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  2. e-week, GradLinks, Email+, and other methods for Bike to Work Day and Light the Night events

    Associated Project(s): 
    C-U Bike to Work Day
    Light the Night

    E-week, GradLinks, and iNews newsletter announcements were posted by September 4, 2022 for Bike to Work Day (BTWD) and Light the Night (LTN) events. iSEE, Campus Rec, Campus Wellbeing Services, University YMCA, ISSS (for students and scholars), and other newsletters also included an announcement for these events.

    Bike at Illinois also sent out a newsletter in September to promote these events!

    Digital Signage were posted across the campus on September 7, 2022 to promote these events.

    See attached all the methods used to promote these events on campus.

    Attached Files: 

  4. iCAP Team Priority Areas 2022-2023

    Associated Project(s): 
    Topical iCAP Teams
    Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS)
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Resilience iCAP Team
    Energy iCAP Team
    Education iCAP Team
    Land and Water iCAP Team
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Engagement iCAP Team

    The following email was sent to the iCAP Teams:

    Hello iCAP Teams,

    Thank you again for serving on these important campus sustainability committees, and for your commitment to helping the university achieve the objectives in the Illinois Climate Action Plan.  As promised in the charge letters you received, we are attaching the Key Priorities Document here.  The attached document includes a section for each iCAP Team, with two parts in each section: Priority areas and in progress iCAP Portal projects.

    1. Priority Areas

    In order to help our campus move from STARS Gold to STARS Platinum, we have identified priority areas where our university can potentially improve. iSEE’s summer intern Tyler evaluated the latest UIUC STARS report and identified example case studies from STARS Platinum schools.  Tyler’s report is online at “Report on Improving UIUC STARS Score.” The priority areas also include topics for potential recommendations that have been brought up in previous discussions with the campus sustainability teams.  One example of this is the current efforts to reduce plastic waste on campus.

    Many prior iCAP team members have expressed a desire for guidance on appropriate topics for recommendations, so we are providing this guidance to assist your team with focus areas for development of recommendations.  We encourage you to investigate these ideas with gusto; reach out to people at other schools to learn more about the ideas and contact people on our campus who would have a stake in the project (“stakeholders”) to understand how it could fit into our campus. You should also review the recommendation template to see the information that needs to be completed when you submit a recommendation to the iCAP Working Group. 

    1. In progress iCAP Portal projects

    The iCAP Portal has over 900 projects and contains information about our campus sustainability efforts, going back as far as 2003. The information is primarily entered by members of the iCAP Teams, the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC), and a few volunteers.  We are requesting your assistance to get updates on some of the projects that are listed as “In Progress.”  For each of the projects listed in the attached file, please answer the following questions:

    • Who is the current contact person? The project records on the iCAP Portal may provide past contacts, and your team members may have relevant information.
    • Is the project completed? If not, what is the current status of the effort?
    • What changes are needed on the iCAP Portal project page content? Pictures would be particularly nice to be able to share on the Portal.

    We are very excited about this coming year, and we want to support you in any way necessary.  Please reach out to any of us at any time.

    Thank you,

    Morgan, Jen, and Meredith

    Attached Files: 

  6. Transportation iCAP Team Meeting 9/2/2022

    Associated Project(s): 
    Transportation iCAP Team

    The Transportation iCAP team met on Friday, September 2nd from 4:00 - 5:00 P.M. to review the charge letter provided by iSEE and select a team Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

    Meeting Minutes and slides are attached to this update, a link to a recording of the meeting is provided below:

    https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_cvg9yq1q

    Attached Files: 

  8. Weekly Update: Open weekdays, BTWD, LTN

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, This week we begin being open the full week (minus Monday for Labor Day). Hopefully we’ll be able to better help folks, as we’ve had lines for stand time most days during our M/W/F schedule.

    We’re out of bikes but have been selling a good number of memberships. I’ll be out on Thurs/Fri but my staff will cover.

    We’ve taken a step back technologically and had good results: Printed membership forms are easier for folks to fill out, take less time, and we have more clipboards than computers which means we can get people working on their bikes sooner. Manually entering the forms afterwards and the environmental toll are worth it during these super-busy times.

    I’ll do some prep on my end for BTWD and LTN next week.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 102
    Sales: $1,865
    Bikes (refurb): 4 for $655
    Memberships: 24 for $720
    Tires/tubes: 22 for $144

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  11. SECS Newsletter 9/6/2022

    Associated Project(s): 
    Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS)

    SECS Newsletter 9/6/2022

    WHEN: Wednesday, September 7th, 2022

    TIME: 6:30 - 7:30 pm

    WHERE: Channing Murray building (1209 W Oregon St)

    I hope everybody had a nice and relaxing Labor Day weekend. SECS will have our next meeting this Wednesday. We are just under a month out from our climate strike (3 Fridays from now, 9/23 @12pm on the quad)! Many of our groups will focus on logistics and promotions for the strike, while others will continue the strong work we have done to start the semester. Everyone is welcome to join a different group and learn more about its projects; we encourage you to explore :) For instance, if you like hands-on projects, feel free to help paint our banner for the Solidarity Garden at Channing Murray! 

    With the recent spike in COVID cases on campus, we ask that you wear a mask at our today's meeting.

    See you guys on Wednesday! Go green or go HOME

    Announcements:
    • Illini Lights Out meets for the first time this school year this Friday, Sep. 9th at the Foreign Language Building from 5:30pm-6:30pm. 
      iSEE’s Illini Lights Out (ILO) program demonstrates the immense energy-saving impact of simply turning off the lights when you leave a classroom, lab, or study space. On a few Friday nights each month, volunteers gather to form mini lights-out brigades and tour campus buildings recording how many lights are left on (and shutting off as many as they can, of course). Volunteering takes about an hour and a half, and there are always snacks afterward! Thanks to a grant from the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC), ILO has multiple events you can take part in each semester!       

    Join the Discord!

    Visit our Website

     

    SECS is pleased to share our new website with you all: https://secsatuiuc.web.illinois.edu/
    Feel free to browse the site and learn more about the history of our beloved RSO, our current projects and endorsements, while also keeping an eye out for upcoming environmentalist blog posts     👀

     

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  12. archived info - previous project description and background

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Dashboard Project

    Project Description

    The Illini Energy Dashboard provides clearly visible understandable information data and information to students and staff of selected University buildings describing energy consumption rate (electrical, chilled water and steam) so that users can make educated choices about the way they can affect energy consumption and conservation. The biggest challenge in successfully creating a campus-wide goal of energy reduction is being able to evoke a behavioral change resulting in energy conservation and sustainability efforts. This project aims to achieve such a change by showing energy consumers at the University how they're consuming energy in a clear way.

    The Energy Dashboard Project is a multi-part project that includes implementation of a website, connection of existing real-time energy meters, and installations of additional real-time energy meters throughout campus.  With support from the Student Sustainability Committee, this project funded the purchase of the website module for the campus' energy data historian program, through Insight.  F&S staff oversaw the implementation of the module, and ECI staff developed the look and reference content of the site.  The website went live in early 2012, and existing real-time meters have been connected.  At this time, additional metering is underway.

    Project Background

    The conversion factors used in the dashboard display are:

    •     Average US Household: 901 kWh/month, 30.03 kWh/day
    •     CFL light bulb: 15 watts, 360 Wh/day, 0.360 kWh/day
    •     Refrigerator: 180 watts, 4320 Wh/day, 4.320 kWh/day
    •     22" LED TV: 30 watts, 720 Wh/day, 0.720 kWh/day

    Previous Related File is attached

    Attached Files: 

  13. ZW007 Composting Strategies - Transmitted

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Zero Waste Recommendations Summary
    Large-Scale Food Waste Composting

    Following review by the iCAP Working Group, the iWG recommends that the ZW007 Composting Strategies recommendation be transmitted to iSEE:

    "Because these discussions are at the beginning stages in various formats and topics, the iWG recommends that iSEE collaborate with the Zero Waste iCAP Team to plan and host a discussion/symposium/workshop in FY23 to share knowledge about composting programs, efforts, and strategies for campus and the community. A review of known solutions from other places and an assessment of anticipated costs for composting strategies should be included, and include presentations from experts on best practices."

    See the submittal of ZW007 Composting Strategies here.

    Attached Files: 

  16. iCAP Team Charge Letters 2022-2023

    Associated Project(s): 
    Topical iCAP Teams
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Energy iCAP Team
    Land and Water iCAP Team
    Engagement iCAP Team
    Transportation iCAP Team
    Education iCAP Team
    Resilience iCAP Team

    iSEE Director, Madhu Khanna, sent out the seven iCAP Team charge letters for the 2022-2023 academic year (attached). 

    "Thank you once again for your service in helping to make the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign a more sustainable campus. Attached is your charge letter for the 2022-2023 academic year with an outline of your campus sustainability duties as part of the iCAP Team. We look forward to your positive and impactful contributions."

    Attached Files: 

  17. FC Standings

    Associated Project(s): 
    Freezer Challenge

    UIUC was within top 4 for energy savings in the Freezer Challenge this year among academic organizations. 

    And, in the top 2 in terms of normalized points earned. UAB beat UIUC in both categories this year, with over 100 labs participating from their campus. 

  18. FC Standings

    Associated Project(s): 
    Freezer Challenge

    UIUC was within top 4 for energy savings in the Freezer Challenge this year among academic organizations. 

    And, in the top 2 in terms of normalized points earned. UAB beat UIUC in both categories this year, with over 100 labs participating from their campus. 

  20. Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) Supporting Member

    Associated Project(s): 
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Increase Recycling Rates

    In Spring of 2022, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign became a Supporting Member for the Northeast Recycling Council’s (NERC).

    As an Advisory Member, we are invited to:

     

    • Submit articles for the Email Bulletin.  
    • Submit blogs – which will be advertised on social media.
    • Participate in four substantive committees:
      • glass markets
      • regional recycling markets
      • bottle bills
      • diversity, equity and inclusion
    • Participate in Projects or Initiatives:
    Attached Files: 

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