STUDENT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

2015-2016 ANNUAL REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

YEAR IN REVIEW

MISSION STATEMENT

2015-2016 MEMBERS

FUNDING SUMMARY

2015-2016 FUNDED PROJECTS

THE 2015 CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

GETTING INVOLVED

2

3

4

4

5

6

17

18

1

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

The Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a group of students, faculty, and staff who allocate over $1.1 million of student funding to innovative and sustainable projects. As Chair of SSC, I am proud to be part of the ever-changing culture of sustainability that continues to grow here on campus.

The student members of the SSC are selected by the Illinois Student Senate to serve as leaders on campus and assume the responsibility as stewards of one of the nation’s largest green funds. The students of the University of Illinois truly understand the importance of sustainability and the SSC serves to amplify their voice through our commitment to service, compliance, and excellence. This annual report will guide you through our most recent accomplishments.

If you have any questions or want to know more about the SSC, do not hesitate to contact me personally or reach out to our SSC Coordinator, Micah Kenfield. We will be happy to help you with any subject regarding specific procedures or projects of SSC.

Best Regards,

Paul Couston, Chair Student Sustainability Committee

2

Sustainable Student FarmPhoto Credit: Micah Kenfield

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

The 2015-2016 school year saw a number of changes and opportunities for the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC). One of the biggest and most immediate changes was structural: over the summer of 2015, SSC transitioned to being primarily housed within the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment(iSEE). Through cross-promotion opportunities afforded by working within iSEE,SSC has expanded its partnerships with green organizations across campus. The direct integration with campus sustainability staff has also helped to improve SSC’s funding review process.

SSC’s outreach efforts included partnering with a first-year seminar course for in-class projects, partnering with the residence halls for Sustainability Month and Earth Week promotions, and cross-promotion with the Sonified Sustainability Festival (SSF). Past and current SSC projects were highlighted regionally in media as diverse as the Decatur Herald and Review, Smile Politely, and WCIA.

The depth and breadth of applications for SSC funding this year grew significantly. SSC’s total number of project applications grew to 52 in FY2016, with 23 ultimately receiving funding. Compare this to 39 proposed projects (21 funded) in FY2015 and 32 proposed projects (19 funded) in FY2014. Approximately $3,000,000 total in project funding was requested, and SSC was able to fund $750,630 in new projects.

Most importantly, 2015-2016 was abanner year for student involvement.SSC saw its best year yet for student-led small project applications, with overhalf the approved projects proposeddirectly from students. SSC memberswere a part of several major campusevents, including speaking at the grandopening of the Solar Farm and the EarthDay celebration of UIUC’s designationas a Tree Campus USA.

Over the following pages, you willsee brief summaries of the stated goals of the projects SSC funded over the last year. More detailed information about the funded projects, including full application materials and supporting documents, can be found on SSC’s website at http://ssc.sustainability.illinois.edu/. Please note that projects may change in scope or cost from proposal phase to final implementation.

3

SSC Land Working Group Chair Justin Vozzo (foreground) planting a tree on the quad. Photo Credit: Morgan Johnston

4

MISSION STATEMENT

2015-2016 MEMBERS

The Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) is a student-led organization charged with the distribution of two student fees – the Sustainable Campus Environment Fee and the Cleaner Energy Technologies Fee. With the ultimate goal of making the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign a leader in campus sustainability, SSC reviews, recommends, and funds projects that increase environmentalstewardship, inspire change, and impact students.

FACULTY ADVISORS(EX OFFICIO)Dr. Jeremy GuestDr. Sotiria Koloutsou-VakakisDr. Mark MitchellDr. Andrew StumpfProf. Mark TaylorDr. Michelle Wander

STUDENT MEMBERSEXECUTIVE BOARD

Amy Liu (Full Committee Chair, Fall)Paul Couston (Vice-Chair Internal, Fall) (Full Committee Chair, Spring)Nick Heyek (Vice-Chair Internal, Spring)Meghan Killinger (Vice-Chair External)Marcous Phillips (Treasurer)Shannon Merkys (Secretary)

STUDENT MEMBERSWORKING GROUP CHAIRS

Nick Heyek (Education, Fall)Alex Dzurick (Education, Spring)Monica Chhatwani (Energy, Fall)Rebecca Ambresh (Energy, Spring)Morgan Wilkes (Food & Waste)Charles Pignon (Land & Water)Erik Stanek (Land & Water, Fall)Justin Vozzo (Land & Water, Spring)Evan Keller (Transportation)

STAFF ADVISORS(EX OFFICIO)Ms. Morgan JohnstonDr. Ben McCall Mr. John Prince (Fall)Ms. Laurel Reed-RoschMr. Joseph Youakim (Spring)

SUPPORT STAFF(EX OFFICIO)Mr. Micah Kenfield (Coordinator)

$750,630allocated to newprojects this year

23projects funded

13 projects funded by SSCthis year are student-led...

... accounting for nearly$150,000 in total funding

FOOD/WASTE$2,036,452 (23%)

ENERGY$5,090,026 (57%)

EDUCATION$345,544 (4%)

LAND/WATER$60,741 (8%)

TRANSPORTATION$58,583 (8%)

ALL

PRO

JEC

TS, 2

008-2016

FOOD/WASTE$421,005 (56%)

ENERGY$169,557 (23%)

EDUCATION$40,744 (5%)

TRANSPORTATION$58,583 (8%)

LAND/WATER$60,741 (8%)

2015-2016 PROJEC

TS

FUNDING SUMMARY

5

2015-2016 FUNDED PROJECTS

The Bevier Café is a learning laboratory where Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) students get hands-on experience running a food service establishment. This project aims to reduce the café’s waste stream through the use of optional reusable to-go containers.

Customers will have the ability to opt in to the program through a small upfront cost, which covers all costs associated with cleaning and replacing the containers as needed. In return, they will receive a discount on any meal they take to go in a reusable container as well as the knowledge they helped reduce the campus’s waste footprint.

In Fall 2015, for the first time, SSC partnered with an introductory level seminar class to make the SSC application process itself part of that semester’s curriculum. Students from GCL127, “Sustainable Design Across the Disciplines,” were tasked with creating pitches for possible student-led small projects and then encouraged to apply for funding for their projects. Two of these projects were ultimately approved for funding, and one - the Aquaponics Demonstration Unit - accepted.

The goal of aquaponics is to create a closed ecosystem in which both plants and fish benefit and grow. Unlike hydroponics, which primarily uses a liquid-based nutrient to feed plants, aquaponics uses fish and their waste products to generate many of the nutrients. As such, this system has the potential to produce large quan-tities of both vegetables and fish with minimal inputs and nearly no negative outputs.

This project establishes a small-scale aquaponics unit to begin to evaluate the feasibility of expanding efforts to a larger scale that would be able to supply fish and vegetables to campus dining.

ENERGY LAND/WATEREDUCATION FOOD/WASTE TRANSPORTATION STUDENT-LED

6

AQUAPONICS DEMONSTRATION UNIT ($4,695)

BEVIER CAFE REUSABLE TO-GO MEAL CONTAINERS ($4,790)

The Sustainable Student Farm (SSF), has been growing sustainably-produced fruits and vegetables for the University of Illinois community since 2009. Since 2012, Fresh Press has been producing paper from agricultural waste like soybean stalks and prairie grass, including much of the waste from SSF.

This project’s goal is to deepen the connection between SSF and Fresh Press while expanding offerings from both organizations’ to the community. Funding for student labor allows the SSF and Fresh Press to hire additional staff, improving both the Farm’s and Fresh Press’s potential yield. This project also supports thecreation of a Community SupportedAgriculture subscription service for paper goods created by Fresh Press.

Through employing students while selling farm products to the campusand the community, this project willultimately create a circular and sustainable agricultural economy while furthering campus sustainabilitygoals.

A diagram from the original application(pictured right) showcases the flow offinancial and community support fromand to various campus-affiliated entities.

Two of the key goals for SSC-funded projects are improving environmental outreach and education and providing meaningful data on the effectiveness of the project. The Dietary Leafleting Pilot Program addressed both of these goals simultaneously.

Leafleting is frequently used for marketing and outreach efforts; however, there are relatively few studies on its overall effectiveness. The goal of this project was to promote sustainable food choices by spreading awareness of the positive impacts of a vegetarian or vegan diet, and to measure the impact of the information treatment on diet while doing so. Through a series of pre- and post- surveys, the project team was able to track whether educating students about sustainability via leaflets led to any meaningful behavioral change.

7

DIETARY LEAFLETING PILOT PROGRAM ($4,700)

A CAMPUS CIRCULAR ECONOMY ($37,695)

The Sustainable Student Farm currently growsnumerous varieties of hot chili peppers, but demandis often lacking in the dining halls over the summer.The excess crops are usually just composted.

This project aims to reduce the waste by adding fermentation capabilities to the current Sustainable Agriculture Food Systems tomato processing equipment (pictured right). Fermenting the peppersis the first step toward turning them into hot sauce that could be used in the dining halls.

One especially exciting aspect of this project is that the student body itself will have the opportunity to create different blends of sauces, with the winner of ataste test potentially becoming the dining halls’ official hot sauce for the semester.

While this equipment will initially be used to create campus’s hot sauce, it can also be used in the future to create products ranging from sauerkraut and pickles to soy sauce and kombucha.

Hallways in the Foreign Language Building, especially on the upper floors, may go long periods with no traffic. However, the overhead lighting is always on, which is extremely energy inefficient.

This project aims to replace some of the overhead lighting with more energy efficient options and install occupancy sensors to automatically dim the lights when people are not present.

SSC has funded occupancy sensors before (one past example pictured left); however, this project

8

FERMENTING FOODS FOR CAMPUS FOOD WASTE REDUCTION ($4,215)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE BUILDING LIGHTING ($11,200)

Photo Credit: Olivia Harris

would be the first to focus on improving energy efficiency through lighting controls in hallways. Ideally, it will serve as a pilot program that can be expanded further throughout campus.

Photo Credit: Student Sustainability Committee

Fume hoods are one of the largest sources of wasted energy in laboratories because of inefficiencies in fume hood use. This proposal specifically funds a Fume Hood Energy Conservation Pilot Project in the National Soybean Research Center (NSRC), in which ways to reduce fume hood energy waste through behavioral interventions will be explored.

Small changes in behavior such as keeping hoods closed when not in use can have large impacts on energy conservation, but behavioral changes can be difficult to achieve. This project adapts Harvard University's highly successful "Shut the Sash" program to the particular needs of Labs in NSRC, first by working closely with "early adopters" -- labs that are actively interested in reducing fume hood energy use -- to develop protocols, reminders, and reinforcement/tracking systems that help reduce fume hood-associated energy waste, and then by reaching out to other labs in NSRC. The long-term project goals are to make NSRC a model for the campus in fume hood energy conservation, and to develop an approach to fume hood energy conservation which can be readily applied to other labs and buildings on campus.

Implemented in October 2014 at the Homecoming football game, the Game Day Recycling Challenge at UIUC brought together hundreds of volunteers from all over the Urbana-Champaign communityto assist the thousands of spectators at the game in reducing waste – from the money spent sending materials to landfillto the volume of materials that impact ourwater, air, and soil. This event was part ofa national competition divided up byNCAA athletic conference and division, and at the end of the day a waste diversion rate of 60% was achieved. A photo from the halftime show recognizing the event is pictured above right.

After a hiatus in 2015, the Game Day Recycling Challenge hopes to return to even greater success. In addition to reducing the waste products from a single football game, this project will work to change fans' habits and permanently alter the waste stream of Division of Intercollegiate Athletics events from landfilling all waste to a more sustainable multi-stream system.

9

FUME HOOD EFFICIENCY PILOT STUDY ($1,000)

GAME DAY RECYCLING CHALLENGE ($2,600)

Photo Credit: Illinois Sustainbable Technology Center

Given the University of Illinois’ existing reliance on coal-fired steam heating for many buildings, significant changes to campus infrastructure will be required in order to move to being truly carbon neutral. One possible option is geothermal heating. While geothermal has already been successful at Allerton Park, a U of I property located in Monticello, there is a lack of information about the feasibility of geothermal systems in specific locations on the Urbana campus.

This project will conduct a series of high-detail observations of the geothermal profile of campus and analyze the data. Observations and analysis will be conducted in partnership with the University of Wisconsin, a leader in geothermal use by colleges and universities.

The results of the study will help identify the costs and possible challenges associated with adding a significant amount of geothermal heating systemsto campus. If the technology proves to be cost-effective and implementable, it could provide to be a large portion ofhow the university meets its iCAP goals.

Pictured right is the drilling of the wellfor the geothermal installation at theAllerton Park Gatehouse, a past projectthat SSC funded in 2012.

One of the most exciting aspects of funding student-led small projects is their use as test cases for new technology that could potentially be scaled across campus. Much like how the aquaponic test system is showcasing campus’s potential for growing fish and plants like kale in a closed loop system, hydroponics could provide one more way for the University to conduct year-round food production and address possible future shortages.

This project supports the Illini Urban Farmers’ efforts to establish a small-scale hydroponics system. In addition to actually producing food, the goal of Illini Urban Farmers is to educate the student body of what urban farming is, and to help students have a hands on learning experience of these systems.

10

HIGH RESOLUTION GEOTHERMAL PROFILING ($63,325)

HYDROPONICS FOR URBAN FARMING ($1,121)

Photo Credit: Derek Peterson

The Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI) is a student group that produces biodiesel and soap from waste vegetable oil collected from campus dining halls. During SSC’s 2012-2013 fundingcycle, SSC voted to fund the efforts of IBI; however, due to IBI members being requiredto vacate their original site, SSC funding was placed on hold. Now that production has resumed, SSC has reauthorized use of the funds.

While IBI waits for a permanent site in the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory, they are currently running a smaller scale operation n a space in Roger Adams Laboratory. This project helps IBI to rebuild production up to previous levels, where they were self-funding. An infusion of funding over the next year is critical to allow the IBI to grow and develop into a self-funding organization.

Agreements are already in place with Campus Fleet and Campus Dining for the sale of biodiesel and soap, respectively. The funding SSC provided specifically goes toward equipment and chemicals to rebuild production as well as funding to maintain staff continuity.

The Illini Gadget Garage is an initiative to provide University of Illinois students, faculty, and staff a place to bring their personal electronic devices for assistance with assessment and repair. Using the same “collaborative repair” model employed at the campus bike shop and MakerSpace Urbana, clients with devices in need of repair or troubleshooting can work together with Gadget Garage student staff and volunteers to perform the necessary device assessment and maintenance activities.

SSC initially funded this project in Fiscal Year 2015, contingent on a permanent site being established. A permanent location has been selected and partially renovated; however, in order to meet the accessibility requirements for final occupancy, additional construction is required.

This proposal directly funds the construction cost from skilled trades to add ramp access and other code requirements to the Gadget Garage’s permanent location to allow for general occupancy.

11

ILLINI GADGET GARAGE - ADA ACCESS ($10,000)

ILLINOIS BIODIESEL INITIATIVE ($28,011)

The former forest research area south of the main Arboretum grounds (near Lincoln Avenueand Windsor Road) has been neglected for over 20 years and has largely been overtakenby invasive plantings that have forced out thenative flowering forbs and bushes that normallyoccur in healthy woodlands – leaving instead honeysuckle, which is unpalatable to almost all native insects and mammals.

Some efforts to clear these woods have alreadybegun. To this point, though, the majority of the work has occured almost entirely by hand (photo, top right). While effective, this method is extremely time and labor consuming. This project funds more directed efforts, including equipment rentals, to clear out the invasive species quickly and begin replanting efforts to restore native species to the area. An example of the machine used to clear the area is pictured (bottom right).

Not only will the completed project improve biodiversity around campus, but it will also serve as an important educational tool forcurrent students to witness the restorationprocess firsthand.

Campus currently gives out tens of thousands of single-use plastic bags every year through its retail operations, including more than 50,000 each year at the Illini Union Bookstore alone. The Skip the Bag campaign is working to reduce that number through educating students about the impact of bag waste as well as encouraging students to use free reusable bags.

As part of this project, thousands of bags will be supplied to students alongside an information about the impact of bag waste. The combination of replacing plastic bags with cloth reusable ones and an educational campaign to ensure reuse is projected to save hundreds of gallons of oil and thousands of pounds of CO2 emissions.

12

NATIVE PLANTINGS @ THE ARBORETUM ($50,000)

SKIP THE BAG ($20,000)

Photo Credit: John Marlin

Photo Credit: John Marlin

Illini Solar Car was established in 2014 with aims to design, build, and race a commercially-viable, solar-electric vehicle to compete in the 2019 World Solar Challenge. To meet this long term goal, the organization has the interim goals of building a lighter, single-seat vehicle to allow for competition in the 2016 American Solar Challenge, 2017 World Solar Challenge, and 2018 American Solar Challenge.

Illini Solar Car received two grants in the 2015-2016 funding cycle. The first, for $4,913, was a student-led small project grant for the car’s electrical system. Upon seeing the success of the system and the promise of the project as a whole, SSC agreed to fully fund the remainder of the project.

Though Illini Solar Car received significant donations of equipment such as solar panels and motors from outside companies, basic supplies to manufacture the car itself still must be purchased. SSC funding will be used to close that gap, with the expectation that having one completed vehicle will open the door for expanded sponsorship opportunities to allow Illini Solar Car to grow even more.

An example of a completed Solar Car from Tokai University’s team is shown below.

The University of Illinois has shown ongoing support for expanding native plantings throughout campus. Though there is interest in new plantings at several buildings and undeveloped areas throughout campus, a lack of data on the soil itself makes selection of the right plants for the area challenging.

To help address this challenge, SSC chose to fund a large-scale soil sampling initiative. Almost 200 sites were selected for samples by the project team, Facilities and Services, and interested faculty and students. Current students conducted the sampling and shipped the samples to an external lab for processing.

At the completion of the project, campus will have an initial database of the soil composition (pH, fertility, and grain size) of key sites throughout campus. This should prove invaluable to the success of future planting sites.

13

SOIL SAMPLING FOR NATIVE LANDSCAPES ($4,925)

SOLAR CAR ($4,913 FALL, $41,725 SPRING)

Photo Credit: ‘Tokai Challenger’ by Hideki Kimura and Kouhei Sagawa / CC BY

Parking Lot E37 (near the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center and Natural History Survey) currently lacks sufficient lighting to meet minimum light requirements, but unfortunately is located in a low-priority area located awayfrom current electrical access. The use of standalone solar-powered lights for parking is an innovative solution that allows the system to remain off-grid while improving illumination for the lots – which inturn improves campus safety. Therendering on the right shows howan area that was once almostcompletely dark will be well-lit through the use of the solar lights.

There are currently no other universities in Illinois that us solar-powered parkinglot lighting, giving the University of Illinois yet another opportunity to lead the way in campus sustainability.

One of the strategies outlined in the Illinois Climate Action Plan is a significant increase in the amount of solar energy on campus, which would include rooftop panels as part of the plan.

In support of this objective,SSC is funding an 11-kilowattarray on the roof of the Speech and Hearing Building.This specific location, notedon the adjacent map and justa block from the Illini UnionBookstore, was selected dueto its viability, visibility, andlocation near the heart of campus. The site also has thepotential to be expanded upto a 40-kilowatt array in thefuture, if funding allows.

1414

SOLAR PANELS @ THE SPEECH AND HEARING BUILDING ($40,000)

SOLAR PARKING LOT LIGHTING ($55,032)

E Daniel St

E Chalmers St

S F

ifth

St

S S

ixth

St

S W

rig

ht

St

Aerial photo (C) 2016 Champaign County GIS Consortium

The Sonified Sustainability Festival provides a novel opportunity for sustainability to intersect with campus – through the arts. The 2016 Sonified Sustainability Festival, funded in partby SSC, was developed as a 2016 Earth Weekkick-off event focusing on sustainable practicesin the arts. It featured live music, interactive artexhibits, and an information/activity fair to offergreater visibility to local projects, programs andorganizations working towards a sustainable future. National and local musicians performingon original instruments made from recycled andrepurposed materials were showcased at the Earth Week event, as well as two prior events atthe Krannert Art Museum. The second event(pictured right) featured Tom Nunn playing musicon instruments made from discarded wood andsheet metal

The goals and outcomes of the next year of the festival will be similar, while expanding on the successes of the past. The events will encompass a series programs throughout the 2016-17 academic year. Once again, the culimination will be an Earth Week event featuring music, activities, and showcases for local organizations and initiatives.

Rocketry and space travel is, in general, an extremely unsustainable process. Waste-ful construction processes are followed by the use of extremely toxic and polluting chemicals in the rocket engines themselves. The Student Space Systems Liquid Rocket Engine Project is a student-led effort to design, construct, and launch a more sustainable approach to suborbital space travel. The pilot test of their liquid rocket engine will use a waste-free 3D-printed rocket combined with a clean-burning, liquid methane engine.

Going beyond its direct carbon impact, there is a strong educational value to this proposal as well. Hundreds of engineering students work on or are exposed to the work of Student Space Systems, and this project showcases sustainable design prin-ciples in an area often not reached.

15

SONIFIED SUSTAINABILITY FESTIVAL ($36,044)

STUDENT SPACE SYSTEMS ($11,945)

Photo Credit: Sonified Sustainability Festival

The existing Sustainable Agriculture Food Systems equipment allows campus to process tomatoes from the Sustainable Student Farm into sauce used in the fining halls. This project expands campus’s food processing capabilities to allow for the production of flour.

Specifically, this project allows campus to process wheat and oats grown on several of the UIUC campus farms into a finished flour product that will be utilized in the UIUC Campus Dining Halls. There are currently ~20 acres of ground planted in wheat/oats on the Urbana campus as part of large breeding program. This can generate as much as 48 tons of grain, producing up to 80,000 typical loaves of bread.

The varieties of flour produced by this equipment can be used to produce a number of products (bread, pastries, cakes, pasta, and so on). One of the more exciting possibilities is making pizza dough to combine with the pizza sauce project already running, bringing campus dining very near to an entirely locally produced pizza.

This is a multi-pronged project with four areas of focus, all working toward the goal of The University of Illinois eventually becoming a Zero Waste Campus.

The first part of this proposal and the largest portion of funding is going to add new recycling bins to areas north and east of the Main Quad as an expansion of the dual-bin recycling system currently used. The Main Quad bins have been quite successful and this is a timely and needed expansion.

The second part of this proposal supports building-specific solutions for campus buildings that have already participated in waste audits from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC). Staff from ISTC will work with building stakeholders to identify how to reduce their waste, then implement the new measures.

The third part of this proposal funds additional student employees to conduct campuswide outreach regarding new waste streams being recycled (such as nitrile gloves and Styrofoam).

Finally, a small amount of money is being set aside for education and outreach to the campus community regarding zero waste efforts. This will largely occur via social media advertisements and digital signage, and will be developed in conjunction with SSC’s own subcommittee for marketing.

16

ZERO WASTE COORDINATION ($64,862)

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FOOD SYSTEMS - FLOUR MILLING ($248,832)

A ROADMAP TO CARBON NEUTRALITY

17

THE 2015 CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

In 2015, a new Climate Action Plan (iCAP) was developed and ratified for the University of Illinois. Many SSC projects directly support iCAP goals; please see the below summary for more information

A ROADMAP TO CARBON NEUTRALITY

-

In 2008, the mounting evidence of the profound impacts of climate change prompt-ed our Chancellor to join many of our higher education colleagues in the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), formally com-mitting campus to become carbon neutral as soon as possible, and no later than 2050.

The first Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) was developed in 2010 as a comprehen-sive roadmap toward a sustainable campus environment. The 2015 iCAP is a re-en-visioned path forward for campus sustainability, with more ambitious and specific goals, objectives and potential strategies to achieve our ultimate goal of carbon neutrality. Campus has goals in 11 categories: energy conservation and building standards; energy generation, purchasing, and distribution; transportation; water and stormwater; purchasing, waste, and recycling; agriculture, land use, food, and sequestration; carbon offsets; financing; education; outreach; and research.

• LED lighting retrofits

• Wind power purchasing agreements (PPAs)

• Expanding rooftop solar effortsRenewable Fuels for Campus Fleet•

• Stormwater collection and water reuse• Environmental purchasing standards

• Landscaping with native plantings

• Purchase of carbon offsets

• Incentivize low-carbon commuting

PROMISING STRATEGIES

• Comprehensive energy conservation campaign

ENERGY USE AND EMISSIONSIn FY14, campus used 1,076,722 MWH of electrical and steam energy, roughly the same amount as 28,000 average US homes.

Each year, campus releases more than 500,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent into the atmosphere

FOR MORE INFORMATION

By no later than 2050, campus will reduce its net emissions to zero, with incremental targets along that path. For example, by FY2020, campus will seek to reduce its energy use and emissions, agricultural landscape emissions, and water consumption all by at least 30%.

OBJECTIVES FOR 2020

Read the complete iCAP and explore project makingan impact on campus sustainability in the iCAP Portal:http://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu

Read iSEE’s 8-page summary of the iCAP at:http://bit.ly/iCAPnutshell

18

GETTING INVOLVED

The Student Sustainability Committee wouldn’t exist without student involvement and support from the campus community. There are a number of ways students, faculty, and staff can all get involved with SSC.

The first way most people get involved with SSC is via joining one of SSC’s Working Groups. Each of the six Working Groups focus on one of the SSC’s main ‘topic areas’ - Education, Energy, Food and Waste, Land, Transportation, and Water. They meet roughly twice a month to explore possible future projects for SSC funding and evaluate current proposals.

Every spring, SSC also looks for new student and faculty members through an opensolicitation process. Interested students are vetted through the Illinois Student Senate and can typically apply beginning in February for the upcoming year. Faculty representatives are appointed directly by SSC and the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment. Interested faculty should contact SSC.

Finally and most importantly, consider applying for funding from SSC for a sustainable project on campus. We are always looking for new ways to reduce the University of Illinois’ environmental impact, and we can’t do that without project applicants.

For more information about getting involved - and everything else SSC does - please visit http://ssc.sustainability.illinois.edu or email us at sustainability-committee@illinois.edu.

Photo Credit: John Marlin

13

Student Sustainability Committee1101 W. Peabody, Room 291 (NSRC), MC-635 | Urbana, IL 61801

sustainability-committee@illinois.edu