iSEE invites you to a series of events throughout October to increase sustainability in our campus community. Take part in the Waste Reduction Challenge, join us for Green Quad Day (Oct. 7), or check out the first Student Sustainability Summit Research Symposium (Oct. 26)! And don’t miss the Campus Sustainability Celebration on Oct. 20. Find all the events on iSEE’s Sustainability Month Calendar!
October 1–31
iSEE is calling for proposals to support interdisciplinary research projects that tie directly to Illinois Climate Action Plan objectives. The funding enables development of preliminary data and collaborations with campus sustainability sites and projects; and preparation of external funding proposals through the Institute. Deadline Nov. 9.
iSEE Requests 'Campus as a Living Lab' Seed Fund Proposals; Deadline Nov. 9
Avery Maloto reached out to Meredith Moore to ask "I have written down that 'composting' is one of the projects you wanted for the SCC poster for the iSEE table at Green Quad Day. Would this project fall under "Vermicompost" or another project?" Meredith explained that vermicomposting is a different project and provided Avery with some NSRC Composting photos that can be found in the attached link.
https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project/compost-national-soybean-research-center-nsrc
From: Moore, Meredith Kaye
To: White, Morgan
Recipients: mbwhite at illinois.edu
Hi Morgan,
I think we should add a project page on the Portal for “Reusable To-Go Containers” under “Decrease Wasteful Practices Through Behavior Change”. Then, the “Bevier Café Reusable Carry-Out Program” project could go under the “Reusable To-Go Containers” page, and a new project can be made for “Dining Hall Reusable Carry-Out Program” along with the subsequent locations that implement similar programs. What do you think?
Thanks!
Meredith
Hi Morgan,
I have another Portal project proposition. For the Sustainability/Arts work, what do you think about a project on the Engagement page under “Build a Culture of Sustainability” called “Sustainability Art Displays”?
Thanks!
Meredith
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“There are a lot of dreamers – dreaming is very important, but it’s really the dreamer and the doer. You’ve got to be the doer.” –Will Steger
MEREDITH MOORE
Sustainability Programs Manager
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)
1101 W Peabody Drive (Suite 382), Urbana, IL, 61801
217.333.0119 | mkm0078 at illinois.edu
www.sustainability.illinois.edu
The second iSEE Waste Reduction Challenge starts on October 4!
The average individual generates around 6 pounds of waste per day, and about 40% of all waste is in the form of food. Each person disposes of approximately a ton of waste per year. Yikes!
Thank you for taking the first step to be more conscious of your personal waste output. Your actions matter. You are helping to combat climate change and to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills. We have the power to make a change.
Sign up today using this form >>>
By registering to participate, you will receive a weekly grid to fill out with the items that you throw in the garbage each day; for example, food, single-use disposable items, paper, and plastics. A point system will be used for you to keep track of your waste. The goal is to earn as few points as possible. There is also the opportunity to subtract points for positive actions. These actions will result in a subtraction from your weekly total.
At the end of each week, upload your grid and reflection to the weekly Google Form.
On Friday, September 24th the Resilience iCAP Team had their first meeting of the semester. The team reviewed the Resilience Charge Letter, discussed updates on the Hazard Mitigation Plan, Biodiversity Plan, and the Assessment of Progress. Meeting minutes are attached.
Student Meeting: Design for America Team Meeting 10/1/2021
Present: Pooja Tetali, Ananya Barman, Kosh Raghavarapu, Anisha Narain, Meredith Moore, Eric Greene, Stacy Gloss
About DFA:
Design for America is national nonprofit and a campus RSO that meets on Sundays to talk about Design Thinking principals. This is one DFA Team out of 5 Teams part of the RSO. There are 30-ish people w/ a 6 person exec board locally. Exec board helps keep track and teaches design thinking. Interviewing skills. Ideation. One project was: Racism Un-taught, working with professor to interview RSOs about a standard/playbook/rule book to minimize racism within RSOs. Another was working with Illinois Department of Health App for breastfeeding people. Projects vary between technical and research.
This team meets once a week. They are happy to meet once a week or every 2 weeks. They have a couple hours to respond to emails and put together documents, so a few hours a week each. DFA projects typically last 1 year, academic year through May.
The topics they are interested in are environmental racism, campus/community relations, campus/university effect/impact on communities, environmental science, collection action & collaboration. Two members worked on transportation system mapping in US previously and had been connected to iCAP goals / campus transportation goals.
Potential Project Opportunities:
Initial Research for Environmental Justice Planning.
The initial research will help to inform the planning that goes into developing an Environmental Justice Plan. The project will eventually lead to a road map or planning document to guide the campus EJP.
Green Infrastructure Mapping:
Tasks:
Schedule a follow-up meeting and communicate via email between meetings. Students will need to select the project they are interested in and report how they feel they can best contribute to the project(s).
On Friday, October 1 the Zero Waste iCAP Team had their first meeting of the semester! The team discussed progress on last year's recommendations, zero waste initiatives from F&S, and the iCAP Objective Assessment for Zero Waste. Meeting minutes are attached.
SSC received semester report for Spring 2021 for Greener Campus Programs on 10/1/2021. Please see attached.
SSC received semester report for Spring 2021 for Preventing Window Strike Bird Fatalities with Energy Efficient Window Decals on 9/9/2021. Please see attached.
SSC received semester report for Spring 2021 for Diversion of Non-Recyclable Plastic using Pyrolysis Process to Produce Fuels for Camps project on 9/3/2021. Please see attached.
SSC received semester report for Spring 2021 for Valorizing Archived Soild and Long Term Carbon Budgets project on 9/12/2021. Please see attached.
Sinead Soltis checked in with students of ENG 177 to find out more about their project. The students explained that the project concerns increasing the use of aerodynamic elements on trucks to make transportation more efficient. They are going to do this by informing the trucking companies of the economic and environmental benefits of adding aerodynamic structures, such as side skirts, to their trucks, at the Dixie Truck Stop in McLean, IL. Morgan White, Sinead Soltis, and Abby Culloton (lead for the University to obtain affiliate status) will be accompanying them to the truck stop.
The October 2021 edition of the Urban Wood Update is attached:
https://d38rqs2egh08o4.cloudfront.net/browser_preview/rCqb45L8Z6_jn6oC
Meredith Moore, Morgan White and Stacy Gloss met for the weekly check-in on resilience work.
Agenda:
Notes:
SSC received final report for Spring 2021 for Local Grains and Locally Processed Foods for Dining Services project on 09/27/2021. Please see attached.
On September 30, 2021, Sarthak and Sutapa met with F&S-TDM, F&S Grounds, F&S FIR, and faculty from the Urban Planning department to keep everyone updated regarding the Walkability Audit. The Survey Questionnaire and Deficiency report drafts were discussed and sent out for perusal and inputs to everyone involved in the project. Inputs are expected by October 11, 2021 to move forward with finalizing the drafts.
The Transportation iCAP team met via zoom from 9:00 A.M.-10:30 A.M. on Wednesday, September 29th. This meeting featured an update on proposed telecommuting policies from Doctor James Gallaher, discussions on the iCAP Objectives Assessment and iCAP celebration, and a general review of the goals and projects of the committee.
