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Project Updates

  1. Email to Resilience SWATeam re: Edu002 recommendation

    Associated Project(s): 
    Education iCAP Team
    Resilience iCAP Team
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan

    Hello Resilience SWATeam!

     

    I hope this message finds you well. In the spring, one Education SWATeam (Edu002) recommendation to the iCAP Working Group suggested developing a sustainable communities paid internship program for students, in partnership with local businesses, non-profits, local government agencies, and local community-based organizations. As the recommendation states, the program would be designed to provide student opportunities in the sustainability field to advance resiliency efforts in our region and help tackle challenges related to climate change.

     

    The iWG recommended including the Resilience SWATeam in discussions on how best to move this forward since it directly involves and relates to the community. We recognized that cities are interested in working with students though funding may be a potential barrier. Your input on this recommendation will be very helpful. What are your initial thoughts on this recommendation? Does this seem like a feasible project, and what would be needed to implement such a program? Meredith may schedule a meeting in the fall between the two SWATeams to discuss further, though in the meantime, please respond with your feedback.

     

    Thank you!
    Ximing Cai

    August 2, 2020

     

  5. Collaborating with ISU to develop Virtual Tours

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Solar Farm 1.0
    ISEIF grants

    Matt Hagamann from Illinois State University (ISU) is leading a team to develop a Virtual Tour of the University of Illinois Solar Farms. In a July 2020 email, he explained:

    "Our project is funded through the Illinois Science & Energy Innovation Foundation, whose goal is to "address the human and community sides of energy and the electric grid," in our case through energy literacy programs.  Our current programs reach up to 25,000 students each year, but we're working on some digital resources which we hope will expand our impact.

     

    The digital project I would like to collaborate with your office on is a virtual reality project, where we expose students to technology, sustainability, and careers through an immersive experience.  We're targeting both a full VR experience as well as a more limited experience designed for smartphones.

     

    Our goal is to help students explore someplace they wouldn't normally have access to, in this case a solar farm.  After recording some footage using a 360-degree camera, we can let students explore that environment, read some virtual signage, then "tap" some workers on the shoulder in order to learn more about their job."

     

     

  12. The Day After Tomorrow: Exploring the Nature in Front of Us with Rob

    Associated Project(s): 
    Climate Justice Forum - 2020 [ARCHIVED]

    The Youth Climate Justice forum presents this podcast series in which we will be trying to find ways for all of us to continue to work for climate justice during and after the coronavirus crisis. This week, Jasmine and Theo interview Rob Kanter, an academic advisor with the University of Illinois. He also produces a podcast and newspaper column dedicated to animals and agriculture.

    https://youthclimateforum.wixsite.com/summit/podcast/episode/28d5b5ab/th...

  13. Armory Avenue bike path: Estimate from F&S Construction Services

    Associated Project(s): 
    2014 Campus Bike Plan [ARCHIVED]

    Here is the initial rough estimate for the Armory Avenue bike path for the section by Gregory Hall:

    • Remove tree roots and bushes  $4,000
    • Remove Erns and remove bases  $8,000
    • remove walks and new dirt  $6,000
    • replace concrete  $32,000
    • $50,000 total

    The cost of landscaping is not included in this estimate. We will be using the SSC funds available + the bike fee money for this bike path section.

  15. Bicycle Registration is available now!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bicycle Registration
    Bike at Illinois Website and Campaign

    Bicycle Registration was open for public on July 20, 2020. Currently due to the pandemic, all Shield pick-up locations are closed, so for those who register and want the 529 Shield now, they must contact bike@illinois.edu to arrange for a time and place to collect the Shield. Otherwise, Sarthak Prasad would reach out to them when the Shield pick-up locations are open.

  17. University of Illinois is now an EPA SmartWay Affiliate

    Associated Project(s): 
    EPA SmartWay Affiliate

    The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is now a registered SmartWay Affiliate! The EPA SmartWay Affiliate Agreement was signed on 6/19/20, and the university was officially welcomed to the program by a representative from the EPA on 7/16/20. Civil Engineering student Abby Culloton and F&S Sustainability Intern Sinead Soltis will begin integrating the SmartWay messaging within campus departments beginning in the fall 2020 semester.

    A SmartWay Affiliate is an organization that agrees to educate and support their members' efforts to improve freight sustainability.  Please follow the link below for more information and to explore how your team can become a SmartWay partner!

    https://www.epa.gov/smartway

  18. Financial Analysis of Virtual Power Purchase Agreements

    Associated Project(s): 
    Off-campus Solar Farm 3.0 PPA

    To better understand the costs and benefits of a potential large-scale off campus clean energy purchase, F&S and iSEE funded an analysis by CustomerFirst Renewables to identify the approximate financial impact the U of I could expect for entering into a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for 90,000 MWh/year of clean energy.  A Virtual PPA would allow the campus to purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) at a lower cost than a regular RECs with additionality purchase.  The final report (with some confidential information hidden) is attached here.

    Attached Files: 

  19. Fall 2020 sale cancelled

    Associated Project(s): 
    Dump and Run

    The YMCA provided this update for the fall 2020 sale. "After talking it over as a staff and board, we have decided not to hold the sale in August.  Our decision was based largely on three main factors: (1) health and safety concerns for volunteers and shoppers.  In particular, we were concerned that a majority of our regular August volunteers are older.  There were also concerns about the processes we would need to follow for proper sanitation of donated items (2) uncertainty about occupancy restrictions and the risk of the event becoming a source of virus spread in the community and (3)  uncertainty around availability of the Stock Pavilion or other comparable site for the sale (though this was very low on the list)."

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