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  1. Check in meeting from July 26, 2023

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

    Please see attached the agenda and documents shared during this meeting. Watch the meeting recording here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oHc_PTO7W515GCCX_SaKH6CsEsF1CJLm/view?u...

    Attached Files: 

  2. Meeting with University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Collection and Donation of Abandoned Bicycles
    Reduce Bicycle Theft on Campus

    On 07/25/2023, Sarthak and Hrushikesh had a meeting with the University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD) regarding:

    Meeting Notes-

    - Explaining how to use Field Maps and its functions to UIPD  

    - Citation/ Impound Fee for the abandoned bicycles is regulated by the Parking Department.

    - Th retrieval process of the abandoned bikes will begin by Mid September.

    - During that period non-registered bikes will be enforced to register their bike along with the impound fee.

    - Asked UIPD to complete a feedback form for VEO-Bikes On-Campus (Note: UIPD is concerned with the way people use them in terms of safety and parking)

    -To do List for Sarthak:

    - Enquire about ESRI ArcGIS and Field Maps unique login credentials and editing privileges for the UIPD 

    - Send the Login details to UIPD.

    - Check Main Quad and Chemistry Annex area for any other remaining abandoned bikes.

  3. iSEE and F&S zero waste agree to return funding back to the SSC

    Associated Project(s): 
    Post Landfill Action Network (PLAN) [ARCHIVED]

    From: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2023 9:22 AM
    To: Green, Eric William <ewgreen@illinois.edu>
    Subject: RE: Post Landfill Action Network Membership

     

    Hi Eric,

     

    I’ve heard back from the previous zero waste coordinator. She was the student who worked with Meredith on the SSC application. One of the major features of a PLAN membership was access to pre-made flyers and event kits, which Meredith and Syd decided could already be handled by F&S/iSEE when the need arose. I think we can go ahead with returning the remaining funds to SSC.

     

    Thank you,
    Daphne

     

    Daphne Hulse (she/her)
    Zero Waste Coordinator
    Facilities & Services | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    +1 (217) 333-7550 | dlhulse2@illinois.edu

    https://fs.illinois.edu/zero-waste
     
    Bu0VAhW8+s0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=

    Please consider the environment before printing an email. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.

     

     

    From: Hulse, Daphne Lauren
    Sent: Friday, July 21, 2023 9:16 AM
    To: Green, Eric William <ewgreen@illinois.edu>
    Subject: RE: Post Landfill Action Network Membership

     

    Hi Eric,


    Thanks for reaching out! I have not used this resource since arriving in the position…I’m asking a predecessor of mine if they ever used the resource/thought it was useful. Based on their response, I think that will help inform the decision. I’ll follow up on this!

     

    Thank you,
    Daphne

     

    Daphne Hulse (she/her)
    Zero Waste Coordinator
    Facilities & Services | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    +1 (217) 333-7550 | dlhulse2@illinois.edu

    https://fs.illinois.edu/zero-waste
     
    Bu0VAhW8+s0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=

    Please consider the environment before printing an email. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.

     

     

     

    From: Green, Eric William <ewgreen@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2023 8:57 AM
    To: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Post Landfill Action Network Membership

     

    Hi Daphne,

    A couple of years ago, a student and Meredith applied for SSC funding to pay for membership to the Post Landfill Action Network (PLAN). I believe that this was done before you were hired. Since Meredith and the student have both left the University (and the funding agreement is coming to a close), iSEE is considering returning the remaining funds to the SSC. I wasn’t sure if you used this resource at all (maybe Meredith handed it off to you when you started), but please let me know if you do (or if you would like to). We can apply for a scope change to keep the funds, but I just wanted to check if that was necessary.

     

    Cheers,

    Eric Green
    Senior Academic Program Instructor/Advisor

    Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    1101 W. Peabody, Urbana, Suite 386 (NSRC)

    217.244.0728 | ewgreen@illinois.edu

    sustainability.illinois.edu

     

    facebook     Twitter for Email Signature     Instagram for Email Signature     Youtube for email signature

     

    signature_245702249

     

    Please consider the environment before printing out an email. Thank you! 

  6. iSEE Research newsletter included update on IGC

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Geothermal Coalition
    iSEE Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) Projects

     

     

    processed_3390093.png?p=0725T084522

     

    		  

    Illinois Geothermal Coalition Updates

  7. Weekly Update: Abandoned Bikes, potential new hire

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Calm and slow week. All the abandoned bikes out front of the Bike Center were removed. We had a few people in wondering where their bikes had gone, so there’s some “educational” opportunities around the process still.

    As the abandoned bike removal process is underway, we still have around 30 bikes to get out of the round barn, which we’ll tackle this week with the help of Bike Project volunteers.

    I’ll be interviewing a potential hire this week who’s a PhD student from the Netherlands. I’m eager to get their perspective on ways we can improve our community—or ways we’re already doing well!

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 32
    Sales: $569.45
    Bikes (refurb): 2 for $325
    Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $50
    Memberships: 2 for $60
    Tires/tubes: 5 for $ 50

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  9. 7-24-23 Internal Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    "Don't Waste" with Coca-Cola
    Green Sports Alliance (GSA)
    Tailgate Recycling
    Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste
    Reduce Single-Use Plastics
    Welcome Celebration Recycling

    On July 24, 2023 UIUC sustainability representatives met and discussed the following:

    Attendance: Bryan Johnson, Pete Varney, Julie Wurth, Steve Breitwieser, Marty Kaufmann, Daphne Hulse

    1. Football
      1. Tailgating
        1. Operation
          1. F&S staples recycling information + map to blue bags
          2. Parking supervisors will hand out the blue bags
          3. 2 dumpsters placed (Lot 31, Lot 32). Blue bags collected here
          4. Grange Grove/entrances to Memorial Stadium: Coca-Cola bins to collect loose bottles and cans
        2. Plan for one of the earlier games (Sep)
        3. Assess how first game went, revise for a later game (Oct/Nov)
        4. Post-season: assess, revise for next season
      2. Communication
        1. DIA gameday emails will include messaging about tailgate recycling
        2. Game script will call out hydration stations
        3. F&S – send campus-wide announcement (as was done for Dump and Run)?
        4. iSEE – newsletter?
      3. To do
        1. F&S scope out where the 2 dumpsters could be placed, confirm with DIA
        2. Determine placement of Coca-Cola bins: DIA recommends the 20 Coca-Cola bins are placed in Grange Grove/on the way into the stadium (portal 1 and 2)
        3. Staff recycling dumpsters to prevent them from becoming trash sites
          1. F&S may have a tent that can be used – check with Safety & Compliance
          2. iSEE does not have a tent
          3. F&S – print banners to hang on dumpsters?
            1. Green dumpster will be marked, ask Shawn Patterson
    2. Welcome Week Lunch
      1. 7 student volunteers gathered + 2 F&S staff
    3. Volunteer / giveaway t-shirts
      1. 200 green volunteer shirts – for Welcome Week, Tailgating, and other small events that may arise
      2. 300 orange giveaway shirts – for Tailgate Recycling
        1. Incentivize tailgaters to drop off their blue recycling bags
    4. Coca-Cola bins
      1. Metal framing is expected to arrive Friday 8/11
      2. Wrap renderings are being finalized, discussing on Wednesday with Jake
    5. iSEE – hydration station map live
      1. https://sustainability.illinois.edu/be-orange-go-green-cut-plastic-use-with-a-refillable-bottle/
      2. iSEE developing a video highlighting campus hydration stations for new student convocation

     

    Attached Files: 

  14. archived info - previous project description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Carbon Credit Purchasing Program (C2P2) with Second Nature

    The 2015 iCAP, chapter 8, objective 1 is, "By the end of FY16, conduct a Request for Proposals process for verified carbon offsets — and undertake the first campus purchase of offsets." iSEE is developing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for purchasing carbon credits, aka carbon offsets.

    iSEE is developing the technical specifications for a Request for Bids (RFB) for purchasing carbon credits, aka carbon offsets in FY17. These will be used both to replace the carbon credits sold from calendar year 2016, and as a starting inventory for the Virtual Storeroom.

    During this process, iSEE will develop detailed specifications for carbon offsets to ensure that all purchased offsets are additional (in the sense that they enable reductions beyond business-as-usual), measurable, conservative (to ensure reductions are not overstated), permanent, independently verified, trackable, and transparent. The 2015 iCAP intended to have an RFP done by the end of FY16, and the current schedule will have the purchase completed by the end of FY17.

    Background

    Because campus sells carbon credits through the Carbon Credit Purchasing Program (C2P2) at Second Nature, we need to replace those boutique carbon credits with carbon offsets.  By the end of FY17, we will buy 103,000 carbon offsets (equivalent to 103,000 tons of greenhouse gasses not being released into the atmosphere) to replace those sold from calendar year 2016.

    Additionally, in the same RFB, we will purchase 10,000 additional carbon offsets which will be used to set up a new virtual storeroom to allow campus units to voluntarily offset their carbon emissions, for example from air travel to scholarly meetings.

  15. Weekly Meeting: Campus Bike Plan Progress

    Associated Project(s): 
    2024 Campus Bike Plan

    On 07/20/2023, Sarthak and Hrushikesh had a meeting regarding the progress on the Campus Bike Plan 2024.

    Meeting Notes:

    - Discussion on Inclusion and importance of some of the new initiatives taken to promote bicycle ridership.

    - Addressing the idea of Pathfinding/ Way-finding maps Bike paths, bike parking and other bicycle friendly facilities available On-Campus.

     

  16. Weekly Sustainable Transportation meeting with Hrushikesh and Nathaniel

    Associated Project(s): 
    Appropriately Staff Sustainable Transportation Efforts

    On 07/20/2023,  Sarthak, Nathaniel and Hrushikesh had a weekly meeting to discuss on Weekly Progress of the current projects that we are working on.

    Meeting Notes:

    - Campus Bike Plan 2024

    - Abandoned Bikes Project Inventory Documentation Completion

    - Bike Parking Rack Design

    - Research on Permeable Pavers and Bike Shelter

    - Discussion on the Next week's Tasks regarding Bike Audit

    - Bike Census

     

  19. follow up on potential VRO project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Rainwater Management
    Reduce Nitrates from Agricultural Stormwater

    Dear Madhu,

    Thank you for taking the time to speak with me and here is a follow up email to our zoom conversation. The committee on natural areas at UIUC oversees research on roughly a dozen university-owned properties that include about 1,000 acres of natural lands spanning east-central Illinois. The largest of these, the Vermilion River Observatory, located about 45 miles by road east of campus, was acquired by the Dept of ECE in the 1960s to construct a radio telescope. The ~495 acre property is now managed by the CNA for various environmental research projects and there are ~105 acres of agricultural land that are leased to a tenant farmer by ECE for cash revenue that at its peak generated ~20k/year but the value of the crop has been declining recently. Due to being in the drainage of the Vermilion river, the soils of the VRO are somewhat marginal in their production value and I think there is some chance the tenant farmer will decide to leave the lease. Or it may be possible given a suitable research project to take over the lease and use the lands for research.

    The project I am interested in pursuing is a long-term, large-scale ecological and agricultural experiment evaluating trajectories of agricultural lands following agricultural abandonment. Considering the scale of the agricultural lands on the VRO, I think it could be possible to have large and well-replicated experimental treatments that include comparisons among passive revegetation, bioenergy production, and active reforestation. Potential study outcomes could include carbon sequestration/flow, biodiversity conservation, and economic and energy cost/benefit analyses comparing the costs of these different experimental treatments versus the returns on investment. By east-central Illinois standards, I think the productivity of the agricultural lands on the VRO could be considered marginal, but based on my read of the literature and our conversation, I get the impression that these marginal lands are more likely to experience agricultural abandonment in the coming years.

    Assuming ECE would be open to a change in the management strategy for the agricultural lands on the VRO, which I would be happy to discuss with ECE and the OVCRI if we decide to proceed, the CNA could provide some logistical support for a large-scale research project on the VRO, including through the use of some of our farm equipment and out buildings on the property. We also have two full-time research/management staff whose time can be budgeted into proposals. And I am eager to undertake more long-term experiments on the CNA properties using former agricultural lands, since I see this as one of the most unique and important values of these properties that can be applied to a pressing environmental challenge.

    This is something I would be excited to pursue through the support of iSEE and I would love it if it gave us a chance to collaborate, Madhu. Attached please find an aerial photo of the VRO and an older site description map. Please let me know if you think this could dovetail with other opportunities currently being pursued by iSEE and CABBI and let me know what I can do to help!

    Best,

    Brian

    --------------------------

    This is the land that Brian Allan had mentioned to me

     

    Madhu

    ---------------------------------

     

    Attached Files: 

  20. VMBS water fountains

    Associated Project(s): 
    Reduce Single-Use Plastics

    Working on the inventory now, finding some strange things going on. Image below of recently installed machine in Vet Med.

     

    Also, new fountains are being installed/replaced on campus. Probably should inform involved parties if we want all new fountains to be bottle fill capable.

     

    Macie should have the info to you in the first week of August.

     

    Thank you,

    Pete

    -------------------------

    I’m looking at the email below and wondering if the Zero Waste iCAP Team would want to recommend that UIUC have a new facility standard for major reconstruction and new construction to include filler stations for new water fountains.

     

    Morgan

    -----------------------

    I think it’s a good idea to require the installation of the *bottle-filler* style hydration station. I don’t know the pros/cons of specifying a campus standard. Maybe this is something the team can evaluate.

     

    Daphne, feel free to suggest edits for the ZW priorities.

     

    Morgan, let’s discuss the other items on this list when we meet today.

     

    Thanks!

     

    Jen

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