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  2. Online LEED Green Associate Training

    Associated Project(s): 
    LEED Certification
    Educate Future Leaders

    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

    Attached Files: 

  3. "Recycling 101: Start With Reduce, Reuse" -iSEE Newsletter

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Increase Recycling Rates

    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!

     

     

    Attached Files: 

  4. "Q Magazine: The Dark Side of Thrifting" -iSEE Newsletter

    Associated Project(s): 
    Certificate in Environmental Writing (CEW)

    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.

     

     

    Attached Files: 

  6. Geothermal Urbana-Champaign 2.0 Spring Zoom Sessions

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Urbana-Champaign
    Geothermal on Campus

    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>>>

    Attached Files: 

  7. Weekly Update: Build-a-bike, Uni High Agora Days class

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Support Youth Sustainability

    All, Picked up 4 – 5 bikes from Urbana last week which were promptly claimed as B-a-Bs or tagged for shop builds. This week we have our Uni High Agora Days class coming in Tues – Fri. This will reduce our open hours on Wed/Fri to 4 – 6p.

    I’ll be picking up 5 bikes from Champaign Cycle on Tuesday afternoon, too. That should get us towards a good number of bikes on hand.

    The numbers:

    visitors: 10
    Sales: $324
    Bike (refurb): 1 for $180
    Memberships: 3 for $90

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  9. HVAC and Air Quality Assessment Project Meeting (2-11-2022)

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy-Efficient HVAC Infection Control

    Dhuvaraj Gambhire and Ali Khan met with Morgan White on 2-11-2022 to discuss how they can acquire a Notice to Proceed and access to the Atmospheric Science Building for testing.

    They will get a quote from Sterling, which will allow them to get a Purchase Order (PO). After they get the PO, they can get a Notice to Proceed and access to the building.

  10. Walkability audit: Spring 2022, Meeting 3 & 4

    Associated Project(s): 
    Walkability Study

    On Feb 3rd and Feb 10th, Sarthak and Sutapa met to transport data from ArcGIS Survey 123 app to an excel spreadsheet. (attached)

    General Walkability study spreadsheet:

    1. Data was cleaned and transposed. Each question is located on a separate row. Each column accounts for 1 survey taken by a volunteer of the study.

    2. A separate sheet was designated for assigning each question with scores on a scale of 1-5.

    3. Using the function index and match, formulas were introduced for each survey answer in the database.

    A group meeting is scheduled in the end of February to finalize the scoring system of the map- blocks. The next step is to calculate averages for each map block and assign an average score out of 5 for each parameter.

     

    Incomplete survey: The Map blocks 9, 10, 14, 22, 23 and 27 have no records yet. When the weather conditions improve in March 2022, another round of data collection is scheduled to be undertaken by volunteers. Details regarding their training sessions will be shared soon.

     

     

  11. CR2ZW 2022 Week 2 Reporting, Week 3 Begins, Student Fellowships, Plastics Reduction Certification & More!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Race to Zero Waste

    The following message was sent on behalf of Kristy Jones, the Director of Higher Education Programs and RecycleMania Manager of the National Wildlife Federation:

    Hello Campus Race to Zero Waste 2022 Participants,

     

    Thank you for participating in the 2022 Campus Race to Zero Waste competition!

     

    The CR2ZW team is excited that so many campuses are joining us for this year’s competition. This year’s competition will be flexible; we are encouraging campuses to track your waste and report as much as you can. If you are unable to track waste on campus, please consider hosting an online education and engagement campaign during the competition timeframe. Please reach out to me anytime with questions. (respond to this email, or call 703-438-6262). Please see attached for the CR2ZW 2022 participant badge (two file formats). Please post this on your websites, and share via social media to highlight and celebrate your participation in the 2022 Campus Race to Zero Waste!

    FEATURED INFO IN THIS EMAIL: (more details bellow)

    • Week 2 ends tomorrow, Saturday, February 12, 2022
    • Week 3 begins Sunday, February 13, 2022M
    • March 1 Webinar: Learn about the 2022 Case Study Opportunity
    • New Plastics Reduction Partner Certification Program
    • Graduate Student Fellowship Opportunities
    • EcoCareers 2022 – 30% Discount on Campus Sponsorships for CR2ZW Partners

     

    UPCOMING DEADLINES, AND OTHER KEY INFORMATION AND RESOURCES:

    • Week 2 reporting is due Wednesday, February 16. Check out the 2021-2022 calendar for upcoming deadlines. To report for Week 2, go to ReTRAC log-in at https://connect.re-trac.com/login and click on Week 2 report. Be sure to click Complete and Save at the bottom of the report.
    • Week 3 begins Sunday, February 13 through Saturday, February 19. Reporting for Week 3 is due, Wednesday, February 23, 2022.
    • March 1 Webinar: CR2ZW 2022 Case Study Opportunity. Join us on Tuesday, March 1 at 1:00pm Eastern to learn about case study categories, best practices in writing a case study, visuals to boost your case study, and recognition opportunities. Register for Webinar. 
    • 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
    • National Wildlife Federation is excited to offer Campus Race to Zero Waste 2021 and 2022 competition participants a discounted opportunity to become an EcoCareers Campus Sponsor for the upcoming 2022 EcoCareers Conference (April 6-7). Use the promo code “32100” to access 30% off campus sponsorship membership! NWF is currently planning the agenda for the 2022 EcoCareers Conference which 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, we will have interactive project and career planning workshops for students of all levels on both days of the conference. Learn more.  Please reach out to me if you are interested in this opportunity.
    • Graduate Student Fellowship Opportunities: 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.

     

    More 2022 CR2ZW Competition Resources:

     

    • Check out CR2ZW Guide: Ideas and resources for hosting an online education and engagement campaign. If you are participating in the competition online only, please choose “special category > case study competition” during registration; if you need to make changes to your registration, please reach out to me.
    • Student/Staff FTE: During registration, campuses are asked to enter in their student and staff numbers. We provide a link to a data sheet with this info; however, this information is from late 2020/early 2021, so if you have more current numbers please enter those numbers in. We can update these numbers anytime during registration. We understand that campuses may not be at full capacity.
    • Quick Links – Check out key resources and information for Campus Race to Zero Waste 2022 campus participants including the 2022 Scoreboard, downloadable templates, info on volume to weight estimates, and more. The 2022 Scoreboard will be updated with real-time report links in time for the beginning of the competition.  
    • Competition Tracking and Reporting Webinar Recording – You can watch all webinar recordings from the fall at this link. If you have any questions about tracking and reporting, please do not hesitate to contact me.

    Please contact me with any questions.

     

    Thanks, take care,

    Kristy

  12. Campus Tree Advisory Committee Meeting - February 2022

    Associated Project(s): 
    Tree Campus Higher Education

    On February 10, 2022, the 2022 Campus Tree Advisory Committee met to complete the following:

    • Review the charge letter
    • Discuss the success of the 2022 Tree Campus Plan
    • Plan Arbor Day 2022 events
    • Discuss policy revisions regarding tree damage replacements
    • Discuss the creation of a campus nursery

    See the attached file to read the meeting notes. 

    Attached Files: 

  13. 2022 Tree Committee Formed

    Associated Project(s): 
    Tree Campus Higher Education

    The 2022 Tree Committee is now formed.

    Serving on this committee are the following individuals: Kevin McSweeney (chair), Brent Lewis, Morgan White, Ryan Welch, Jay Hayek, Andrew Lamoreux, Eliana Brown, Sinead Soltis, Julia Marsaglia, and Jack Reicherts. In the 2022 Tree Committee Charge letter, Dr. Ehab Kamara defines the responsibilities and duties for the advisory body.

    See the charge letter in the attached files.

    Attached Files: 

  14. ZW002 Join NERC Government Recycling Demand Champions - Successful

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

    Aaron Finder, Assistant Director of the Purchasing and Contracts Management office, sent the following email on 2/9/22:

    ============

    Hi Meredith,

    I have met with NERC a couple time to get a better understanding of NERC and its Government Recycling Demand Champions program. Their Director, Lynn Rubinstein, and I discussed membership levels and the Purchasing and Contracts Management Office will join NERC as a “Supporting Member.”

    Through our membership with NERC, we will also have the ability to participate in 4 active committees:

    1. Plastic & Paper Recycling Markets
    2. Bottle Bill Committee (Charge more for plastic at purchase but receive money back if you recycle)
    3. Glass Committee
    4. Organics – End Markets (Compost)

    There will be limitations on how many participants we can invite to committee meetings or NERC conferences, but Lynn did say I could include at least one committee member (i.e. Tim Stark or Zero Waste Coordinator) if we participate in any event.  

    After we become members, we will become a  State Recycling Organization Advocate within the Government Recycling Demand Champions program. This means we will commit to helping publicize the program and promote purchasing of products with post-consumer resin to their members and the public. While we are developing our EPP Guide, this seems to be the most appropriate classification.

    I’ll let you know once our membership dues have been paid. I’m also sharing a couple documents Lynn provided.

    Let me know if you have any more questions.

    Thanks,

    Aaron M Finder, mba cppb

    ==========

    For future updates, see State Recycling Organization Advocate NERC project page here. 

    Attached Files: 

  15. ZW004 Reusable Dining Containers Program - Successful

    Associated Project(s): 
    Zero Waste Recommendations Summary
    Zero Waste iCAP Team
    Beckman Cafe Reusable Containers
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Reusable Containers

    Dr. Jeff Moore, Director of the Beckman Institute, responded to Morgan White, Associate Director for F&S for Sustainability, with the following email on 1/18/22:

    "Thank you, Morgan and Jennifer.  We'll discuss this at our next meeting.  On first glance, it looks like a prudent practice to follow."

    See iWG assessment and transmittal of ZW004 Reusable Dining Containers Program here.
    See recommendation and submittal of ZW004 Reusable Dining Containers Program here.

    For future updates, please refer to the Reusable Containers project

  16. Big Ten & Friends Network Event, Exploring University Sustainable Lab Certification Programs

    Associated Project(s): 
    Big Ten & Friends Sustainability
    Green Research Committee

    The following email describes an online session about various Green Lab Certification Programs.

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

    From: Vandenbergh, Lydia Bodman
    Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2022 8:35 AM
    To: Vandenbergh, Lydia Bodman
    Subject:BTAF Sustainable Lab Programs Presentation and Discussion - Feb 24th

     

    As Higher Education Institutions develop their Climate Action Plans, one opportunity repeatedly arises: culture change in our approach to research. The US Department of Energy estimates that lab buildings consume anywhere from three to ten times the energy and water of administrative and classroom buildings and generate high amounts of single use plastics and hazardous wastes. One question is, how to change the culture without compromising the integrity of the science? 

     

    Members of the Big Ten and Friends Network are encouraged to join together on February 24th at 11am EST to learn how three universities are promoting change in their campus labs using three variations on a green lab certification program.  

    • Ken Keeler, from the University of Michigan, will kick off the meeting describing the University’s decade-long successful program that combines a lab self-assessment and staff visit. Over 200 labs have worked through this program, but it requires substantial staff time. Ken will describe their exploration to tap efficiencies.  
    • Next is Tim Lindstrom, who leads the University of Wisconsin at Madison Green Lab Program, which is similar to the Michigan’s assessment model, but integrates a student internship component to support the labs’ efforts. 
    • University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Nick Ciancio will showcase his four-year effort collaborating with MyGreenLab’s certification program, a unique pilot that UAB is eager to expand. 


    The session will conclude with time for discussion with the panelists. Please register to join in this inspirational presentation and exploration of culture change.  

    Register here  

     

    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information to join meeting. We are purposefully limiting the invitation to BTAF’s members to encourage a fruitful discussion, but we will record the session and make it available to share with other colleges and universities.  

     

    Lydia

     

    Lydia Vandenbergh (she/her)
    Associate Director of Employee Engagement and Education
    Sustainability Institute

    Penn State University

    The Pennsylvania State University campuses are located on the original homelands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora), Lenape (Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe, Stockbridge-Munsee), Shawnee (Absentee, Eastern, and Oklahoma), Susquehannock, and Wahzhazhe (Osage) Nations.  As a land grant institution, we acknowledge and honor the traditional caretakers of these lands and strive to understand and model their responsible stewardship. We also acknowledge the longer history of these lands and our place in that history.

    Check out our programs:
    sustainability.psu.edu/greenteams
    sustainability.psu.edu/greenpaws

     

  17. Zero Waste Team Meeting

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

    The Zero Waste iCAP Team met on Wednesday, February 9 to discuss the several recommendations in the works, including: Plastic Reduction in vending machines, Composting Commitee, Adopt a Highway/Drain, Food Literacy Project, and Sustainable Receipt options. Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  18. December 2021 TED Talk: Eco-Edition

    Associated Project(s): 
    TED Talk: Eco Edition Series

    Ainsley Hanner and Hatoon Bashanfar, co-chairs of the Society of Women Engineers Illinois Diversity Committee, hosted the iSEE TED Talk: Eco-Edition on December 9 from 6 - 7 PM. The discussion focused on diversity and representation in the environmental movement and activism. The presentation of the event is attached. 

    TED Talk: Diversity Builds a More Resilient Environmental Movement (Charles Orgon III) 

    Attached Files: 

  19. January 2022 TED Talk: Eco-Edition Series

    Associated Project(s): 
    TED Talk: Eco Edition Series

    Sakshi Vaya hosted the iSEE January TED Talk: Eco-Edition around the topic of sustainability and equality in education on Monday, January 24 from 6 - 7 PM. The presentation is attached. 

    The TED Talk: Eco-Edition series is designed to unite campus and community members for a passionate, respectful, and thought-provoking dialogue about a certain aspect of sustainability. We hope that everyone is as energized by this talk as we are, and ready to engage in another open conversation! Grab your favorite snack and get comfortable! Topics and hosts vary each month.

    TED Talk: The Dream of Educating Afghan Girls Lives On (Shabana Basij-Rasikh) 

    Attached Files: 

  20. Jan. 28, 2022 Illini Lights Out Data

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illini Lights Out

    At the January 28 Illini Lights Out event, 2,781 light bulbs were shut off which saved $403.45 in energy costs. This also prevented 3.4 metric tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, which is as much as the average car would emit from driving 8,544 miles. 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 11th at 5:30pm, and you can sign up for that event using this link if you haven't done so already. 

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