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  1. 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.

  2. 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.

     

     

  3. 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

  4. 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: 

  5. 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: 

  6. 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

     

  8. December 2021 TED Talk: Eco-Edition

    Associated Project(s): 
    TED Talk: Eco Edition Series [ARCHIVED]

    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: 

  9. January 2022 TED Talk: Eco-Edition Series

    Associated Project(s): 
    TED Talk: Eco Edition Series [ARCHIVED]

    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: 

  10. 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. 

  11. Weekly Update: Restocking bikes and parts for sale

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, With the snowstorm last week, we were closed on Wednesday but were able to reopen on Friday. Visitor numbers took a hit with a foot of snow and whiteout conditions (no surprise there). This week I’ll get some bikes from Urbana (snow derailed that plan last week). We’re down to the dregs of steel-rimmed 3 speed schwinns—bikes I’m not exactly comfortable selling in the dead of winter considering their compromised braking/stopping. Our donations of late have all been Walmart-level, unfortunately. We’ve got about 8 bikes on the sales floor as of now.

     

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 16
    Sales: $180
    Memberships: 3 for $90
    Tire/tubes: 4 for $30

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  17. CR2ZW 2022 Week 1 Reporting, Week 2 Begins, 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 NEWS:

    • Week 1 ends tomorrow, Saturday, February 5, 2022
    • Week 2 begins Sunday, February 6, 2022
    • New Plastics Reduction Partner Certification Program (see details below)
    • Graduate Student Fellowship Opportunities (see details below)

     

    UPCOMING DEADLINES, AND OTHER KEY INFORMATION AND RESOURCES:

    • Week 1 reporting is due Wednesday, February 9. Check out the 2021-2022 calendar for upcoming deadlines. To report for Week 1, go to ReTRAC log-in at https://connect.re-trac.com/login and click on Week 1 report. Be sure to click Complete and Save at the bottom of the report.
    • Week 2 begins Sunday, February 6 through Saturday, February 12. Reporting for Week 2 is due, Wednesday, February 16, 2022.
    • 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.
    • 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

     

  18. ABE469 Student Support on iCAP Objective 3.5 - Local Carbon Offset Program

    Associated Project(s): 
    Develop Local Carbon Offset Program [ARCHIVED]

    Meredith Moore and Stacy Gloss are working with ABE469 - Capstone students in the spring 2022 semester.

    Students will obtain (be provided) green house gas emission data for this consulting project such as: .

    • Urbana GHG Air  Emissions
    • U of I GHG  Emissions
    • U of I GHG Air-Travel Emissions
    • **maybe** Champaign Emissions

    For purposes of this project, the U of I client is aiming to eliminate emissions for air travel by FY30.  This project is aimed to offset emissions by 30,000 tons per year by FY 30, related to iCAP objective 3.5. 

    The client should research the Illinois Climate Action Plan carbon reduction goals related to unavoidable air-travel.  The client would like for the consultants to analyze technologies appropriate for campus and our surrounding community; and make recommendations based on this analysis. 

    Technologies that may reduce carbon, or offset carbon on the local scale are listed below.  

    • -solar pv
    • -green roof + roof top solar
    • -solar water heating
    • -geothermal heating
    • -prairie restoration
    • -tree planting
    • -waste to energy from campus farms
    • -compost to energy
    • -water-saving measures (on the heating side reducing fossil fuel use)
    • -cold-climate air-source heat pumps for residential homes
    • -replacement of gas/diesel vehicle with electric vehicles for campus fleet
    • -deep energy retrofits – air sealing & insulation
    • -small wind turbines

    The consulting team should evaluate the scope and project size for technology adoption. Including the anticipated GHGs avoided or offset with project adoption.  What is the cost of installation, including labor costs?  Provide data about cost effectiveness, with breakdown on cost of project per pound or tonne of GHG emissions saved. The projects should be ranked with most cost effective to least effective.  Your research, analysis, and recommendations will be presented by the client to the iSEE Resilience Team and other campus stakeholders to inform a local carbon offset program.

     

  19. Walkability audit: Spring 2022, Meeting 2

    Associated Project(s): 
    Walkability Study

    On 27th Jan, 2022, Sarthak and Sutapa met to discuss the scores of the general Walkability Questionnaire. The draft of the same was sent to all members involved in the audit. They will get back with suggestions/ corrections by the end of February when there will be another group meeting to finalize the scores.

    We also prepared an excel spreadsheet with each question and scores next to it for analyzing the data- attached.

     

    Attached files:

    1. [DRAFT] Updated scoring system- editable document

    2. [DRAFT] Scoring system and priority map

    3. Spreadsheet of General Walkability Questionnaire

  20. Walkability audit: Spring 2022, Meeting 2

    Associated Project(s): 
    Walkability Study

    On 27th Jan, 2022, Sarthak and Sutapa met to discuss the scores of the general Walkability Questionnaire. The draft of the same was sent to all members involved in the audit. They will get back with suggestions/ corrections by the end of February when there will be another group meeting to finalize the scores.

    We also prepared an excel spreadsheet with each question and scores next to it for analyzing the data- attached.

     

    Attached files:

    1. [DRAFT] Updated scoring system- editable document

    2. [DRAFT] Scoring system and priority map

    3. Spreadsheet of General Walkability Questionnaire

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