Under the leadership of Professor Evan DeLucia, the Center for a Sustainable Environment is transitioning to the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE).  The News-Gazette wrote a great article covering the transition and the goals of the new organization (see file).

EATING LOCAL MEANS CHOOSING FOODS THAT ARE GROWN WITHIN A 100 MILE RADIUS OF
WHERE YOU CONSUME IT.

IT’S JUST BETTER!
Looks, Tastes, and Nutritionally better because it is in season always and picked at ripeness. It even has a longer shelf life.

SUPPORTS LOCAL FARMERS & ECONOMY!
$$$ goes through fewer hands and tends to get to the people who grew it. At times by as much as 90% if purchased directly from local farmers.

HELPS SAVE THE PLANET!
Reduces the carbon footprint of our foods by using:
-LESS gas for transportation
-LESS electricity for refrigeration
-NO waste from packaging
The average grocery store's produce travels nearly 1,500 miles between the farm where it was grown and your refrigerator.

(source: https://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/whybuylocal/) 

Energy Conservation

In June 2008, our Chancellor directed a 10% cut in per square foot energy use (download as pdf) to be achieved over the next three years using fiscal year 2007 as the base year. The campus far exceeded this goal with a 17% reduction in three years! Further, the iCAP commits our campus to a 40% energy reduction by 2025. 

There are many efforts underway on the Urbana-Champaign campus to reduce our energy consumption.  The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has repaired, replaced, or upgraded utility meters in approximately 85 campus buildings through a series of projects.  As a result, dependable utility metering exists in campus buildings comprising 90% of the annual energy consumption. In addition, Facilities & Services employs a retrocommissioning team that has completed over 4 million square feet of space, resulting in an average of 26% energy reduction per building.  Also, there is a major lighting retrofit project underway that has updated over 85,000 light fixtures, with a goal of replacing all fixtures by May 2012. 

Real and lasting change will come as a result of personal responsibility.  Please check out the following links to see how you can help.

Illini Energy Dashboard

Energy Use Policy (pdf)

Energy Services

Retrocommissioning

Administrative Information Technology Services (AITS)

Transportation

Illinois offers a variety of sustainable ways to navigate campus.  A combination of student fees and University funding allows all students and permanent employees free access to the Champaign-Urbana MTD buses. In 2009, the University also contracted with Zipcar to provide fuel-efficient vehicles for short trips in and around campus. To date, there are over 500 members signed up and currently using the Zipcar alternative. In addition, street traffic has been re-routed and bike lanes are being re-designed and added to help create a safer and more attractive environment for pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

Please visit the Transportation Demand Management website for more information.

Here are some ways to get around the campus and local communities.

• Bike Project Co-op

• Champaign County Bikes

Green Building

Illinois is committed to sustainable building design.  The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Facility Standards and Design Guidelines were recently updated to require all new construction and major renovations over $5 million be certified at a minimum Gold level building under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system.  All projects less than $5 million are asked to design to Gold standards, but are not required to be certified. 


The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign completed construction on the Business Instructional Facility (BIF) in 2008, which received Platinum level LEED certification.  The facility is expected to consume 75% less energy than the average older campus buildings.  The University Student Dining and Residence Hall project is expected to achieve a LEED Silver rating, and several other projects are in the planning stages that will pursue LEED accreditation.

Illinois is home to seven LEED buildings:
BIF is LEED Platinum
Nugent Hall is LEED Silver
Student Dining and Residential Programs Building (IKE) is LEED Silver
Blue Waters Petascale facility is LEED Gold
The Yeh Center (addition to Newmark) is seeking LEED Gold
The new Electrical & computer Engineering building will be seeking LEED Platinum certification and is striving for net-zero energy design that will enable the building to supply all of its own energy (the largest in the nation).
The Lincoln Hall renovation will be seeking LEED Silver

The CSE provides several outlets to learn about sustainability initiatives, education, research, and events. The CSE has made a concerted effort to increase their followers on Facebook and Twitter, since that seems to be an effective way to communicate with students. Other efforts to be more comprehensive are underway, as well.

• Green Teams: Green teams are groups of faculty members that attempt to further sustainable operatiosn at the University. There is one central focus of each green team. Focuses among all of the green teams on campus have a wide range within the broad category of sustainability, from energy efficiency to native plantings. Green teams usually consist of faculty members, which Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) have are student-led.
• E-newsletter: The CSE's weekly e-newsletter has 1,300 subscribers.
• Website: The CSE maintains a content-rich website that aims to inform the public about sustainability activities and resources on campus and in the region. In 2012, CSE worked to reorganize the site to be more intuitive and user-friendly.
• Facebook and Twitter: As part of the CSE's efforts to improve communication with students, the CSE made improvements to their Facebook and Twitter pages in 2012. As of February 2013, CSE's Twitter account had more than 900 followers.
• Media coverage: The CSE receives regular coverage in the Daily Illini, which is the University of Illinois' student newspaper, as a result of the CSE's many interactions with students. In 2012, the CSE (then the OS) was covered more than 30 times in the Daily Illini. The bi-monthly faculty/ staff newspaper, Inside Illinois, publishes a regular section devoted to green initiatives.

Green Living Tips

How Can YOU Make a Difference?

Power down

Power down for the community. Power down for the planet.

Turn off your lights when you leave a room. Shut down your computer and elecrtronic equipment when not in use. Every little bit counts, so start today!!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Do you really need all those napkins you just picked up in the cafeteria? What about that plastic water bottle - how about using a stainless steel or reusable water container instead? Recycling isn't just about where we put our trash when it's time to dispose of it, but is also inherent in the decisions we make before we purchase products as well.

What can you do for your campus and planet? Find out at Illini Union Go Green Recycling Facts!

How DO YOU make a difference on campus or in the community? We want to know!

We'll share your responses as we continue to update this section.

Student Groups

Want to learn more about sustainability issues? Want to make a difference? 
Want to put your knowledge and skills to use? 
Want to have fun?

Below are some groups to explore.

Campus Registered Student Organizations

• American Fisheries Society University of Illinois Student Chapter
• Ecological Design Consortium
• Energy Club
• Engineers Without Borders
• Environmental Law Society 
• IRenergy: Illini Renewable Energy Group
• Red Bison
• Student Planning Organization
• Student Sustainability Committee
• Students for Environmental Concerns
• The Wildlife Society University of Illinois Student Chapter
• USGBC

Volunteer Opportunities 

• Alternative Spring Break
• Sustainable Student Farm

National Sustainability Organizations

• Roots and Shoots
• Student Affairs Green Team
• The Green Observer
 

Don't see what you're looking for? Have an event that you would like promoted? Contact us.

Student Sustainability Committee

The Student Sustainability Committee'spurpose is to:

1) explore the options for the use of the student fees for sustainability and alternative energy generation, and 2) evaluate the feasibility of projects being discussed with the professional assistance of engineers in the Division of Facilities and Services. The committee reviews and recommends projects to be funded from two student fees, the $14.00 Sustainable Campus Environment fee and the $2.00 Cleaner Energy Technologies fee.

In Spring 2003, a $2.00 per semester non-refundable student fee for Cleaner Energy Technologies was approved by a student referendum. The intent of the fee is to "provide pollution-free renewable energy as a portion of the campus energy portfolio and reduce campus energy consumption." In Spring 2010, students passed a referendum that raised the Sustainable Campus Environment Fee from $5 to $14. The measure passed by 77% approval, and established University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as having the largest funding pool of its kind in the United States. The Student Sustainability Committee, is a joint student, faculty and staff committee, though students are the only voting members on the Committee.

The projects approved by the Student Sustainability Committee undergo approval by the Office of Sustainability.

To become a member of the Student Sustainability Committee, visit the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs website for application information and application deadlines.

Student Sustainability Committee Members

Students - 2012-2013
Kathryn Kinley - (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Marika Nell - (Civil and Environmental Engineering) - Treasurer
Suharsh Sivakumar - (Computer Science)
Emily Cross - (Earth Systems, Society and Environment)
Olivia Webb - (Agricultural and Biological Engineering)
Jordan Jessop - (Graduate Student, Natural Resources and Environmental Science)
Marcus Ricce - (Graduate Student, Urban and Regional Planning)
Felicia Speranske - (Natural Resouces and Environmental Science)
Sean Sullivan - (Earth Systems, Society, and Environment)
Teresa Tousignant - (Graduate Student, Architecture) 

Faculty Advisors - 2012-2013
Brenda Coble Lindsey- Social Work
Brian Deal- Urban and Regional Planning
Praveen Kumar- Civil and Environmental Engineering
Robert Pahre- Political Science
Madhu Viswanathan- Business
Michelle Wander- Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

Staff Advisors - 2012-2013
Stephanie Lage- Office of Sustainability
Betsy Jo Liggett- Environmental Compliance, Facilities and Services
Morgan Johnston- Sustainability Coordinator, Facilities and Services
John Prince- Deferred Maintenance, Facilities and Services
Ed Slazinik- Illini Union

Program Advisor
Mckenzie Beverage – Student Programs and Activities