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Projects Updates for Earth Week

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  4. Earth Month is Here!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Earth Month
    Earth Week
    TED Talk: Eco Edition Series
    iSEE Congress
    Boneyard Creek Management
    Sustainability at Career Fairs
    Champaign County Sustainability Network (CCNet)
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Solar Farm 1.0

    Earth Month is here! Can you believe it? I would like to first draw your attention to the iSEE Sustainability Calendar as a reference point for the many virtual and in-person events (maintaining COVID-19 safety and social distancing precautions) held this month and beyond. If you notice a missing event on the calendar, there is a link to submit an event yourself.

    Here are a few highlights:

    • TED Talk: Eco-Edition series - iSEE’s second TED Talk: Eco-Edition event, will be held from 7 – 8 PM CST, March 30. To complement our recent Plastic Free Challenge, this gathering will focus on plastic waste. Participants will view a prerecorded TED Talk, presented in September 2019 by Andrew Forrest: "A Radical Plan to End Plastic Waste." Afterward, all are invited to participate in a guided discussion and roundtable, hosted by Maddy Liberman (NRES/F&S Intern) and Shantanu Pai (ISTC/F&S). Registration is required; sign up here.
    • iSEE Congress – “The Future of Water”, April 6, 14, 20, 23 at noon. Over a series of Zoom webinars, iSEE Congress – Spring 2021 brings together a diverse group of researchers, educators, journalists, and activists to dive deeper into the topic. Our modified “teach-in” will introduce the Illinois campus and community to cutting-edge thinking from highly influential scholars on topics ranging from drought to the global politics of water to pollution, public health, and biodiversity.
    • Trash pickup event at Boneyard Creek, sponsored by iSEE and F&S, April 7, 3-5 PM. We will meet at 3 PM behind Engineering Hall and disperse from there (maintaining COVID-19 safety and social distancing precautions). Drop in and stay as long as you are able. Bags and supplies will be provided. More details here.
    • Sustainability Rocks on the Main Quad, April 8, 11 AM – 5 PM. Come paint a rock outside the Union with a sustainability/environmental theme (maintaining COVID-19 safety and social distancing precautions). Bring your own rock, or use one of ours! After you finish creating your rock, place it somewhere around campus for others to find! More details here.
    • Careers in Sustainability Panel Discussion (virtual), April 9, 12 – PM. Interested in careers in sustainability? Join us to hear a panel discussion from industry professionals and learn how the field is changing and how to pursue a career in sustainability. Registration is required; sign up here.  
    • Facilities & Services hosts a Virtual Open House of UIUC Solar Sites on Earth Day, April 22, 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. April 22 on Topia (must use a computer, not a smart phone), Click this link to attend the Open House
    • TED Talk: Eco-Edition series – Earth Month, April 29, 7 – 8 PM. In celebration of Earth Month, this month’s topic will focus on environmental activism and action with a discussion hosted by iSEE Communications Intern and Earth, Society, & Environmental Sustainability student, Maria Maring. Registration is required; sign up here.
    • UIUC Arbor Day Celebration at CCNet, April 30, at Noon, on Zoom, Click this link at noon on Arbor Day to join the CCNet Zoom call

     

    We invite you to participate in any of the above opportunities (or celebrate in your own way!) to get “Caught Green-Handed!” this Earth Month! Get featured . . . Click here to let us know how you’re celebrating the Earth. Please reach out if you have any questions. Be sure to sign up for the iSEE newsletter to stay up-to-date on more sustainability opportunities. Have a great Earth Month (and don’t forget to continue the momentum beyond April)!

    Check it out: 

  5. It's Earth Week!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Earth Week

    Earth-Week-2020.pngIt’s Earth Week! Time to Celebrate iCAP 2020

    Fifty years ago this month, millions of Americans fed up with oil spills, smog and pollution took to the streets in a massive environmental protest to educate the public and demand government action.

    That first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement and several landmark laws: the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act.

    In conjunction with the 50th anniversary, iSEE is celebrating Earth Week with a few virtual events tied to the national Earth Day 2020 theme — climate action — and a fun way to promote sustainability at home!

    iCAP 2020 Celebration and Forum! On Thursday, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., we will celebrate sustainability and the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) during a Facebook livestream event. The first iCAP was written 10 years ago to help the campus achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible, and by 2050 at the latest. Tune in as we showcase the draft of the 2020 iCAP and the hard work of the many people who have contributed their time and effort to this project.

    We've come a long way since the drafting process began, with new ideas for reducing waste, curbing water and energy use, lowering carbon emissions, and promoting sustainability on campus! You can RSVP and sign up for reminders at the Facebook link above.

    Earth-Week-BINGO-for-Instagram.pngEarth Week Bingo! Chart your sustainable activities this week with a game of Earth Week Bingo! You can find a playing card on our website and social media (or download the image at right), then fill in the squares as you complete each activity. 

    Start a compost pile, identify wildlife on a nature walk, switch to reusable water bottles, go a full day without meat, share your favorite nature poem, or take part in one of iSEE's virtual events. When you can say "Bingo!" share your card for a chance to win a sustainability prize!

    Keeling Lecture: We kick off Earth Week today with a talk by Texas Tech University climate scientist and U of I graduate Katharine Hayhoe, who will deliver this year's Keeling Lecture. You can hear her talk, "Climate Science in a Fact-Free World," at 4 p.m. today on Zoom. 

    Hayhoe argues that scientists have to understand the "true roots" of climate denial to engage constructively with those who politicize the science — and possibly identify areas of common ground. This lecture is sponsored by iSEE and the Department of Atmospheric Sciences.

    Register on the Facebook event to RSVP. To listen on Zoom: Meeting ID 722 887 599; Password "Keeling"

    A Half-Century of Environmental Activism: Illinois' environmental roots date back more than 50 years to 1969, when a student group formed to stage a program for that first Earth Day in 1970. Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) — then known as Students for Environmental Controls — arranged for speakers, panel discussions and films about a full slate of environmental topics, from ecological preservation to population growth.

    Volunteers also cleaned up the Boneyard Creek, went door-to-door in an environmental education campaign, and put a car on trial on the Quad for environmental destruction. It was found guilty and sentenced to a sledgehammering!

    Read more about the history of the state's first environmental group.

     

  6. Earth Week Event: Annual Keeling Lecture by Katharine Hayhoe

    Associated Project(s): 
    Earth Week
    Earth Month

    Join the Department of Atmospheric Sciences and iSEE for the annual Charles David Keeling Lecture. This year we feature noted atmospheric scientist and U of I alumna Katharine Hayhoe discussing “Climate Science in a Fact-Free World.” This "zero carbon" event is vailable on Zoom (Meeting ID: 722 887 599; Password: Keeling).

    April 20, 4–5 PM • Zoom Tony Mancuso • Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)

    Earth Week Event: Annual Keeling Lecture by Katharine Hayhoe

    https://www.facebook.com/events/216025282792996/ 

     

  7. Earth Hour

    Associated Project(s): 
    Earth Week
    Earth Month

    On Saturday, March 28, between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. CDT, individuals, businesses, and organizations from around the world will switch off their lights for just one hour to conserve energy and show support for the planet. This excellent social distancing activity can be done in your own home while joining the global movement launched in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund. To participate in our campus-wide effort of solidarity for the earth, RSVP to ILLINOIS Earth Hour on Facebook or learn more at https://www.earthhour.org.

  8. Archived info - previous project description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Earth Week

    Earth Day – April 22, 2015 marked the 45th anniversary of the environmental movement. Earth Day is the largest civic event in the world, celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a billion people participate in Earth Day campaigns every year.  On our campus, we typically celebrate the entire week. Earth Week is a time to enact change and real movement toward consciousness about how our decisions affect our campus environment and the planet. Earth Week activities are coordinated by Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) and co-sponsored by iSEE. iSEE will continue to support Earth Day activities.

    ----

    As of March 18, 2020, iSEE is sponsoring a full Earth Month in response to COVID-19.  Thus, the Earth Week project is being moved to under the Earth Month project in the iCAP Portal. ~Morgan

  9. Keeling Lecture

    Associated Project(s): 
    Earth Week
    Facilitate campus-wide sustainability events

    Climate expert Kerry Emanuel to deliver 2019 Charles David Keeling Lecture

    As part of Earth Week 2019, MIT’s Emanuel will present "Severe Thunderstorms and Climate" at 5 p.m. Monday, April 22, in the Levis Faculty Center, 919 W. Illinois St., U. He will focus on an environmental prerequisite for severe storms: Convective Available Potential Energy, a measure of the potential energy in moist atmospheres that can be released explosively. Event is open to the public.

    Tony Mancuso . Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)

  10. ECBS SWATeam meeting minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Eco-Olympics
    Green Lab Program
    Earth Week
    Illini Lights Out
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam

    On the agenda at the ECBS SWATeam meeting:

    1) Final review of Illini Lights Out (ILO) recommendation;

    2) Scott Willenbrock visiting April 14 meeting;

    3) Updates:

    - iCAP Portal.  Work of Morgan and Chenxi Jiang;

    - Earth Hour photo;

    - Eco-Olympics;

    - Green Lab Coordinator

    4) SWATeam next meeting time and date:  April 13th, from 3:30 to 5 pm. 

    Attached Files: 

  11. ECBS SWATeam meeting minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illini Lights Out
    Earth Week
    Building-Level Energy Usage Report
    Green Lab Program
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam

    On the agenda at the ECBS SWATeam meeting:

    1) Comments needed on Illini Lights Out (ILO) recommendation;

    2) Illini Lights Out final planning for 10th of March;

    3) Building level energy consumption report;

    4) Participation in Earth Hour and Earth week activities on campus;

    5) Updates on the Green Labs Coordinator;

    6) Planning for a campus walk focused on space utilization.

     

    Attached Files: 

  12. Sustainability staff discussed the outreach programs on the portal

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability iCAP Portal
    Certified Green Office Program (CGOP)
    Earth Week
    Student Sustainability Leadership Council (SSLC)

    Morgan Johnston, Catherine Yee, and Chenxi Jiang met today to discuss the outreach information listed on the iCAP Portal.  Catherine described the Student Sustainability Leadership Council (SSLC) and the Certified Green Office Program (CGOP).  We also discussed the Earth Week efforts and the overall purpose of the SSLC as a networking opportunity for students in sustainability groups.

  13. ECBS SWATeam meeting minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illini Lights Out
    Green Lab Program
    Energy Conservation Efforts
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam
    Earth Week

    On the agenda at the ECBS SWATeam meeting:

    1) Discuss and comment on attached recommendation for institutionalizing Illini Lights Out;

    2) Illini Lights Out final planning for 24th of February;

    3) Participation in Earth Hour activities on campus;

    4) Discussion on what else to accomplish this year.

    Attached Files: 

  14. ECBS SWATeam meeting minutes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illini Lights Out
    Green Lab Program
    Eco-Olympics
    Earth Week
    Energy Conservation and Building Standards (ECBS) SWATeam

    On the agenda at the ECBS SWATeam meeting:

    1) Discussion of recommendation process as developed and described in the iCAP;

    2) Illini Lights Out final planning for 10th of February;

    3) Update on fume hood work;

    4) North America Laboratory Freezer Challenge update;   5) Planning for Earth Week.        

     

     

     

     

     

    Attached Files: 

  15. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Earth Week
    Mechanics Classes at the Campus Bike Center

    Hello all, this past week was very busy.  We had a good number come in, but events were the big thing.  We sold 2 bikes for $280, 1 build-a-bike for $50, 11 student memberships for $275, 2 community membership for $80, and grossed $978.  I participated in the Bike Census.  It was very well organized by Lily, and went well.  The BikeFace organized Ride with the Chancellor was a success.  I hosted an open house at the center before the ride.  The Chancellor seemed to enjoy the ride.  She mentioned not knowing the Bike Center existed until I explained what this strange garage filled with bicycles was.  I'm thinking about sending her a post card inviting her back.  I did a deep clean of the shop in anticipation of the visit and it keeps getting cleaner and better.  I made a informational document about cargo bikes for FAA.  Lily helped with some great improvements to the document that made it more friendly to non-cycling readers.

    This week I am going to work on classes, building bikes, and find out our commitment to Bike To Work Day.  It's been hard getting everything out of the warehouse, but I'm hoping to get this done this week. 

    From the Campus Bike Center,
    James Roedl

  16. Earth Week 2015 info

    Associated Project(s): 
    Earth Week

    Earth Week 2015 was April 20-24. Sustainable marketing guru Jacquelyn Ottman (right) inspired more than 140 people from the Illinois campus and the community with her keynote address on Earth Day (April 22). Other events included awards ceremonies for “green” competitions — including 24 honorees from our own Certified Green Office Program — plus an Arbor Day celebration that drew more than 70 people to a tree planting on the Main Quad near the Henry Administration Building. Check out the full schedule of events!

  17. 2014 announcement

    Associated Project(s): 
    Earth Week

    Earth Week 2014 is going to be a week packed full with environmental education and awareness events! Among these events will be showings of the environmental documentaries, "Living Downstream", "Terra Blight"and "Waste Food".  Interactive events will include DIY Green Supplies where participants will be given recipes to make green cleaning items, Bike Blender + Bike Fix It, as well as a Clothing Swap at the University YMCA. Keep checking back here for a more detailed calendar regarding these exciting events!