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Projects Updates for key objective: No name

  1. EGen SWATeam Meeting Minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Generation, Purchasing, & Distribution (eGen) SWATeam [ARCHIVED]
    Clean Energy Plan

    On February 20, 2018, the EGen SWATeam had a guest speaker, Professor George Gross, lecture on wind and solar RECs. With his advice, the team has decided to move forward with the selling of solar RECs and purchasing of wind RECs. The excess funds made will be invested in energy generation/conservation projects. Professor Gross's presentation is attached along with the meeting minutes. 

    Attached Files: 

  4. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    Here’s the past week’s zero-waste activity: 

    • Jeremiah Yokley from Purchasing replied to me and will re-run the glove purchasing report to show purchases from the Urbana campus only. He confirmed that the report is for iBuy purchases, not for all purchases across the campus.
    • I have still not heard back from Kimberly-Clark regarding the questions I'd sent about Noyes as a pick-up site. I will phone Jonathan McClintock this week, since the couple of times I've tried to reach him by email have not been effective.
    • I sent a revised (possibly final) version of the glove recycling flier to Morgan and Anna. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  5. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    Here's the latest: 

    • Early in the month, I contacted Jonathan McClintock from Kimberly-Clark and Tanya Lisowski and Jordan Powers from Fisher. I asked them whether Noyes was incurring any cost for having gloves shipped directly from their building to K-C for recycling. I had also asked if they record the volume of gloves from Noyes and the weight of a box of gloves. They have not replied, so I re-sent my questions to them this evening. 
    • I've been communicating with a doctoral student (Imran Rahman) at one of the labs at RAL about glove recycling. Morgan had asked me to inquire about any costs that they were incurring for geRng their gloves picked up and sent to K-C for recycling. Imran told me that they get their K-C gloves through VWR. VWR is picking up gloves from them at no charge. He doesn't know whether VWR sends them directly back to K-C or is taking them to Noyes. He notes that more centralized recycling at RAL would likely result in more of the chemistry and biochemistry labs participating in the program. I let him know I would stay in touch as we move forward, in the hope that a more convenient solution will emerge. 
    • Shawn Hopkins from Big Belly has stayed in touch with me and is interested in speaking with Morgan or Morgan and me about indoor options.
    • I have not heard back from Purchasing on whether the report on glove purchases was for iBuy only or included all campus glove purchases. I re-sent my question to him this evening. 
    • Anna sent me graphics and photos for glove recycling program materials, so I will move forward on them. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  7. Illini Union cooling towers removed

    Associated Project(s): 
    Reduce Cooling Tower and Chiller Plant Water Use

    The Illini Union has demolished its old cooling towers for HVAC in the past 15 years, and recently demolished the old evaporator cooling system for the refrigeration chilling water in 2017. Almost all of our HVAC is now on DDC, with the exception of AHU’s 1, 2, & 3 in the South Building attic, and AHU-21 in the North Building NW subbasement.

  8. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    This past week 

    • Morgan and I had a phone call to catch up on glove recycling. We are still sorting out the situation at Noyes, as they seem to have an independent arrangement with Kimberly Clark for glove pick-up. I am also trying to see if they would allow one of the labs from RAL to drop glove off there. A post-doc from the lab at RAL is interested in having the lab participate but can’t get the gloves to PPSB. 
    • I asked Morgan and Anna for feedback on an online glove recycling participation form to go on the relevant iCAP portal page. I also sent content for an informational flier which will eventually be posted on the site. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  10. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    Here’s what I did this past week for the zero-waste effort: 

    • Continued communications with Roger Adams Lab regarding their interest in glove recycling. Continued correspondence with Serenity Desmond at Noyes about lettng RAL drop off gloves there, since it will be difficult for RAL to get them to PPSB.
    • Received a Purchasing report of glove purchases across the campus. Morgan and I intend to use the information to help promote the glove recycling program.
    • Received a report from UIC on outdoor trash and recycling collection costs before and after implementing Big Bellies on the campus. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  13. SSC and F&S to host Free to Ride film screening

    Associated Project(s): 
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Reduce Driving on Campus

    Free To Ride, a documentary produced by The Ohio State University's Kirwan Institute, highlights the relentless spirit of community leaders from across Dayton, Ohio who overcame a suburban contingent fearfully opposed to the expansion of public transit along a commercial corridor, and the system of checks and balances that allowed justice and reason to prevail.

    Trailer: https://vimeo.com/95444875

    This event is free and open to the public. Join us on March 7th at 4pm in room 112 at the Transportation Building.

    Event Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1554444197965701/

    Attached Files: 

  15. Weekly Update for Zero Waste

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste

    Hi Pete and Shawn—

    Here are my zero-waste coordination updates from this past week: 

    • I met with two students from Business in Environmental Responsibility, a campus RSO. They are interested in volunteering to help with the glove recycling program. Not many of their members have cars, so they are not in a good position to assist with transporting gloves from collection sites to the trailer at PPSB, so we talked about help they might give with identifying locations on campus that use disposable gloves. I will consult with Morgan on whether we might use that information to promote the program more broadly across campus.
    • A lab in RAL is working on becoming a participating location. They are very interested but would like assistance with transporting gloves to PPSB. I will consult with Morgan on whether we have any options for them.
    • I contacted Rebecca Seymour, who manages the campus Starbuck’s locations. She is moving forward with providing used coffee grounds to John McNally, a local farmer who can use them for fertilizer. He had inquired about payment for providing transportation to pick them up, but we don’t have any funds for it. Nonetheless, he and Rebecca are moving forward with the arrangement, starting with the Starbuck’s located in the Illini Union. My contacts with the Sustainable Student Farm and a few other local farmers and the Urbana Park District’s gardening program did not result in any additional interest in the program. One or two contacts indicated that they could use the grounds but would need them to be delivered.
    • I updated the glove recycling page in the iCAP Portal to show that Krannert Art Museum is participating. 

    Best regards,
    Marya Ryan
    Zero Waste Coordinator

  17. Pollinator pocket maps

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bee Campus USA
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas

    Sustainability staff asked Lesley Deem at the Pollinatarium if the proposed pollinator pockets should be within a specific distance of each other, such as every half mile. Ms. Deem replied, “I think if we put them in the best spots available there will be enough coverage. For example, honey bees can fly for a few miles to find food. They use up less of their energy if it is closer but they should be able to find it even it is a mile or two away.”

  18. Water and Stormwater SWATeam Meeting 2/6/2018

    Associated Project(s): 
    Water and Stormwater SWATeam [ARCHIVED]
    Green Infrastructure
    Water Audit / Inventory

    Meeting topics included potential for the team to move forward with a water audit of campus buildings, ways that nitrogen runoff could be monitored, and incentives the Parking Department would have in following through with adding green infrastructure to parking projects.

    Attached Files: 

  19. Final project reports for Fall 2017

    Associated Project(s): 
    CEE Project Based Learning (PBL)
    Sustainability Minor
    Independent Student Projects
    Energy Dashboard Project
    Develop Local Foods Network
    Biomass use on Campus
    Smart Grid for Campus
    Retrocommissioning (RCx)
    Rain Gardens on Campus
    Solar Power on Campus
    Green Roofs on Campus
    Methane Capture on Campus
    Reduce Foodwaste

    The CEE 398 Project Based Learning and the Sustainability Minor's ENVS 492 Capstone students completed their nine fall 2017 reports.

    There were five projects completed for capstone partners:

    1. Energy Dashboards for Accenture
    2. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Johnson Controls
    3. Food Hub Study for The Land Connection
    4. Sensors and Green Buildings for CERL
    5. Biomass Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) for Chip Energy

    There were four other projects completed by CEE students:

    1. Rain Garden Design
    2. Solar and Green Roofs Analysis
    3. Food Waste to Energy
    4. ADA Sidewalk Repair Cost Analysis
    Attached Files: 

  20. archived info - previous project description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Inventory Sustainability Courses

    Assess existing courses to identify which courses meet specific requirements in the learning outcomes, and identify gaps for future curriculum development

    Course listings for undergraduate and graduate levels were examined to develop an inclusive list of courses related to sustainability.  An online survey of department heads was conducted in Fall 2010 which served to verify the list developed, sought feedback on perceived gaps and desired future offerings, and gained insight about the degree to which the learning outcomes are being addressed (58 departments responded out of 165). The inventory is designed to help students identify courses by several categories, including whether a course fulfills a general education requirement and whether the course is undergraduate and graduate level.  The inventory revealed more than 250 courses and can be found on the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment website. 

    The inventory conducted at the time did not distinguish between sustainability related and focused courses.  Sustainability related covers only one aspect of sustainability, i.e., economic, social, or environmental, whereas focused covers all three.

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