Sometimes a lighting project is about more than just improving energy efficiency. The loading dock at TGH is a busy place with lots of activity and many vehicles coming and going at all hours. The previous lighting was old and inefficient and the light levels were starting to become a safety issue. Staff were recommended to not walk on the floor level and to always wear reflective vests as safety precautions. Continue reading
Category Archives: Talkin’ Trash
Taking The Guess Out of Hazardous Waste Since 1999 – Talkin’ Trash, October 2019
UHN’s Handy Dandy Everything You Need To Know About Hazardous Waste Quiz
1. When it comes to disposing of biomedical waste, UHN uses:
- a) RED bags and containers for items that, by law, need to be incinerated.
- b) YELLOW bags and containers for items that, by law, need to be autoclaved (with steam).
- c) Both “a” and “b”. Environmental Services uses the colour coding to ensure that our waste is sent for proper treatment.
Co-op Tales from UHN
Hi everyone! My name is Alondra Garcia, a fourth-year student at the University of Toronto in the Environmental Sciences program, and for the last four months I was the sustainability intern here at UHN. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and so does my placement here. Before saying my goodbye, I’d like to tell you a little Continue reading
Benefits of Climate Action
Apocalyptic future scenarios, crushing costs of adaptation, sacrifices required – this is the typical framing of the climate crisis discussion. What if I told you it’s not all doom and gloom? This article is about the benefits of taking meaningful climate action.
First off, why is it important for UHNers to take action against climate change? As we know, climate change is a serious issue for healthcare and taking action will be mandatory to maintain a livable world for ourselves in the future as well as our kids. In Continue reading
Climate Change is a Health Care Issue
A lack of progress in reducing emissions and building adaptive capacity threatens both human lives and the viability of the national health systems they depend on, with the potential to disrupt core public health infrastructure and overwhelm health services.
This is not a quote from Greenpeace, Al Gore, or David Suzuki. It is from The Lancet, one of the most prestigious medical journals in the world. More and more health organizations are recognizing climate change as the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. Canadian health organizations, such as the Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, and others are urging decisive action from political and business leaders, institutions, and individuals to reign in CO2 emissions that are causing climate change.
Flash Flooding in Toronto. Photo Source
UHN’s CEAL Lab Installs New Lighting System
An innovative new LED lighting system has been installed at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute’s CEAL lab (Challenging Environment Assessment Lab). Researchers in this lab conduct world class experiments to advance knowledge in mobility, aging, accessibility, design safety, and much more. The lab itself is a unique space with high ceilings located in the basement of TRI’s University Centre. Feel free to read more about the exciting research conducted at CEAL and throughout TRI at this link.
Before taking a deeper dive into the project, here are some quick energy savings numbers:
- Electricity Savings: 88,000 kWh
- Cost Savings: $12,300
- Payback: 1.8 years
- Additional benefits: Reliability
The before and after photos below demonstrate how LED lights can improve performance while saving energy at the same time.
Left hand picture shows original fluorescent lighting, right hand picture shows new LED lighting
Background:
Don’t Stop Thinkin’ About Tomorrow – Talkin’ Trash New Year 2019
One of the great things about Homo sapiens is our ability to make whatever is happening to us right here, right now The. Most. Important. Thing. Ever. Doesn’t matter if it’s a recreational hockey game for middle-aged (though still spry and youthful in appearance) Homo sapiens, waiting for one’s reusable travel mug to be filled with a free-range soypuccino, or a bunch of somewhat random Homo sapiens converging for the sole purpose of singing together…it’s the ability to prioritize what’s happening in the present above all else that sets people apart from the rest of this world’s inhabitants.
