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  1. Zero Waste iCAP Team Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Establish a Net Zero Waste Plan and Policy

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team met on Wednesday, November 3 to prioritize recommendations for this semester and plans for next semester. The team has decided to move forward with a drinking water campaign to recommend by the end of this semester, and the committee will break out into sub-teams for the upcoming semester based on several other working recommendations. Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  3. Energy iCAP Team October Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy iCAP Team
    Utilities Master Plan for Energy Production and Distribution

    The Energy iCAP team met on Friday, October 29th to discuss the proposed plan to construct a micro-modular nuclear reacter on campus. Several guests were invited to speak about the pros and cons of the issue.

    Meeting Recording

    Helpful Links

    UIUC News Release on MMR

    MMR Link 1 - MMR Link 2

    Podcast about MMR at Illinois

    Opinion by Dr. Bruce Hannon on MMR at Illinois

    UIUC Utilities Master Plan

    UIUC Energy Master Plan

    Attached Files: 

  4. Weekly Update: Busier than expected; Kids' Bikes Giveaway

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, I jinxed it. I said we’d be slower last week sine it rained a lot but then people kept showing up. Finished up a bike for Wednesday or Friday and it didn’t sell immediately, so looks like demand is waning a little.

    This week I’ll work on doing preliminary checks/sorting of Kids’ Bikes for our giveaway. I also ordered a rebuild kit for each of our truing stands, which’ll help get those back in good working order. I’ll get those installed this week as well.

    I’ll also poke around on the LGL database as to why it is not registering new membership forms.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 31
    Sales: $281
    Tires/tubes: 6 for $35

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  6. Urbana Campus Spill Containment Exercise on Tuesday

    Associated Project(s): 
    Rainwater Management

    F&S, the Division of Public Safety, and the Champaign Fire Department will conduct a spill containment exercise on the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 2. Event organizers will place the dye in storm drains near the university's oil storage tanks on South Oak Street to simulate a large oil spill from the fuel farm during this year's mock scenario. The exercise is required annually by the U.S. EPA.

    November 2, 8 am • South Campus and the Embarras River Watershed

    Bill Walsh • Facilities & Services

    Urbana Campus Spill Containment Exercise on Tuesday

  7. "How Can We Reduce Waste from Agricultural and Food Systems?"

    Associated Project(s): 
    iSEE Congress
    Reduce Foodwaste

    True food circularity must include waste reduction on the agricultural and consumer sides. Don't miss this third iSEE Congress webinar on "Circular Food Systems," with Brian Roe, Van Buren Professor of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics at Ohio State; and Tom Theis, Director of The Institute for Environmental Science and Policy, University of Illinois Chicago. Register here >>>

    November 3, 12–1 pm • Zoom webinar

    Julie Wurth • Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment

    "How Can We Reduce Waste from Agricultural and Food Systems?"

  9. Design for America Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build Resilience with Our Local Community
    Design for America

    Meeting 10/29/2021

    Present:  Anisha, Ananya, Pooja and Stacy Gloss

    The project idea that the students would like to pursue is Making connections between pollution and people – focused on smart phones, tablets, computer e-waste generated by students. The student group may consider various technologies in their project: laptops, gaming consoles, wearable tech.

    They will research:

    • Material Sourcing  / ethical sourcing  (What are major parts/tech of smart phone and how they are produced? Conditions? Environmental Impact?)
    • Manufacturing / Ethical production
    • Transportation
    • Sales
    • Purchasing frequency/habits/thoughts: What do students think about environmental impact of technology when purchasing technology?
    • End-of-product-life (what happens to products after their use?) – What do people think happens? What really happens?
    • Other considerations: data centers

    Project members may reach out to people in the community who are already knowledgeable about recycling to such as:

    For the next meeting the DFA group should be prepared with the specific research questions they want to answer by conducting this research and their thoughts on research methods --- these questions should inform their approach for the project and related initiative they will want to develop. They will also review the Zero Waste  iCAP portal page for resources. https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/themes/zero-waste

    Research Methods:

    Question:  Are there any special considerations (for example IRB) for DFA students to create a survey for campus on how often students purchase / throw away / recycle smart phones? Are there any processes that need to be followed within ISEE to do this research?

    Other questions:

    Is there a recycling coordinator on campus that has any data about e-waste on campus?

    Potential things to consider

    The group will think about how they want to visualize their project for impact. Students also are open to the audience at this point – could include campus and off-campus audience. Off campus audience members could be the Champaign County Climate Coalition.  Interactive presentation could be set up in a community location like a library. The students could present their project to an iSEE committee – like Zero Waste and Resilience.

  10. Coordinated Rainwater Management Brainstorming Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build Resilience with Our Local Community
    Rainwater Management Plans

    10/25/2021 11:00 am

    Present: Brent Lewis, Betsy Liggett, Lisa Merrifield, Stacy Gloss

    Updates from Stacy:

    • Resilience team identified a next step on the iCAP objective review slides: “Resilience team to recommend campus to initiate an engineered rainwater master plan”
    • NGICP training for 4 F&S staff submitted to SSC as step-1 application
    • Stacy attended the GI conference Oct 20

    Updates from Lisa and Betsy:

    • Extension receiving funds to create state-wide GI reporting platform, working with NCSA
    • Lisa is hiring an Academic Hourly intern to work through summer 2022 for the biodiversity plan - this work is complementary to coordinated rainwater management plans and so this staff person may be able to work on planning objectives for coordinated rainwater management plans.
    • Lisa is recruiting someone with planning / engineering background to work on GI or biodiversity this summer.

    Coordinated Rainwater Plan

    We discussed the fit for Extension to be involved in coordinating rainwater management plans for our urbanized areas and campus. We brainstormed ideas on how coordination can take place, who should be involved, and started thinking about special topics to address.

    Green Infrastructure Mapping

    Work together with Extension and NCSA on the GI platform for Illinois. This work is starting soon.

    Next Steps

    • Follow up and plan to meet in December or January.   
    • Define rainwater management plan 
    • Define objectives for a rainwater management plan
    • Describe process for achieving those objectives
    • Attend planning meetings with Extension on GI platform & mapping

     

  11. Weekly Update: Slow week; Outside event with Urbana Parks District; Kid's Bike Giveaway

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Slower week as per usual with the coming of fall. We’re still mostly sold out of bikes as the ones we have been getting in are finicky and in need of uncommon parts.

    Last week, I tentatively set up an outside event for the spring with the Urbana Parks District. More details as that event develops.

    This week we’ll also get to planning for our participation/role in this winter’s Kid’s Bike Giveaway. We’ve certainly got the bikes for it!

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 32
    Sales: $366
    Memberships: 6 for $180
    Tires/tubes: 8 for $35

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  14. Engagement iCAP Team Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Engagement and Outreach
    Engagement iCAP Team

    On Monday, October 25, the Engagement iCAP Team met to synthesize the themes of sustainability engagement discussed at the team's previous meeting. The four major working themes include: Awareness & Purpose, Technology & Visibility, Culture & Practicality, and Connection & Relationships. Moving forward, the team will break into sub-committees to pursue each of these themes. Meeting minutes attached.

    Attached Files: 

  17. Energy Education grant program

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

    https://www.constellation.com/community/e2-energy-to-educate.html

    Through the E2 Energy to EducateSM grant program, Constellation offers students in grades 6-12 and college opportunities to experience problem-solving today’s and tomorrow’s energy challenges. Grant funds support projects designed to enhance students’ understanding of science and technology, and inspire them to think differently about energy.

  18. EV Procurement Law in Illinois

    Associated Project(s): 
    Electric Vehicle (EV) Task Force
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)
    Fleet Replacement Plans

    EO 2108, ELECTRIC VEHICLE PROCUREMENT. The executive order provides that the state shall: (1) develop and implement a program for procurement of electric and other low emission or zero emission vehicles for state purposes; (2) establish a State Fleet Working Group convened by the Department of Central Management Services and composed of representatives from the Department of Transportation, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and the Illinois Commerce Commission; (3) set forth the responsibilities of the working group; (4) direct the Department of Central Management Services, in conjunction with other state agencies, to develop a plan to install electric vehicle chargers on state property; and (5) direct the Illinois State Board of Education to collaborate with the Department of Transportation and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to develop tools and provide information to assist school districts in assessing the benefits and costs of zero emission bus options when replacing school buses. The executive order became effective 22 APR 21.

    https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2108&GAID=16&DocTypeID=EO&SessionID=110&GA=102

    https://www2.illinois.gov/Pages/Executive-Orders/ExecutiveOrder2021-08.a...

  19. Vision Zero - Final report presentation by Ray and Jacob + meeting recording

    Associated Project(s): 
    Vision Zero
    Campus Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC)

    Dr. Ray Benekohal and Jacob Mathew met with Stacey DeLorenzo, Sarthak Prasad, and Stacy Gloss, and they presented the findings from their Vision Zero project in 2020-21. They collected information on campus locations with

    1. Potential problems
    2. Near misses
    3. Collisions

    They received more than 500 responses, of which nearly 475 were on campus. They analyzed the crash report data from IDOT from 2014-18, and they also organized two focus group studies.

    Please see attached the final presentation and the full report. See the full report from this study online at: https://uofi.box.com/s/zyuqv8p11tleiuqzsvwge3utsuuutipp

    See the meeting recording (45 minute presentation) here: https://uofi.box.com/s/wjybgfpjdz1nyl6hahw09utub8162ynd

    See the preliminary report shared during CTAC Fall 2020 presentation

    Attached Files: 

  20. Zero Waste iCAP Team Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Achieve Zero Waste

    On Friday, October 22, the Zero Waste iCAP Team met to touch base on the status of last semester's submitted recommendations and potential recommendations that were proposed last semester. The team also held an ideation session to generate new recommendation ideas. Members will be filling out a form to identify their primary initiative interests before next meeting to serve as a starting point for the team's work. Meeting minutes attached.

    Attached Files: 

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