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  1. Interview with Scott Willenbrock (Former Physics Professor, UIUC Solar Farm Involvement)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Clean Energy Plan

    A document containing the notes from this interview is attached below.

     

    Summary of the Clean Energy Transition Plan Interview:

    Scott Willenbrock - Former Physics Professor, UIUC Solar Farm Involvement

    On 3/24/22, the team met with Scott Willenbrock. He provided a lot of valuable information on Solar Farm 1 and 2, as well as the potential for a Solar Farm 3. He described that Solar Farm 3 will likely be an off-campus farm due to the lack of space on campus. He did mention that there was potential for putting a farm on campus in between Solar Farm 1 and 2, but it would be necessary to relocate the research that the fields are currently being used for. He thinks Solar Farm 3 will most likely be off campus, and he says the biggest challenge with this is getting things moving and having enough people behind it. He gave us some advice on rooftop solar, stating that the fault is in the economy of scale, but rooftop panels can be useful due to their visibility on campus/ promotion of clean energy. He also believes that storage is a challenge that needs to be addressed, batteries are too expensive now.

  2. SSC Meeting Reminder

    Associated Project(s): 
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    From: Student Sustainability Committee
    Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2022 11:20 PM
    To: SSC Board (2021-2022)-group; Alkhatib, Sari; Stumpf, Andrew J; Moore, Meredith Kaye; Benson, Eric; Brinkworth, Jessica F; Green, Eric William; Ngumbi, Esther Ndumi; Smith, Kyle C; Houser, Barry; McSweeney, Kevin; Peacock, Lisa Marie; Kelley, Hunter; Nifong, Lucy; Guth, David Christian; White, Morgan; Hintz, James
    Subject: SSC Meeting Reminder!

    Friends and longtime Jack supporters,

    Hello. It's that time of year again. Did you enjoy your week of respite from my emails (ignore emails that I also sent today)? Well bad news, it's time to pay the piper. Per usual, we have an SSC meeting tomorrow at 4 pm both online and in the Campus Instructional Facility, room 3038. We'll be voting on one scope change (it's about rockets, so cool and good) and doing a bunch of other cool stuff. As always, if you can't make it and/or you'd like to elect a proxy to attend on your behalf, let me know! I'd also like to express my small preference for members to attend in-person meetings when possible. I think there tends to be a little more involvement in discussion when I can spur people to talk with my steely glare. Obviously, don't feel pressured to attend in-person if you have some kind of spatial conflict or any concerns about illness/general wellness! Just saying, all things equal, if you value my opinion, that's like my slight slight preference. Tomorrow specifically, there is a special treat in it for you if you attend in-person. There's a slight incentive there, see, because there's a thing we need to do with as many of us as possible, which can only be done in-person. If you still can't make it, don't worry the opportunity cost here of attending online is max, maybe $6. Happy to venmo you the difference if you're really broken up about it.

    Anyhow, I'm rambling, here's the agenda (including link to scope change) which you should ideally check out before the meeting. Hope to see you there! Zoom below!

    Best,
    Jack

  3. SSC Meeting

    From: Student Sustainability Committee
    Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2022 11:20 PM
    To: SSC Board (2021-2022)-group; Alkhatib, Sari; Stumpf, Andrew J; Moore, Meredith Kaye; Benson, Eric; Brinkworth, Jessica F; Green, Eric William; Ngumbi, Esther Ndumi; Smith, Kyle C; Houser, Barry; McSweeney, Kevin; Peacock, Lisa Marie; Kelley, Hunter; Nifong, Lucy; Guth, David Christian; White, Morgan; Hintz, James
    Subject: SSC Meeting Reminder!

     

    Friends and longtime Jack supporters,

     

    Hello. It's that time of year again. Did you enjoy your week of respite from my emails (ignore emails that I also sent today)? Well bad news, it's time to pay the piper. Per usual, we have an SSC meeting tomorrow at 4 pm both online and in the Campus Instructional Facility, room 3038. We'll be voting on one scope change (it's about rockets, so cool and good) and doing a bunch of other cool stuff. As always, if you can't make it and/or you'd like to elect a proxy to attend on your behalf, let me know! 

     

    I'd also like to express my small preference for members to attend in-person meetings when possible. I think there tends to be a little more involvement in discussion when I can spur people to talk with my steely glare. Obviously, don't feel pressured to attend in-person if you have some kind of spatial conflict or any concerns about illness/general wellness! Just saying, all things equal, if you value my opinion, that's like my slight slight preference. Tomorrow specifically, there is a special treat in it for you if you attend in-person. There's a slight incentive there, see, because there's a thing we need to do with as many of us as possible, which can only be done in-person. If you still can't make it, don't worry the opportunity cost here of attending online is max, maybe $6. Happy to venmo you the difference if you're really broken up about it. 

     

    Anyhow, I'm rambling, here's the agenda (including link to scope change) which you should ideally check out before the meeting. Hope to see you there! Zoom below!

     

    Best,

    Jack

  4. Weekly Announcement

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

    Hello all~

    We would like to update two announcements from our last email.

    Shallon Ted-Talk:
    Our amazing president Shallon is hosting an iSEE TED Talk: Eco-Edition discussing sustainable agriculture at 7pm on March 28th — join us to learn more about sustainable agriculture locally at the Student Sustainable Farm and discuss the future of agriculture globally. Register for the event here: https://illinois.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvcOyrpzMqGNyJXFPC0MxnalQtqHkCpKD- 

    Barn Dance:
    SECS will be participating in the upcoming Barn Dance with other RSO’s on campus. Things don’t get much better than this, folk’s. Sign up with this link:

    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeIGrfaWsx94GunFQKcyTJTNRUKhbQACT3wMiIwpgo-OmJKOQ/viewform 

    and venmo @Mathew-Pianfetti, make sure to include 'SECS Barn Dance <firstname lastname>' in the memo

    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     👀

    PRESIDENT Shallon Malfeo, smalfeo2 at illinois.edu

    VICE PRESIDENT Alec Van Patten,  alecrv2 at illinois.edu
    TREASURER Danika Ford, djford2 at illinois.edu
    SECRETARY Gabriel Kosmacher, gkk2 at illinois.edu

    EDUCATION OFFICER Emily Detmers, emilygd2 at illinois.edu

    MEDIA OFFICER Zoe Huspen, zhuspe2 at illinois.edu
    ACTION COORDINATOR Michelle Verlinsky, mav5 at illinois.edu
    OUTREACH COORDINATOR Owen Jennings, orj2 at illinois.edu
    SOCIAL EVENT PLANNER Lexi Delmonico, acd4 at illinois.edu
    GOVERNMENT LIAISON Sophie Speedy, sspeedy2 at illinois.edu

  5. Meeting with F&S about Fleet Replacement Plan Development

    Associated Project(s): 
    Fleet Replacement Plans

    In February, Tyler Swanson, Allison Hefner, and Sarthak Prasad of the Transportation iCAP team met with Pete Varney at F&S to discuss the implementation of the F&S Fleet Replacement Plan and what lessons have been learned via the process. The team hopes to use information from the conversation to help other campus units develop their own fleet replacement plans.

    Notes from this conversations are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  8. Interview with Rob Roman (F&S Director of Utilities & Energy Services)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Clean Energy Plan

    A document containing the notes from this interview is attached below.

     

    Summary of the Clean Energy Transition Plan Interview:

    Rob Roman - F&S Director of Utilities & Energy Services

    On 3/22/22 the team interviewed Rob Roman. Rob’s biggest concern with a clean energy transition was the monetary aspect. The university only gets a certain amount of funding each year and a large amount of money is going to be needed for improvements to the system. Rob thought that geothermal is a good option for the University and thinks that it could be feasible on a large scale but would need to consult an expert to determine the land use. Rob also thought that a micro nuclear reactor was a very good option for the University with the caveat that it will be very expensive. He thought that the university does need to transition from its steam use for heating on campus unless a better emerging technology comes along. Rob told the team that biofuels have already been tried for the steam production, but it wasn’t feasible due to the transportation costs compared to natural gas and coal. Rob felt that for future energy plans they account for ambiguity and emerging technologies and have a place for energy storage which the campus currently does not utilize.

    Attached Files: 

  11. Weekly Update: Updated work hour M-F from next week; Extra-Curricular events; National Bike Summit

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, We were closed last week for Spring Break. This week will be our last M/W/F of the semester as we’re reopening to 5 days a week. Today will be busy if the weather is any indication. Extra-curricular events for the week are our Gender Aware Shop Hours and our Urbana Parks District event on Saturday. Next week I’ll be virtually attending the National Bike Summit.

    The numbers:
    Visitors: 24

    Sales: $358.55
    Bikes (refurb): 3 for $530
    Tire/tubes: 6 for $36

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  12. Student Affairs Research Approval (SARA) process for the sample of students for Mode Choice Survey

    Associated Project(s): 
    Reduce Driving on Campus

    Since iNews Newsletter does not allow surveys, F&S TDM had to get permission from DMI and Student Affairs to reach out to a large populations of Undergraduate students.

    Sarthak Prasad requested Division of Management Information (DMI) a sample of randomly selected Undergraduate students for the Mode Choice Survey in last week of February. DMI asked to complete the Student Affairs Research Approval (SARA) application to sample 5,000 UG students. Sarthak Prasad filled out the SARA request on March 1, 2022. Dr. Beth Hoag approved the SARA request to sample 5,000 UG students and forwarded it to the DMI contacts. 

    Ting Lu from DMI created 2 identical groups of randomly selected 5,000 UG student emails and shared them with Sarthak Prasad on 3/18/22 via Webtools. Each group could only be used once.

    There was a $16/hour cost to create a sample - overall cost was $64.

  13. The Current Status and Pillars of Direct Air Capture Technologies

    Associated Project(s): 
    Carbon Capture

    The Current Status and Pillars of Direct Air Capture Technologies

    Industry decarbonization & carbon capture were identified as high priority efforts to reduce climate change at the 2021 UN COP26. Renewable energy may help, but there are still sectors that remain hard to decarbonize such as distributed emissions from travel & flu gas emissions from steel and cement, & more. This talk will discuss direct air capture of CO2 from the atmosphere to curb emissions.

    March 24, 12–1 pm

    Elizabeth Meschewski • Illinois Sustainable Technology Center

  14. Walkability audit: Spring 2022, Meeting 7

    Associated Project(s): 
    Walkability Study

    On March 17 2022,

    Sarthak and Sutapa met to discuss updates on the FY 22 Walkability Audit Project.

    Below are the completed tasks:

    • 196 records of the General walkability audit survey with corresponding finalized scores ( see excel spreadsheet). See map for visual representation of average weighted scores.
    • Color coded 820 deficiency reporting survey points overlayed on Division of Responsibility map and 29 map block divisions of campus.
    • Making a list of incomplete map blocks for general and deficiency reporting survey.

    Next steps;

    • Writing the Walkability audit draft report for info collected till date.
    • Assigning incomplete map-blocks to volunteers.
    • Sending out invites for virtual and in-person training sessions for next week: 21st March - 25th March.
    • Finalizing H, M and L priority questions 

  15. Week 7 Report and Upcoming Webinars

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Race to Zero Waste

    Hello Campus Race to Zero Waste 2022 Participants,

     

    I hope everyone is doing well. We are headed into the last week (Week 8) of the competition this Sunday!

     

    FEATURED INFO in this Email: (more details bellow)

    • Share VIDEOS AND PHOTOS from your competitions, #CR2ZW2022
    • Week 7 ends tomorrow, Saturday, March 19, 2022
    • Week 8 begins Sunday, March 20, 2022, Review Period begins
    • March 23 Webinar: Learn about the Food Recovery Network and how to start a chapter on your campus
    • April 5 Webinar: New Plastics Reduction Partner Certification Program
    • Graduate Student Fellowship Opportunities ($6,000 Fellowship Stipend)
    • EcoCareers 2022 – 30% Discount on Campus Sponsorships for CR2ZW Partners

     

    Upcoming deadlines, and other key information and resources:

    • Share VIDEOS AND PHOTOS from your competitions! Use hashtag #CR2ZW2022 when posting your photos and videos to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok.
       
    • Week 7 reporting is due Wednesday, March 23. Check out the 2021-2022 calendar for upcoming deadlines. To report for Week 7, go to ReTRAC log-in at https://connect.re-trac.com/login and click on Week 7 report. Be sure to click Complete and Save at the bottom of the report.
      • Zero Waste Main Category Participants – There are separate reports in ReTRAC to complete if you are participating in the main, 8-week Zero Waste category (tracking trash, recycling, food organics and materials for reuse); This category doesn’t not have a real-time weekly ranking report due to the “materials for reuse reporting.”
        • Step 1: Fill out “Zero Waste Building Description and Identification Survey” to share information about the three buildings that are participating.
        • Step 2: There are weekly Zero Waste reports (similar to the weekly reports for Diversion, Per Capita Recycling and Food Organics) to be filled out each week.
        • Step 3: The “Zero Waste Building Waste Audit/Waste Minimization Survey” should be completed by the end of the competition/review period. The waste audit has been waived for 2022, so please do not complete that section of the survey. Please complete the “Waste Minimization Activities” section only.

    Note: The guidance above is for the main, 8-week Zero Waste category only. The Race to Zero Waste – One Building Challenge is a special category, requiring one-month tracking; reporting due by end of the competition/review period.

    • Week 8 begins Sunday, March 20 through Saturday, March 26. Reporting for Week 8 is due, Wednesday, March 30, 2022.
    • The Review Period for all competition participants begins Monday, March 28 through Monday, April 11. More details to come in next week’s email communication.
    • March 23 Webinar – Learn about the Food Recovery Network and how to start a chapter on your campus. During this special info session, you will learn more about how FRN can support your passion for tackling waste on your campus and making your community more sustainable. FRN staff and chapter leaders themselves will share all the details on what FRN is up to, how to start a chapter on your campus, and the different ways you can be involved - from recovering surplus food and beyond. There will be plenty of time to answer any and all questions and FRN will share their top tips for getting started. Register: https://bit.ly/CR2ZW_FRN_infosession
    • April 5 Webinar – Learn about New Plastics Reduction Partner Certification Program – The National Wildlife Federation and the Campus Race to Zero Waste are excited to announce the launch of a new certification program for colleges and universities taking action to reduce the purchase and use of plastics on campus.  There are three levels of certification available: Bronze, Silver and Green. Campuses will be asked to report on actions in the following categories: Building Awareness, Support Behavior Change, Assess and Implement Operational Change and Demonstrate Institutional Leadership. This is a FREE program to participate in. Participation in this program is eligible for AASHE STARS innovation credit. Learn more at Plastics Reduction Partner. National Wildlife Federation is a proud member of the #BreakFreeFromPlastic Movement. Register for April 5 Webinar to learn more about this new program.
    • Graduate Student Fellowship Opportunities ($6,000 Stipend): PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR CAMPUS NETWORK - National Wildlife Federation Graduate Student Fellows help to inform and strengthen NWF Education and Engagement programs through dedicated research projects. Monetary fellowship grants are awarded to graduate students working with NWF staff on research that helps to expand the content and development of a variety of efforts across NWF's Education and Engagement programs. Fellows join a national network of current and alumni fellows, many of whom have gone on to lead new businesses, agencies, and programs for sustainability all across the U.S. NWF is currently accepting applications for the six graduate student Fellowship Positions. Learn more and share this opportunity with your network. Applications are due April 22, 2022.
    • EcoCareers 2022, April 6-7 -  The 2022 EcoCareers Conference will feature keynotes and panels about academic pathways and careers in health and wellness, environmental justice, urban planning, environmental education, and more. On top of that, NWF will have interactive project and career planning workshops for students of all levels on both days of the conference. Please join us for this two-day online event on April 6th and 7th, 2022 to hear from leading sustainability sector experts! These professionals will be sharing their insights, advice, and inspirational stories and represent industry and business leaders, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and successful entrepreneurs. Register for the 2022 EcoCareers Conference as an individual student, faculty or staff. Registration is FREE for members of the NWF EcoLeaders Online Community (joining EcoLeaders is also FREE).

     

    Please contact me with any questions.

     

    Thanks, take care,

    Kristy

     

    Kristy Jones

    Director, Higher Education Programs

    Campus Race to Zero Waste Manager, www.CampusRacetoZeroWaste.org

    National Wildlife Federation

    703-438-6262

     

  17. Invitation to "It's Your MTD Too"

    Associated Project(s): 
    It's Your MTD Too!

    Learn more about MTD services at the Siebel Center for Design on March 25.

    Join F&S and the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) at the Siebel Center for Design (room 0060 – lower level) on Friday, March 25, from noon to 1:30 p.m., to find out more about the community's world-class transit system and then take a ride on the bus.

    A presentation entitled "It's Your MTD Too!" will showcase MTD services and will be followed by a short trip across the campus on the "24 Link." Space on the bus is limited, so reserve your spot by registering at https://go.fs.illinois.edu/MTD.

    Attendees will learn how to do the following:

    • Plan trips and review campus route combinations
    • Install third-party apps and join Text-My-Stop
    • Load bikes at designated stops
    • Register for an MTD account
    • Contact SafeRides
    • Access services with an i-card or at iStops

    Event organizers will also be available to answer questions and provide additional public transportation resources. F&S is committed to further developing and encouraging the use of active transportation modes that promote walking, bicycling, and public transit options, which aligns with the university's strategic initiatives.

    For more details, contact Sustainable Transportation Assistant Sarthak Prasad sprasad9@illinois.edu, 217-300-9575.

    Attached Files: 

  18. Weekly Update: Spring Break; M-F from 3/28

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Visitor numbers ticking upward in line with the thermometer—Friday’s snowfall notwithstanding.  

    We’re closed this week for Spring Break and hitting the ground running when we return. We’ve got Gender Aware Shop Hours on Thursday and our Urbana Parks District event on Saturday. From there it’s back open M-F. 

    I’ll only be working today and tomorrow before taking a few days for myself. I’ll finish up a few more shop builds during my abbreviated week in advance of warmer weather post-spring break.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 23
    Sales: $358.55

    Bike (refurb): 2 for $280
    Tire/tubes: 5 for $16

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  19. ZW006 Water Filter System Tracking - Submitted

    Associated Project(s): 
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Zero Waste Recommendations Summary
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Reduce Single-Use Plastics
    Drinking Water Survey

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team submitted recommendation ZW006 Water Filter System Tracking on 3/2/22. The recommendation is attached, and states in summary:

    "The Zero Waste Team recommends that the number and status of all EZH20 bottle filling stations on campus are tracked by number, location, amount of water bottles saved, and their filtration status (I.e. green, yellow, red/date of filter replacement)."

    Attached Files: 

  20. ZW005 Water Bottle Survey - Submitted

    Associated Project(s): 
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Zero Waste Recommendations Summary
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team submitted recommendation: ZW005 Water Bottle Survey on 3/2/22. The recommendation is attached, and states in summary:

    "The Zero Waste Team recommends that a campus-wide survey be administered to gain a better understanding of drinking water behavior on campus."

    Attached Files: 

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