iSEE is excited to host a TED Talk: Eco-Edition series. Together, participants will view a TED Talk, followed by a guided discussion and roundtable. Everyone is welcome to attend. Learn, discuss, and connect with peers in a casual, social setting. Grab your favorite snack and get comfortable! Topic and hosts will vary each month.

So much plastic is thrown away each year that putting it all together creates enough material to circle the Earth four times. Ouch. More than 99 percent of plastics come from chemicals derived from fossil fuels (petrochemicals), and only about 9 percent of plastic is recycled for reuse. Approximately 500,000 straws are thrown away each day. It is estimated that each American generates 185 pounds of plastic each year.

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 being 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.

In connection with the Resilient Landscape Strategy and the Illinois Climate Action Plan, this project is aimed at enhancing one of the few water features on campus—the Dorner Drive Retention Pond.  This rainwater collection site is also a destination for several students who like to picnic on the side of the pond, and it is immediately adjacent to the Red Oak Rain Garden (RORG). This project is to renew the Dorner Drive pond and incorporate native plants throughout the surrounding area, to enhance the sustainability and increase wildlife habitat.

The iCAP objective #6.1 is: Broaden the availability of sustainability education across the entire curriculum, beginning with first-year student orientation and continuing through commencement, with at least one of four proposed methods implemented by FY24. 

The iCAP 2020 objective 9.3 is to "Incorporate the iCAP in the next campus Strategic Plan." The responsible campus unit for championing this objective is the Office of the Chancellor.

The iCAP is focused on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's efforts and plans to meet the Climate Leadership Commitments signed by this University's Chancellor.  These include becoming carbon neutral as soon as possible and building resilience to climate change with our local communities: Urbana, Champaign, and Savoy.  As part of our larger vision to impact global climate change, and with input from our on-campus stakeholders, the 2020 iCAP includes an objective to support a change that is beyond our university's direct authority.  Thus, the 

The iCAP 2020 objective 7.5 is to "Support programs to develop love of nature and sustainability among children, with an annual Youth Sustainability Summit led by local teenagers with guidance and mentoring from campus and community sustainability leaders." The responsible campus unit for championing this objective is UI Extension.

The iCAP 2020 objective 7.4 is to "Incorporate sustainability-related problem solving in the GivePulse system for public engagement, and track local collaborations for sustainable solutions. Increase local collaborations by 10% per year from FY22 to FY24." The responsible campus unit for championing this objective is iSEE.

The iCAP 2020 objective 7.2 is that "The Illini Union and Illini Union Board commit to 80% of their events qualifying as sustainable by FY24." The responsible campus unit for championing this objective is the Illini Union.