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Bike Census volunteer opportunity (4/28) and TED Talk discussion (4/29)
Associated Project(s):Happy Friday! I hope you are having a great Earth Week/Earth Month and have been able to attend a few (of the many!) activities this April. The Bike Census Spring 2021 is next Wednesday, April 28, from 10 – 11 AM. Bike Census is a collaborative, community-wide effort between Facilities & Services (F&S) and Champaign County Bikes that began in 2013 as part of ongoing improvement efforts to support the campus’ Bicycle Friendly University status.
If you are available to volunteer next Wednesday morning, please sign up here. There will be a virtual training session beforehand at 9 AM. Two Illinois coffee mugs will be raffled off for student volunteers. I hope you are able to participate and in the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Sarthak Prasad (sprasad9@illinois.edu).
On another note, in celebration of Earth Month, the next iSEE TED Talk: Eco-Edition event will focus on environmental activism and individual versus corporate responsibility for climate change. On Thursday, April 29 at 7 PM, participants will view a prerecorded TED Talk presented in July 2020 by Xiye Bastida: "If you adults won't save the world, we will." Afterward, all are invited to participate in a guided discussion hosted by iSEE Communications Intern and ESES student, Maria Maring. Sign up here.
As always, be sure to check out the iSEE Sustainability Calendar for upcoming events and programs and help spread the word. Have a great weekend!
Sustainability Message from Illinois Leadership!
Associated Project(s):To wrap up Earth Week, President Killeen, Chancellor Jones, and leadership teams sent out the following message:
"The University of Illinois System welcomes President Biden’s publicly announced commitment to action on climate change, a serious and essential statement of the country’s resolve to lead in building a better, more sustainable future.
President Biden’s new plan to, among other things, cut U.S. emissions in half by 2030 also represents a call to the country’s centers of research and innovation for the bold ideas needed to make these goals reality.
The University of Illinois System and its three universities stand ready to help."Go Illini!
Thanks for a great Earth Week 2021!
Associated Project(s):Thank you for a great Earth Week, Illini! Here a few highlights:
- SSC hosted an Environmental Quad Day
- Climate Strike on the Quad
- Virtual open house for campus solar
- Illini Union Pretzels + Plants and recycling center launch
4/23 Zero Waste SWATeam Meeting
Associated Project(s):Attached are the minutes to the Zero Waste SWATeam meeting which took place on April 23, 2021. The meeting agenda was as follows:
- Elimination of thermal paper receipts.
- Education on Waste Management.
- Reduction of water bottle purchases in vending machines.
Potential initiatives which resulted from this conversation:
- Pursue sustainable receipt options to divert receipts from University waste stream.
- RA Training on waste management, with intent to educate students in university housing about sustainability.
- Creating a sustainability training video for buyers through the Purchasing office.
- Recommendation to create F&S standard to modify water fountain installations.
- Recommendation to do a behavioral assessment on water bottle purchasers.
- Recommendation to launch an education campaign for campus members on tap water quality.
Attached Files:SSC Funding Award: Bike Registraiton Signs
Associated Project(s):The SSC awarded $1,200 for the "Bike Registration Signs". This award will expire on May 14, 2022.
New array production report
Associated Project(s):The attached file shows the production of the new rooftop solar panels on BIF from June 2019 to March 2021. It also includes the approximate reduction in carbon emissions and the equivalent number of "trees saved."
Attached Files:Bee Campus USA Sign Location
Associated Project(s):The attached file shows the planned location for the large Bee Campus sign to be installed at the Florida and Orchard Prairie.
Attached Files:Energy iCAP Team Meeting from 04-14-21
Associated Project(s):The Energy iCAP Team met on April 14th, 2021 with Brian Bundren, a member of the Illinois Space Advisory Committee, about to learn more about how campus space can be managed more efficiently as a way to reduce energy consumption. The University moving from hybrid learning to more in-person instruction and the new IVCB budget model that assigns bills individual colleges for their energy use will have significant impacts on space usage. The team also discussed our recommendation for Green Labs, or ways to integrate sustainability in research labs and reduce their energy consumption. We will also be moving forward with recommending an Energy Planning document to outline steps towards carbon neutrality by 2050.
Meeting minutes and agenda are attached!
Attached Files:Resilience iCAP Team Meeting Minutes from 4-06-21
Associated Project(s):The Resilience iCAP Team met on April 6th, 2021 to brainstorm ideas for public engagement for creating our first Environmental Justice Plan. Members identified important avenues for learning about local intutions on what are relevant barriers to equitable health and safety in our communities. Moving forward, the Biodiversity Plan and EJ Plan will look to possibly engage the Department of Urban Planning and other students who will work on focus group interviews over the summer. The meeting concluded with an overview of the current progress of all Resilience iCAP objectives and future steps.
Meeting minutes and chat log are attached!
Attached Files:Weekly Update: Friday Ride
Associated Project(s):All, Not a whole lot to report from last week. We had our first attendee for a Friday Ride. He was unfamiliar with basic rules of the road so we took him on a very short loop to get him acclimated. At a stop light he asked, “So you can ride in the road?” Something to consider in future route planning/participation. We missed a call/voicemail from someone else asking about the Friday Ride so we’ll have to keep an eye on the phones going forward, as well.
The forecasted snow on Tuesday probably won’t help business this week. I have the Campus Transportation Advisory Committee to attend on Tuesday but the rest of the week is business as usual. I’ll grab some more salvageable parts from the bike barn for staff-tasks for the week.
The numbers:
Visits: 25Sales: $339
Memberships: 5 for $150
Tubes/tires: 10 for $50
Thanks!Jacob Benjamin
Manager, Campus Bike CenterWelcome Note for Earth Day Solar Open House
Associated Project(s):Happy Earth Day, 2021!!!
Welcome to the UIUC Solar Sites Open House!
- Nine campus solar power installations are available to visit at this virtual open house.
- Contact people for each site are standing on the yellow stars by their facility, on Earth Day from 9-10:30 AM.
- There are also links for further information about each solar site.
Hints for Using Topia
- Zoom out on your browser to see more of the campus at once.
- Click on a destination to move your avatar to that site, or use the arrow keys to navigate
- Send messages in Topia to people you meet here, with the mailbox icons.
***MAKE SURE TO USE GOOGLE CHROME AS YOUR BROWSER***
Invitation - Open to All
Ever wonder how far the university has come in solar energy use? Come out to the UIUC Solar Sites Open House hosted on Topia, an interactive online platform, to learn about different buildings and areas across campus that are producing solar energy! During the Open House, contacts for each location will be available to answer questions about the solar installations at nine locations. Learn more about the amazing solar installations on campus!
This event will take place online from 9-10:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 22 (Earth Day!), at https://topia.io/uiuc-solar-sites.*
***MAKE SURE TO USE GOOGLE CHROME AS YOUR BROWSER***
Attached Files:New Solar Panels at BIF
Associated Project(s):The new 12.5 kW array will be the second rooftop installation at the facility. The current array, on top of Deloitte Auditorium, produces about 41,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually, – or about 3.4% of the electricity needed to power BIF for an entire year. The new array will be smaller but will supply enough power to offset the anticipated energy usage of the fourth floor addition by contributing 15,500 kWh per year.
https://giesbusiness.illinois.edu/news/2019/04/22/solar-panels-added-to-...
Archived info - previous project description
Associated Project(s):The new ECE building is designed to include Solar Panels on its roof. The panels will provide about 11% of the building's energy needs. The infrastructure for connecting these panels to the building electric supply was included in the original design and construction costs for the full building, while the solar panels themselves were funded separately. This specific project is to have a series of photovoltaic solar arrays on the roof of the building with a 300 kW peak power rating, capable of generating an estimated 470 MWh of electricity annually. (This project is distinct and separate from the project to install solar panels on the roof of the North Campus Parking Deck.) The scope of the project is to provide a structure located on the existing roof of the ECE Building which will support 950 solar panels and provide all components to connect them to the building electrical system for a fully operational system
Energy005 Modeling for Energy Code Compliance - Transmitted
Associated Project(s):Following the completion of iWG assessment for Energy005 Modeling for Energy Code Compliance, the recommendation was transmitted to Dr. Mohamed Attalla on April 15, 2021.
See iWG assessment of Energy005 attached.
See iCAP Team recommendation of Energy005 Modeling for Energy Code Compliance.Attached Files:Veo - March 2021 overview
Associated Project(s):Please see attached the ridership information from Veo for March 2021.
Attached Files:Weekly Update: Basic Maintenance 101, Friday Ride
Associated Project(s):All, Still not steadily busy as the temps started to dip. We’ll see what this week brings.
We had our Basic Maintenance 101 class on Wednesday night. Sam held the class and we had 5 people signed up but only 1 showed. Friday Ride was a no-show except for a DI reporter who wanted to cover the event.
This week is business as usual and our Friday Ride again. I’ll scavenge some freewheels and tires/tubes off some of the junk bikes in storage at some point, too. We are desperately low on used freewheels and can’t really get any new ones due to the sustained supply shortages.The numbers:
Visitors: 22
Sales: $664.50Bikes (refurb): 3 for $410
Tires/tubes: 7 for $26
Thanks!Jacob Benjamin
WManager, Campus Bike CenterRes002 Biodiversity Plan - Transmitted
Associated Project(s):Following the completion of iWG assessment for Res002 Biodiversity Plan, the recommendation was transmitted to Dr. Nickols-Richardson, Director of Extension, on April 12, 2021.
See iWG assessment of Res002 Biodiversity Plan attached.
See iCAP team recommendation Res002 Biodiversity Plan.
Attached Files:Free Native Bee Homes from The Bee Conservancy
Associated Project(s):The Bee Conservancy, an environmental NPO, is handing out hundreds of free native bee homes across the U.S. and Canada in hopes of boosting native bee populations.
As part of its Sponsor-A-Hive program, the group is offering 500 native bee homes to community-focused organizations that support food growth, education, or ecological conservation. (Two hundred were awarded in fall and 300 are being awarded this spring.) Eligible groups include community gardens, nature centers, schools, tribal organizations, parks, and zoos. According to Guillermo Fernandez, founder and executive director of The Bee Conservancy, "We’re looking for organizations that share our passion to nurture local bee populations, create habitat for them, and support their communities and local food systems."
Applications are open until the end of April 2021!
Read more about The Bee Conservancy native bee home giveaway in the TreeHugger article.
LW003 Certified Greener Building Certification - Submitted
Associated Project(s):The Land and Water iCAP team submitted the following Certified Greener Building Certification recommendation on 4/2/21:
"The Land and Water iCAP Team recommends the creation of a Certified Greener Building Program to add to the portfolio of Greener Campus Programs under iSEE. The existing Greener Campus Programs target nearly every facet of campus life from University employees to student experiences. A Greener Building Certification would provide an opportunity for collaboration between building liaisons and the people and groups that utilize campus buildings. A set of requirements and voluntary actions must be developed to achieve the certification. Based on the success of the existing Certified Greener Campus programs, students, faculty, and staff alike are very likely to take advantage of the certification opportunity and embed these actions as part of building operations. These actions will also promote life-long sustainable habits. A Greener Building Certification would establish a sustainability standard and increase our culture of sustainability on campus."
Attached Files: