Joe Stchur, Director, Facility Operations

"ES means to evaluate your activities and be aware of which behaviors consume energy and of those, which have the potential to abuse energy and make your decisions to not abuse energy."

Christopher Fellows, Nurse Assistant, Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Clinic

"If I give my self enough time it is the best part of my day to walk or ride my bike. People need to experience being a pedestrian more often as you notice so much more about your community. Life at 75 mph inside a car is boring."

Anne Phillips, Medical illustrator, Radiology

"Being an environmental steward means being willing to help spread the word about environmental issue; to think about ways to increase awareness and improve our current environmental state."

Mark Clary, Staff Orthotist, Orthotics & Prosthetics, PM&R

"Allows me to get some exercise while commuting, big money saver, and makes me feel like I'm doing my small part for the environment."

Tim Smith, Admin Assistant, Pediatric Home Ventilator Program/Pediatric Respiratory Care

It's quite simple ... if you act as if the facility was your home, and if YOU had to pay the water bill or electricity bill, you'd be turning off the lights when you were done in the storeroom, and NOT take the attitude "it's not MY money...I don't care."

Kris Talley, Web Project Manager, Public Relations & Marketing Communications

"The University needs to move towards a pay-as-you-go system, where you only pay for parking that you actually use. When you pay for a year's worth of parking up front, you have much less economic incentive to ever leave your car at home."

Li Harder, Renal Nutrition Specialist, Nephrology and FANS

"...we all can contribute toward making this world a better place not only for us to live in today, but also for many generations to come." 

Anna Bollman, Registered Nurse/Clinic Care Coordinator/Cardiac Procedures Unit

I wanted to save the aggravation of waiting in line for a parking spot in the blue lot. I also wanted to save the money every month for blue parking. I joined a gym recently and use the money I saved for my gym membership.

Sherry E. Jantz, Senior Medical Technologist, Department of Pathology, Blood Bank Laboratory

The earth has only so much to give. The more we can reuse these resources, the better place this earth will be for our children and generations to come.

Jessica Knowlton, Research Laboratory Technician Lead, Michigan Nanotechnology Institute

Saves gas/money, and wear and tear on my car. Also, at the end of a hectic day I get to wind down before I see my children so that I'm relaxed and ready to have fun with them.

Karen Burr , Emergency Medicine Consult/Referral Service

I have always been aware of my soundings and the effort that is needed to take care of our planet. Even if you just do it in your little world, it will set an example and you know you are doing your best to help protect Mother Earth.

Wendy Kenyon , R.N., Holden NICU

Just become more informed about your alternatives. Check out the Web site or stop by and talk with someone at the parking office. I found them very helpful.

James Delisle, Systems Tech/Systems Monitoring

" [At home I] recycle used motor oil and purchased energy efficient appliances - furnace, refrigerator, washer, dryer and dishwasher."

Machelle Robinson, Outpatient Office Assistant, Internal Medicine

I drive from Detriot and was afraid of not getting to work on time, but there is always a bus there or pulling right in when I get to the lot.

Heather Fazio, Food Services Manager, UMH Patient Food Services

" We recycle as much as we can - e.g. plastic containers, cardboard, tin cans, magazines - and place all yard waste in our compost bin each week. In warmer weather we walk to town instead of drive. This is good exercise, too."

Holly Eliot, Administrative Assistant, Pathology

At the end of the day, I frequently feel tired, but as soon as I start pedaling I forget why I'm tired and the ride gives me such a boost of energy.

Ed Dawson, Programmer Analyst ll, Medical School Administration

"I bike to work when the streets are dry (and the temperature is above 30). A fringe benefit is that the 5-mile round trip, at 30 calories per mile, entitles me to about half a Snicker's bar per day!"

Cathy Bettcher,
Outpatient Family Medicine

I feel good about using alternative transportation because my actions are reducing greenhouse gases and benefitting our environment. I save money on gas and parking, and I reduce wear on my car.

Mark Sedmak, Associate Director, Medical School Facilities Management & Planning

"To me, Environmental Stewardship means developing habits that use resources efficiently without taking anything away from our current way of life. We shouldn't have to suffer in order to reduce wasteful use of resources."

Kari Ann Blouin, R.N.,
Trauma/Burn Intensive Care Unit

"...so this summer I figured I might as well ride my bike. I love to be outside and the exercise feels great in the morning. It’s a fantastic way to calm down and de-stress after work." 

David Tyler, Waste Management/Recycling Coordinator, Facilities Services

"Learn to slow down for a few seconds or minutes a day, to turn off a light, fix a leaky faucet, drop a tin can in a recycling bin instead of a garbage bag. Even little efforts can have big results."

Trish Applegate,
Outpatient Case Manager, Trauma Burn Center

"Just give it a try and be patient. The bus does take a little longer, but that's an opportunity to read the paper or have time to yourself."

Jody Karamol
Health Record Analyst I
Health Information Management

"Being an Environmental Steward means more to me than just recycling paper in the office – it is a way of living and learning to use resources conservatively to help preserve money and preserve the ecosystem of the world."

Peter F. Ehrlich, M.D.
Associate Professor of Surgery, Section of Pediatric Surgery & Director, Pediatric Trauma

"It makes me feel better—it’s a mental health thing. It’s good exercise, easier than parking and more enjoyable than driving."

Read Conserve it - the Health System's Environmental Stewardship online information resource.

Andrea M. Osborne, M.S.,
Clinical Research Project Manager/M-SCORE (Department of Surgery); Project Manager, Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collaborative

"I am one of those people who tends to get worked up and frustrated in traffic. By walking through most of the heavy traffic as opposed to sitting in it, I save myself from getting off to a bad start in the morning."

Kathy Richards,
Administrative Assistant Intermediate Department of Pathology

"It's also a very nice added benefit to not be spending as much money on gas, to be helping the environment in a small way and to be participating in mass transportation, which needs to be improved and expanded upon in this country."