UIC Summer Institute on Sustainability & Energy: Applications Due May 30

SISE 2020: Resiliency, July 9-22, 2020

Can we survive climate change catastrophe, and if so, how? Can we sustain our current quality of life? Is that even desirable? Can we do better? Should we focus on sustainability or resiliency? What can we do to find balance and stabilize our world by 2050? Find out more about our 2020 program.

This program is open to students who are interested in studying about our climate crisis, interacting with others from around the world, and engaging in thought-provoking conversations, while brainstorming solutions. It is free for attendees and lodging is provided.

About Resiliency

• Can we survive climate change catastrophe, and if so, how? 
• Can we sustain our current quality of life? Is that even desirable? Can we do better? 
• Should we focus on sustainability or resiliency?
• What can we do to find balance and stabilize our world by 2050?

In 2020, the Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy (SISE) considers what it takes to be resilient in the face of climate change. It explores this generation’s greatest questions, the nature of resiliency and sustainability, and future opportunities through the research of local experts. SISE Fellows will engage with a new energy mapping initiative being develop by the American Energy Society and identify best-practices for activists and advocates committed to achieving climate justice by offsetting climate catastrophe.

Climate Data Rescue Event Thursday, April 27!

Climate Data Rescue Event during Earth Month (Register at link below!)

Free and open to the public!

 Thursday, April 27, 2017 (5-9 p.m.)   

Oakton Community College

Room 1625, Des Plaines Campus

1600 Golf Road Des Plaines, IL  60016

Register for the event here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DFD5QFF or contact Dan Godston (dgodston@oakton.edu) to find out more.

We invite you to a climate data rescue event at Oakton Community College, sponsored by The Green Committee at Oakton. We believe in supporting the fundamental role of science in sound government policy. Please help us preserve vulnerable federal climate, environmental, and transportation data. We need programmers, data scientists, and science enthusiasts! Bring your laptop and come ready to learn.

This event is part of a series of climate data rescue events happening in the Chicago area in recent months. Others were hosted by Chi Hack Night, University of Chicago, and Northwestern University. It is also part of ongoing international collaborations—with coordinated efforts from the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative, Internet Archive, and higher education institutions (University of Pennsylvania, University of Toronto, and UCLA).

Earth Week 2017 Events at Oakton Announced!!

Join us for our annual Earth Week Events at Oakton Community College, April 17-22. Feel free to share this pdf version and post (with permission) wherever you see fit! Thank you for helping us to spread the word on these amazing events to learn, engage with others, and make a difference at Oakton and in your communities!

Environmental Graphiti: The Art of Climate Change, Alisa Singer

The Foundation, Koehnline Museum, and Division of Science and Health Careers are excited to present the artwork of Alisa Singer in an exhibit – Environmental Graphiti: The Art of Climate Change. Please find a link to her website here. The artwork has been featured around the country and installed at many other prominent universities and galleries around the area such as DePaul, UIC, Loyola, Northwestern, and more.

Artist Alisa Singer’s digital paintings, printed on metal and derived from graphs, charts, and other scientific data, use contemporary abstract art to challenge and expand the way we think about climate change. The works will be on display in the Lee Center, First Floor Lobby from January 25-February 25, 2017. Please join us and share widely!

We’d like to make you aware of a couple of events on campus should you be interested in joining or encouraging students to participate:

Take a Tour of the Lee Center!

Next time you are on campus, spend a few minutes on a self-guided tour of the Lee Center.  Start in the lobby at our intro display that provides background on the sustainable features and LEED certification. Interact with the touchscreen to view our energy dashboard. You can learn how much solar power is being generated by our sunshades (visible from the 3rd floor–south hall) and check out the energy usage of our building throughout the year. Then, grab a self-guided tour brochure and use it to follow informational signs throughout the building. At each, you will learn a fun fact or two about why the Lee Center was able to earn LEED Gold Certification.  Feel free to keep the brochure, or return it to the display when you are done. We also welcome you to learn more about the Center while off campus by reading this feature in Sustainable Chicago.

Second Nature: Carbon Credit and Purchasing Program Internship–Boston

Second Nature is hiring for a Carbon Credit and Purchasing Program Internship, located in Boston and starting this month.

For details and to apply: http://www.secondnature.org/who-we-are/employment#op-71904-offset-intern

Second Nature is a Boston-based non-profit organization working to create a sustainable society by transforming higher education through a variety of initiatives including the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), a program which supports nearly 700 colleges and universities committed to carbon neutrality and climate action. Second Nature is seeking applicants for an internship that may focus on the following tasks:

• Support the research & development of a large-scale Carbon Credit and Purchasing Program (C2P2)
• Assist with communications and outreach between existing carbon market participants and with the broader ACUPCC network of potential participants
• Assist with Second Nature’s carbon registry account setup and management
• Provide technical support and assistance for new and existing C2P2 program participants
• Research and data analysis of program outcomes
• Other ad-hoc tasks as assigned and dependent on applicants skills and interest

Margaret Burke Lee Science and Health Careers Center IS OPEN!

We are thrilled to announce that the new Margaret Burke Lee Science and Health Careers Center is open for students! Despite the weather, the new building creates a warm and welcoming space for students and faculty.

This video walk through showcases the lovely spaces, but the addition of furniture, artwork and (of course) PEOPLE makes it so much more vibrant. The Lee Center is now home to classrooms for our Science and Health courses and includes biology, chemistry and physics labs, faculty offices, student lounge areas and a state of the art simulation hospital. Keep an eye out in spring as we install our educational displays that highlight many of the great sustainability features of this building (for which we are expecting LEED Gold Level certification!). Some of the features include:

• Radiant heating using a closed looped system,
• Light meters and occupancy sensors which help to control how much artificial light is being used,
• Energy wheel system in our lab spaces that reduce the need for standard HVAC equipment,
• Construction and décor made from repurposed and recycled materials,
• Locally sourced building materials,
• High-efficiency elevator
• Outdoor classroom,
• Native landscaping featuring prairie plants which will provide usable habitat for local wildlife,
• Bioswales in our specially designed and newly resurfaced parking lot to help manage stormwater runoff and…
• A 23.6 kW photovoltaic array to produce solar power for the building. The array has been producing power in the building for several months. Its real-time energy production and the building’s energy usage can be viewed at any time via our Dashboard.

We cannot wait for you to visit, enjoy the natural light and beautiful views of the Des Plaines campus…and take a class or two!