2019 MTD Ridership Study Final Report
Associated Project(s):
Please read the 2019 MTD Ridership Study Final Report prepared by Dr. Bumsoo Lee and his team.
Attached Files:
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Project Updates for collection: 2015 iCAP Objectives
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Funding Approval for Energy Advisor for Solar Farm 3.0
Associated Project(s):Mohamed Attalla and Evan DeLucia approved $17,000 of funding from the Carbon Credit Sales Fund for an Energy Advisor for Solar Farm 3.0, Customer First Renewables.
An email of the approval is attached below.
air travel data
Associated Project(s):The dollars spent dollars spent from TEM for faculty/staff air travel from FY19 is attached.
Attached Files:Zero Waste SWATeam Meeting: 17 April 2020
Associated Project(s):Attached are the meeting minutes of the Zero Waste SWATeam meeting on 17 April 2020.
The agenda is as follows:
Review SP20 Recommendations
Review iCAP 2020 Draft Chapter
Discuss vending machine alternatives
- Purchasing (A. Finder)
- Alternative options (L. Liebenberg & R. McKim)
Attached Files:Tree Campus USA Celebration - Zoom Meeting
Associated Project(s):Thank you to everyone who joined us live or watches later on the CCNet Facebook page! We enjoyed a great turnout for the Tree Campus USA Celebration, with about 35 people on the Zoom call and a reach of 365 on Facebook.
This event included a review of the five years that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been designated as a Tree Campus USA, by Brent Lewis. Senior in Integrative Biology student, Maddie Smith, presented the results of her diversity analysis for the campus' urban forest, and the F&S Tree Surgeons, Dustin Reifsteck and Sky Drewes, answered tree-related questions. At the end of the hour, community announcements included Arbor Day and Earth Month events coming up.
Celebrate National Arbor Day next week on April 24, 2020!
Links from announcements and presentation
- CCNet's Facebook video of Tree Campus USA Celebration: https://www.facebook.com/champaigncountynetwork/videos/1441155552752583/
- CCNet's Sign Up for the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/g8IM
- The U of I Extension offers an excellent resources for tree health questions. You can take a clipping from your tree to the clinic on the 4th floor of Turner Hall, run by Diane Plewa. Visit the plant clinic: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/plantclinic/.
- Red Oak Rain Garden (RORG): https://redoakraingarden.org/
- “Smile and say, TREES!”: Arbor Day Celebration (photos due April 19): https://www.facebook.com/events/3104423876237096/
- C-U on Earth Day community event: https://cuearthday2020.wixsite.com/event
- Climate Science in a Fact-Free World: Keeling Lecture 2020: https://www.facebook.com/events/216025282792996/
- April iCAP Celebration and Forum Livestream: https://www.facebook.com/events/3042436352483573/
The event concluded with a round of thanks, and several were captured in the chat log.
12:56:43 From Eliana Brown : Thank you to the Grounds Dept!
12:58:28 From Samantha Fisher : Thank you for this presentation! I really enjoy your monthly presentations.
13:00:02 From Stacy Gloss : Thanks CCNET for a great presentation today. Awesome collaborative effort. Everyone have a great day!
13:00:33 From ekamarah : Thank you everyone for these interesting presentations and conversations. Have a great day.
13:00:37 From Brent Lewis : Yes, thank you everyone!
13:00:49 From Eliana Brown : Thank you, everyone! Great job!
13:01:08 From pattsi : Stay well everyone
13:01:12 From Marya Ryan : Yes, great presentations! So glad to reconnect with CCNet after a few years away.
13:01:24 From Miranda Vieson : Thanks!
13:01:25 From Marcus Ricci : It was a great presentation, with all of the different presenters nicely tying in to the theme. The Q&A was cool.
13:01:26 From Jenna Kurtzweil : Thanks, everyone!!
13:01:26 From Kate Gardiner : Love CCNet, thanks Morgan!Attached Files:Everyday Environment Webinar Series
Associated Project(s):University of Illinois Extension's Energy & Environmental Stewardship Team presents the "Everyday Environment Webinar Series." Learn about natural resources and how to make small changes in your lifestyle to positively impact your environment. From lawn care and native plants to understanding coyote behavior and more, there is always something new to learn about your everyday environment.
April 9–June 25, 1–2 PM • Every Thursday Erin Garrett • Cooperative Extension Service
Everyday Environment Webinar Series
Join us for weekly sessions on environmental topics presented by University of Illinois Extension's Energy & Environmental Stewardship Team! These webinars will both provide new information on natural resources and help you learn how to make small changes in your lifestyle to have a positive impact on the environment. From lawn care, native plants, and managing home waste to understanding coyote behavior and atmospheric optics, there is never a shortage of new things to learn about your everyday environment. See flyer for more details.
The schedule of webinars is below and registration is free! Please register for each individual webinar you are interested in attending at their respective registration link.
Sky Spectacles
April 9, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time
Join us and learn why we see a blue sky; why twilight is longer near the poles; and what sun dogs, halos, mirages, and other atmospheric optics are. Presenter: Duane Friend.
Coyotes
April 16, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time
Coyotes have to be one of the most misunderstood species in Illinois. Cunning, social, resilient, opportunistic, faithful, adaptive, shy, successful, hated, inspirational: those words have all been used to describe coyotes. They conjure up mixed feelings of fear, anger, and for some, wild beauty. Coyotes are often blamed for many things they do and do not do. Nonetheless, they might be worthy the title of best survivalist despite the human population. Presenter: Peggy Doty.
Planting for the Pollinators
April 23, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time
How can you support pollinators in your yard? Learn what types of pollinators you can attract to your yard and discover the right native plants attract butterflies, native bees, moths, and more. Presenter: Erin Garrett.
Natural Lawn Care Part 1: Assessment
April 30, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time
Assess the health and prepare for environmentally-friendly lawns. Participants will learn tools and techniques to better assess lawn so as they make an informed natural lawn care plan. Presenters: Abigail Garofalo, Gemini Bhalsod, and Allison Neubauer.
Natural Lawn Care Part 2: Strategies
May 7, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time
Learn strategies to understand your lawn, as well as learn tools to create a natural lawn care action plan. Presenters: Abigail Garofalo, Gemini Bhalsod, and Allison Neubauer.
Managing Waste in the Home
May 14, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time
Have you ever thought about how much trash your household generates? Learn about the management of municipal solid waste in the US, materials that can be recycled or composted, locating recycling and composting facilities near you, and strategies for decreasing household waste. Presenter: Ashley Belle.
Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy Biennial Report
May 21, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time
How is water quality in Illinois? The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy guides the state's efforts to improve water quality at home and downstream by reducing nitrogen and phosphorus levels in our lakes, streams, and rivers. The strategy lays out a comprehensive suite of best management practices for reducing nutrient loads from wastewater treatment plants and urban and agricultural runoff. Learn how the strategy has progressed. Presenters: Eliana Brown, Kate Gardiner, Haley Haverback, Jennifer Woodyard.
All About Clouds
June 25, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time
See various types of clouds, including unique clouds only seen in a few locations and what weather is expected with each variety. Presenter: Duane Friend.
Car Culture and Climate Change: A Student Op-Ed
Associated Project(s):
Student Op-Ed: Car Culture and Climate Change
In this opinion piece, undergraduate Shelby Job uses the U of I as a case study to examine the impact of efforts to limit automobile use and enourage biking, walking and public transit on America's "car culture" — especially in lower- and middle-class communities.
"Although the campus’ lack of accessibility by automobile might feel like a constraint on individual freedom, using infrastructure to encourage active modes of transportation may be the way forward as we search for solutions to the climate crisis," Job writes.
But higher parking rates and the scarcity of parking overall raise the question of whether manipulating road systems will lead to a car culture that is only accessible to socioeconomic elites, she writes. "If municipalities begin to restrict auto travel by cutting down on the amount of affordable parking, then the face of an area's car culture is likely to change in a way that excludes those of lower socioeconomic standing."
The op-ed was originally written for a course in iSEE's Certificate in Environmental Writing (CEW
SOLAR FARM LANDSCAPE BUFFER
Associated Project(s):SOLAR FARM LANDSCAPE BUFFER
F&S representatives shared detailed designs for the pollinator supportive landscape buffer along the future Solar Farm 2.0 site to the Village of Savoy. Village leaders were pleased with the design plans and thanked us for being responsive to their neighborly request. When completed, this site will serve as a demonstration for pollinator-friendly solar arrays, following the requirements of the Pollinator Friendly Solar Site Act (Illinois Pub. Act 100-1022). Solar Farm 2.0 will produce approximately 20,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually, and will generate the equivalent electricity use of more than 2,000 average American homes.Transportation SWATeam Meeting: 30 March 2020
Associated Project(s):Attached are the meeting minutes from the Transportation SWATeam meeting on 30 March 2020.
The Agenda is as follows:
Recommendations Review
- (M. Hubbard) Support CMP by increasing pedestrian safety by reevaluating current pedestrian routes and conducting traffic studies.
- (S. Prasad) Zip-cars continuity: continue to serve at popular locations and set up a system to maintain Zip-car presence (two options are to set up a fund to pay for Zip-car parking spaces or ask Parking not to charge the department).
- (J. Cidell) UI Ride Survey
- (J. Cidell) Teleconferencing assessment
- (Y. Ouyang) Faculty/Staff Vanpool Survey
April Agenda
- iCAP 2020 Transportation Chapter Review
Attached Files:Zero Waste SWATeam Meeting: 27 March 2020
Associated Project(s):Attached are the meeting minutes from the Zero Waste SWATeam meeting on 27 March 2020.
The agenda is as follows:
March Formal Recommendations
- America To Go Catering Sustainability Criteria
- Aluminum Vending Machine Replacement
- Student Sustainability Ambassadors
April Agenda
Recommendations for next round of submissions?
- Any pertinent topics?
- Staff/faculty Ethics training update?
Attached Files:Trans010 Mode Switch Survey - Successful
Associated Project(s):The Transportation SWATeam made the recommendation below, which was transmitted to iSEE and approved at an iSEE Management Meeting. Meredith Moore is in communication with Julie Cidell regarding moving forward with this initiative.
"The Transportation SWATeam kindly requests the creation of a survey which would question faculty and staff who travel out of town for conferences or other university-sponsored activities on their decided mode of transportation. This survey would be voluntary and facilitated by the Transportation SWATeam. An example of a question would be something like: 'In the past year, what has been the main reason for the travel you selected?'"
See the submittal of Trans010 Mode Switch Survey here.
See the recommendation for the Trans010 Mode Switch Survey here.
For future updates, see the Reduce Driving on Campus project here.
Restoring the Ecology of Stone Prairie Farm
Associated Project(s):Mr. Apfelbaum will tell us about his life-long project to restore his land on the border of Wisconsin, taking it back to its original state, before the changes brought about by farming, described in detail in his book Nature’s Second Chance. Having carried out ecological restorations world-wide, he is presently working in Urbana, restoring the Stone Creek golf course to its natural state.
March 12, 6:30 PM • Stone Creek Golf Club (Formerly known as Attie's), 2560 Stonecreek Blvd Urbana, IL
Amanda Christenson • Cooperative Extension Service
Status update from WEF Design Team Co-Captain
Associated Project(s):Justin Chen, from the University of Illinois joint student chapter of the Water Enviroment Federation-American Water Works, and the rest of his design team have been hard at work this school year!
Some project updates via the co-captian:
- Chose project topic: Green Infrastructure Solutions for Veterinary Medicine Facility Flooding
- Made team site visit to Vet Med, surveyed areas for potential green infrastructure applications
- Came up with preliminary ideas on solutions and locations for implementation
- Conducted research on past green infrastructure projects to establish a base understanding of the options available
Click here to find out more and how you can become involved with WEF!
Transportation SWATeam Meeting: 9 March 2020
Associated Project(s):Attached are the meeting minutes from the Transportation SWATeam meeting on 9 March 2020.
The Agenda is as follows:
Recommendations Selection
- Support CMP by increasing pedestrian safety by reevaluating current pedestrian routes and conducting traffic studies.
- Zip-Car Continuity
- UI Ride Survey
- Teleconferencing Assessment
- Faculty/Staff Vanpool Survey
- Identify Campus Intersections and Mid-block Crossings with high potential for crashes, and develop/implement design improvement strategies.
Future Recommendations
- Working with MTD to promote better bus service to Research Park and I Hotel
- Establish a University of Illinois Foundation fund to support campus efforts to reduce and within ~10 years eliminate use of fossil fuel.
- Sustainable Asphalt Binders
Attached Files:archived info - previous project description
Associated Project(s):In order to reach the iCAP objective of 25,000 MWh/year of solar energy by FY25, additional panels will need to be installed. Large scale, ground mounted panels appear to be the least expensive route towards achieving the FY25 objective.
iSEE Awards Levenick Teaching Sustainability Fellowships
Associated Project(s):iSEE is pleased to announce that eight instructors have been named 2020-21 Levenick iSEE Teaching Sustainability Fellows.
Funded by a generous endowment from Illinois Alumnus Stuart L. Levenick and his wife Nancy J. Levenick, this second cohort of faculty and teachers from across the University of Illinois campus (and one from University Laboratory High School) will incorporate sustainability into existing classes or create entirely new courses built around sustainability elements.Associate Director for Education & Outreach Gillen D’Arcy Wood said applications nearly doubled for the Levenick iSEE Teaching Sustainability program this year, a positive sign of a growing program — and growing interest in adding sustainability thinking in all academic units.
The 2020-21 cohort and the courses they will undertake:
- Alison Anders, Associate Professor of Geography, “GIS for Geology and Environmental Science”;
- Kim Curtis, Adjunct Lecturer in Theatre, “Theater Design and Production”;
- Sean Kennedy, Assistant Professor of Urban + Regional Planning, “Food and the City”;
- Eleftheria Kontou, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, “Urban Transportation Models”;
- Daniel Schneider, Professor of Urban + Regional Planning, “FAA 230: Sustainable Design of the Built Environment”;
- Andrew Stillwell, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, “ECE 330: Green Electric Energy”;
- Chiara Vincenzi, Adjunct Instructor in Art + Design, ” ARTS 321: Sustainable Fashion Development & Branding”; and
- Andrew Wilson, Teaching Associate in Social Studies at Uni High, “World History”.
Read more about the Fellows and their projects >>>
The Levenick iSEE Teaching Sustainability Fellowship program consists of four elements to help the 2020-21 Fellows best incorporate sustainability into their courses:
- a retreat for developing lesson plans, held in Spring 2020 and available via teleconference for interested instructors from other U of I campuses;
- summer feedback from iSEE and sustainability subject matter experts;
- a fall progress check-in; and
- a Spring 2021 debriefing, at which time the cohort will meet the newly named 2021-22 Fellows.
solar on parking estimated costs
Associated Project(s):Good morning Morgan,
I have gathered the numbers that correspond to an acre of solar cover.
The estimate is that an acre of solar canopy could generate 760,536 kWh annually (this estimate takes into account the weather patterns of our location and possible shading/system inefficiencies).
I remember you saying that right now the University pays $0.05 per kWh. Our solar farms are charged $0.045 per kWh that they generate. This means that $0.005 is saved for every kWh generated. That can be used to estimate that an acre of solar canopy would save roughly $3,800 per year.
I thought that I would also include the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s estimate for what a solar retailer would charge per kWh of electricity in our area: $0.036. This would mean that $0.014 could be saved per kWh on a solar canopy system, or roughly $10,650 per acre.
Let me know what else I can find,
Ryan Day
CNG notes from Pete Varney
Associated Project(s):1. Would the University be willing to convert some of their vehicle fleet to CNG? If so, how many?
a. The fleet is managed at the department/college level. Each unit purchases their own vehicles. F&S would be a prime entity willing to acquire CNG vehicles as part of a normal replacement cycle. Perhaps 8-12 vehicles annually.
2. What are the pros and cons of using CNG in campus trucks vs cars?
a. The use of CNG is more focused on how the vehicle is used rather than type. Most “cars” are used for travel out of the local area where CNG fueling would pose challenges. Most F&S “trucks” are exclusively used on campus where CNG fueling would be centralized
Map the System 2020 Social Innovation Challenge
Associated Project(s):Map the System 2020 Social Innovation Challenge
Encourage students to register for Map the System 2020, a global competition that will challenge them to think differently about social and environmental change. Teams develop systems-level thinking, research, presentation, and changemaking skills and pitch at the campus semi-final for a chance to win a funded trip to compete for cash prizes at the University of Oxford Global Final in the UK.
February 5, 5 pm • Registration Deadline
Valeri Werpetinski • Origin Ventures Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership
Pollinator Friendly at Illinois
Associated Project(s):University Landscape Architect, Brent Lewis, provided an overview of recent efforts to make the U of I campus more pollinator friendly at the CCNet brown bag lunch this month. Topics included:
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program
- Living Learning Labs
- Facilities Standards / Green Infrastructure
- Bee Campus USA designation
- Solar Farm 2.0 plantings
- Landscape Master Plan
You can watch his presentation on Facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/champaigncountynetwork/videos/512740266019591/. Join the CCNet Mailing List to stay informed about Champaign County sustainability efforts and to meet local sustainability professionals, like Brent.
Attached Files:
