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Projects Updates for key objective: No name

  1. Car Culture and Climate Change: A Student Op-Ed

    Associated Project(s): 
    Reduce Driving on Campus

     

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    Student Op-Ed: Car Culture and Climate Change

    In this opinion piece, undergraduate Shelby Job uses the U of I as a case study to examine the impact of efforts to limit automobile use and enourage biking, walking and public transit on America's "car culture" — especially in lower- and middle-class communities. 

    "Although the campus’ lack of accessibility by automobile might feel like a constraint on individual freedom, using infrastructure to encourage active modes of transportation may be the way forward as we search for solutions to the climate crisis," Job writes.

    But higher parking rates and the scarcity of parking overall raise the question of whether manipulating road systems will lead to a car culture that is only accessible to socioeconomic elites, she writes. "If municipalities begin to restrict auto travel by cutting down on the amount of affordable parking, then the face of an area's car culture is likely to change in a way that excludes those of lower socioeconomic standing."

    The op-ed was originally written for a course in iSEE's Certificate in Environmental Writing (CEW

  2. Legal opinion on authority to enter into virtual PPAs

    Associated Project(s): 
    Off-campus Solar Farm 3.0 PPA

    VIRTUAL POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT RULED LEGAL
    F&S and the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment hired attorney Paul Durbin to evaluate the legality for the campus to enter into a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) to meet the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) goals for purchasing renewable energy. The analysis concluded that the Board of Trustees has the legal authority to enter into a VPPA, if it is financially reasonable; said agreement would be performed by Prairieland Energy, Inc. (PEI), a subsidiary wholly-owned by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

  3. SOLAR FARM LANDSCAPE BUFFER

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Bee Campus USA
    Sustainable Landscapes Plan

    SOLAR FARM LANDSCAPE BUFFER
    F&S representatives shared detailed designs for the pollinator supportive landscape buffer along the future Solar Farm 2.0 site to the Village of Savoy. Village leaders were pleased with the design plans and thanked us for being responsive to their neighborly request. When completed, this site will serve as a demonstration for pollinator-friendly solar arrays, following the requirements of the Pollinator Friendly Solar Site Act (Illinois Pub. Act 100-1022). Solar Farm 2.0 will produce approximately 20,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually, and will generate the equivalent electricity use of more than 2,000 average American homes.

  4. Sustainability course list!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Inventory Sustainability Courses

     

    Collaboratory-NRES-285.jpgSchedule Time: Our List of Sustainability Courses!

    Our sustainability course lists are live for Summer and Fall 2020, with hundreds of offerings across campus.

    From English to Geology to Horticulture, find a class incorporating sustainability that's right for you!

    iSEE is also accepting applications for its two educational programs: the Sustainability, Energy and Environment Fellows Program campuswide minor; and the undergraduate Certificate in Environmental Writing.

  5. Transportation SWATeam Meeting: 30 March 2020

    Associated Project(s): 
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Incorporate Sustainability Principles into Campus Master Plan
    Support Zipcar in Champaign-Urbana
    Encourage Telecommuting

    Attached are the meeting minutes from the Transportation SWATeam meeting on 30 March 2020. 

    The Agenda is as follows:

    Recommendations Review

    • (M. Hubbard) Support CMP by increasing pedestrian safety by reevaluating current pedestrian routes and conducting traffic studies.
    • (S. Prasad) Zip-cars continuity: continue to serve at popular locations and set up a system to maintain Zip-car presence (two options are to set up a fund to pay for Zip-car parking spaces or ask Parking not to charge the department). 
    • (J. Cidell) UI Ride Survey
    • (J. Cidell) Teleconferencing assessment
    • (Y. Ouyang) Faculty/Staff Vanpool Survey

    April Agenda

    • iCAP 2020 Transportation Chapter Review
    Attached Files: 

  6. Zero Waste SWATeam Meeting: 27 March 2020

    Associated Project(s): 
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Develop Sustainable Purchasing Policies

    Attached are the meeting minutes from the Zero Waste SWATeam meeting on 27 March 2020.

    The agenda is as follows:

    March Formal Recommendations

    • America To Go Catering Sustainability Criteria
    • Aluminum Vending Machine Replacement
    • Student Sustainability Ambassadors

    April Agenda

    Recommendations for next round of submissions?

    • Any pertinent topics?
    • Staff/faculty Ethics training update?
    Attached Files: 

  8. FY19 Green Power Partnership renewal submitted

    Associated Project(s): 
    EPA Green Power Partner
    Use Clean Power
    Solar Farm 1.0
    BIF Rooftop Solar PVs
    Wassaja Hall Rooftop Solar PVs
    ECE Rooftop Solar PVs
    Wind Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)
    Apply for Recognition

    F&S completed the renewal of our recognition as a Green Power Partner through the US Environmental Protection Agency. Green Power Partners of our scale now have to use renewable power for seven percent of their annual consumption, an increase from the previous requirement of three percent. Fortunately, the FY19 green power supply for FY19 was 7.28%.  See attached file.

    Overview submitted: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is proud of its sustainability initiatives, as documented in the Illinois Climate Action Plan. The first project was a 32.76 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) array on the Business Instructional Facility in 2009. The 14.7 kW PV array, ground mounted at the Building Research Council, is a research platform for the Information Trust Institute. The most significant on-campus renewable energy generation project to date went into operation in December 2015, with the completion of the 5.87 megawatt (MW) Solar Farm, producing approximately 7,200 MWh/year. In December 2015 another solar array was installed on the new Wassaja Residence Hall roof with a capacity of 33 kW. In September 2016, campus signed a ten-year Wind Power Purchase Agreement for 25 million kWh/year. Most recently, the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Building had 970 rooftop panels installed. Since production began in April 2019, 11% of all power supplied to the ECE Building has been from the rooftop panels, not including the panels that are used for student-oriented research. The University will soon be home to Solar Farm 2.0, which is projected to produce 20,000 MWh/year, nearly tripling on-site production.

    Attached Files: 

  10. Check out the I-Pollinate citizen science research initiative

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bee Campus USA
    Sustainability Engagement and Outreach
    Support Regional Sustainability

    I-Pollinate is a citizen science research initiative, through the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, designed to collect state-wide pollinator data. I-Pollinate enlists citizen scientists to participate in three research projects and collect data on monarch egg and caterpillar abundance, pollinator visitation to ornamental flowers, and state bee demographics. If you are interested in participating and want more information, visit the website site at https://ipollinate.illinois.edu/.

  11. Trans010 Mode Switch Survey - Successful

    Associated Project(s): 
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Transportation iCAP Team Recommendations Summary
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Reduce Driving on Campus

    The Transportation SWATeam made the recommendation below, which was transmitted to iSEE and approved at an iSEE Management Meeting. Meredith Moore is in communication with Julie Cidell regarding moving forward with this initiative. 

    "The Transportation SWATeam kindly requests the creation of a survey which would question faculty and staff who travel out of town for conferences or other university-sponsored activities on their decided mode of transportation. This survey would be voluntary and facilitated by the Transportation SWATeam. An example of a question would be something like: 'In the past year, what has been the main reason for the travel you selected?'"

    See the submittal of Trans010 Mode Switch Survey here.

    See the recommendation for the Trans010 Mode Switch Survey here. 

    For future updates, see the Reduce Driving on Campus project here.

  14. Covid-19 shut down of recycling sort line on campus

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

    All:

    Staying consistent with the guidelines issued by the CDC and University of Illinois effective Friday, March 20, 2020 at 3PM the sort line will be closed at the University of Illinois Waste Transfer Station until further notice Enumerated below are the changes effective 3/20/2020:

    • DSC staff has been notified and will not be sending their staff to the waste transfer station starting Monday, March 23, 2020.
    • No waste will be sent to the sort line. All collected mixed waste will be sent directly to the landfill.
    • Pre-sorted materials such as a paper and cardboard will be continued to be collected and processed on the floor as normal.
    • Pre-sorted materials such as bottles and cans will be stored in a roll-off container to be processed at a later time.
    • All staff that will continue to work during this time at the WTS must adhere to the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    Please note that there will be no change in waste and recycling collection schedules. Facilities and Services will continue to collect source separated trash and recycling from campus dumpster there will be no change in collection service. As there will be no material going to the sort line we do not anticipate an increase in material as most of campus is currently working remotely. Facilities and Services will be working with Area to monitor generation and evaluate if additional hauling service would be needed.

     

    We thank you for your support and understanding during these unprecedented times. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach me or my team directly.

  16. Seeking participants who are passionate about sustainable consumer products

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainable Procurement
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Seeking participants who are passionate about sustainable consumer products

     

    We are seeking individuals who are willing to participate in a short 30-minute conversation about sustainable and consumer lifestyles. Participants of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. If interested, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/LukTEJpRcY5Y8EY3A

     

    Angel Han • In Affiliation with Cozad

  17. Restoring the Ecology of Stone Prairie Farm

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainable Landscapes Plan

    Mr. Apfelbaum will tell us about his life-long project to restore his land on the border of Wisconsin, taking it back to its original state, before the changes brought about by farming, described in detail in his book Nature’s Second Chance. Having carried out ecological restorations world-wide, he is presently working in Urbana, restoring the Stone Creek golf course to its natural state. 

    March 12, 6:30 PM • Stone Creek Golf Club (Formerly known as Attie's), 2560 Stonecreek Blvd Urbana, IL

    Amanda Christenson • Cooperative Extension Service

    Restoring the Ecology of Stone Prairie Farm

  18. Status update from WEF Design Team Co-Captain

    Associated Project(s): 
    Independent Student Projects
    Green Infrastructure
    Water Environment Federation (WEF)

    Justin Chen, from the University of Illinois joint student chapter of the Water Enviroment Federation-American Water Works, and the rest of his design team have been hard at work this school year!

    Some project updates via the co-captian:

    • Chose project topic: Green Infrastructure Solutions for Veterinary Medicine Facility Flooding
    • Made team site visit to Vet Med, surveyed areas for potential green infrastructure applications
    • Came up with preliminary ideas on solutions and locations for implementation
    • Conducted research on past green infrastructure projects to establish a base understanding of the options available

    Click here to find out more and how you can become involved with WEF!

     

     

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