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Project Updates

  2. iCAP Portal Admin Meeting - February 24, 2023

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability iCAP Portal

    Done:

    • Moved "Northeast of Nick Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology Lab" Place from Null Island to where I think it should be. Could someone confirm it's now in the right spot?
    • Objectives page: fixed some styling issues (buttons above table, margin above in-page links to account for sticky headers)
    • Added LinkedIn & Reddit share buttons on Project Updates (see this Project Update for example)
    • Added social sharing buttons on Projects (see iCAP Portal project for example)
    • Finished testing improved method for setting a Project's location in the menu system (dropdown list was becoming unmanageable). A couple cautionary notes:
      • You can switch from single-item dropdown lists to multi-item lists by dragging the bar below them to expand them. If you drag bar back up to switch back to single-item dropdown lists, future changes to the items still fill them in as multi-item lists. Just drag the bar back down to expand them again.
      • **Do not select self in last dropdown list** - it will appear to work fine for that node, but it actually loses its place in the hierarchy, which can be seen in its children. If you go back in to edit the node, you'll have to find its location again from scratch.

    Discussion:

    • Should we show a "last updated" date on the projects?
      • Automatically show last time Project was updated?
      • Add field that is updated intentionally when a project's information has been reviewed & by whom?
      • Add a disclaimer about information being correct at the time it was entered?
    • Some social sharing buttons not showing up in incognito mode? (e.g. Carbon Commitment)
    • Question about a TODO: "Collections page: Add image upload option". At a previous meeting we had this TODO, but what was the context? Was it to have a thumbnail for each Collection? Or a banner image?
    • Should we link to "Take Action" project from homepage?
    • Archiving projects
      • Add "Archived" checkbox?
      • Add "Archived" to Visibility options?
      • Add "Archived" to Project Status options? (probably not - this mixes the status of the project itself with whether we still want it to show up on the site)

    TODO:

    • Can we limit access to menu selection for Projects to only certain users - e.g. iCAP Admins?
    • Remove RSS Feeds from listings (e.g. Project Updates for collection: Geothermal Projects)
    • Search: can it be less rigid? e.g. ignore punctuation, understand that "bikes" and "bicycles" are equivalent, etc.
    • Fancy project layout mockups - keep tweaking #3 to improve contrast
    • Discuss metrics
      • Metrics with lots of data
      • Consider how to handle old metrics that no longer track new data. Archive somehow?
      • Fun with math (e.g. combining multiple metrics)
      • Calculated Metrics on Dev site
    • Track down and resolve informational message on full listing page for Project Updates by Key Objective (see, e.g. Projects Updates for key objective: 1.0 iCAP 2020 Illinois Climate Action Plan)

  5. Res005 Sustainability Economic Analysis recommendation - Submittal

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

    The Resilience iCAP Team submitted the attached Res005 Sustainability Economic Analysis recommendation to the iWG on 2/20/2023. The recommendation states:

    Provide undergraduate research support for reporting on sustainability concepts including cost-benefit analysis, lifecycle costs, and finance considerations for Sustainability-related projects of interest to the local urbanized areas of Urbana, Champaign, and Savoy.

    Topic examples include Green Infrastructure or Energy Conservation / Renewable Energy projects that municipalities are interested in undertaking. This research should help identify useful case studies and provide reporting on the economics of “green” capital projects of interest. Information showing that Green Infrastructure projects and/or Renewable Energy projects are fiscally sound, financially viable, and can demonstrate a return on investment have a greater chance for adoption over the easier “status quo” or lowest-bidder projects.

    iSEE will provide some oversight and work to identify potential resources to partner with communities to answer sustainability questions with regard to “green” and “sustainable” community investments – where cost-benefit analysis and life cycle analysis reporting would be beneficial.  ISEE recommended that Eric Green’s ENVS 492 undergraduate course is an appropriate class to partner with.

    This recommendation also seeks assistance from iSEE to help identify future funding for the development, implementation, and outreach of this plan.

    Additionally, the Education iCAP Team will assist in identifying online and on-campus degree programs with capstone courses that may align with the project scope. The Resilience iCAP Team leaders will continue to work with community partners to identify areas of prioritized need to be shared with a growing network of faculty and programs who in turn, are interested in providing real-world research-based opportunities to their students.

    Through ENVS 492 and potential online and on-campus capstone programs, students will work with communities to conduct research and outreach, and to disseminate applicable reports and findings.

    Suggested unit/department to address implementation: ISEE

    Attached Files: 

  6. Sarthak & I (Alec) met to discuss the Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) application

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bicycle Friendly University Status
    2014 Campus Bike Plan [ARCHIVED]
    Reduce Driving on Campus

    Sarthak & I met on 2/20/2023 to go over some questions I had about the BFU application. We talked about the built environment of the campus (question A8), and clarified the total campus enrollment statistic. I also showed Sarthak the log I created to keep track of the my progress on the application, which is attached below.

    Attached Files: 

  7. Weekly Update: Build-a-bikes completed, increasing number of bikes on the floor

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Abbreviated week for me as I took a half day on Thursday and all of Friday off. Staff handled things admirably and I’ll check in with them today for a full shift report.

    Got a couple Build-a-Bikes completed and a bike sold last week. We’ve got a dozen or so bikes on the floor and working to bump that number. I’ll likely grab a few more bikes from the warehouse, too.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 29
    Sales: $429.25
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $90

    Bikes (B-a-B): 2 for $100
    Memberships: 1 for $30

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  8. 2-20-23 Internal Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    "Don't Waste" with Coca-Cola
    Green Sports Alliance (GSA)
    Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste

    On February 20, UIUC sustainability representatives met and discussed the following:

    Attendance: Tony Mancuso, Jen Fraterrigo, Shawn Patterson, Julie Wurth, Steven Breitwieser, Travis Tate, Marty Kaufmann, Daphne Hulse

    Agenda:

    1. Basketball game

      1. Volunteers: Marty

        1. Volunteers checking in at the main west entrance?

        2. Place for volunteer coats and bags / giveaway t-shirts?

          1. Marty to check in with SFC

        3. Timing

          1. Move up first shift to 4:30 for bin placement (*note in reminder email*)

      2. Communications: Group feedback

        1. F&S crafted messaging for the upcoming game: feedback? [see word document]

      3. Media: iSEE

        1. Photography/videography: night of the event? (post-game pickup)

          1. iSEE interns

          2. Talk with F&S communications

      4. Post-game feedback: Marty

        1. Did you notice that this was a recycling-focused game? YES/NO

        2. Did you know State Farm Center recycles bottles and cans? YES/NO

        3. Did you recycle your cans and/or bottles at this game? YES/NO/I HAD NO RECYCLABLES

        4. Would you like to see more recycling initiatives at State Farm Center? YES/NO

        5. Did you know you can bring your own empty, clear plastic water bottle, up to 32 ounces to State Farm Center? YES/NO

        6. Post-season survey - could be incorporated here - Marty to investigate

      5. Post-game recycling estimates: Jen, Shawn

        1. It is possible to capture concession data from the single event [see excel sheet]

        2. Quantity of plastic bottles and aluminum cans sold at the event

          1. Estimate the weight of an empty can and bottle

          2. Of the total pounds of recyclables collected, estimate what percentage each material makes up. Percentage and weight, estimate % of bottles that were sold recycled, % of cans that were sold recycled

          3. Purpose:

            1. Part of the Coca-Cola contract (achieve 100% recycling of bottles and cans by 2030).

            2. Helpful to know how far we are until we cap out on possible recycling at these events (“we only captured and recycled roughly 50% of the bottles and cans sold that night”).

        3. Use relative proportions found in the bowl pick

        4. Don’t know the premium area information (missing data), though it is a small proportion

     

  9. ISTC, F&S, Project Revert to Earth meeting follow-up resources

    Associated Project(s): 
    Project Revert to Earth

     

    From: Scrogum, Joy Joann <jscrogum@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Monday, February 20, 2023 5:02 PM
    To: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>; Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>; Patterson, Shawn L <spttrsn@illinois.edu>; Samaras, Zach <zsamaras@illinois.edu>; Feher, Savannah <sfeher@illinois.edu>
    Subject: RE: Thank you:)

     

    Hannah, thanks again for your conviction to make positive change and for preparing such a clear, well-considered presentation for today’s meeting!

     

    I wanted to follow up by sending you a link to the Prescott Lab: https://mpp.fshn.illinois.edu/. They do a lot of work related to household food waste and food waste reduction interventions in K-12 schools (e.g. share tables). Dr. Prescott and colleagues also published a paper back in 2021 on how changing the size and shape of plates in dining halls can reduce food waste—see https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105293.

     

    You can visit https://tap.istc.illinois.edu/programs/zero-waste/ to learn more about the zero waste efforts of ISTC’s Technical Assistance Program, and see https://tap.istc.illinois.edu/category/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/ for descriptions of past collaborative efforts with the UIUC campus. As I said, we’ll definitely reach out to you about volunteering at a waste sort if we end up working on campus building waste audits later in the year!

     

    One thing we didn’t talk about on today’s call were Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) that you might be interested in. Check out VermiCUlture, https://www.vermiculture.eco/ and Grow2Give, https://www.grow2givecu.com/. Sydney Curts is involved in both organizations, and she might be a good connection for you to speak with; note that she’s graduating in May. You can connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneyncurts/, or email her at scurts2@illinois.edu.

     

    I know Daphne and Shawn will connect you with additional groups, resources, and opportunities on campus. I wanted to share links to two statewide organizations we mentioned earlier. The Illinois Food Scrap and Composting Coalition, https://illinoiscomposts.org/, might be something you’re interested in learning more about. If you don’t want to opt for membership, you can connect with IFSCC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or via our LinkedIn Group. Also, check out the Wasted Food Action Alliance, https://wastedfoodaction.org/. If your class schedule permits, the WFAA hosts a monthly meeting on the fourth Wednesday of the month, and those are open to any interested party.

     

    I hope all this helps and wish you luck in your efforts to improve waste management. Don’t hesitate to contact me, Zach, or Savannah if you have additional questions. When you work on waste reduction and management, it’s always such a delight to encounter students who not only understand the issues involved, but genuinely care and want to become involved. Thanks for brightening our day!

    Joy

     

    Joy Scrogum
    Assistant Scientist, Sustainability
    LEED Green Associate | Sustainability Excellence Professional (SEP)
    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    Prairie Research Institute
    Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC)
    Champaign, IL 61820
    217.333.8948 | jscrogum@illinois.edu
    www.istc.illinois.edu | www.prairie.illinois.edu

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyscrogum/
     
    Bu0VAhW8+s0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=

    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: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Monday, February 20, 2023 3:32 PM
    To: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>; Patterson, Shawn L <spttrsn@illinois.edu>; Scrogum, Joy Joann <jscrogum@illinois.edu>; Samaras, Zach <zsamaras@illinois.edu>; Feher, Savannah <sfeher@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Thank you:)

     

    Hello, 

     

    I just wanted to sincerely thank you all for taking the time to listen to my thoughts and providing me with all the insights that I will take them to heart. As a student I appreciate talking to experts that are actively working on the field I am interested in and passionate about. Your comments allowed me to get a sense of where we are in terms of waste treatment and what I should be doing. I know my steps won't be big, but I will for sure make a change. Although it is quite sad that Illinois has poor infrastructure, there are still ways to improve such as students' perceptions and behaviors. With your advice, I think I will start from there. I will be reaching out for more advice and guidance in the near future:) 

    If it wasn't for you, I would have left this idea in the back of my head. Thank you so much for the encouragement and reassurance that there are ways to be involved. Words can't explain how much I appreciate it. I hope there will be a chance for us to talk again and have a wonderful rest of your day!

     

    Sincerely, 

    Hannah Kim

  11. Weekly capstone meetings: Meeting from 2/15

    Associated Project(s): 
    2024 Campus Bike Plan
    Independent Student Projects

    Ethan and Sarthak met via zoom to discuss Ethan’s progress in reviewing relevant documents toward the former 2014 Bicycle Plan and for the future 2024 Bicycle Plan. Ethan has finished reading the 2019 and 2023 progress reports on the bicycle plan and reviewed which projects have been finished and are yet to be finished. Ethan’s main goal is to develop a presentation for a meeting with Morgan and Stacy to discuss the work he and Sarthak have been doing. Also, they must present their plan for the semester in regard to developing the planning process for the next year, in reference to the 2024 Bicycle Plan. Ethan and Sarthak also discussed highlighting the bicycle audit expected to be done in the Fall.

    Attached Files: 

  13. Spring 2023 Goals

    Associated Project(s): 
    Student Sustainability Leadership Council (SSLC)

    SSLC’s Spring 2023 Goals

    We are excited to continue our work in campus sustainability this semester! Some of our goals for this semester include:

    • Bolster and growing membership among constituent organizations

      • More socials/personal connections

    • Collaboration with local groups

      • Grand Prairie Friends, Citizens Utility Board, and Prairie Rivers Network

    • Finalize plans for Earth Month

    • Prepare for Sustainable Food Event in the fall

    • Elect new leaders for SSLC

    • Take on and revamp the Sustainability Grammy’s

  14. Fall 2022 Recap

    Associated Project(s): 
    Student Sustainability Leadership Council (SSLC)

    SSLC’s Fall 2022 Recap

    SSLC made many steps towards creating a sustainable campus and collaborating with environmental groups in Fall 2022, including:

    • Coordinated events and initiatives for Campus Sustainability Month to raise environmental awareness.

    • Formed new partnerships with community organizations to increase impact.

    • Improved meeting attendance, with more students actively participating.

    • Planning a program of sustainability events from October to April to maintain engagement and momentum throughout the entire academic year.

    • Had productive discussions with iSEE to align efforts with university sustainability initiatives and address student concerns to campus administration.

     

  15. Land & Water iCAP Meeting 2/17

    Associated Project(s): 
    Land and Water iCAP Team
    Campus Landscape Master Plan (CLMP)
    Water Audit / Inventory
    Monitor Soil Health
    Cover Crops on South Farms

    On February 17th, the Land & Water iCAP team met to discuss the details of a permeable pavers recommendation. The team then split off into breakout rooms to organize future soil and water committee initiatives. 

    Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  16. 28 bin order arrived

    Associated Project(s): 
    Indoor Bin Update

    On Friday, February 17, the bin order from MAX-R arrived at the Waste Transfer Station. 20 26-gallon bins (standard size) and 8 18-gallon (slim) bins arrived.

  17. Webinar: Ohio State University energy partnership

    Associated Project(s): 
    Big Ten & Friends Sustainability

    Below is an email exchange following a webinar with Ohio State University:

    Team,

     

    There is quite a bit of a back story to this partnership, much of which likely won’t be highlighted in the conversation tomorrow.

     

    When this partnership was announced several years ago it garnered a lot of interest because of the stated $1 billion that was coming to the University as part of this private-partnership agreement.

     

    Iowa engaged in a similar agreement a few years later, again with a stated huge “influx” of cash to the University.

     

    Suffice it to say, nothing comes for free, much less $1 billion dollars.

     

    It is not quite this simple and don’t take what I am about to say literally or without doing your own homework, but the $1 billion dollars is going to cost well over $2 billion to the University over this 50 year agreement.  My summary of this deal is that the University basically leveraged the value of future energy payments to get a bunch of cash up front. From a financial perspective, this is a really bad deal.

     

    When this deal came out, the University of Illinois was charged with looking at the viability of doing something similar. We hired a consultant to help us evaluate the merits and financing of the deal, and the result of that evaluation was that financially this was a really bad deal.

     

     

    All that being said, we are already doing much of what Ohio State is talking about doing and more.

    A big part of the Ohio State deal is investment in a new Co-Gen plant. We have been investing in our infrastructure consistently for the last 20 years and are looking actively at additional investments in the near and long term.

    The investment in buildings and energy savings have been going strong through ESCOs, building and controls upgrades, as well retro commissioning for 10+ years. Those savings continue to be re-invested resulting in more savings. We have already achieved the 25% savings and Ohio State is talking about.

     

     

    In no way I am discouraging anyone from listening to this conversation tomorrow. I am sure that there are some things that we can learn from them, but please keep in mind that there is a lot more to this agreement that I am sure will not be covered in the hour they have allotted.

     

     

    If these is additional interests in the Ohio State deal let me know and I can share more.

     

     

     

    Mike Larson

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

     

    Hi Mike,

     

    Thanks for the information. It is great to hear your perspective and the backstory. I recollect we talked about this several years ago at a team meeting.

     

    My interest is to hear about the student and faculty collaborations.

     

    Andy

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

     

    If you are interested here are the slides from the webinar yesterday. The recording will be made available later.

     

    Andy

    Attached Files: 

  18. Daily Illini article: MTD, campus resources respond to recent cyclist collision

    Associated Project(s): 
    Improve Reporting and Metrics for Bicycles
    Enforcement for Safe Cycling

    Daily Illini published an article on the recent cyclist collision with an MTD bus by Transit Plaza: https://dailyillini.com/news-stories/2023/02/13/mtd-campus-resources-res...

    MTD, campus resources respond to recent cyclist collision A+student+races+past+on+a+bike+on+South+Wright+Street+in+one+of+the+University%E2%80%99s+many+bike+lanes.+
       

    Sidney Malone

    A student races past on a bike on South Wright Street in one of the University’s many bike lanes.

    By Layli Nazarova, Staff Writer
    February 13, 2023

    Following the recent incident on Wright Street involving a cyclist and an MTD bus, MTD said that the bus “was operating safely” and not at fault for the collision. 

    “We do not know what caused the cyclist to swerve toward the side of the bus, but we do know the bus was operating safely outside the bike lane and did not take action to cause contact,” said Amy Snyder, chief of staff at MTD, in an email. 

    According to Snyder, road safety is one of the MTD’s top priorities which they achieve through training. 

    “MTD maintains an extensive training program to on-board and retrain current Operators to drive safely in our busy campus environment,” Snyder said. “It involves classroom curriculum, simulated environments and on-the-street instruction.”

    The overall number of bike crashes has significantly decreased over the past few years, according to the Illinois Climate Action Plan portal. That may be due to improvements in bike infrastructure on campus, according to Steven Breitwieser, a spokesperson for University Facilities & Services.

    “In the last 10-15 years, the University has improved bicycle infrastructure to provide a safer, more convenient and enjoyable experience for bicyclists,” Breitwieser said. “These efforts emphasize better connecting the campus bike network with surrounding communities.”

    Most of those infrastructure changes are a part of the University’s Campus Bicycle Master Plan published in 2014.

    However, the accidents still occur and, according to Campus Bike Center Coordinator Jacob Benjamin, students continue to express concerns regarding road safety. 

    “Most of our education really is face to face with folks that come in,” Benjamin said. “Generally, the safety concerns are related to being able to be seen well at night.”

    To increase safety and spread awareness among cyclists, the Campus Bike Center provides various resources. 

    “We try to educate folks more on defensive bike riding, as well as predictable bike riding,” Benjamin said. “There’s the Illinois bike safety quiz that the League of American cyclists puts out. We encourage everybody to take that. And we have a bike map that was put together and distributed by Champaign County bikes that we’ve been giving out, and this has all the safe bike routes listed on it.”

    Regarding road safety concerns, Campus Bike Center recommends avoiding “busy” streets on campus, considering the increased traffic. 

    “We’d certainly recommend riding on quieter side streets and less busy major streets because traffic is just a lot higher,” Benjamin said.

    According to Benjamin, bike and road safety depends on both the awareness of cyclists and infrastructure on campus. 

     “Infrastructure improvements are always welcome, but awareness and education about how to ride safely is important as well,” Benjamin said. “Transportation systems are kind of an ecosystem of cars, cyclists, pedestrians, buses — all play a role in creating a safe transportation system.”

     

    laylin2@dailyillini.com

  19. Green Power Partnership’s 2021 Year in Review

    Associated Project(s): 
    EPA Green Power Partner

    GPP Logo
     

    Green Power Partnership's 2021 Year in Review

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Green Power Partnership (GPP) reached several program milestones in calendar year 2021. The 2021 performance update shows how EPA's Partners continued to raise the bar on leadership and impact in green power use, advancing the U.S. market for green power.

    Here are the Partnership's 2021 accomplishments:

    2021 Year in Review

    These figures demonstrate how electricity consumers transform the power sector by choosing how their power is generated. EPA's Partners help grow demand and scale the renewable energy market by purchasing and using renewable electricity. Renewable electricity helps these organizations meet their energy, economic, and environmental objectives. Green electricity customers also encourage the development of renewable electricity sources and drive new project development.

    With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, new funding, programs, and incentives will help accelerate the transition to a clean energy future. See what the Inflation Reduction Act has to offer for Green Power Partners here.

     

    See more GPP data in our Program Data Viewer, and find more info about our Partners with our Partner Profile Viewerand in the Top Partner Rankings.

     

    To learn more, visit https://www.epa.gov/green-power-markets.

  20. Zero Waste Coordinator presented to Eric Green’s NRES285 class

    Associated Project(s): 
    Zero Waste Outreach & Presentations

    Provided a general overview of zero waste at the university, and how students can assess facilities for waste reduction opportunities at the building level: activities in the building, who the building serves, who occupies the building, how the floor plan is laid out, and what bins currently exist the building.

    Attached Files: 

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