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Project Updates for collection: Student Sustainability Committee Funded Projects

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  1. Article: Rapid Decline of News Coverage for Pollinators

    Associated Project(s): 
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas
    Bee Campus USA

    Craig Chamberlain, a Social Sciences Editor for Illinois News Bureau, released an article highlighting the lack of coverage dedicated to bees in mainstream news. Supporting his article with a study from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, it was found that the amount of attention dedicated to "pollinator population topics" has significantly declined over several decades.

    Read Chamberlain's article through Illinois News Bureau or the PDF in the attached files!

    Attached Files: 

  2. controls on HVAC units - note

    Associated Project(s): 
    Occupancy and Daylight Sensors

    I would note that the room level controls at the National Soybean Research Center have been upgraded to DDC in the past year.  We plan to do this in the ACES Library in 2021.  We have invested in Turner Hall w/ control upgrades and RCx work. The Ag Engineering building saw a recent project last year to upgrade to DDC controls and replace VAV boxes.  ~Karl Helmink, F&S RCx, january 2021

  3. Weekly Update - Word of mouth, Bike donations

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Pretty slow around these parts—per usual for this time of year.

    A story: A gentleman comes in on Wednesday looking for bikes. We get to talking and he’s volunteered at Working Bikes (the org we give abandoned bikes to) up in Chicago, he knows his way around a wrench. He buys a nice road bike and that was that. An hour later, he brings a friend back; she signs up for a membership. Two days later, same guy is back with another friend; he buys a membership, too. Says they’ll both be back on Monday to work on a bike. Word of mouth really is the best marketing.

    This week I’ll still be processing the donations from the kids bike event that were not kids bikes. We got a lot of adult-sized bikes that aren’t worth saving, unfortunately.
    The numbers:

    Visitors: 11
    Sales: $254
    Memberships: 2 for $60
    Misc: $4

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Manager

  4. Tests Performed for Illinois Biodiesel Initiative's Quality Control

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI)

    As provided by Allison Narlock, the current quality control lead for Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI), IBI performs a series of standard tests for every batch. The tests, with the ASTM test number, are the following (in no particular order:)

    • Acid Number: D974
    • Water and Sediment: D2709
    • Flash Point: D93 (D6450), we use the closed cup method
    • Oxidative Stability: D2274
    • Visual Inspection: D4176
    • Cold Soak: D7501
    • Cloud Point: D2500

    For each test, results are recorded to provide information as needed.

     

  5. Call2Recycle FY2020 Report: Collection of Batteries and Cell Phones

    Associated Project(s): 
    Battery Recycling

    The attached files highlight the battery and cell phone collection efforts conducted from 01/01/2020 to 12/31/2020. These reports include valuable information such as the pounds collected, breakdown by chemistry, growth rates, and collected trends over a 3-year time period.

    Attached Files: 

  8. Weekly Update: Happy New Year, Kids bike giveaway

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Happy New Year! The final week of the semester—and the two weeks preceding it—were a whirl of kid bike prep for our event, which took place on December 19th.
    Here’s a story CI Living did on the event:  https://www.wcia.com/ciliving-2/the-bike-project-hosts-kids-bike-giveaway/
    We gave away 40+ bikes in less than half an hour and our community really came through in providing those donations on such a short time frame.
    This week will be a lot of cleaning and organizing—kids bike parts are strewn every which way as we hustled to get the bikes finished—and an inventory once-over to see where we stand on parts and bikes.
    Thanks!
    The numbers:

    Visitors: 7
    Sales: $19

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Manager

  9. Some Coal Plants in Illinois to be shut down

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build Resilience with Our Local Community
    Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS)

    From: https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/electric-...

    The company also announced its next phase of coal plant closures in Illinois and Ohio with a combined capacity of more than 6.8 GW, by 2027. The plan has the following timeline:

    • End of 2022: Edwards Power plant, Bartonville, Illinois, 585 MW, in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator.
    • End of 2025: Baldwin Power Plant, Baldwin, Illinois, 1,185 MW; Joppa Power Plant, Joppa, Illinois, 1,002 MW (plus 239 MW of gas turbines), both in MISO.
    • End of 2027: Newton Power Plant, Newton, Illinois, 615 MW, in MISO; and Kincaid Power plant, Kincaid, Illinois, 1,108 MW, Miami Fort Power Plant, North Bend, Ohio, 1,020 MW, and Zimmer Power Plant, Moscow, Ohio, 1,300 MW, all three in the PJM Interconnection.

    "These plants, especially those operating in the irreparably dysfunctional MISO market, remain economically challenged," Vistra said in a Sept. 29 statement. "Today's retirement announcements are also prompted by upcoming Environmental Protection Agency filing deadlines, which require either significant capital expenditures for compliance or retirement declarations."

  10. Updated list of needed student projects

    Associated Project(s): 
    Independent Student Projects
    Tree Campus Higher Education
    Champaign County Sustainability Network (CCNet) [ARCHIVED]

    This is a list of projects that need students to work on.  It will be updated periodically by sustainability staff members, the last update was 1/2/21:

    • Tree Canopy Analysis: Work with F&S staff to complete a GIS analysis of the university's tree canopy, in support of the Tree Campus USA designation. This will include comparison to peer institutions and a presentation of the results and methodology to the Tree Campus Advisory Committee. Depending on time availability, it can also include an analysis of the local tree canopy, off campus. Contact Morgan White at mbwhite at illinois.edu.
    • CCNet Website: Work with the Champaign County Sustainability Network (CCNet) leadership team to redesign and publish the CCNet website (old version is online at http://www.champaigncountynet.org/). There is a monthly brown bag sustainability networking event on the Third Thursday of each month, but the website hasn't been updated since 2016. Contact Morgan White at mbwhite at illinois.edu.
    • If you have a project idea, please contact us at sustainability@illinois.edu, or submit it through the iCAP Portal Suggestions page.

  11. Monthly water usages totals now available for the BIF

    Associated Project(s): 
    BIF Greywater Pipe System

    Monthly totals for water consumption in the greywater pipes at the Business Instructional Facility have now been added to the corresponding iCAP portal page. In the future, totals will be updated upon request. Send requests through the Suggestions form on the iCAP Portal.

    See the attached spreadsheet to find the daily totals from Mid-October 2019 to November 2020. Vales are listed in gallons, measured per year as the overall usage.

    Attached Files: 

  12. 12/18 Zero Waste SWATeam Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Large-Scale Food Waste Composting
    Increase Recycling through the WTS
    Reuse Surplus Goods and Valuable "Waste"
    Develop Sustainable Purchasing Policies
    Sustainable Procurement Reports
    Sustainable Procurement Reports
    Grind2Energy

    Attached are the meeting minutes from the Zero Waste SWATeam on 12/18/2020. The following agenda items were discussed:

    • Grind2Energy Additional Scope.
    • NERC membership.
    • Mask Terracycle Program.
    • Organics Master Plan.
    • Vending Machine Single-Use Plastics Replacement.
    • Mitigating single-serve options in third-party vendors in Union.
    • Reusable dining operations during COVID.
    • Reuse of Surplus Goods.
    • Battery Recycling Options.
    • Purchasing Order Fufillment: Sustainable Options.
    • Purchasing Sustainability Digital Booklet.
    • Food Waste Reduction Webinar Engagement Opportunity.
    • Sustainability Integrations within punch-out catalogues/iBUY.
    Attached Files: 

  13. Funding Award: Living Lab Platform for CIF geothermal

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal at the Campus Instructional Facility (CIF)
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The SSC approved $9,318.16 in funding in Fall 2020 for a Living Lab Platform at the CIF. This project expires 12/16/2022.

    Attached Files: 

  14. Re-Home Wall Rehab and Siding

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Solar Decathlon
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The SSC approved $60,000 in funding for re-home wall rehab and siding in Fall 2020. The project expires 12/16/2022.

    Attached Files: 

  16. Sol Systems Blog about SEE Fellows student project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Sustainability Minor
    Independent Student Projects

    Sol Systems published a blog today sharing information about the collaborations with the UIUC Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Fellows program, the campus-wide minor in sustainability.  

    "This past week, two groups of students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign presented to Sol Systems regarding their findings through the university’s sustainability minor capstone course. The students conducted an emissions audit for supply chain and land-usage for the university’s second utility-scale solar project, Solar Farm 2.0, a 54-acre, 12.3 MW dc system on the Urbana campus that is being developed by Sol Systems. The presentation and partnership served as part of Sol’s sustainability initiatives and acts as the foundation for building Sol’s framework for future and current solar project developments...."

    Read the full post online at https://www.solsystems.com/groundwork-for-solar-sustainability/. 

  17. Weekly Update: WCIA interview, Kids bike giveaway

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Last Monday WCIA came by the Bike Center and interviewed me for our Kids Bike Giveaway event. Made the evening news! We got one call from a woman in Tuscola, a man from Danville, and a woman emailed from Springfield, all referenced the news story.
    Accordingly, we’re in full-on kids bike mode: student staff are fixing them, I’m fielding phone calls and emails, people are dropping them off nearly every day we’re open and sometimes even when we’re not.
    I think we’re at around 20 bikes and we should probably get to 30 by week’s end between both shops.
    This week we’ll continue prepping for the Bike Giveaway event, mostly logistical items like signage, set up, and keep fixing them.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 11

    Sales: $215
    Bike (refurb): 1 for $160
    Tires/tubes: 4 for $39

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Manager

  18. Daily Illini article about impacts of covid-19 on iCAP

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan
    Sustainability Council
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Encourage Telecommuting
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Improve Space Utilization
    Off-campus Solar Farm 3.0 PPA
    Geothermal on Campus
    Carbon Capture

    The Daily Illini published an article about the impacts of covid-19 on the campus sustainability efforts. One key message is that, even with some delays associated with the pandemic, we are still determined to move forward.  The conclusion of the article says: 

    Mohamed Attalla, executive director of Facilities and Services, said there are lots of initiatives to reach carbon neutrality in terms of energy and hopes to reach 400,000 metric tons of CO2 this year.

    Attalla said the addition of a third solar farm, advances in geothermal energy and research in carbon capture contribute to achieving carbon neutrality and that long-term, COVID-19 should not be a problem.

    “Maybe we’re behind a little in implementing some projects, but we’ll be able to catch up,” he said. “I don’t think there will be a long-term impact on the iCAP implementation.”

    White also said she doesn’t anticipate any long-term problems with achieving the iCAP goals and believes it’s important for the University to lead by example when it comes to sustainability.

    “I really believe that accomplishing the iCAP goals is something we can do, we need to do and we will do,” she said. 

    “Climate change isn’t waiting for us,” Edwards said. “(The University is) the laboratory for science, for humanities, for arts …  all those kinds of things show what is possible of humanity.”

    “If we’re going to call ourselves leaders, then we need to lead,” he said.

    https://dailyillini.com/covid-10/2020/12/08/covid-19-pandemic-impacts-un...

     

  20. Weekly Update: Kids Bike Giveaway, WCIA interview

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Last week was our first one with “regular” open hours again. I’d guess we had about the same number of people coming by as we did under our reservation system but it was certainly less leg work.
    Our main push for the next few weeks will be our Kids Bike Giveaway. The particulars:


    Date: Saturday, December 19th
    Time: 1 – 3p or until we run out of bikes
    Location: Urbana Bike Project (202 S Broadway Ave., Urbana)
    Details: first come, first served; one bike per kid and they must be present to pick out their bike.

     

    We are still in need of donations but just through emailing our membership we’ve heard from 3 – 4 people with bikes to donate.  WCIA is calling me later today to discuss, so hopefully we’ll get on the news. I’ve done lots of submitting to various media outlets. I’ll be focusing on getting the word out on the need for donations this week and focus on doing the bulk of the refurbishing next week. If successful TBP has expressed interest in making this an annual event. We’ll see!

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 6
    Sales: $165.50

    Memberships: 2 for $60
    Tires/tubes: 4 for $12

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Manager

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