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Projects Updates for key objective: No name

  1. eweek announcement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Vision Zero

    Campus Safety Study: Focus Group for Vision Zero (UIUC)

    As part of Vision Zero study, a survey was sent out to collect data about problematic locations within campus. To collect further data and gain insights, we are conducting a focus group. Please fill out this form if you are interested in attending the focus group. The focus group would be held over zoom and would be an hour long. The link to the zoom meeting will be sent in a later email. 

    Jacob Mathew • Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    baseline_wifi_black_18dp.png This opportunity is available online.

  2. Revolving Loan Fund: FY2020 Project Selection Results

    Associated Project(s): 
    Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)
    Centralized Energy Efficiency Efforts
    Retrocommissioning (RCx)
    LED Campus

    7 projects were approved during the FY2020 Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) project selection. At this time, final scoring results were determined as well. F&S will be beginning these projects soon and will start assessing their correlated utility savings.

    Due to COVID-19, the voting process was conducted via email as opposed to meeting in person. As a result of the success in the virtual voting process, future selections are planned to occur in a similar fashion.

    Attached Files: 

  3. eweek announcement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Engagement and Outreach

    The Crochet Coral Reef: Intersections of Math, Science and Art

    Margaret Wertheim is a writer, artist and curator whose work brings together art, math and science as evidenced in her Crochet Coral Reef, created through hyperbolic crochet. This talk launches the Urbana-Champaign Satellite Reef, Part of the worldwide Crochet Coral Reef project by Christine and Margaret Wertheim. Visit the project website https://uiucsatellitecrochetcoralreef.wordpress.com/

    September 17, 5:30 pm • Map

    Jennifer Bergmark • School of Art and Design

  4. Welcome SWATeams/iWG

    Associated Project(s): 
    Topical iCAP Teams
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan

    Dear SWATeams and iWG,

     

    We hope that you have had a smooth start to the academic year. Thank you for agreeing to serve on the iCAP teams (SWATeams) this year! You are an instrumental part of one of the seven teams: Zero Waste, Transportation, Energy, Land & Water, Resilience, Education, and Engagement (a new team this year)! You will soon receive an official charge letter from the iSEE interim director, Dr. Madhu Khanna.

     

    We would like to invite you to the annual kick-off event which will include an overview of the iCAP process, expectations of the teams, and status of past recommendations. This event will be held next Thursday, September 17 via Zoom from 4-5pm. An Outlook invitation will follow this email. This event is a fantastic opportunity to gain an understanding of how these teams positively impact campus, and also say “hi” to the other members which is especially important as we are encouraging greater collaboration between the teams this year.

     

    Secondly, please mark your calendars for the virtual Campus Sustainability Celebration on Tuesday, October 22 from 3-4:30pm. This will be an exciting event as the official approval ceremony of the iCAP 2020 by Chancellor Jones! Meredith will be sending Outlook invitations shortly.

     

    Please let us know if you have any questions. We look forward to working with you this year, and thank you again for your commitment to campus sustainability efforts!

     

    Best regards,

    Dr. Ximing Cai and Morgan White, iWG co-chairs, and Meredith Moore, Sustainability Programs Coordinator

  6. eweek announcement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainable Food Practices

    ARC Student Food Pantry

    Announcing the opening of the Food Assistance & Well-Being Program! We are a shopping-style food pantry providing the UIUC campus with access to nutritious food and necessities in a supportive, inclusive environment. Food Science and Human Nutrition Students will also be available to answer shopper questions and to provide resources to prepare the food. 

    August 25 • Tuesdays 1-4 pm and Saturdays 2-5 pm • ARC Instructional Kitchen

    Jade Hamann • Department of Campus Recreation

  9. Surplus reopened

    Associated Project(s): 
    Reuse Surplus Goods and Valuable "Waste"

     

     
    Surplus Warehouses reopened at UIC and UIUC

    UAFR is pleased to announce the equipment surplus warehouses at both UIC and UIUC have now reopened and are accepting scrap/surplus equipment from university departments.

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, new safety and health related procedures and protocols over the handling of scrap/surplus equipment and access to the surplus warehouse are effective immediately. 

    Key new protocols include:

    • disinfecting scrap/surplus equipment prior to shipment to the surplus warehouse (either by the unit or the campus movers with procedures varying by university) 
    • an appointment only scheduling system to access the UIUC surplus warehouse 

    Units must review the new required safety procedures and protocols for each specific campus at the Surplus Warehouse Operations - OBFS website.

    Contact
    For questions about surplus warehouse operations or the new protocols, contact Magdalena Jach at mj20@uillinois.edu or (312) 585-9171.

    For questions about specific FABweb disposal requests, please contact Juana Rodriquez at juana@uillinois.edu or (312) 585-9146.

     

     

     

  10. Sustainability Facts Sheet

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build a Culture of Sustainability
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan

    Attached are files for the Sustainability Facts Sheets in both a digital and printed form.

    This facts sheet is intended for the following audiences:

    • Demographics unfamiliar with campus sustainability.
    • New Faculty & Staff
    • New & transfer students
    • Outreach and Education programs
    Attached Files: 

  11. Funding Approval for Outdoor Recycling Bins

    Associated Project(s): 
    Outdoor Recycling Bin Update
    Utilize Carbon Credits
    Carbon Credit Purchasing Program (C2P2) with Second Nature

    Evan DeLucia and Mohamed Attalla approved $310,000 of funding from the Carbon Credit Sales Fund for replacing outdoor trash receptacles with trash and recycling dual bins.

     

    An email of the approval is attached below.

    A project memo is attached below.

    Attached Files: 

  12. Study Abroad Carbon Offset Manual

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan
    Develop Local Carbon Offset Program

    Leah Courtney and Parima Michareune, two GFX Scholars in the Women in Engineering program, worked with Meredith Moore in spring 2020 to develop a carbon offset manual for University of Illinois study abroad programs (manual attached). In fall 2020, we will work to pilot this carbon offset program for engineering students who study abroad. 

    Attached Files: 

  13. Preliminary carbon offset research

    Associated Project(s): 
    Develop Local Carbon Offset Program
    2015 Illinois Climate Action Plan (2015 iCAP) [ARCHIVED]
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan

    iSEE intern, Julija Sakutyte, and Meredith Moore have conducted preliminary research into successful local carbon offset programs, including what other institutions have implemented (summary attached). Next steps include: select a value per pound of CO2, develop scope of carbon emissions, identify local projects to fund, and track emissions reduced. 

    Attached Files: 

  14. iCAP 2020 Divestment Objective Review

    Associated Project(s): 
    Fossil Fuels Divestment - Support Letter

    From: Benson, Barry D
    Sent: Thursday, August 6, 2020 7:29 AM
    To: Moore, Meredith Kaye <mkm0078 at illinois.edu>
    Subject: Re: iCAP 2020 divestment objective review

     

    Hi Meredith,

     

    Thank you for your email and I appreciate the opportunity to review the objective below.  I look forward to seeing the final document.  All the best and stay safe and healthy!

     

    Regards,

    — Barry

     

    On Aug 4, 2020, at 4:41 PM, Moore, Meredith Kaye <mkm0078 at illinois.edu> wrote:

    

    Hello Mr. Benson,

     

    I hope this message finds you well. My name is Meredith Moore and I am the Sustainability Programs Coordinator with the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE). We are nearing the final stages of the editing process of the  Illinois Climate Action Plan 2020 (iCAP 2020), our campus sustainability strategic plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. I wanted to check with you to review and verify the language of the objective below on fossil fuel divestment. We discussed this objective in length at the Sustainability Council meeting with Chancellor Jones in June and would now like to lock in this language as soon as possible. I am happy to answer any questions you may have, and look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you!

     

    #9.1 [Chancellor]: Fully divest from fossil fuel companies by FY25.

    Fossil fuel companies are defined as companies which profit from the extraction, transport, or combustion of coal, petroleum, or natural gas. The production and use of coal contributes to environmental, social, and health issues, potentially leading to irreversible ecological damage. The university currently invests less than 1% of its portfolio in coal utility and mining companies and has already divested its direct holdings in coal. As an institution that prides itself on being "a model of sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental friendliness for the world to see," it is imperative that the university's values and commitment to combating climate change are reflected in all of our investments. By divesting from fossil fuel companies, the university will reduce its contributions to and association with the negative environmental and social impacts attached to fossil fuel companies. Trends also suggest that the change in the economic market, especially as a result of COVID-19, supports a positive financial decision to divest. In order to ensure financial stability and cease contributing to climate change and social injustice, the University of Illinois must enact a plan to replace all of its investments in fossil fuel companies with financially stable and ethical investments as soon as possible, and then reinvest in more sustainable companies. 

    The university has been discussing fossil fuel divestment since 2000 when students formed a group named “UIUC Beyond Coal.” Fossil fuel divestment has been formally recommended by the Joint Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Licensing and Investment in 2017 and a resolution passed in 2019. In August 2017, students sent a memo to Chancellor Jones “expressing our unanimous position that the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana should set a date within the next decade for complete divestment from coal utility and coal mining companies.”  Chancellor Jones’ October 2017 reply noted, “this is a complex and interconnected financial network that crosses a number of different governance lines within the University System.” He also stated, “I will share your report with President Tim Killeen and with UIF President Jim Moore and initiate conversations with them about the next steps we might take to move ourselves towards a more sustainable footprint while maintaining the financial stability we require as a university.” He has verbally supported divestment multiple times since.

    The University of Illinois Foundation is an organization related to the university that manages the endowment with an independent board. While neither the Chancellor nor the University President can make this decision for the University of Illinois Foundation, they can clearly state their support of fossil fuel divestment and specifically request a change from the decision authorities. Through this iCAP objective, we will work with the Office of the Chancellor to create a letter encouraging divestment. The letter will be from Chancellor Jones, and it will be sent to all responsible parties involved in the decision to divest, including the University of Illinois Foundation, Board of Trustees, President Killeen, and those responsible for the portion of the endowment housed in the President’s office. Divesting from fossil fuels is a significant step to put our environmental commitments into action.

     

     

    --
    Meredith Moore
    Sustainability Programs Coordinator

    Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    1101 W. Peabody, Urbana, Suite 338 (NSRC)

    217.333.0119 | mkm0078 at illinois.edu

    sustainability.illinois.edu

      

  15. Chicago's Renewable Energy Resolution

    Associated Project(s): 
    Use Clean Power

    BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this thirteenth day of March 2019, commit to transition to 100% clean renewable energy community-wide beginning with 100% renewable electricity in buildings by 2035 and complete electrification of CTA's bus fleet by 2040;

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we commit to ensuring that community-wide power will come from the generation and storage of clean, renewable energy from solar, wind, and geothermal sources with an emphasis on new and local resources; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the City of Chicago will develop a transition plan by December 2020, which will outline key strategies, set progression milestones, develop a timeline for reaching an equitable clean energy transition, and further opportunities to create a 100% clean, renewable energy future community-wide, as well as addressing issues including but not limited to...

    (see file)

    Attached Files: 

  16. iSEE offers a Carbon Offset Purchasing Guide

    Associated Project(s): 
    Carbon Offsets for Major Users

    https://sustainability.illinois.edu/campus-sustainability/positive-steps-to-offsetting-your-carbon-footprint/

    A Positive Step: Offsetting Your Carbon Footprint

    The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is committed to becoming carbon neutral no later than 2050. To achieve this, the campus and community must take ownership of that commitment — and faculty, students, and staff can do their part as individuals. One way is to purchase carbon offsets for travel or other actions that have measurable emissions.

    Offsetting your carbon footprint is becoming easier to do — and at less than $10 for a 2,000-mile flight, it is a cost-effective way for you to personally pay for your emissions impact even if your grant or government fund won’t cover offsets (many do not).

    This page offers a four-step guide to 1) determining the amount of carbon to offset, and 2) purchasing high-standard offsets.

    How Can I Reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions?

    One of the most sustainable options is to avoid air travel, and instead teleconference or choose a lower-carbon alternative such as a bus or train. If flying is required, it is possible to make sustainable choices to reduce the amount of carbon pollution generated as a result. Takeoff and landing require the most fuel during a flight, so eliminating connections by choosing direct flights can help reduce carbon emissions. An additional way to reduce GHG pollution is to pack lightly — Heavier airplanes require greater fuel consumption. For more information on sustainable and alternative transportation options to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, visit our sustainable and alternative transportation page.

    Despite Best Efforts, I Have to Travel for Work at Times. How Do I Offset the Related Emissions?

    Step 1: When considering a flight, the first step is to check to see if the airline offers the option to pay a surcharge based on the miles to be traveled. For example:

    Step 2: It is important to understand the impact of your travel and lifestyle choices by measuring your carbon footprint. Since not all airlines provide the opportunity to purchase a carbon offset, you can use the following calculator to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere based on the mileage of your journey: https://sustainabletravel.org/our-work/carbon-offsets/calculate-footprint/.

    Step 3: Visit one of the following links to purchase offsets. These provide options to fund various projects either domestically or internationally (e.g., methane capture, organic waste digestion, forest regeneration, clean water access, solar or wind projects, secure and sustainable agricultural practices, etc.). Optimize your offsets by funding more than your journey and choosing projects that support sustainable development in addition to carbon capture or reduction. For example, projects that create local jobs, improve public health and education, and benefit local communities. We recommend the following two sites to search for a certified carbon offset project based on their stringent standards, measuring requirements, and processes:

    Step 4: Fill out our short survey (on this page, or via the link below) to tell us about your offset purchase (reason for purchase, amount, what type of offset, why you did it, and why it is important!). We will want to feature you in our communications efforts to help encourage others to make sustainable choices. The survey >>>

     

     

    Attached Files: 

  18. Reduce Nitrates from Agricultural Stormwater

    Associated Project(s): 
    Reduce Nitrates from Agricultural Stormwater

    Hello Illinois NLRS Partners, 

     

    The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy was released on this date five years ago.

     

    Thank you to all of the nutrient stakeholder partners who continue to give their time and resources to implement the strategy. While we still have a lot of work to do to reach our goals, we invite you to celebrate the anniversary by enjoying this “NLRS By the Numbers” video. 

     

    You can view the video on the Illinois NLRS Facebook page here. Feel free to share it on social media as well. 

     

    Thank you,
    Illinois NLRS Steering Committee

  20. Email to Resilience SWATeam re: Edu002 recommendation

    Associated Project(s): 
    Education iCAP Team
    Resilience iCAP Team
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan

    Hello Resilience SWATeam!

     

    I hope this message finds you well. In the spring, one Education SWATeam (Edu002) recommendation to the iCAP Working Group suggested developing a sustainable communities paid internship program for students, in partnership with local businesses, non-profits, local government agencies, and local community-based organizations. As the recommendation states, the program would be designed to provide student opportunities in the sustainability field to advance resiliency efforts in our region and help tackle challenges related to climate change.

     

    The iWG recommended including the Resilience SWATeam in discussions on how best to move this forward since it directly involves and relates to the community. We recognized that cities are interested in working with students though funding may be a potential barrier. Your input on this recommendation will be very helpful. What are your initial thoughts on this recommendation? Does this seem like a feasible project, and what would be needed to implement such a program? Meredith may schedule a meeting in the fall between the two SWATeams to discuss further, though in the meantime, please respond with your feedback.

     

    Thank you!
    Ximing Cai

    August 2, 2020

     

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