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  1. update from Ben McCall

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    2015 Illinois Climate Action Plan (2015 iCAP) [ARCHIVED]
    Sustainability Council

    Dear iWG Members,

    Attached is the complete "Version 2" of the 2015 iCAP, which I have just sent out to the SWATeams.  I'd be grateful if you could look through the document and think about what, if any, big picture topics we should plan to discuss at our meeting next week...and then please drop me an email with your suggestions.

    By the way, our first Sustainability Council meeting yesterday was a great success -- thanks in large part to all of your help in targeting the level of the presentation.  I heard indirectly that the Chancellor and the VCR both thought the presentation was just at the right level of detail, and the entire group seemed to be engaged in the process.

    Thanks again for all of your help,

    Ben

    <<link to SWATeam message>>

    Attached Files: 

  2. Big10 Unplugged

    Associated Project(s): 
    Eco-Olympics

    Hello Big Ten Unplugged!

    I registered our group today with the following schools and tentative dates:

    • UNL - Nebraska tentative dates are Feb 25 - Mar 17
    • Penn State tentative dates are Mar 16 - Apr 6
    • University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign tentative dates are Feb 21 - Mar 14
    • U of Minn - Twin Cities tentative dates Feb 23 - Mar 16    
    • Ohio State University Feb 16 - Mar 9
    • Michigan State University Feb 2-23

    We're good to go but still on the lookout for a traveling trophy. If you happen to have something we could use, please let me know. 

    Best of luck in your competition and we'll reconnect in early May when the winners are announced. 

    Best,

    Stacey White
    Sustainability Coordinator

    University Services

    University of Minnesota

    Office: 612-624-3285

    Attached Files: 

  3. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant announcement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Seek External Grant Funding for Implementation

    2015 NFWF Five Star/Urban Waters Restoration Program Invites Applications

    The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is inviting applications for the Five Star/Urban Waters Restoration Program, a public-private partnership designed to develop the capacity of communities to sustain local natural resources for future generations, with a particular focus on water quality, watersheds, and the habitats they support.

    The program is supported by the National Association of Counties and the Wildlife Habitat Council, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,  Southern Company, FedEx, Bank of America, and PG&E. Each funder under this RFP has specific requirements for the projects they will support (see below). NFWF will match all funding sources applicable to that project’s activities, location, and project type. Grant awards will range from $20,000 to $50,000 and must be matched on a one-to-one basis with cash and/or in-kind goods and services.

    1) EPA Five Star Restoration Training Program: A total of approximately $180,000 is available nationwide, in any size community, from EPA to fund projects meeting the Five Star program elements.

    2) Southern Company Five Star Restoration Program: Approximately $300,000 is available from Southern Company to support on-the-ground restoration projects and outdoor conservation outreach in the company’s service area.

    3) EPA and USFS Urban Waters Program: Grants totaling approximately $600,000 are available to help improve urban water quality, increase public access, and restore riparian habitat and urban forests in developed watersheds across the United States. Priority will be given to projects with an environmental justice focus or that benefit underserved and economically distressed communities in urban areas.

    4) FedEx EarthSmart Outreach: Approximately $415,000 is available from FedEx’s EarthSmart Outreach program to support urban conservation and restoration. All projects must include a volunteer event for up to fifty local FedEx employees. The program will support high-quality projects in Boston; Los Angeles; San Francisco/Oakland; Chicago; Memphis; Seattle; Dallas/Ft. Worth; Newark; Washington, D.C.; Indianapolis; Pittsburgh; Miami; Colorado Springs; Philadelphia; Harrison, Arizona; Phoenix; Cleveland; Atlanta; Portland, Oregon; Lakeland, Florida; New Berlin, Wisconsin; and Akron/Uniontown, Ohio.

    5) Fish Wildlife Service Urban Programs: Approximately $360,000 is available from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for projects that engage urban neighbors and foster a sense of stewardship where there are Fish and Wildlife Service lands or offices nearby (within approximately 25 miles). Priority areas could also include locations where there are existing Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnerships or established Urban Bird Treaty Cities specified by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Proposals should articulate tangible ways the Fish and Wildlife Service can become an asset to the community.

    6) PG&E Nature Restoration Trust: Approximately $90,000 is available to support community-based habitat restoration and stewardship projects within PG&E’s service utility area. The trust supports projects that empower community groups, provide benefits to underserved communities, and engage with organizations that provide hands-on experiences for youth in the outdoors. In partnership with NFWF and PG&E, all grant recipients must be willing to host one media event that increases awareness of the project, facilitates partner recognition, and  serves as a volunteer opportunity for PG&E employees to engage in restoration and stewardship. Projects must be based in one of the following California counties: Kern, San Luis Obispo, Sonoma, or Humboldt.

    7)  Bank of America: Approximately $195,000 is available from Bank of America to support community-based restoration and stewardship projects within specified geographic areas. All proposals in these areas must include a volunteer event for up to a hundred local Bank of America employees. The program will support projects in Boston; Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

    To be eligible for any of the above grants, applicants must be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization; a state,  local, or municipal government agency; an Indian tribe; or an educational institution.. Projects should be completed within one to two years of the award. For USFS urban waters funding, preference is given to projects that take place on, or directly benefit, public lands.

    See the NFWF website for complete program guidelines and application instructions: Complete RFP.

    Deadline: February 3, 2015 @ 11:59 p.m. EST

  5. Community Resources Inc interested in partnering with iSEE

    Associated Project(s): 
    Styrecycle: Expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling program [ARCHIVED]

    On 12/03/2014 03:06 PM, Bartels, Bart A wrote:

    Hi Everyone,

    I just concluded a conversation with Matt Snyder of Community Resource Inc (CRI).  He is very interested in housing a densifier.  I am going to set up a meeting with him to work out the details and get pricing.  This is going to be the proposal based on his interests and our needs:

    Participating buildings will have a Gaylord on the dock for EPS dropoff.  CRI will pick up the gaylords and take the material to their facility, where the densifier or compactor will be housed.  Matt will take care of paying the labor for pick-ups, processing, and sales.  He will be paid out of the sales revenue with part of the revenue coming back to us.  The money coming back will pay for interns that will facility more EPS collection.  The meeting will determine responsibilities and how the revenue will be divided. 

    I am hopeful that we can work out acceptable terms.  Matt wants to make this work.  He said he shipped out a truck load of EPS this morning, even though it didn’t make sense.  I will let you know when the meeting is to take place.

    Bart

  7. Dining ships another gaylord full of gloves

    Associated Project(s): 
    Glove Recycling

    Dear all,

    Michael at Housing  just got another Gaylord full of gloves ready to ship at dining services. Making the total pounds of gloves recycled at Dining to over 1000lbs in just four months!

    Way to go all!!

    Regards,

    Shantanu

  9. note from Ben to iWG

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    2015 Illinois Climate Action Plan (2015 iCAP) [ARCHIVED]

    Dear iWG Members,

    We meet again this Thursday from 1:30-3:00, as usual in NSRC 358. Our lone agenda item will be going through the draft 2015 iCAP that Morgan, Stephanie, Nishant, and I (collectively known as the iCAP Drafting Committee) are assembling based on the SWATeam recommendations.

    I expect to send you a complete draft sometime tonight.  It's looking like it will be in the neighborhood of ~40 pages, and I hope you will be able to carve out some time to go through it carefully before Thursday afternoon.  It's okay if you'd like to share it with some of the people in the group you represent on the iWG to get their input, but if you do so please emphasize that it is a very early draft.  As a working draft, it should ideally not be widely circulated.  It would be great if you could embed comments in the Word document and return it to me before our iWG meeting.

    I will go over the draft at our meeting in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, analogous to how we envision doing so at the Sustainability Council meeting on December 8th.  I think this will also be a good format for us to discuss any contentious points in the draft.

    My plan is to incorporate your high-level comments from our meeting, together with your detailed comments in the Word document, into a revised draft that I will try to send to the SWATeams on Friday to get their feedback.  We will then incorporate their feedback and try to get you a new draft on the 1st or 2nd, so we can discuss it again at our meeting on the 4th.

    Thanks again for all your help, and I'll be sending you a draft sometime tonight!

    Cheers,

    Ben

  10. Working Bikes donation

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    Michelle,

    This Saturday we removed 390 bicycles from the warehouse.  Of the bikes we planned to ship to Ghana 60 or 70 did not fit into the shipping container.  I am arranging for Working Bikes to come down in a few weeks and pick these up.  I do not have a date yet.  I will let you know as soon as I can confirm details.  There are also about 60 good bikes that I will transfer from the warehouse to the bike center.  I will work with Tina and the other parking employees to get this done.

    Thanks,

    James Roedl

  12. ISTC newsletter update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Medicine Take-Back Program [ARCHIVED]

    Nitrile Hypoallergenic Gloves

    Students Provide Brain Power to Keep Old Medicines Out of Waterways

    A fall course at the University of Illinois is preparing a team of students to educate local college and high school students about the proper disposal of old pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). The class, led by colleagues at the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program working with Wei Zheng and Nancy Holm of ISTC, is one component of the grant titled "PPCPs: Extending Knowledge and Mitigation Strategies” that began in July as a partnership with U of I Extension and ISTC. The students are learning that how we choose to use and dispose of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) affects water quality. They are studying the impact of the many compounds – some of which are bioactive or toxic – that enter the environment, including from improper disposal. Part of the university’s Learning in Community program (LINC), the students are gaining practical work experience developing outreach materials to educate the public about PPCPs as well as marketing and advertising campaigns to emphasize the importance of disposing unwanted medicines in secure collection boxes at area police stations.

     

  13. Biomass Consultation Group

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam
    Biomass use on Campus

    Dear Energy Enthusiasts,

    Thanks to all who attended the first Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) biomass meeting, we are off with a strong start. This week we we will have the second consultation group meeting to carry on discussion and orient goals toward improving sustainability on campus. 

    Dong Kook will present on the most recent publications from the research group of Praveen Kumar in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His topic for discussion will be Threshold Dynamics in Soil Carbon Storage for Bioenergy Crops. Click (here) to become familiar with their group's work.   

    We are gathering all interested persons to discuss the possibilities for a large-scale biomass facility that could eventually replace Abbott Power Plant. All ideas are welcome. Please pass this invitation on to anyone you think might be interested.

     

     

    Meeting details:

    Time: Tuesday, November 18 from 1:00pm-2:30pm

    Location: iSEE Conference room #358

                     National Soybean Research Center (directions here)

                     1101 W. Peabody Drive

                     Urbana, IL 61801

     

    Thanks and have a great weekend.

     

    Nathan Wells

  14. accounting update from Mike M.

    Associated Project(s): 
    Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)

    I have realigned the way we account for projects in AiM, so each RLF will need to have a specific  AiM account number that maps to a banner plant fund.  As soon as I can transfer the open work orders off of MY862-Revolving Loan Fund, I will inactivate that account number.

    So, each new RLF project will need a Banner Plant Account number (I obtain) and a new AiM account number (mee, too.) then I will let the PM know so he/she can set up work orders.  This way, it keeps project costs segregated.  Putting it all into one account like I did initially dumps all project costs into one AiM account making it hard to keep the expenditures separate.  - Mike

  15. F&S response to iWG request

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Utilities Master Plan for Energy Production and Distribution

    Hi Ben,

    Thanks for your letter from the iWG about the Utilities Master Plan (attached for reference). 

    F&S shares the iWG’s concerns with the slow pace of getting an acceptable draft product from AEI.  This has taken much longer than the original goal of completion; however, it is important to have an accurate and good quality report even if it takes longer than planned.  The scope of this study was developed in cooperation with the Office of Sustainability, and approved by FY12 Acting Director of the Office of Sustainability, Associate Chancellor Pradeep Khanna.  It is attached here for your records, as well as the executed contract.

    It has always been our intention to share the draft report with campus stakeholders, especially those participating in campus sustainability efforts.  Once we get an acceptable product, we will share it with the SWATeam and iWG for feedback.  At this time, we expect to have a draft ready to share later this month. 

    Thanks,

    Morgan

     

    Attached Files: 

  18. Eco-Olympics update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Eco-Olympics

    From: Jessica Mondello [ecoolympics@gmail.com]
    Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2014 12:09 AM
    Cc: Aj Unander USGBC; Yeung, Brian Silu; Alston, Brianna Rachelle; McConnell, Claire Ellen; Saerang, Estherlita Angelica; Canteiro Reis Sobral, Francisco; Kim, Christine H; Mondello, Jessica Rae; Ross, Karoline Jeanne; Kyle Solner USGBC; Filipiuk, Magdalena; Nishant Makhijani USGBC; Foote, Gerard Paul; Jacoby, Rachel Aryn; Sun, Siyang; Johnson, Rory M
    Subject: Meeting Recap

    Hello Eco-Olympics team,

    This will be a bit of repeat from the last email, but just bare with me:

    COMPETITION DATE

    • February 22nd - March 14th

    ADDITIONAL UPDATES

    • Amber Flight is another potential band to play for our benefit concert
    • Engineering Council is another source to look at for funding
    • We're looking for an RSO that advertises/markets other RSOs, we were having trouble coming up with a name for them

    WHAT TO WORK ON

    • Build Eco-Olympics organizational team
    • Continue recruiting persons or RSO's

    Attached below is a document explaining the responsibilities of each member of the organization team. It also has some other useful information about the competition. If you have any confusions what so ever, please ask me!

    Have a lovely week,

    Jessica Mondello

    Eco-Olympics | President

    Email: ecoolympics@gmail.com

    icon_11_document_list.png Responsibilities of Organizational Team, CCN 2015

    ​

    Attached Files: 

  19. note to SWATeams

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Topical iCAP Teams
    2015 Illinois Climate Action Plan (2015 iCAP) [ARCHIVED]

    Dear SWATeams,

    The iCAP Drafting Committee is now in the process of synthesizing your chapters into a complete draft of the 2015 iCAP for review by the iCAP Working Group.  Once the iWG has reviewed it, we will share it with all of you to get your feedback as well.

    If you have any further edits to your draft chapters, please submit them by the end of the day on Thursday.  Of course we would welcome additional comments after that deadline if your teams garner new insights, but those should be submitted as separate lists of bulleted comments rather than incorporated into your chapter (where they might get lost in our editing process).

    Thanks for all of your hard work!

    Cheers,

    Ben

  20. Workorder to paint the container lids

    Associated Project(s): 
    Recycling for the Quad

    Work Request 163801 converted to Work Order 10329198

    Work Order: 10329198

    Building: 0206 - ILLINOIS SUSTAINABILITY TECHNOLOGY CNTR

    Room:

    Department Reference: SSC Quad Recycl

    Customer Description:

    Shop - Painting & Signs:

    Per conversations between Bart Bartels, David Middleton (Paint Shop Foreman), & Sean Cassidy (Sign Shop) - Sandblast and prep trash bin lids from Quad (40) and recently purchased trash bins (20); Add new vinyl lettering signs to prepared trash bin lids (Bart will work with you on the design and wording).

    Rough estimate provided to Bart - $3000 for sandblasting & painting; $1500 for new signage.

    Phases:

    Phase: 001 PAINTERS

    Phase: 002 SIGN SHOP

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