I’ve always found air travel to be a somewhat surreal experience.
At tens of thousands of feet above the ground, you see majestic mountain ranges, miles of brown and green quilted farmlands, and shimmering bodies of blue-green water. At night, you also see modern technology in action via the penetrating glow of electric lights.
The view from that very small plane window is a reminder that we live on an incredible and diverse planet and that it is our responsibility as individuals and as a community to respect, preserve and nurture it. Additionally, it is our duty as an organization to minimize our University’s environmental footprint – our Maize and Blueprint.
In a recent Global User message honoring Earth Day, Tony Denton, executive director of University Hospitals and chief operating officer of UMHHC, shared some significant environmental stewardship efforts taking place across the Health System, including designing the new Mott & Women’s facility with LEED certification in mind, green IT savings and ramped up container recycling programs.
I am proud to report that in the past year, my Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs (EVPMA) team has stepped up its efforts to conserve resources, too. Now, we try to use coffee mugs, reusable water bottles and washable silverware instead of disposable cups and throwaway utensils; we’ve become more diligent about recycling paper, containers, batteries and pens, as well as using recycled products and avoiding unnecessary light usage; and many of us take the stairs instead of elevators, when possible.
In celebration of our planet, I thought I’d add to Tony’s great message by sharing the following additional examples of important “green” initiatives happening across UMHS and the University:
- U-M was an early leader nationally in sustainable operations, converting to highly efficient co-generation in 1963 — years before most universities — and being an EPA Green Lights and Energy Star partner since the 1990s.
- U-M operates one of the largest alternative vehicle fleets among American universities, with 545 vehicles running E-85, 96 vehicles using B-20, 14 gas-electric hybrid vehicles and three full electric vehicles.
- The Big House has one of the largest stadium recycling programs in the country. 10.5 tons of cardboard and paper and 19 tons of mixed containers are collected each season!
- The University’s water-conserving irrigation system resulted in savings of ~22M gallons of water each year. That’s enough to fill 33 Olympic swimming pools or sustain an average household for 172 years!
- Last year, Planet Blue conservation efforts implemented in MSRB I yielded $329K annual energy cost avoidance and a 33% reduction in utilities. Overall, the campus-wide Planet Blue program has yielded a 14% energy savings and cost avoidance of nearly $5.2M in 67 buildings.
- The University has a policy to exceed by 30% industry standards for energy efficiency in new construction or renovation projects.
- U-M’s 2011 commencement will be “greener” than ever, with an estimated 35 percent of graduates wearing gowns made from recycled milk cartons.
Additionally, U-M is home to more than 400 faculty members involved in research and teaching in sustainability-related areas, as well as being one of just a handful of institutions in the country with top 10-ranked programs in medicine, earth sciences, public health, business, engineering, law, public policy and sociology. Add to that the fact that students increasingly note a university’s commitment to being green as a major factor in deciding where they go and you have further evidence that sustainability is a major force in our world and deserves ongoing attention.
This is an area where any one of us can make a difference. You’d be amazed how one small change practiced regularly can result in major impact.
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