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  3. All are invited to attend EPA National Environmental Justice Community Engagement Call 5/17/22

    Associated Project(s): 
    Environmental Justice Plan
    Resilience iCAP Team

    National Environmental Justice Community Engagement Call: May 17, 2022

    EPA invites Environmental Justice (EJ) advocates to participate in the next National Environmental Justice Community Engagement Call taking place on May 17, 2022 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time). These calls are free and open to the public.

    Registration Link:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/epa-natl-environmental-justice-community-engagement-call-may-17-2022-registration-325114615567

    Agenda:

    The purpose of these calls is to inform the community and other stakeholders about EPA's EJ work and enhance opportunities to maintain an open dialogue with EJ advocates.

    Please email Motilall.Christina@epa.gov by May 13, 2022 to request reasonable accommodation for a disability or interpreter services in a language other than English, so that you can participate in the call and/or to request a translation of any of the event documents into a language other than English.

    For more information about the National Environmental Justice Community Engagement Calls, please email Robinson.Victoria@epa.gov or Motilall.Christina@epa.gov.

    Recordings and meeting materials for all calls are posted here: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/national-environmental-justice-community-engagement-calls.

  4. iWG Meeting Minutes 4-19-22

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Resilience iCAP Team
    Earth Month

    The iCAP Working Group met on 4-19-22 and discussed the following agenda: 

    1. ZW007 Composting Committee (Alexa Smith and Sydney Trimble)
    2. ZW008 Adopt a Highway/Drain (Alexa Smith and Sydney Trimble)
    3. Res003 Collecting Info about Environmental Justice Needs (Stacy Gloss)
    4. Updates
      1. Earth Month – Meredith
      2. SSC
      3. SSLC
      4. ISG

    The meeting minutes are attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  5. Weekly Update: Summer is coming

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Had some rainy weather last week that kept our visitor numbers low. We also had a few staff bow out for the summer.

    This week will be summer-like and judging by the first half hour of open shop time today, we’ll be nice and busy all week. From there it’s on to the summer sessions. We’ll likely reduce hours as demand and staffing availability dictate.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 24
    Sales: $605.60
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $180
    Memberships: 2 for $60

    Wheels (used/alloy): 5 for $75
    Tire/tubes: 7 for $47

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  7. archived info - previous project description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Anaerobic Digester at Beef and Sheep Study

    This project will provide a study to investigate the feasibility of installing an Anaerobic Methane Digester in the area of the University’s South Farms to capture renewable energy from beef, sheep and/or dairy cow waste. The study will assess the possibility of an on-site digester at one site, with one digester system of animal waste. The study will identify useful “Waste/Organics to Energy Efforts” using available technology paths and options that match the goals and expectations of the UIUC stakeholders and project team, to deliver to UIUC a “Renewable Energy Waste/Organics to Fuel Study.” We will also include a section to address the goal to pursue carbon offsets in the project. We will use “The Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP)” to address greenhouse gas reduction strategies compliance.

  8. Draft Report - Local Carbon Offset Program

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build Resilience with Our Local Community
    Develop Local Carbon Offset Program [ARCHIVED]

    DRAFT White Paper: "Recommendations for Initiating a Local Carbon Offsets Pilot Program for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign"

    Submitted by Stacy Gloss on May 9, 2022

    Conclusions & Recommendations reported below:

    The University of Illinois iCAP calls for reducing emissions from unavoidable travel by purchasing carbon offsets and creating a local carbon offset program.  Program planning and oversight can be achieved with the formation of a committee on carbon offsets and local offsets. Concurrently, the chancellors office should delegate where a carbon-off-set account would be housed – the account needs to be set up to receive and administer funds for competitive projects.

    The most that the iCAP Resilience Committee could do is submit a recommendation to the iWG to convene a campus working group for a local offset program directed by the Chancellor’s office and/or central Sustainability Council; and direct the set-up of an account to receive and administer funds.  Sustainability professionals hired at the University of Illinois could administer the program with oversight from the carbon offsets working group/committee.

    Edits or comments to this paper should be submitted to sgloss@illinois.edu for review by the iCAP Resilience committee.

    The document can be viewed here: https://uofi.box.com/s/w007s43qyhtdcbjbmzb4asjt70weueyq

     

  9. Carbon Offset Technology Review Project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build Resilience with Our Local Community
    Develop Local Carbon Offset Program [ARCHIVED]

    iSEE Carbon Offset Program: Technology Research and Options
    Authors: Jane Williams, Rachel Pu, Fina Healy, Natalia Ptaszek, and Angela Andrada

    Students from the ABE469 Capstone Course taught by professor Ann Witmer met over the course of the Spring 2022 semester to research renewable energy technologies and carbon sink projects appropriate for campus and communtiy in our surrounding county-vicinity. The purpose is to provide technology options for the Local Carbon Offset Program described in the iCAP objectives.  A local carbon offset program would be designed to offset staff & faculty travel, and the offset funds generated can be used in local projects that reduce or sequester carbon on campus and in the community. The technologies reviewed by the student engineering team include:

    • solar photovoltaics
    • biodigestor
    • planting trees
    • prairie restoration
    • geothermal heating and cooling

    The final deliverables report and presentation are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  11. older explanation of the RLF

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

    The Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) was set up as a funding source for utility conservation projects with less than ten-year payback periods.  These can include steam, electricity, chilled water, or water reduction projects, and the savings from utility costs are paid back annually to replenish the fund. 

    This fund was originally called for in the 2010 iCAP, as the “clean energy fund.”  It was established in 2012, with funding from the SSC and the Provost.  Within the first year, the President’s Office committed additional funds.  According to the RLF Agreement, any grant funds received for RLF projects in campus-funded utility buildings will be allocated entirely to the RLF.  Thus, the fund can grow over time.  Additionally, the campus agreed to match any additional commitments from the SSC, in the future.

  14. CLMP Public Forum recording + Online survey

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Landscape Master Plan (CLMP)

    CLMP Public Forum meeting recording has been embedded on the F&S website and the iCAP Portal.

    The Public Forum for CLMP was held on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. View the presentation from the CLMP Public Forum session: Campus Landscape Master Plan Public Forum presentation

    If you were unable to attend the CLMP Public Forum or did not take part in the live polling at the meeting, please take the online survey: go.fs.illinois.edu/CLMPPublicForumOnlineSurvey. This survey is available until Friday, May 13, 2022. Your feedback is important and will be be applied to strategies to guide the campus landscape into the future. Please reference the presentation recording and/or presentation slides from the Public Forum as you proceed through the survey.

    Watch the video on the iCAP Portal here: Campus Landscape Master Plan (CLMP) Public Forum meeting recording

  15. Dump and Run for Spring 2022 is Cancelled

    Associated Project(s): 
    Dump and Run

     

    Below is an email from Morgan White describing that the University YMCA plans to only conduct Dump and Run in the fall.

    This led Morgan, F&S, & Housing leadership to decide to delay their version of spring collections until the full-time Zero Waste Coordinator has been hired.

     

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    From: White, Morgan

    Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2022 8:24 AM

    To: Johnson, Bryan Lloyd; Kuehl, Mark A; Hiser, Daniel William; Patterson, Shawn L 

    Cc: Boehm, David ; McKay, James; Sealine, Alma R; Varney, Peter W; Kamarah, Ehab 

    Subject: RE: Dump and Run - arranging a meeting

     

    Hello everyone,

     

    Thank you for your patience and willingness regarding the UIUC collaboration with the University YMCA on the Dump and Run. 

     

    This year, the Board and Leadership of the University Y made the decision to only do Dump and Run in the fall.  In 2021, they had arranged a fall-only collection, followed immediately by a sale in August at the Stock Pavilion.  As they reviewed the impacts of that fall-only sale compared to the collection efforts and impacts for the spring collection and fall sale, they decided to focus solely on the fall sale from now on. 

     

    Following that news, I spoke with F&S and Housing leadership, and we agreed that it would be best to delay our own version of spring collections until the full time Zero Waste Coordinator has been hired.  This search is approved, and we hope to have a new employee who will report to Pete Varney (and try to fill Shantanu Pai’s shoes) in the next few months.  That person will then work with us to develop an appropriate solution for keeping gently used materials (clothes, books, etc.) out of the landfill during move-out week.

     

    Thank you all very much, and we will be in touch as plans develop for a spring 2023 collection.

     

    All my best,

    Morgan

    ======================================

    MORGAN B. WHITE

    Acting Director of Capital Programs

    Associate Director of F&S for Sustainability

    Facilities & Services | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  17. Weekly Update: New staffer, Friday Rides

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Friday—warm weather and a Friday—meant a busy day. Rest of the week was slower. A new staffer started last week, which was a great help.

    This week looks warmer so we’ll be busier, likely. Will get some bikes finished and do some more onboarding with new staff. We have a weather radio and a regular radio here now to communicate with DCR staff as needed.

    Our Friday Ride events concluded last Friday with a decent showing and a ride to Meadowbrook and back. I’ll gauge staff interest in keeping them going this summer and we’ll definitely look to restart them in Aug/Sept when students are back full-time.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 53
    Sales: $866
    Bikes (refurb): 2 for $340
    Memberships: 7 for $210
    Tubes/tires: 23 for $141

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  18. This Week in Research

    Associated Project(s): 
    Carbon Capture

    ISTC researchers recently validated a system that can achieve up to 95% efficiency in CO₂ capture, significantly reducing the environmental impact of coal-fired power plants. The research team tested the technology at Abbott Power Plant. 

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