The iCAP 2020 objective 8.7 is to "Establish a local offsets program by FY24." The responsible campus unit for championing this objective is iSEE.
We are pursuing local carbon offset programs, in part to mitigate greenhouse gases (GHG) generated as a result of university air travel but primarily as a way to educate faculty and staff about air emissions.
The 2015 iCAP, chapter 3, objective 4, is "Offset all emissions from the National Petascale Computing Facility (and other successor facilities) by the conclusion of the current period of National Science Foundation support." Petascale is under the purview of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), reporting to the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Research.
The Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation’s Net Zero Energy Building Program will award grants to new construction or retrofit projects that achieve site net zero energy performance, or better, over the course of a year. Buildings must, at a minimum, offset all of their energy consumption with on-site generation from renewable resources. Grants will be paid incrementally, with full payment contingent on actual performance.
The 2015 iCAP, chapter 7, objective 1 is "Perform a comprehensive assessment of GHG emissions from agricultural operations, and develop a plan to reduce them, by the end of FY16." This assessment should include the identification or development of an agricultural emissions calculator that can be used on an annual basis to estimate related GHG emissions, along with the identification of the appropriate group of stakeholders in the relevant units who would annually provide the required i
The Student Sustainability Committee funded the design and installation of a small solar PV array on the Speech and Hearing Sciences Building. This particular location was chosen due to its viability, visibility, and location near the heart of campus. The roof was found to be strong enough to hold a ballasted solar array, and a design was completed. That design is available here in PDF format and can be pursued, if desired.
The ECBS SWATeam has been looking into the option of creating a Certified Green Labs Program, to match and augment the Certified Green Office Program.
The campus needs funding for solar installations in order to meet the 2015 iCAP objective for on-campus solar generation. An account should be set up with the University of Illinois Foundation for interested supporters to donate to campus solar efforts.
Printer cartridges come in many varieties, and so do the recycling options. Because these items are considered consumable supplies, they don’t have the same stringent state regulations over disposal that equipment does. The university has the right to dispose of waste stream items like this in the most economical and prudent manner. There is not currently a university-wide recycling program for printer/toner cartridges, so departments are encouraged to identify the best option for their program. Here are some possibilities:
The Bicycle Coordinator should partner with local police enforcement, safety educators, and advocacy groups to produce an educational pamphlet for motorists about how to drive safely with bikes. Many of the 'share the road' principals and concepts can be included, as well as technical legal requirements (like 3' passing laws) and helpful explanations, perhaps in a Q&A format.
