Tracking Water Irrigation on Campus
F&S compiled this list of meters that track irrigation usage (which is attached below).
Note this is not a complete record of irrigation watering on campus.
F&S compiled this list of meters that track irrigation usage (which is attached below).
Note this is not a complete record of irrigation watering on campus.
On Friday, February 4th, the Resilience iCAP Team had their first meeting of the semester. The team discussed updates on projects such as the Biodiversity Plan, Local Carbon Offsets and a potential Environmental Justice Reading group. Meeting minutes are attached.
The University of Illinois (UIUC) is interested in achieving its Climate Action Plan’s transportation sustainability goals by “reducing single-occupancy vehicle usage” and “promoting the use of electric vehicles” on campus. This survey is designed to evaluate the commuting needs of UIUC faculty and staff, so as to inform future actions on two fronts: (i) feasibility of developing a faculty/staff carpool service, and (ii) expanding electrified vehicle charging infrastructure on campus.
Survey link: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/d7c2b2bf267245808ab12570323b5402
Join iSEE's February TED Talk: Eco-Edition event on 2/22 from 7-8 PM! Mona Fang (Co-Founder of Karma Trade/Aerospace Engineering student) and Josh Jay James (Chief Marketing Officer/Marketing student) will host the discussion on sustainability in the fashion industry. We will view a prerecorded TED Talk followed by a group discussion. All are welcome to this fun event; no preparation is necessary!
February 22, 7–8 pm • Zoom
Meredith Moore • Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment
This opportunity is available online.
All, Last week we held our Uni High Agora Days classes from Tues – Fri. It went very well with all the students engaged in learning and tinkering on the bikes. One student even said they’d return to volunteer, which was great. All 3 of the bikes were mostly done by week’s end. We also received some quality donations from a local bike shop and started overhauling those bikes for sale. I’ve also hired a new Program Assistant to help me out off-hours.
This week I’ll be meeting with the Urbana Parks District to discuss our Maintenance class we’re collaborating on next month and getting more bikes ready for the sales floor. We’ll see how busy we are today with the very warm weather.
The numbers:
Visitors: 11
Sales: $91
Memberships: 2 for $60
Thanks!
Jacob Benjamin
Campus Bike Center Coordinator
The Zero Waste team met on Monday, February 21 to draft a recommendation on reducing single-use plastics on campus--particularly in vending machines. This recommendation, along with the other teams drafted by the team last semester, will be presented at an upcoming Sustainability Sub-council.
The Zero Waste team met on Monday, February 21 to draft a recommendation on reducing single-use plastics on campus--particularly in vending machines. This recommendation, along with the other teams drafted by the team last semester, will be presented at an upcoming Sustainability Sub-council.
After discussions internally at F&S (in the Sustainability and Transportation Demand Management departments) and then discussions with iSEE, it was agreed that the F&S TDM department will conduct the Mode Choice Survey in 2022 and every 3 years going forward.
Can Bayram has been awarded an ARPA-E OPEN grant to support the development of green LED lights that will generate the same level of brightness as today’s blue LED lamps, but with significantly less energy consumption and carbon emissions.
UIUC ranks 25th on the EPA's top-30 list of the largest on-site green power users in the Green Power Partnership, joining prominent companies Apple, Procter & Gamble, Target, Intel, and more.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has once again been recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree Campus USA member. Specifically, the Tree Campus High Education program reviewed the Tree Care Plan, in addition to other requirements, to grant our campus the title of an offical Tree Campus. Below is a brief summary of what is needed to obtain this recoginition, each year.
"To obtain this distinction, your campus has met the five core standards for sustainable campus forestry required by Tree Campus Higher Education, including establishment of a tree advisory committee, evidence of a campus tree care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for your campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and the sponsorship of student service learning projects. Your entire campus community should be proud of this sustained commitment to environmental stewardship."
The Engagement iCAP Team met on Friday, February 18 to discuss current ongoing recommendations, including: Sustainability TikTok challenge, College of Engineering Sustainability Leaders Learning Session, and a Sustainability Partnership with the ADV498 Advertising Capstone Course. Meeting minutes are attached.
At the February 11 Illini Lights Out event, 4,297 light bulbs were shut off, saving $623.38 in energy costs. This also prevented 5.3 metric tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, which is the same amount of CO2 as what would be emitted by fully charging 638,987 cell phones. That's a big impact!
Illini Lights Out is a certified Green Event! Click this link to learn how to green-certify your own event.
The next Illini Lights Out event of the semester is Friday, February 25th, at 5:30 pm, and you can sign up for that event using this link if you haven't done so already.
The newsletter attached below is from F&S Customer Relations & Communications, which provides more detail on UIUC's Green Power User achievement.
SSC received semester report for Fall 2021 for Bike Registration Signs project on January 6, 2022. Please see attached.
The following text is taken from the February iSEE Newsletter, which is attached below.
LEED Green Associate Training Offered Online. Students can prepare for the LEED Green Associate exam through this online course offered by LeadingGreen and taught by a U.S. Green Building Council faculty member. Register for a live webinar or complete the on-demand recordings at your own pace. Questions? Watch this introductory video or email Lorne Mlotek at info@leadinggreen.com.
Live webinars Feb. 24, March 12, April 2, April 23, May 15 | Register here
The following passage is taken from an iSEE February Newsletter (the newsletter is attached below).
Recycling 101: Start With Reduce, Reuse
Did you know less than 10 percent of plastic is recycled each year? Or that cardboard contaminated with grease or food can't be recycled? In "Recycling 101," iSEE intern Maria Maring outlines what can and can't be recycled on campus, recycling rules and resources in Champaign-Urbana, and tips from sustainability experts about what you can do to recycle effectively and keep waste out of the landfill. Most important: Remember that recycling is just one of the "three Rs," and that "reuse" and "reduce" are just as important in shrinking your environmental footprint!
The following passage is taken from an iSEE February Newsletter (the newsletter is attached below).
Q Magazine: The Dark Side of Thrifting
When her clothing donation was denied at a secondhand store, Q Magazine author Nikki Palella was inspired to investigate behind the scenes of the thrifting industry. In "The Dark Side of Thrifting," she outlines the consequences of Western society's reliance on fast fashion, over-consumption, and clothing donations. Our unwanted clothes thread their way around the world, to the detriment of the environment, local industries, and people's livelihoods. Secondhand clothing and the thrifting industry, while well-intentioned and helpful to a small portion of society, can cause real pain.
The following text is from the February iSEE Newsletter, which is attached below.
Geothermal Urbana-Champaign 2.0 Starts Feb. 23. Geothermal Urbana-Champaign is a public education and group buy program that makes getting geothermal heating and cooling easier and more affordable for Champaign, Piatt, and Vermilion County home and business owners. Register for a spring Zoom session to learn more! Spring dates include Feb. 23, March 29, April 12 (co-hosted by iSEE and F&S), May 2, and May 23 (times vary). Details>>>