtaking building that exudes collaboration and interaction. The innovative split-level design addresses environmental and site concerns and allows for easy flow between the labs. The design was made a reality by a collaborative team and integrated process, which was envisioned and supported by UCSF and led by SmithGroup (Architect of Record) and DPR (contractor).  The team identified sustainable strategies that pushed the building from LEED Silver to the Gold range. Aesthetic and sustainable principles are reflected in the building’s design.  Unique green features include:  built-in recycling containers in strategic locations, more than 90 percent of areas have access to natural light, and a terraced, green roof that functions as open space for scientists and staff as well as providing additional roofing insulation. This reduces the heat island effect and reduces water pollution. “The double stacking of the office over the labs, with adjacent break rooms and conference rooms, enhances cross-fertilization of ideas,” explained Michael Toporkoff, associate director, Capital Programs, UCSF Capital Programs & Facilities Management. The result is an award-winning building (American Institute of Architects/New York 2011 Design Award, American Institute of Architects/San Francisco 2010 Honor Award for Integrated Project Delivery and Design and Build Institute of America Western Pacific Region’s 2010 Projects In Progress Award) that sets a high bar for all new green laboratory projects. The building is aiming for LEED-NC Gold and awaiting final certification. During a tour of the building we asked a researcher how he liked working in a green building.  He replied, “I certainly recycle more.  There are bins all over the place.” To Learn More Video on Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building UC Green Buildings US Green Building Council Design of New UCSF Building is a Good Fit Why Virtual Construction is the New Normal Story:  Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact Photos:  Roberto Yabot and Michael Toporkoff   UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-03-08T19:03:48+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.71 The UC Communications team has won three District VII awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), a national professional association that recognizes best practices in outreach, marketing and communications and development at educational institutions.  One of the three awards was a gold medal for its 2010 effort, a video showcasing the achievements that earned UC an environmental leadership award from Global Green USA. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-02-23T00:04:35+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.70 You might not realize that behind the scenes, UCSF is working hard to cut its energy use with such tactics as lighting retrofits and boiler replacements. But in addition to facility retrofits, to reach its carbon reduction goals, UCSF must engage everyone on campus to do their part. To educate and engage faculty, staff and students, UCSF has launched “Conservation is Contagious” – an energy conservation campaign. Did you realize you are the cornerstone of this campaign? Take the Personal Pledge In addition to traditional print and face-to-face communication efforts, the campaign includes a personal pledge form where you can make a personal pledge to change behavior and take action to reduce energy use in five areas: energy conservation, labs, waste minimization, water and transportation. The pilot program, held in three UCSF buildings (Rutter Center, Mission Center and Health Sciences), was a great success, exceeding its goal of reducing energy use by 5 percent.  Over the first eight months of FY 2009-10, it resulted in overall energy savings of 6.13 percent.  More than 250 people made a total of 3,564 action-oriented conservation pledges, ranging from turning off lights at the end of each day to shutting down computers to reducing waste and water use. The campaign incorporated a holistic and comprehensive approach that went beyond energy conservation.  Simple actions can make a big impact! Winifred Kwofie, associate director, Strategic Facilities Management, explained, “Since July 2009, UCSF’s Facilities Management Department has been tracking energy use in 12 buildings. To date, we have reduced overall energy use by more than 6 percent and saved $800,000 from energy retrofits, facility engineer improvements and behavior changes by occupants.” Take Action Click here to make a pledge and be part of the solution. The campaign leverages social networking tools to keep the UCSF community informed and engaged. To stay in touch, follow UCSFgreen  on Twitter or join the UCSFgreen Facebook community. Learn More Final Report for UCSF 2009/2010 Conservation is Contagious Pilot Campaign Story:  Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-02-17T18:13:41+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.69 From kidney transplants to diabetes research and fetal surgery, UCSF has a reputation for rising to challenges.  A new challenge on UCSF’s plate is reducing its carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is a measure of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by a business, organization or individual and is a tool for assessing one’s contribution to global climate change. As illustrated by the diagram below, the vast majority of UCSF’s carbon footprint comes from energy consumption and the burning fossil fuels for utilities (72 percent). The other major contributors are commuter travel (14 percent) and airline travel (8 percent). Greenhouse gas emissions are often measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCOe), accounting for the global warming potential of different greenhouse gases. In 2008, UCSF emitted 162,713 metric tonnes of MTCOe, spending nearly $35 million on energy to support its health care, research and education mission. The operational energy cost of UCSF’s 750 fume hoods alone is about $4.9 million dollars per year. Many factors contribute to UCSF’s greenhouse gas emissions: As an urban, multi-site campus, UCSF owns or leases space in 183 buildings throughout San Francisco, occupying 7,184,800 total gross square feet of space. UCSF’s faculty, research staff and students conduct a tremendous amount of energy-intensive laboratory research, as well as serve patients at the medical center and clinics. Research and clinical or complex space comprises about 25 percent of UCSF assignable square footage, but uses about 70 percent of the total energy consumed. The typical laboratory uses far more energy and water per square foot than the typical office building due to energy intensive processes and ventilation requirements. UCSF is the second largest employer in San Francisco, after the City and County of San Francisco, with 22,000 employees and more than 5,000 students, residents and postdoctoral scholars. UCSF’s power supply comes from a combination of a 12 megawatt co-generation plant that provides electricity, steam and chilled water to campus and hospital buildings at Parnassus Heights and contracts with other power suppliers, including PG&E and Sempra Energy. Where UCSF is Today UCSF carbon reduction goals are guided by the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices, which outlines three goals for all UC campuses: • By 2014, to reduce GHG emissions to 2000 levels; • By 2020, to reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels; and • To eventually become climate neutral. The policy also requires that the UC campuses collectively install 10 megawatts of renewable energy by 2014 and provide 20 percent of their energy needs using renewable resources. UCSF’s Climate Action Plan (CAP), completed in December 2009, details potential opportunities for reducing the campus’ carbon footprint, UCSF is expected to meet the 2014 goal, which will require cutting emissions by 20 percent to 2000 levels. According to UCSF Campus Planner Paul Franke, to meet the 2014 goal, UCSF will focus on the reduction measures outlined in the CAP, as well as implement additional recommendations found in the UCSF Strategic Energy Plan (SEP). The SEP outlines a range of energy efficiency projects, such as retrofits, boiler replacement, energy efficient lighting upgrades and a PC power management program.  Over the next three years, $13 million will be invested in energy efficiency projects, with expected reductions of 4,945,471 kilowatt hours, 231,536 therms and estimated annual savings of $890,000. However, because UCSF is a rapidly growing institution, including plans to build a new medical center at Mission Bay, the CAP predicts that meeting the 2020 goal, which will require cutting emissions by almost 50 percent to reach 1990 levels, “will not be a simple task.” “UCSF will need to reduce emissions an additional 83,327 MTCO2e in order to meet the 2020 goal. And it is unlikely that we will reach this goal without the purchase of offsets, a significant technological breakthrough in energy production or a reduction in the UCSF growth rate,” said Franke. UCSF Chancellor Sue Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, acknowledges the challenge. “There are some goals that require an upfront investment. We have a really challenging, old infrastructure, which means not very green and too little investments. This is a huge challenge for us. Even taking baby steps is better than no steps,” she said. Tackling Carbon from Many Angles UCSF has many programs in place to reduce its carbon footprint, tackling the challenge from many angles. Some recent UCSF accomplishments include: Saving $1.2 million in energy savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 5,000 tons in fiscal year 2007-2008. Signing the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, a broad effort by the nation’s higher education institutions to address global warming by tracking, reporting and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and is part of the California Climate Action Registry. Making a commitment to build all new campus construction to meet at least the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design) Silver standard. The new medical center at Mission Bay is expected to be a LEED Gold facility. In August 2009, Rock Hall received a LEED-Existing Building (EB) Silver rating—the first time UCSF has successfully modified an existing building to fulfill the LEED-EB standards. Diverting more than 50 percent of its waste by promoting composting and recycling programs Promoting a range of sustainable commuting options, including a shuttle system, public transportation and carpooling. More than 25 percent of employees take public transportation to campus, and ridership on the shuttle has more than doubled since 2000, with over 2.2 million passenger boardings in FY 2008-2009. Developing a purchasing program that negotiates competitive prices for greener office supplies and equipment. Launching the “Conservation is Contagious” program in 12 buildings, reducing energy use in select buildings by 6 percent and saving $800,000. Installing 250 kilowatts of solar energy at the Mission Bay 3rd Street garage, reducing UCSF’s carbon footprint by 100 tons of carbon dioxide per year. UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-01-10T21:03:03+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.66 UCSF’s New Water Bottle Refilling Stations Do something good for the environment and your pocketbook—next time you head to campus, bring your refillable water bottle.  Thanks to a grant from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), UCSF has installed a water bottle filling station on campus.  One is now working at Milberry Union East near Palio’s and one is located at Mission Bay, on Gene Friend Way near 3rd Street. We are lucky to enjoy some of the nation’s highest quality tap water – pristine snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.  It is one of the purest, safest and best tasting water in the world. The Many Benefits of Tap Over Bottled Water According to Food & Water Watch, by turning to tap water, you will avoid the arsenic, microbes, toxins, and other pollutants that tests have found in various bottled water brands. In addition, you will face less risk of exposure to chemicals that could leach from the plastic bottle into the water.  Water collected at the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir exceeds all federal and state criteria for water quality, and unlike bottled water, is tested nearly 90,000 times a year throughout the system to ensure its safety every day. Turning to tap water could help you save money, as well. According to Food & Water Watch, bottled water costs 445 times more than tap water (about $0.002 per gallon for tap compared to the $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon charge for bottled water). Giving up bottled water also helps our environment. Annual production of the plastic (PET or polyethylene) bottles to meet U.S. consumer demand for bottled water takes the equivalent of about 17.6 million barrels of oil, not including the cost of transporting the bottled water to consumers. That more or less equals the amount of oil required to fuel more than one million vehicles on U.S. roads each year. And in the end, about 83 percent of the 60 million plastic water bottles disposed of daily in America end up in the garbage instead of being recycled. Help to preserve our environment and natural resources by drinking tap water. To Learn More To learn more about bottled water, check out The Story of Bottled Water.  Click here to learn more about the GlobalTap program in San Francisco. Written by Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2011-01-10T20:30:25+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.68 UC Regents’ Policy on Sustainable Practices sets a visionary goal of achieving zero waste by the year 2020, with an interim target for all UC campuses to direct 75 percent of the materials they discard to be collected for recycling, compost or reuse rather than for landfill. This 75 percent “diversion” rate must be met by July 2012.  Recycling and composting programs aren’t new at UCSF. Kathryn Hyde and Susan Bluestone, co-recycling & refuse coordinators, have been orchestrating a major waste reduction campaign since they initiated the UCSF campus recycling program in 1999. Their passion for helping UCSF go green is clear when speaking with them. “It is an honor to work for a large university and to be a gate keeper for the Earth. Our work is not separate from the health care mission of UCSF—our program is an integral part of the mission.  We’re so fortunate to be doing this work at a time when more and more people are truly understanding the connection between health, the environment and society,“ said Bluestone. UCSF Makes Major Progress When Hyde and Bluestone began institutionalizing recycling as standard policy and procedure a decade ago, UCSF was diverting only 9 percent of its waste from going to landfill. Ten years later, they have achieved a 54 percent diversion rate. “People want to make the right environmental choices.  So our job is to make participating in recycling, composting and waste reduction as simple as possible. We appreciate all the changes that students, staff and faculty have been able to incorporate into their daily routine,” explained Hyde. “That’s what brings progress—each person knowing that what seems like a small act is part of the very big picture of bringing UCSF one step further toward zero waste,” continued Hyde. The annual recovery of materials at UCSF includes: • 3,332 tons of the standard recyclables (aluminum, glass, small rigid plastics, paper & cardboard) • 35 tons of scrap metal • 8 tons of fluorescent light bulb tubes • 3 tons of small batteries • 2 tons of toner cartridges • 54 tons of electronic waste UCSF Composting Programs In 2004, Hyde and Bluestone inaugurated a behind-the-scenes composting program for kitchen food scraps from food preparation at the campus cafes. In 2008, Campus Life Services launched Going Greener, a do-it-yourself customer compost program.  Customer-compost station locations include the Millberry Union Food Court, Palio Café and the Courtyard Cafe at Parnassus, the Pub and Café 24 at Mission Bay and the View at Laurel Heights. Moffitt Hospital introduced a recycling and compost program with great success in the cafeteria and for patient food. The café compost setup will resume after the current remodel is completed in fall 2010. The program composts or recycles 84 percent of cafeteria discards and 87 percent of patient food discards. Recently Hyde and Bluestone launched restroom paper towel composting and office kitchen composting, in five buildings (School of Nursing, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Building, Laurel Heights, Kirkham Child Care and Minnesota Street). Over time, this program will be set up throughout UCSF. The recycling coordinators provide hands-on orientations for office suites and labs. This helps the occupants understand what can and cannot be placed in each bin.  Challenges Ahead Despite all of the progress, it will not be easy for UCSF to meet the UC goal of diverting 75 percent of its waste by 2012. The recycling coordinators explained, “In order to reach 75 percent, the UCSF campus will need to increase the percentage of standard materials that are recycled, composted or re-used. The first step is the expansion of the post-consumer food waste collection programs in office kitchens and paper towel compost collection in the restrooms.” Expanding these programs will require ongoing outreach and education for UCSF’s student population, staff and faculty. Due to limited staff and budget, the recycling coordinators must be creative on how to reach out to UCSF staff, students and faculty. For example, they have developed a “green ambassador” program that trains volunteers from specific buildings to advocate green practices and help colleagues become champions in their work areas. Important Reminders Here are a few important reminders to help make the system work best: 1. Just think: It’s compost if it was made from a plant, tree or animal. 2. Paper coffee cups go into the compost, not the recycling. 3. Restroom paper towel compost bins are for paper towels only (no food waste). 4. For milk cartons and juice boxes, if the carton was purchased as a perishable, the carton is compostable; if it was purchased as an unrefrigerated carton, it is garbage. 5. “When in doubt, put it in the trash,” said Hyde and Bluestone, because a key to a successful program is to avoid contaminating a load of compost or recyclables by mixing in garbage, which compromises the usefulness of these resources. The following can be composted:  • Paper cups and plates • Paper towels and napkins • Coffee grounds and filters • Food and tea bags • Paper milk cartons • Pizza and doughnut boxes • Waxed cardboard Closing the Loop Choosing to place your compostable items into the compost bin has impact—compostable organics make up more than 20 percent of UCSF’s overall waste stream. If compost is simply hauled away as garbage to a landfill, it is fated for anaerobic decomposition (meaning no oxygen present), which produces significant quantities of methane, 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. In contrast, composting the same material in a well-managed compost facility is fundamentally an aerobic process, which does not produce methane. According to the Composting Council, if everyone in the United States composted all of their food waste, the impact would be equivalent to removing 7.8 million cars from the road.  In addition to the greenhouse gas benefits, composting at UCSF contributes to a closed-loop system. Once collected from the campus, UCSF’s compost is transformed over a 60-day period at a compost facility in Vacaville, where it is turned into nutrient-rich compost for California vineyards and farms. Learn More: UCSF Campus Recycling Program Jepson Prairie Organics The Joy of Dirt Discard Electronics (Goodwill Stores) Composting Council *** Story: Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact Photos: CPFM, Jepson Prairie Organics     UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2010-12-02T02:33:44+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.12 In September 2009, the University of California added sustainable food service guidelines to its Policy on Sustainable Practices, setting the goal for all campuses to purchase 20 percent of their food from sustainable sources by 2020. There are many reasons why sustainable food is an important component to a sustainability policy, ranging from the health benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed food to reducing one’s carbon footprint by purchasing local food that uses less energy to transport and process while supporting the local economy. UCSF is working to integrate sustainable food practices into both the medical center and campus food services by sourcing local, sustainable food, and actively recycling and composting waste. UCSF’s Commitment to Composting and Recycling The medical center’s Department of Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) is responsible for serving more than 1,500 patient meals per day, as well as managing the Moffitt Café, its satellite retail outlets in the hospital and catering at two of the five campuses, while Campus Life Services (CLS) has retail food outlets to serve more than 8,500 faculty, staff, students and guests.  Food services at all campus and medical center locations are committed to reducing their impact on the environment by: • Reducing long distance transportation of foods by purchasing local food where feasible; • Increasing support for local and organic farms; • Reducing waste at the medical center by composting and recycling; • Increasing customer-facing composting and recycling at retail food service locations; • Increasing support for local businesses; and • Reducing pollution from pesticides and other harmful chemicals. Success Story:  Closing the Loop by Composting and Recycling Patient Food The medical center started a composting and recycling program in its café in 2008, reducing solid waste by 84 percent. The success of the café program gave the medical center the impetus to expand the program to Patient Food Services (PFS).  The results are summarized in the chart below:   UCSF is the only medical center in the UC system that is composting and recycling patient food waste. In 2009, with the input of staff, a simple system was implemented to efficiently sort the waste from meals into one of three bins:  green for compost, blue for recycling and black for landfill.  “By composting all patient waste food, paper plates, cups, and bowls and recycling all rigid plastics, packaging and waste paper, we reduced landfill food waste in that unit by 87 percent (from 30 bags to 4 bags per day). Before it was all going into the landfill,” explained Jack Henderson, associate director of NFS at the medical center.  Henderson gives credit to Dan Henroid, sustainability officer at the medical center, director of NFS and co-chair of the Sustainability Steering Committee, for supporting the new program. “Dan’s active support makes it feasible to achieve our sustainability goals,” said Henderson. “We are doing it to do the right thing,” added Henderson. By diverting waste from the landfill, the program will reduce future landfill fees, decrease greenhouse gases and support the City and County of San Francisco’s compost program, which supplies local farms and vineyards with compost to build healthy soils. UCSF is part of an important closed loop system that transforms food waste into soil that supports the growth of local produce. Focus on Local, Sustainable Food The UC Policies on Sustainable Practices (see page 17) broadly defines food as sustainable if it meets one or more of a range of criteria, including locally grown (within 500 miles), USDA organic, cage-free, pasture raised, Seafood Watch Guide “Best Choices” or “Good Alternatives” or “Fair Trade Certified.” UCSF prefers locally grown food that is harvested within 200 miles of San Francisco. In the summer of 2009, about 47 percent of UCSF’s Medical Center produce purchases came from the 17-county area around San Francisco, supporting Bay Area farmers and reducing UCSF’s carbon footprint. Another aspect of sustainable food is avoiding natural and synthetic hormones. In 2009, UCSF stopped purchasing yogurt made using milk from cows treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH, also known as rBST), which is given to dairy cows to increase total milk production. UCSF’s yogurt now comes from a local manufacturer that uses milk from cows in central California that have not been treated with rBST. In addition, all liquid milk is from cows not treated with rBST. What You Can Do Here are a few tips to consider: Shop at a Farmers’ Market: Focus your personal food purchases on local, sustainable food. Consider picking up some of your food at the UCSF farmers’ markets, held weekly at the Parnassus Heights and the Mission Bay. Purchase a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Share: CSA provides in-season, local vegetables (and sometimes fruit, dairy, meat, and more) weekly to your home or nearby drop spot throughout the growing season. You can find the CSA closest to you at EatWellGuide.org or LocalHarvest.org. Or, check out the farms that receive compost from Jepson Prairie Organics, where UCSF’s food waste is transformed into soil. Remember to Recycle and Compost at UCSF Retail Outlets: Do your part to reduce waste by composting and recycling when you eat on campus. Remember to put your compostable items (leftover food, plates, cups and napkins) in the green compost bin.  Clear plastic, bottles and cans go in the blue recycling bin. When in doubt, put items in the trash to avoid contaminating the compost. To learn more UC Office of the President:  Sustainable Food Services at UC Food and Water Watch Health Care Without Harm Local Harvest (CSA directory) Michael Pollan’s website Seafood Watch Guide *** Story: Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact Photos: Fleischer and NFS UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2010-12-02T02:29:17+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.22 Infusing sustainability into UCSF and adopting sustainable practices make perfect sense. It is not only good business, as many green initiatives result in cost savings, but it also reduces the university’s carbon footprint, improves the health of those who work and study at UCSF and furthers its mission of advancing health worldwide ™. UCSF Chancellor Sue Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, talked about the importance of sustainability at UCSF in a recent interview.  “There is something that feels really good about working for an organization that takes its responsibility to health and sustainability seriously. It is part of being a great place to work.” explained Desmond-Hellmann. Over the past two years, UCSF has built significant momentum toward tackling formal sustainability goals.  The Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS), formed in April 2008, has made significant and measurable progress toward making UCSF more sustainable and achieving UC Office of the President (UCOP) sustainability goals. “What we experienced in a very short period is the formation of the Academic Senate Sustainability Task Force, the creation of the CACS and a convergence of grassroots interest, senior leadership support and funding,” explained Steve Barclay, past chair of the CACS and former senior vice chancellor.  Along with senior-level endorsement, the funding of UCSF’s sustainability priorities, in the face of the current economic challenges, “is a remarkable statement of support,” stressed Barclay. The new senior vice chancellor of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) and co-chair of the CACS, John Plotts, sees the business value of sustainability.  “Sustainability makes good business sense, which is consistent with our goal to using our resources more efficiently,” explained Plotts.  Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS) Work Groups The CACS consists of 11 work groups: • Budget • Climate Change • Education and Communication • Green Building • Health Care • Sustainable Food • Clean Energy/Water • Reduce Reuse Recycle • Sustainable Operations • Procurement • Transportation Each work group is co-chaired by a team, one representative from the medical center and one from the campus. The work group co-chairs comprise the Sustainability Steering Committee (SSC), which supports the CACS. The work groups include representatives from the faculty, staff, students and the Academic Senate. Key Achievements The 2009 Annual Report summarizes in detail the CACS’ accomplishments and achievements.  Highlights to date include: Climate Change: UCSF is developing a strategy for addressing climate change. The final draft of the UCSF Climate Action Plan was submitted to UC Office of the President, laying out potential opportunities for reducing the campus’ carbon footprint. It has signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment and is part of the California Climate Action Registry. Green Building: UCSF is pushing the envelope on green building and aiming to be the UC leader in green design standards. The new UCSF Mission Bay Medical Center integrates cutting-edge sustainable and eco-effective design. In addition, UCSF has certified Rock Hall as a LEED (Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design) Silver building. “Rock Hall is unique because it is the first time UCSF has successfully operated an existing building to fulfill the LEED standards,” said Chancellor Desmond-Hellmann at the recent certification ceremony at Mission Bay. Procurement: UCSF has successfully used its purchasing power to bring the cost of 30 percent post-consumer recycled content paper down to $3.04 per ream, competitive with the price of virgin paper ($3.12 per ream). It has also implemented a paperless procurement process that now handles 12 percent of all orders electronically, saving money, reducing paper use and curbing greenhouse gas emissions.     Reduce Reuse Recycle:  Since 1998, UCSF’s diversion rate (the percentage of solid waste that does not go to landfill) increased from 7 percent to 51 percent. Even with this great progress, promoting best practices in recycling and waste management to minimize the waste stream continues to be a major priority (link to story). Recent successes include introducing new desk-side recycling and composting programs as well as customer composting in campus eateries.     Sustainable Food: UCSF is working to integrate sustainable food practices into the medical center and campus food services (link to story). Most recently, it has reduced landfill food waste by 87 percent at the medical center by recycling and composting waste from patient meals. Other successes include the popular weekly farmers markets and the “Going Greener” program, which brings customer-facing composting and recycling to UCSF’s retail food service locations. Looking Forward Barclay, who retired as senior vice chancellor in March, is very proud of the progress made to date, including recruiting Gail Lee, UCSF’s new sustainability manager. “She will be the catalyst to making things happen - a dedicated manager who has great experience in this area.” As Barclay caps his career at UCSF, he hopes his ambitious vision for the future of sustainability at UCSF is realized: “UCSF would meet or exceed its mandated carbon footprint goals for 2020; the medical center’s level of excellence in sustainability would match its excellence in clinical care; that the campus would be the UC leader in green building design, energy conservation and creative facility reuse; and that UCSF would optimize its opportunities to take advantage of its creative strategic sourcing contracts.” “I would hope that in three to five years, sustainability will be infused into UCSF’s decision making and into everyone’s thinking and work life,” Barclay said. To learn more UCSF Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability UCSF Hires Sustainability Manager, UCSF Today, January 26, 2010 UCSF Rocks with First LEED Silver Status for Existing Building UC Sustainability American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment California Climate Action Registry *** Story: Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact Photos: Susan Merrell and Deborah Fleischer UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2010-09-26T08:44:40+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.24 UCSF students and employees have a unique leader— someone they might catch a glimpse of while commuting to work on public transportation. “I think it is really important for a health sciences campus to not just focus on the short term and the patient in front of you, but to also think about our own habits and lifestyle,” said UCSF Chancellor Sue Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH. “The upside of commuting by public transit is that it can improve your quality of life and provide the opportunity to interact with people in a different way.” The chancellor is an avid biker who got her first taste of commuting by public transportation when she was working at Genentech.  Desmond-Hellmann is passionate about public transportation and praises its benefits. “While I give up some control, I enjoy not driving and I enjoy reading. I can use the time to throttle down and relax after work.” “Some of the most inspiring things for me are simple things, like walking instead of taking your car, or taking public transportation and not having to worry about parking and circling the block to find a space. It’s so much better for your psyche.”  She acknowledges, however, that turning a one-hour commute into a three-hour one is a barrier for her busy, hardworking staff. “I’m into sustainability, but there is a limit.” The single most important impediment is time. “People who work at UCSF don’t have a lot of wiggle room in their day.” Making It Easy to Do the Right Thing More than 22,000 employees commute to UCSF’s six campuses each day. According to Kevin Cox, associate director of UCSF’s Transportation Services, 35 percent of all staff, faculty and students drive alone to work or school, each driver producing 6,000 pounds of CO2. Using public transit reduces these harmful emissions by more than 95 percent and also minimizes the campus’  impact on neighborhood traffic and parking. “Compared with other UC campuses, we do a good job of getting people out of their single occupancy vehicles by providing a wide array of options,” said Cox. Transportation Services has implemented an impressive array of programs to make it easier for staff and students to get out of their cars, including: • A pretax transit program • An online carpool organizer (Zimride) • Preferred parking for carpools • Vanpools • Commute Club • City CarShare • Intercampus shuttle services Employee Perk:  Save Money Using Public Transit “We have a pretax transit program that allows people to pay for their public transit fees with pretax dollars,” explained Cox.  The program is a great perk for all staff and faculty. Employees save about 30 cents of each dollar they spend on commuting costs. And between now and February 2011, UCSF is waiving the $3.39 monthly pretax transit participant fee. The sooner employees join, the more they can save. Click here to learn more and enroll. The program works by allowing UCSF employees to deduct up to $230 per month from their paycheck without paying payroll taxes on this income. Annual savings can be as much as $828 (actual savings will vary based on tax rates). Participation in the program for a year generates benefits equal to more than three months of free public transit each year.  UCSF employees save $210,000 annually in transit costs as a result of the program, according to Cox. For more information, contact UCSF Pretax Transit Coordinator Kevin Cuevas (415/514-4871 or kevin.cuevas@ucsf.edu) or Campus Rideshare Coordinator Robert Wong (415/476-1513 or rwong@ucsf.edu). Learn More: UCSF Transportation Services Story: Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact Photo: Susan Merrell UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2010-09-23T20:44:37+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.11 UCSF’s new medical center at Mission Bay is taking the lead on green building. “UCSF’s new medical complex at Mission Bay is taking the lead on green building. The new hospital complex is such a great opportunity for us to think about the environment both on impact and the setting for patients and their families,” said UCSF Chancellor Sue Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, at a recent interview. The new UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay, slated to open in 2014, will be a world-class children’s, women’s specialty and cancer hospital complex. In addition to offering patient- and family-centered health care and translational medicine, the facility integrates leading-edge sustainable and eco-effective design and incorporates discoveries from evidence-based design, a body of knowledge that demonstrates a built environment can positively affect healing, health, safety and well-being. “One of the basic design principles for the whole facility has been to create a healing environment by connecting views to the outside, providing access to nature and increasing natural light. We wanted a healthful environment, too,” explained Cindy Lima, executive director of UCSF Medical Center’s Mission Bay Hospitals Project. “As a preeminent health care institution, it is our responsibility to do everything we can to cost-effectively provide a healthful environment for the patients we treat, for our own staff and faculty and for visitors. Sustainability is a natural fit, consistent with the medical center’s mission of caring, healing, teaching, discovering, as well as UCSF’s mission of advancing health worldwide ™,” said Lima. Pushing Boundaries on Sustainability Greening the design and operation of a hospital is not a simple matter.  To date, only about 15 hospitals worldwide have achieved LEED (Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design) ratings. The facility is expected to be among the first hospitals in California to attain LEED Gold. It will be one of the largest LEED-certified hospital complexes in the world, made of 30 percent recycled materials. As one of the nation’s leading medical schools and academic health research institutions, UCSF saw the new medical center as an opportunity to do sustainability with a capital “S”. It brought together an innovative design team, combining the skills of Anshen + Allen, a leading health care architect, with William McDonough + Partners, a well-known sustainability and eco-effective design firm, and MBDC, a green chemistry firm known for its Cradle 2 Cradle (C2C) certification, a process that looks at the full life cycle of a product from raw materials to use to end-of-life. “Many of the things we are doing, such as toxic screening, LEED doesn’t touch upon yet. We are pushing the boundaries. The actual design of the facility goes beyond LEED standards in many ways,” explained Tyler Krehlik, associate principal with Anshen + Allen. Choosing Healthy Materials The screening process for toxins took into account a variety of criteria, including cost, aesthetics, comfort level, flame resistance and maintenance issues. Then, on top of these, the design team looked at ecological and human health elements such as known allergens or carcinogens. It was a big challenge balancing all these factors and finding acceptable materials for flooring, walls, paint, ceilings and trim. The last thing a patient who is being treated for cancer at a hospital wants is to be exposed to known carcinogens. With the opportunity to start from scratch, one of the first things the design team did was screen more than 100 patient and exam room finishes to reduce toxins. Using publicly available information, the team screened products for carcinogenicity, endocrine disruption, mutagenicity and teratogenicity (linked to birth defects), and reproductive toxicity. According to Krehlik, this type of assessment, based on specialized research that focuses on the chemical toxicity of certain materials, has never before been done in a hospital or in any project of this scale.  The team quickly discovered that finding acceptable materials was difficult because many companies were not comfortable making public a detailed list of ingredients in their materials.  It also learned that for some materials, a greener alternative is not yet available. However, by asking the right questions, UCSF is pushing manufacturers to begin thinking about new, greener products. Addressing Other Environmental Attributes In addition to the toxic screening, UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay will feature many other environmental highlights, including: Energy Conservation:  The hospital complex will use 50 percent less energy than the average US hospital. Carbon Footprint:  Photovoltaic panels on the roof and parking structure will reduce carbon dioxide output by 390 tons per year. Green Roofs and Gardens: The extent of green space at the hospital complex will be among the highest of any urban hospital in the United States. The project includes 1.1 acres of roof gardens and 3.2 acres of other green spaces. Irrigation Water: The project will collect, treat and reuse 1 million gallons of cooling tower water to irrigate the gardens, offsetting 25 percent of the facility’s water needs for landscaping. Domestic Water: The project integrates water-efficient devices that reduce water use 40 percent. Efficient domestic water fixtures and water-saving appliances will be included in all buildings, saving another 4 million gallons of water per year. To Learn More UCSF anticipates beginning construction of the new medical center by December 2010. If you would like additional information or are interested in supporting the project, please contact Holly Houston, director of communications of the Mission Bay Hospitals Project at 415/241-5021. The following links provide resources for learning more: UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay Sustainable Medical Centers at UC Cradle to Cradle A Matter of Health MBDC US Green Building Council Story:  Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact Photos:  UCSF Medical Center UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2010-09-22T12:12:43+00:00 http://sustainability.ucsf.edu//index.php/1.61 UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Children’s Hospital received a Partner for Change Award from Practice Greenhealth for integrating environmental responsibility into its operations.  Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading membership and networking organization for institutions in the healthcare community committed to sustainable, eco-friendly practices. The award, issued on May 12, 2010, recognizes healthcare facilities that have developed successful pollution prevention programs and recognizes outstanding environmental innovation in healthcare. UCSF is the first UC campus to achieve this sustainability award.  In addition to giving UCSF the award, Practice Greenhealth will plant 100 trees in Haiti in UCSF’s honor. David Odato, chief administrative and human resources officer of UCSF Medical Center and co-chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS), said,  “UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Children’s Hospital are committed to environmentally responsible operations for the health and safety of our patients. I am proud of our commitment and the hard work of our staff and physicians who make UCSF Medical Center and the environment a healthy place for patients, visitors and employees.”  Dedicated Effort to be More Sustainable UCSF is one of seven Bay Area hospitals to receive an award. “The Environmental Excellence Awards recognize success stories,” said Anna Gilmore Hall, executive director of Practice Greenhealth. UCSF Medical Center is a successful model of how health facilities can develop and implement pollution prevention programs to greatly improve the health of their patients, staff and community.”  Dan Henroid, medical center director of Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) and sustainability officer, was among those involved with applying for the award. “The application process was a huge undertaking, “ he said.  “We pulled together data across many different areas, ranging from sustainable food to waste reduction to environmentally preferable procurement, to provide an environmental snapshot of the entire institution.” “This award reflects a dedicated effort from the medical center to make our operations more sustainable over a period of years,” said Tim Mahaney, executive director of Facilities and Support Services for the medical center.  “We are working to continuously improve sustainability practices through our ongoing and capital programs for our current and future facilities.”  Carl Solomon, director of Hospitality Services and co-chair of the recycling work group of the CACS, added, “A key challenge is to keep sustainability in our forefront and to look beyond the traditional things most people are doing. If we look at what we purchase, cradle to grave, there are opportunities.” Some highlights of the UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Children’s Hospital sustainability program include: Replacing Disposables with Reusable Materials Hospitality Services and Materials Management at the medical center will save more than $500,000 this fiscal year by switching from certain disposable products to those that are sanitized or sterilized and reused, making them more environmentally friendly. UCSF has contracted with Stericycle®, a medical waste and sharps disposal company, to collect, disinfect and reuse plastic containers for “sharps”—hypodermic needles and other sharp tools such as scalpels—as well as certain containers for medications. This change will divert more than 100,000 pounds of plastic waste from landfills and save about $250,000 a year. “In the past, when the containers were full, the whole thing was thrown out. Now, each container is used hundreds of times,” explained UCSF Sustainability Manager Gail Lee. In addition, the medical center is switching from disposable patient pillows to vinyl-covered reusable ones that are cleaned and disinfected after each patient is discharged from the hospital. Each pillow is expected to last about six months rather than be thrown out after each patient’s hospital stay. In the past, the medical center purchased about 160,000 disposable pillows a year, resulting in 296,000 pounds of waste. The change to reusable pillows is expected to save the medical center an additional $250,000 a year.  Recycling and Composting Programs Overall, 17 percent of all medical center waste is recycled, composted or reused. The medical center’s NFS started a food composting and recycling program in its Moffitt Cafe in 2008, reducing solid waste at the cafe by 84 percent. The success of the cafe program gave the medical center the impetus to expand the program to Patient Food Services, which reduced landfill food waste by 87 percent. “We are currently recycling in 40 percent of our patient rooms, with plans to expand the program soon. We are also composting in the OR break rooms,” said Solomon.  Engaging Nurses and Other Clinicians UCSF Medical Center also has a Green Group, a grassroots effort run by nurses and other clinicians working to educate staff on sustainability. The members act as green champions for the medical center’s programs. Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability The medical center has taken an active role in implementing measures to promote a healthy environment and actively participates on the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability (CACS). Formed in April 2008, the CACS consists of 11 work groups, each co-chaired by one representative from the medical center and one from the campus, covering a range of sustainability issues, including: climate change, education and communication, green building, health care, nutrition and food services, clean energy, recycling, sustainable operations, procurement and transportation. Recommended Links UC Continues Progress in Sustainability Practices UCSF Hires Sustainability Manager Sustainable Medical Centers at UC Practice Greenhealth Sustainability and Green Design – UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay Story:  Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact UCSF Sustainability Stories, 2010-09-15T21:49:08+00:00