Attached are the notes from the November meeting for the Campus Tree Advisory Committee. 

In Fall 2021, the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) announced that it has successfully acquired or facilitated $34.7 million in external grants from various agencies during the past several months. Some highlights:

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced funding for a new project led by iSEE Interim Director Madhu Khanna to optimize design for “agrivoltaic” systems — fields with both crops and solar panels — that will maintain crop production, produce renewable energy, and increase farm profitability.

This $10 million, four-year project, funded through the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Sustainable Agriculture Systems program with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as the lead institution, will study agrivoltaics in a variety of land types and climate scenarios in Illinois, Colorado, and Arizona. The goal is to maintain or increase crop yield, improve the combined energy and food productivity of the land, and diversify and increase farmers’ profits with row crops, forage, and specialty crops across a range of environments

• iSEE has helped facilitate funding to enable geospatial data-driven scientific discovery at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the resulting research will lead to better understanding of the risks and impacts of climate change and disasters

The $15 million Institute for Geospatial Understanding through an Integrative Discovery Environment (I-GUIDE) will receive the funding over five years as part of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Harnessing the Data Revolution, which establishes five institutes across the United States to explore questions at the frontiers of science and engineering. Shaowen Wang, Professor and Head of Geography and Geographic Information Science and Founding Director of the CyberGIS Center for Advanced Digital and Spatial Studies, will lead the institute. Collaborating scientists and institutions will work with the CyberGIS Center in partnership with iSEE and the U of I’s Discovery Partners Institute.

• $2.1M in additional five-year funding from the Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation for U of I researchers, led by Evan DeLucia (Emeritus Professor of Plant Biology), Carl Bernacchi (U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service), and new co-PI Lisa Ainsworth (USDA ARS) to extend the campus’s enhanced weathering experiments using basalt rock on farm fields.
• $2M+ from NSF’s Smart & Connected Communities program for a team led by Crop Sciences Assistant Professor Andrew Margenot to build a “Nutrient Management Community (NuMC)” to help farmers adopt effective and trusted tools that will help address critical water quality issues.
• A $1.7M USDA NIFA subaward for Margenot and Crop Sciences Professor Emily Heaton to help identify ways to diversify the corn belt ecosystem and increase rural prosperity.
• A $1M, two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) to bolster an iSEE 2020 seed-funded project to turn ash into energy. The Rapid AI-based Dissection of Ashes using Raman and XRF Spectroscopy (RADAR-X) Project is led by Civil & Environmental Engineering Assistant Professor Nishant Garg.
• Several other awards of $1M or less.

See the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

iSEE has issued a call for proposals to support interdisciplinary research projects related to sustainability, energy, and environment, as well as for its Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) program for projects related to Illinois Climate Action Plan goals.

The iSEE seed funds are available to promote research collaborations among faculty and scientists across campus that will improve their potential for attracting external support. Research teams working in any of the five thematic areas of interest to iSEE can use the funding to collect preliminary data or other information and to develop a strong proposal that can be submitted for external funding through the Institute in 2022-23.

A successful proposal will involve applicants from at least two different disciplines and two different departments and is limited to a maximum of $30,000 for a year. The deadline is Nov. 9, 2021.

See the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

After piloting two successful workshops in Spring 2021, iSEE is launching its new Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) this fall. Designed to prepare Illinois undergraduates for leadership roles in the sustainability field, the ELP focuses on developing students’ communications skills around environmental problems, mobilizing social resources, and implementing plans for sustainable change.

In the Spring 2022 program, participants will learn about the policy-building process at the local and state levels, develop real-world environmental policies linked to the current legislative session, engage with local and state government officials, and present policy proposals to legislative staff and decision-makers in Springfield and Urbana-Champaign.

Applications opened Oct. 4 and closed Oct. 31. Participation is free, including travel expenses for the trip to Springfield during spring break — thanks to a generous gift from the Baum Family Fund. iSEE has encouraged interested students from all backgrounds, class standings, and majors to apply.

See the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

Led by Sustainability Programs Manager Meredith Moore, iSEE has been drawing dozens of campus and community members to participate in monthly ‘TED Talk: Eco-Editions.’

One evening a month on Zoom, these iSEE Certified Green Events take on a different sustainability issue — from discussions of climate justice to waste reduction to plenty more.

A pre-recorded TED Talk is shown, then a student, staff, or faculty member leads participants through a discussion and roundtable as our community explores how a topic can apply to campus, work, or everyday life.

Find the next one on the Sustainability Calendar. And, see the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

In October, iSEE was proud to present a set of new Sustainability Training Videos designed to help students, faculty, and staff incorporate sustainability into their everyday lives and support Illinois Climate Action Plan goals in all their actions.

Interim Director Madhu Khanna sent out a campus massmail on Oct. 20 — Campus Sustainability Day— asking all members of the campus community to join us in becoming more sustainable and maintaining the University of Illinois reputation as a worldwide leader in commitments to carbon neutrality and climate resilience.

The videos highlight the extensive progress campus has made as well as specific steps each individual can take to be more sustainable, from recycling to biking to water conservation.

The Institute tailored videos to individuals’ role on campus as students, faculty/researchers, or staff/administration/community members. All are asked to take a brief survey to let iSEE know what campus is doing right and what should be prioritized. Additional helpful links are included below each video as well. As our narrator says, “Let’s show the world what it means to be sustainable Illini!”

See the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form. And, view the videos on the iSEE webpage!

After more than a yearlong hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, Illini Lights Out (ILO) is back and better than ever.

The popular monthly event, which started in 2016, has averted the equivalent of more than 200 metric tons of carbon dioxide and saved campus more than $28,000.

iSEE Intern Jenna Schaefer scheduled four events for the Fall 2021 semester, and thus far the results speak for themselves.

At the official ILO relaunch in September, 86 Illinois students turned off 2,636 light bulbs in a dozen campus buildings for the weekend, saving 4,547.1 kilowatt hours of energy, 3.2 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and $382.41 in energy bills.

And on Oct. 22, more than 185 students turned off 3,266 bulbs in 23 campus buildings, saving more than 5,600 kWh, 4 metric tons of greenhouse gases, and nearly $475 for the weekend.

iSEE has ILOs planned for Nov. 12 and Dec. 3 — and Spring 2022 dates are in the works.

View a feature story and short video on ILO. Or, see the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

iSEE planned a series of events throughout October to celebrate Campus Sustainability Month.

The main attraction was Campus Sustainability Celebration on Oct. 20, at which iSEE’s new Sustainability Training Video debuted (see more details, page 6). More than 50 people attended the event at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, and more watched the livestream.

The campus community was also invited to take part in iSEE’s monthlong Waste Reduction Challenge by cutting the amount of waste sent to the landfill. Participants received a weekly grid with a point system to help track waste and any positive actions to reduce it. More details on the Challenge webpage.

Additionally, iSEE took part in Green Quad Day and hosted Illini Lights Out (see more details, page 6) and “TED Talk: Eco-Edition” (see box at left). And student groups hosted dozens of other events. More info on iSEE’s annual events webpage.

See the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

Because of the continued uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, iSEE transformed iSEE Congress Fall 2021, “Circular Food Systems,” into an online format. Congress became a series of one-hour Zoom webinars in October and November.

The eighth iSEE Congress returns to the topic of feeding the world: providing a safe, secure supply of food and fuel to an ever-increasing human population using agricultural practices that are ecologically sustainable and adaptable to climate change. Speakers were invited to offer cutting-edge thinking about advancing the sustainability of our agricultural and food systems. The sessions:

• Oct. 19: “21st Century Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture,” featuring Ken Cassman, the Robert B. Daugherty Emeritus Professor of Agronomy at the University of Nebraska; and Girish Chowdhary, Associate Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Computer Science at Illinois.
• Oct. 27: “Transforming Food Systems for a Circular Economy,” co-sponsored and co-hosted by the Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (C-FARE) and endorsed by the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). Speakers included Bruno Basso, MSU Foundation Professor of Crop Modeling and Land Use Sustainability, Michigan State University; James Jones, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Systems Modeling, University of Florida; Charles Rice, Distinguished Professor of Soil Microbiology, Kansas State University; and David Zilberman, Robinson Chair and Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California at Berkeley.
• Nov. 3: “How Can We Reduce Waste from Agricultural and Food Systems?” featuring Brian Roe, Van Buren Professor of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, Ohio State University; and Tom Theis, Professor of Civil, Materials & Environmental Engineering and Director of the Institute for Environmental Science and Policy, University of Illinois Chicago.
• Nov. 9: “Turning Agricultural Waste into Usable Products,” featuring Thomas Trabold, Research Professor at the Golisano Institute for Sustainability, Rochester Institute of Technology; and Yuanhui Zhang, Founder Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Illinois.

More details on the Congress webpage. And, see the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

Over the summer and fall, iSEE has certified...

• Two new green offices:
  • The Oak Street Library Facility Conservation Unit
  • iSEE
• One new green chapter:
  • Zeta Psi
• 17 green events:
  • ​​​​​​​Including Illini Lights Out.

See the attached file for the iQ Fall 2021 to read this article in its original form.

Attached is the link to the UIUC's participation and the Illinois e-News Release. 

https://pathways.mste.illinois.edu/curriculum/energy

Illinois e-News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2021                                Contact: Kim Biggs
                                                              217-558-1536
                                                              Kim.Biggs@illinois.gov

Illinois EPA and University of Illinois at Introduce Online Curriculum Focusing on Energy

Annual Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest to Follow Unit

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Office for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education (MSTE) have again partnered to create a new online science curriculum unit for fifth and sixth grade educators: How does a bulb light? The unit helps students explore energy, electricity use, and power sources and how they relate to climate change. The Illinois EPA’s Annual Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest theme “Get Energized About Slowing Down Climate Change!” will follow the new curriculum.

Educators, parents, and caregivers are asked to introduce these topics using the newly developed free, online curriculum. The unit is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Following the unit, students are asked to create posters or written works for the Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest related to the theme’s focus. Entries must be submitted to the Illinois EPA by February 1, 2022. Additional information on the Contest can be found at: https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/education/contest/Pages/default.aspx.

“Educators and students have faced numerous challenges as they have adapted to hybrid, remote, and in-classroom learning. It is our hope these virtual opportunities allow students to continue to grow their knowledge of the environment and the importance of protecting it,” said Illinois EPA Director John Kim. “This year’s unit is especially relevant to current events related to climate change, and we are excited to see it translated to pieces of art and written work for the upcoming Contest.”

How does a bulb light? will help students investigate the everyday phenomenon of an electric light turning on. Students will observe two strings of LED lights turn on, one being powered by battery and the other by plugging into a wall outlet. Students will record their observations and “wonderings,” which will drive the flow of the unit as students plan and carry out their own investigations to answer their questions. This will include investigating electricity production and delivery, when and how to conserve, and recent and future changes in the energy system, including changes in transportation energy demands. The curriculum is available online to teachers and parents at https://pathways.mste.illinois.edu/curriculum/energy. 

Illinois EPA is proud to again partner with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Office of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education to expand the Environmental Pathways curriculum. Earlier units developed through this partnership include “Where does my food go?” and “Why is the pond green?,” which can be found at: https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/education/Pages/pathways.aspx.

Information about all of Illinois EPA’s environmental education programs can be found at: https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/education/Pages/default.aspx, or by contacting Kristi Morris, Environmental Education Coordinator for the Illinois EPA by email at Kristi.Morris@illinois.gov.

Attachments

• Illinois EPA and University of Illinois at Introduce Online Curriculum Focusing on Energy

The University of Illinois has two submittals that are recognized as finalists for the 2021 Sustainability Awards:

• University of Illinois University Administration & University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign – Climate Action Plan Sustainability Ambassador Course
• Urbana-Champaign – UIUC Solar Farm 2.0: Ultra-Sustainable on-campus solar array

More information can be found at https://www.aashe.org/news/meet-the-2021-sustainability-award-finalists/. 

Notes from Illini Union Green Team fall meeting include:

- Raneeta Mack, specialist in social media from Illini Union's marketing team, has joined the Illini Union Green Team. 

- Planning/outreach plan for Earth Week has been dropped into "Earth Week Planning" Teams file folder.

- Izabel Carmen will attend next Student Sustainability Committee Board meeting on 11/19/21, 1PM to speak to the Earth Week programming and coordination.