Sustainability@UIC

Composting Audits at UIC

2011-11-29T10:40:00.000-06:00

Good news, everyone! UIC is moving one step closer to a food scrap composting program.

This week Sodexo, the organization responsible for serving food in the dining facilities on campus, will help UIC and the Office of Sustainability conduct a sample audit of the food waste in our dining halls.

This is pretty awesome for sustainability geeks like us, but I know some people have no idea what the big deal about compost is, or that it's so great UIC is going to be doing an audit. I'll try to explain some of that here.

Think about the natural cycle of things, like in a forest. There are animals and plants, including things that produce what we consider "food scraps," like an apple growing on a tree. Those food scraps, along with fallen leaves, dead plants and animals, and other organic material, decompose naturally. As food scraps and all this organic material decompose they produce methane, a very potent greenhouse gas - it's over 20 times better at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. The presence of methane is a natural thing, and is usually absorbed by other organisms - like bacteria, or fungi, or scavengers - which come along and consume the decomposing material. It's a beautiful cycle that has evolved over time to create a fairly "closed loop" of material; "waste" doesn't exist in nature... a "waste product" is just another name for a resource that hasn't properly been matched to its consumer.

Now, think about a landfill. All this stuff, including food scraps, just sit there for years - although, there are certainly scavengers (think seagulls, rats) that come by and pick up some food, maybe. The methane that got absorbed by natural processes just leaks out, and up, into the atmosphere, and is a contributor to climate change. In 2009, methane emissions from landfills made up 17% of total methane emissions in the US, the 3rd highest behind Natural Gas Systems (like powerplants, home heating units, etc.) and something called Enteric Fermentation (I think that's a technical way of saying cow burps and farts). Yes, farts are one of the highest sources of carbon emissions.

So besides being (usually) stinky and polluting, landfills consume a lot of space that could otherwise be used for different purposes...like parks, forests, or other nice nature-y space. (To their credit, landfill management companies can partner with municipalities to cover and convert old landfills into useful space - see Freshkills Park in New York City.) Landfills have been necessary for a long time, but as we run out of space because we're an expanding population that produces a lot of stuff, we need to come up with some better solutions. Fortunately, composting has been around for ... well, forever, and we're starting to (re)learn how to take advantage of it.

Composting (a way to encourage decomposing material to do so in a clean and separated manner) removes that stinky stuff from landfills and creates a product that is useful to gardeners and farmers - remember, waste is just another name for a misallocated resource. There are also some innovative ways to use compost (check out The Plant in Chicago, for an example), and there are actually some UIC people researching and testing ways that both composting (and landfills!) can be better.

With all that said, composting could be a really good solution for UIC to better manage its waste. Although, in order to manage something, we need to measure it - and that's where this audit comes in. We're going to spend some time tomorrow helping people in the dining halls sort their food, so we can get a sample size of how much compostable food we throw away every day. From there, we can start to make estimates on how much equipment, training, and logistical support we'll need to get those food scraps composted.

Read more:

Environmental Protection Agency: Composting

Seal plastic bags with water bottles!

2011-04-22T15:20:00.000-05:00

Home-centric blog Res-Net explains how to use plastic water bottle caps to seal those plastic bags that do not have a zip lock. When buying in bulk, rarely do you get a good sealing bag unless you bring your own container.

It only takes a few simple steps:

1. Cut off the top of a plastic water bottle
2. Take off the cap
3. Push the bag through the bottle neck
4. Fold it over the edges
5. Twist the cap back on

And now you have a way to keep your plastic bags sealed air-tight!

"Wrap What You Love"

2011-04-18T14:23:00.000-05:00

I just received an E-mail that Chipotle Mexican Grill and FamilyFarmed have partnered together, creating a photo competition that will support FamilyFarmed's mission to provide new markets for sustainable, local farmers. For every person who gets online and votes for their favorite submission, Chipotle will donate $1 to FamilyFarmed. Participants who register are allowed to vote and upload their own photo's of things they love wrapped in gold!

Chipotle offers prizes for the most creative submissions, including five 24-karat gold Chipotle burrito coins and $10,000 in cash. The online campaign also raises money for the 501-c-3 non-profit FamilyFarmed.org in support of its programs to help family farmers bring more local food to market.

Chipotle was a proud sponsor of the 2011 FamilyFarmed EXPO. They have been celebrating their mission of high quality, freshest, local ingredients by wrapping their signature burrito's in gold. Now they ask you to wrap your signature items as well to share with the world!

The article states:

"We are grateful to expand our strategic partnership with Chipotle," said FamilyFarmed.org president Jim Slama. "This funding will help us to build our capacity to help local and sustainable food farmers to access companies like Chipotle and other large customers. It will also help us to expand the scope of our FamilyFarmed EXPO, a leading trade show and conference for local food farmers and artisan food producers."

Currently, "Wrap What You Love" has raised just over $30,000 with a goal of $150,000- so get on and vote!!!

FamilyFarmed EXPO 2011

2011-04-01T12:00:00.001-05:00

My first, but FamilyFarmed's sixth EXPO was held at the UIC Forum on March 17-19. Saying the least, it was one of the best events I have been to. I have always had this perception from my experiences at Chicago's farmers markets, literature I have read and restaurants I have seen serving local food that sustainable producers are one of the most welcoming and wide-spread, yet seemingly tight-knit communities of people.

However, my perception became a belief through the FamilyFarmed EXPO. As FamilyFarmed's mission states:

FamilyFarmed.org’s Mission is to expand the production, marketing and distribution of locally grown and responsibly produced food, in order to enhance the social, economic and environmental health of our communities.

Through the EXPO FamilyFarmed brought together local farmers and producers, chefs and other food experts from all over the Midwest. The mix of speeches, demos, panels, food purchasing, and of course, sampling attracted attendants from all different backgrounds.

Volunteers were allowed to experience the EXPO for free while completing about two 3 hour shifts. Volunteering for sustainability-related events is always a win-win! They get to experience a eye-opening event, meet great, like-minded people, learn too much to take in and usually get a free T-shirt!

While volunteering on Friday, I greeted people into the Opening Symposium while helping direct vendors to the correct room. During that time I had great conversation with other volunteers about different opportunities and experiences around the city of Chicago in relation to sustainability and spoke with Sam Yoder about how he, as a student, implemented the first success composting initiative at UIC! (besides the urban farm, of course)

Next, I had to supervise a panel on local meat titled:
"Large Scale Sustainable Meat Procurement"
Meat producers discuss opportunities and challenges they face meeting marketplace demand.

Pete Bassitt, Organic Prarie
Bill Kurtis, Tallgrass Beef
Patty Whisnant, American Grassfed Beef
Paul Willis, Niman Ranch Pork Company
Moderator: Chris Ely, Applegate Farms

After my volunteering shift, I ate a provided lunch from Gourmet Gorilla. My veggie, hummus sandwich, buckwheat salad, fruit, potato chips and brownie all came packaged in compostable materials, including the cutlery! The packaging materials they used were made from corn by-products.

After tossing my remains into the compost bins, I dove into the rows of vendors to take a quick run through of who was there. Well, my "quick" run through lasted about two hours! I was approaching so many new and delicious things that I couldn't walk away from the majority of the booths without having a conversation with the vendors. I learned about hydroponics, farming schools, stories of how vendors came to be living out their passion, volunteering opportunities for students (and myself of course) and what amazing varieties of food people make- bleu cheese from white cheddar and blueberry coffee may have been my favorite! I have to admit, the grass-fed, all "good" meat, beef hot dog I tried was so different and delicious I had to take two samples...

Most of the day Friday I spent checking wrist bands and watching over the compost stations. I met Lloyd Yanis, the FamilyFarmed event organizer and learned a little more about FamilyFarmed and how they view their mission. I did attend on seminar called:
"Better Food, Better Communities, Better Planet"
How to make a positive change in your community through food activism.

Mari Gallagher, Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group
Julia Govis, Illinois Farm to School
Leah Ray, The Peterson Garden Project
Moderator: Bianca Alexander, Conscious Living TV

Pos & Volunteer

In the end, the 2011 FamilyFarmed EXPO was quoted as the best yet! As for UIC, we should be proud to have hosted such a successful event through our great location and hard-working students that brought together many different people all with the idea of wanting to create a positive impact on society through food.

Sam Yoder, an electrical engineering student and head of the EXPO composting reported, "compostable waste ended up being around 3/4 of the waste collected, which exceeded all expectations."

Trash accumulated on Saturday

Sam Yoder with the compostable waste

As a full-on volunteer, Yoder took away a lot more than many volunteers would have. In an interview he stated, "I discovered how passionate I am about composting. I feel that something like this could really be applied on campus. Obviously it would take a good deal of work to set up and get running, but once people are educated about the importance of the project, and how to help, it would slowly become common practice for students."

Technology meets the Urban Farmer

2011-03-25T13:18:00.003-05:00

Hydroponic and aquaponic companies were mingled in between vendors at the FamilyFarmed Expo March 17-19th, proudly exposing the benefits of the new "avant-gardening" organic, urban farming technique. Our own farmer at the Urban Farm at through UIC's Jane Addams Hull House Museum built his own aquaponic system in the hoop-house to allow for all year-round gardening.

So what exactly are Aquaponics?

Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics.
Hydroponics is the process of growing plants in water.

In aquaponics, the nutrient-rich water that results from raising fish provides a source of natural fertilizer for the growing plants. As the plants consume the nutrients, they help to purify the water that the fish live in. A natural microbial process keeps both the fish and plants healthy. This creates a sustainable ecosystem where both plants and fish can thrive. Aquaponics is the ideal answer to a fish farmers problem of disposing of nutrient rich water and a hydroponic growers need for nutrient rich water.

How do we benefit from using Aquaponics?

Aquaponics uses less than 2% of the water that traditional farming does.
Aquaponics is energy-efficient: our current systems use one-tenth of the energy conventional farming does!
Aquaponics has eight to ten times more vegetable production in the same area and time.
Aquaponics is fully scalable from indoor systems to backyard family systems to full commercial systems.
Aquaponics is pure, clean, and natural: USDA Certified Organic and Food Safety Certified.
Aquaponics is easy to learn and operate: anyone can do this!

Companies have taken these concepts to the innovative extreme in relation to local, urban and organic farming.

Friendly Aquaponics is a company based out of Hawaii. They grow these items for income:

1. Malaysian Giant River Prawn grow in the hydroponics troughs under the vegetables and don't eat the roots.
2. Ninety different vegetable varieties were planted in their first aquaponics system for market tests and to see what grew best.
3. White Tilapia are through to be a cross between niloticus and mossambicus.

here™ is a Chicago-based company that wants to provide urban dwellers with as local and organic food as possible.

We think of ourselves as cutting edge farmers, but truth be told the technology has existed for decades. Hydroponics is not new. We’ve simply refined and perfected the process of getting the greens to you faster and fresher.

Using hydroponics, aeroponics and aquaponics, here ™ is a whole new way to farm. First we find space. Where others see an abandoned building, we see a future farm. Then we create jobs. Modern urban farmers needed and wanted. We train. And provide opportunity and hope. Then we sow. And grow. And what do you get in return? The freshest, cleanest greens you’ve ever eaten. Greens not exposed to pollution or pesticides. Greens that don’t have to take a road trip to reach you. And greens that are easier on the Earth and its resources. It’s time to feed people in a more sustainable way.

We’re here™. And that’s exactly what we plan to do.

312 Aquaponics develops advanced Aquaponic technologies for commercial urban agriculture. They aim to usher in a new era of sustainable food and production.

The idea 312 Aquaponics began at the 2009 FamilyFarmed Expo. Recent UIC graduates interested in sustainable food in Chicago, realized its profitability in the city. They took a crash course on Aquaponics at Chicago State University and began approaching seed investors in 2010.

The company has signed on with The Plant's John Edel to rent out floor space to start selling systems to other farmers.

10 Reasons to Shop Local!

2011-03-25T11:45:00.002-05:00

1. Keep money in the neighborhood: Proven that local businesses recirculate about 70% more of their earnings back into the community than chain stores, they could be supporting you in ways you are not aware!

2. Embrace what makes us different: Being a city made up of unique neighborhoods, chain stores dilute the culture Chicago is proud of!

3. Get better service: At your local business, you know or will get to know the faces behind the counter. They know you, they know their products and they will take the time to ensure they provide the best service.

About a year ago, I ordered a produce box from New Leaf Natural. Although I didn't ever enter the store, I was given a personal E-mail and telephone number that I would use for immediate questions and receive quick, indepth responses.

4. Create & keep good jobs: Small local businesses account for the vast majority of job growth- they are the largest employer nationally. Local businesses are less likely to pull up operations and move to a different location, taking the jobs with them.

5. Promote competition & diversity: A variety of small businesses stocking their shelves by their customers wants and recommendations instead of a national sales plan guarantees more products!

Many local businesses in Chicago carry a majority of a certain ethnic type of product. In Pilsen, you find Spanish bakeries, tortilla producers, and in the grocery stores many more Mexican products compared to what you find in Little Italy.

6. Help out our environment: Local businesses tend to make more local purchases and have more control over where they source their products and services. There transportation usage is much less and local businesses usually locate themselves in commercial corridors rather than developing on the fringe- meaning less sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.

7. Support community groups: Non-profits receive an average of 350% more support from local businesses than from non-local.

For example, Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks are donating $5 per order to FamilyFarmed throughout the month of April! (use code FamFarm in Exclusions Box)

8. Put your taxes to good use: Local businesses in neighborhoods need comparatively less infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compare to nationally owned stores entering the community.

9. Vote with your dollars: A study was proven in Austin, Texas that if families redirected $100 of planned holiday spending from chain to local stores, the local economic impact would reach approximately $10 million.

10. Invest in our Community: Local businesses are owned by people who live here, work here and are invested in the community by more than just their dollars!

From Local First Chicago

Field Museum & Sustainable Food

2011-02-28T14:07:00.000-06:00

The Field Museum is one of the first cultural institutions to implement a sustainable food contract program with all of its in-house restaurants.

Beyond Green: Sustainable Foodservice for Cultural Institutions is the program the Field Museum is using under guidance from the Chicago-based sustainability consulting firm, Greg Christian Consulting (GCC). The ten-year program will monitor the strategy once it is implemented. The program entails adding sustainability strategies into food service contracts to drive quantifiable sustainability practices for the future, tailoring the needs of the individual institution and demonstrating an aggregation of prominent environmental food service standards.

The Greg Christian Consulting Website states:

As one of Chicago’s most well-recognized and respected institutions, The Field Museum is a demonstrated leader in environmental and cultural issues. To evolve with its existing ecological and renewable energy initiatives, the museum sought out a firm to help add a sustainability filter to its current food service operators that service nearly 1.5 million museum visitors annually.

Project Overview: GCC engaged the Director of Special Events, Food Operations and Tourism, and the chair of the Greener Field Committee at The Field Museum in a 2-day workshop. From these sessions, GCC developed a robust sustainability strategy for the museum’s existing food service operators, as well as those that may come in the future. The strategy included a focus on waste reduction and efficiencies, improving the quality of food and non-food products, energy & water management, and an overarching educational component to establish greater consciousness.

Summer Practicum: Groundswell's New Farmer Training Project

2011-02-23T11:19:00.000-06:00

NFTP Class Schedule 2011 New!

Groundswell has announced their new hands-on training program for serious aspiring farmers and market gardeners. The New Farmer Training Project aims to increase the number, diversity, profitability and environmental sustainability of area farmers by providing training, mentoring, business planning support and affordable access to land at EcoVillage in Ithaca, New York.

Running from April 15 through November 15, the program provides 100 hours of classroom training, hands-on workshops, farm visits and supervised work experience on sustainable farms. Instruction will be provided by experienced farmer mentors, as well as subject matter experts. Tuition for the 2011 Sustainable Farming Certificate Program is just $600, and substantial scholarship support is offered, including several full scholarships.

Our flexible curriculum is geared for both entry-level trainees and more experienced beginning farmers and interns who want to deepen their knowledge of sustainable production practices and the science behind those practices. Trainees can choose to concentrate their studies on the management of vegetables, fruits, livestock, or poultry, or pursue a diversified curriculum. Each trainee will have an individualized Learning Contract, and will be evaluated on the basis of that contract before being awarded a certificate of completion. The April-November curriculum focuses on sustainable production systems and exposes trainees to a variety of successful small farm management models. A separate certificate program will be offered in the winter with a focus on business planning, management and marketing.

For the NFTP class schedule, click here.

Groundswell is committed to the vision of a regionally self-reliant food system that provides good food and economic opportunities for everyone. We're working hard to make the program a welcoming one for trainees from diverse cultural, racial, and economic backgrounds. Minority, new immigrant and limited-resource trainees are especially encouraged to apply. Most classes will be held evenings and weekends to accommodate folks with job, family or farm responsibilities.

The application for the 2011 program is now online. For more information, email us at info@groundswellcenter.org.

About the Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming

Groundswell’s mission is to help youth and adult learners develop the skills and knowledge they need to build sustainable local food systems. Our focus is providing hands-on, experiential learning opportunities with real working farms and food businesses in the Ithaca area. Through collaboration with area schools, colleges and universities Groundswell will offer programs of study for beginning farmers, students, community members, and professionals.

Groundswell is an initiative of the EcoVillage Center for Sustainability Education in Ithaca, NY, which is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.

About EcoVillage and West Haven Farm

Groundswell’s main campus is West Haven Farm, an independently owned CSA farm located at EcoVillage Ithaca. EcoVillage is one of the nation’s first ecological co-housing communities and a global pioneer in sustainability education. Groundswell programs build on over a decade of experience in sustainable living and sustainable agriculture at EcoVillage and West Haven Farm. In addition, Kingbird Farm in Berkshire, Northland Sheep Dairy in Freetown, and other local farms and food businesses are part of Groundswell’s “campus without walls.”

Groundswell Center
P.O. Box 6679
Ithaca, NY 14851
info@groundswellcenter.org

Be part of the solution!

The rules of eating

2011-01-21T14:24:00.000-06:00

At Re-Thinking Soup this past Tuesday at the Jane Addams Hull House Museum Michael Pollan's 12 rules for eating the healthiest were discussed.

Over the course of the industrial revolution, when most trade was transformed into mass productions, so was the food we eat. Communities all across the United States lost local infrastructure like produce farmers and slaughter houses and butchers. Industrial farming has degraded our food system and created a predominance in bad agriculture. Not to be completely objective, however, to farm industrially an efficient product must be made. To create this efficiency farmers use a variety of different toxic chemicals to kill off pest (insects and plants included), create a product that will grow bigger and better and to allow the soil to nurture alike products over and over again.

Although they successfully produce vast amount of food to feed Americans, industrial farming adversely affects public health and pollutes the community. Industrial farming also uses and wastes a much higher amount of water than conventional, agricultural farming.

As I stated before, farmers are not intentionally creating an unhealthy product to harm consumers, they are doing it to maximize profits. By not concentrating on the health of the product and the externalities to the environment, industrial food is feeding the world in the wrong way.

So what can you do? Rules acknowledged from Michael Pollen are:

1. Cook! Eat what you, yourself cook- from scratch. Start with a family recipe.
2. Grow, and eat, from a garden.
3. Don't eat anything your grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.
4. Don't eat food products containing ingredients that are: unfamiliar, unpronounceable and more than five in number.
5. Don't eat foods with ingredients that a normal person doesn't have in their pantry.
6. If you can't pronounce the ingredients on a product list, don't eat it.
7. Going one step further, don't eat any food with an ingredients list.
8. Don't eat any food that's advertised, or makes a health claim.
9. Don't eat any food that doesn't rot.
10. Pay more, eat less.
11. Do your grocery shopping at a Farmer's Market. Buy directly from a farmer you know and trust.

I think that Michael Pollan's main goal is to change the food system by getting consumers away from processed food. He speaks much more in depth in his books: Food Rule's, In Defensive of Food, Omnivore's Dilemma, etc. He also has "Michael Pollan on Food Rules: An Eater's Manual" an interesting video: http://fora.tv/2010/01/23/Michael_Pollan_on_Food_Rules_An_Eaters_Manual.

When thinking about what Pollan says, taking into account the family recipes and food that your grandmother knows, it's not all about that we are eating meat, cheese or milk. It is what is in that food that we eat. When thinking back before the Industrial Revolution to the beginning of time, people consumed butter, milk, eggs and meat. Their diets lacked food filled with hormones, chemicals and additives that are only detrimental to our health. Even people in other countries in the world eat much simpler foods containing high levels of natural fats and sugar.

Listening to this video as I write this, he speaks about Sugar Cane Farmers consuming 6,000 calories a day from sugar; however they do not have diabetes and are not over-weight because they get a balance of exercise. He stated that any whole food nature provides us can be made into something healthy. Lastly, he states that we are the one civilization that has created a diet that makes itself sick!

How would your life change if you followed Michael Pollan's rules?

Green City Market- First Indoor Market!

2011-01-19T16:51:00.000-06:00

At the Green City Market in the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, local vendors showcased proudly their sustainably produced winter foods. From the meat, bread, and ready-to-eat vendors downstairs, to the produce, ice cream, cheese, and canned good vendors upstairs each was very enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge on their product.

As a student, it is hard to be able to solely rely on local food- going out to eat, quick snacks on campus, etc... But going to a Farmer's Market is an experience all in it's own. I had a great time going to each booth and looking at each vendors stock of foods. Although I only bought some apples, I took away more than I expected. At about 50% of the booths I spoke with the vendors, questioning them on what and how they produce from red meat to seasonal ice cream. I also got a plentiful amount of samples and vendor information!

I learned from Hawks Hill Elk Ranch that Elk has less saturated fat than skinless chicken or fish and that is very high in protein and nutrition. I questioned another meat vendor about the water usage in locally produced red meat, knowing that a lot of water is wasted in industrial farming. He told me local farmers use almost no water in processing their meat while the industrial farm companies are allowed to inject up to a certain amount of water into their meat without recording it. Those were the two conversations I was most excited about. I eat vegan because of waste and toxins that are associated with industrial farming, so it is good to know that eating locally sourced meat is not harmful.

One thing that took me by surprise was the free cooking demo I was able to sit through. Mity Nice is a restaurant located in the Water Tower Place that has a great Gluten-Free Menu. The chef showed the crowd how to make fork tender country ribs and sweet corn pudding. He explained how to prepare and cook the pork butt and how pork is graded as a meat. The samples were very delicious and the free ten dollar gift card was even better!

Find out when the next Green City Market is online on the Office of Sustainability Calendar or at http://www.chicagogreencitymarket.org/

What is UIC's Ecological Footprint?

2010-12-21T08:48:00.000-06:00

Ecological Footprint Analysis (EFA) is used as a measure of land and water ecosystems needed to provide the resources for a given population and process the waste that it produces in a globalized metric (global hectares), generally on an annual basis.You may have tried to calculate your own personal "footprint" (if you haven't check out our links). But have you ever wondered what UIC's footprint is? Click here and you'll find out what contributes to our 97,601 global hectares (2.66 global hectares per total faculty, staff and students) of footprint and some ideas for making it smaller.

Sustainable Food Award!

2010-12-03T11:55:00.001-06:00

NRDC Announces Third Annual Growing Green Awards to Honor Extraordinary Contributions in Sustainable Food!!

Nominations are due by December 10, 2010
$10,000 cash prize in the Food Producer category
$5,000 cash prize in the Young Food Leader category

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) announces its third annual Growing Green Awards
to recognize individuals who have demonstrated original leadership in the field of sustainable food.
Through this national award, NRDC will recognize extraordinary contributions that advance
ecologically integrated farming practices, climate stewardship, water stewardship, farmland
preservation, and social responsibility from farm to fork.

A Growing Green Award will be given to an outstanding individual in each of four categories,
including Food Producer, Business Leader, Knowledge Leader, and Young Food Leader. Cash
prizes of $10,000 and $5,000 will be awarded in the Food Producer and Young Food Leader
categories, respectively, and all winners will be widely celebrated through outreach to media and
NRDC’s networks. i Winners will also be celebrated on April 28, 2011 at an event to benefit
NRDC in San Francisco. Award selections will be made by an independent panel of sustainable
food experts. Information about award eligibility, selection criteria and process, and the award
selection panel are provided below.

Eligibility
Recipients may represent a variety of fields including food production, food service, retail or
restaurants, academia, journalists, policy advocacy, and government. The panel will consider

www.nrdc.org

111 Sutter Street, 20 Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104
TEL 415 875-6100 FAX 415 875-6161

NEW YORK ⋅ WASHINGTON, DC ⋅ LOS ANGELES

candidates from across the country (candidates operating outside of the United States will not be
considered). Individuals in the following four categories are eligible:

Food Producer: Farmers or other food producers, including aquaculture, who employ innovative
techniques to sustain agriculture, the natural environment, workers and community;

Business Leader: Entrepreneurs who effectively use the marketplace to promote sustainable food
systems, develop infrastructure that enables producers to be more sustainable, or advance
sustainable innovations anywhere along the supply chain from farm to fork;

Knowledge Leader: Scientists or practitioners who advance the knowledge that is needed to increase
the sustainability of American food production; and

Young Food Leader: Sustainable food advocates, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and innovators who
are 30 years old or younger.

Growing Green Awards Criteria
In selecting from nominees, the awards selection panel will consider the following criteria:

• Innovation in promoting ecologically-integrated food systems. This may include minimizing
inputs of energy, water and chemicals; reducing pollution and global warming gas emissions;
use of on-farm polyculture; increasing natural resilience; and stewardship of biodiversity,
pollinators, open space and land resources.

• Potential to achieve wide scale adoption, implementation or behavioral change.

• Advancement of health, safety and economic viability for farmers, farmworkers and rural
communities.

Selection Panel and Process
The awards will be selected by an independent panel with staffing assistance from NRDC.

NRDC is grateful to the following sustainable food leaders who have volunteered to join the
Growing Green Awards selection panel:

Dan Barber, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Blue Hill restaurant and member of the President’s
Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition

Michael Pollan, Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism, University of
California Berkeley

Maria Rodale, Chairman and CEO, Rodale Inc. and Co-Chairman of the Rodale Institute Board of
Directors

Dr. Tom Tomich, WK Kellogg Endowed Chair in Sustainable Food Systems, and Director,
Agricultural Sustainability Institute, University of California Davis

How to Apply
Applications will be accepted until close of business on December 10, 2010. The application must be
submitted electronically using the website application process at
http://www.nrdc.org/growinggreen. Application materials may include up to 10 pages of text (12
point font please), photographs, articles or other supporting materials. Please combine multiple
files into a single attachment.

In the last two Growing Green Award competitions we received many excellent nominations that
came very close to winning. We will consider previously submitted nominations again this year
upon request.

Please contact Suzanne Vyborney with questions at gga@nrdc.org or by phone at (415) 875-6134.

Meet Last Year’s Winners
NRDC's 2010 Growing Green Awards winners, listed below, were selected from a pool of 170
impressive candidates for their outstanding achievements in sustainable food and farming. You can
hear them tell their stories here.

Food Producer: Russ Lester, Dixon Ridge Farms
Business Leader: Karl Kupers, Shepherd's Grain
Thought Leader: Fred Kirschenmann, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture
Water Steward: Mike Benziger, Benziger Family Winery

The $15,000 prize funding has been donated by NRDC supporters and will be distributed through NRDC.

Without Farmer's Markets this season?

2010-12-01T15:54:00.001-06:00

Unlike the beautiful summers, the windy city's winters are not a place local growers like to stand with huge smile promoting their local, nutritious produce. So do we Chicagoans have to turn to corporate, processed grocery store produce? Even Whole Foods, I know my diet of mostly fruits and vegetables would be vastly different.

We are in luck, however. The Green City Market runs all year long. The winter market is held at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum from November 6th to December 22 on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am to 1pm. (Two great organizations in one place to go for Holiday volunteering too!)

From my own experience, I ordered organic produce boxes from Newleaf Natural Grocery. Not only do they supply you every week or two weeks with a wide assortment of fruits and vegetable to get creative with, they also deliver it your door for $5 extra! That saved me tons of money and time! (it would take forever to drive up to Loyola once a week!)

As I was searching for more options, you always have to give yourself options! I came across an article in the Huffington Post introducing me to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

From Family Farmed.org:

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs offer an opportunity for farmers and consumers to truly connect. CSA farms are usually small enterprises, often family farms, growing food sustainably and committed to fresh,high-quality products. Consumers purchase a share of the farm’s harvest at the beginning of the season. The farmer then delivers periodic (usually weekly) boxes or “shares” containing the best of what the growing season has to offer. Many CSA farms offer opportunities to visit the farm, further enhancing your connection to your food. Here are some CSA programs accessible to Chicagoland residents.

So don't give up this winter and resort to bland produce, grow deeper relations with your food and community. Contact a local farm and see what they are offering this winter. Ask about volunteering opportunities too!

The Food Safety Modernization Act & small, sustainable farmers

2010-11-30T14:33:00.004-06:00

After the contaminated eggs, peanut butter, and spinach outbreak a while past, the Senate readily passed the Food Safety Modernization Act (S.150) giving the FDA much more power over the control of food safety. An article from the New York Times stated, "...the bill would grant the F.D.A. new powers to recall tainted foods, increase inspections, demand accountability from food companies and oversee farming."

“This is an historic moment,” said Erik Olson, deputy director of the Pew Health Group, an advocacy group. “For the first time in over 70 years, the Senate has approved an overhaul of F.D.A.’s food safety law that will help ensure that the food we put on our kitchen tables will be safer.”

Finally a bill that will regulate food safety up to standards. However with all that sounds good, there is always issues. Small farmers would be forced out of their industry by this bills passing and our local food movement would be pretty much destroyed. Luckily, the trend has grown big enough and successful enough that there are those who take into account the little guys. From Montana, Senator Jon Tester, proposed the Tester-Hagan Amendment to go along with S.510 that exempts small farms producing under $500,000 in sales and selling within a 400 mile radius from some of the strict regulations larger businesses are capable of facing.

Some argue that outbreaks of contaminated food have, in fact, come from smaller farms that fall under the Tester-Hagan Amendment. A press release from Robert Guenther, Senior Vice President of Public Policy made the following statement after the vote:

“We are disappointed that the Senate continues to ignore the egregious loopholes allowed in this legislation that will erode consumer confidence in our nation’s food safety system. Now, when going to a supermarket, restaurant, farmers market or roadside stand, consumers will be faced with the question of whether the fruits and vegetables offered for sale adhere to basic food safety standards or not. Unfortunately, instead of adhering to a science- and risk-based approach that was consistently the foundation of the underlying bill, the Senate has chosen to include a provision that will exempt certain segments of the food industry based on the size of operation, geographic location and customer base. This provision creates a gaping hole in the ability of consumers to trust the safety of all foods in the commercial marketplace.

“As S. 510 moves to the House of Representatives, we strongly encourage the House leadership to request a conference to reconcile differences between the House-passed food safety legislation and the flawed Senate bill. The House bill makes no arbitrary exemptions from basic food safety standards. This principle is at risk of being discarded for temporary convenience to pass a bill, but it is a fundamental mistake that will come back to haunt consumers, the food industry and even those producers who think they are escaping from food safety requirements.

“The House should give due diligence to conference these bills, not accept a flawed agreement that flies in the face of sound science.”

When I think about this situation, I would vote to pass the Tester-Hagan Amendment without a doubt. I think that the idea of sustainable, local food is deeper than just farmers trying to make a living. Local farming educates people on the importance of nutrition and the truths behind processed foods and waxy produce. Local farming is a way to bring the community together, to sustain the idea that we still have the ability to eat food straight from the farm like our past relatives had done once-before we were all surrounded by sky scrapers and bustling highways.

Forcing local farmers to be inspected and scrutinized for their small, natural farms is just another way to inhibit the spread of sustainable living through out the nation. Restrictions take away that empowerment and self-satisfaction farmers have from knowing they are supporting their own community to natural, healthy foods. The worry of deadlines and standards will take away the joys of introducing organic celery to city dwellers, the joys of watching their eyes light up when they realize celery actually has a taste, and the joys of building a network of other farmers at their local farmers market.

Looking at this issue, I think we need to look at the differences in the two sources of food. Corporation-like food producers, we all know, focus on efficiency and profits; then you have the local people, growing food out of a passion for food-not just business.

Lunch & Learn: Student Led Sustainable Initiatives

2010-11-10T14:28:00.000-06:00

Representatives from UPPSA, OS, the Students Centers Board, Green Youth Revolution presented their progress in implementing sustainability initiatives on the UIC Campus today at the third Lunch & Learn hosted by the Office of Sustainability.

Lauren Smith from the Urban Planning Program and Office of Sustainability spoke to the group today about "Parking Day," hosted at UIC for the first time this year on September 17, 2010 on the last day of Sustainability Week. Parking Day is a global event started in San Francisco by a design firm wanting more open, healthy spaces in cities. When looking throughout cities, "public spaces" consist mainly of parking lots, streets, sidewalks, and parking spaces. The design firm fed a meter all day, laid out sod, and created a small park in San Fransisco. Now the movement has spread all over the United States!

At UIC, the colleges of Urban Planning and Public Health, and the Office of Sustainability reserved two spaces in parking lots on the West and East sides of campus. They donated sod, plants, and lawn chairs, turning asphalt into an oasis for the community to enjoy and engage in conversation about the benefits of healthy public space.

The Student Centers Sustainability Committee Chair was next to speak to the group. Created only this January, the sustainability committee acts as a go-to committee and makes suggestions to UIC Directors about ideas to implement for the Student Centers on the East and West sides of UIC's campus.

The sustainability committee has assisted with green initiatives at Friday Night Live at the Student Centers, the Great Stuff Exchange during Sustainability Week, and Earth Month 2010. They look for ways to further educate and create awareness on sustainability in the events and operations of the centers-like the upcoming push on composting in the dining halls.

General Meetings for the Student Centers Board are on the last Wednesday of every month, alternating between East and West Campus. Anyone is welcome to sit in on a meeting and share their ideas and questions. The next meeting is scheduled for December 1, 2010 from 4:30pm-6:30pm in SCE 613. Dinner is provided too!

Jose Valencia from Green Youth Revolution explained the progression and benefits of the hopefully soon in effect green fee. The estimated 20,120 students enrolled at UIC would be charged $3 per semester to total $75,000 used strictly for sustainability operations. This money would give UIC an easier opportunity to acquire more solar panels, increase the recycling program, more bike racks and routes, green roofs, additional space for the Urban Garden, and native landscaping.

Each of these representatives are from a group where students have a big voice and each group is completely open to an outsider's view and questions. UIC has created a great platform for sustainability to blossom and as we can see it is beginning to do just that! As the leadership is transitioning in the Green Youth Revolution and will be transitioning in the other groups in the future, it provides a opportunity for students to really become involved, spread the word, and learn how to create a better, healthier, and more enjoyable environment that everyone will soon realize.

Composting at UIC?

2010-10-08T15:57:00.000-05:00

With the number of college campuses that have composting programs and the UIC's Climate Action Plan, it is surprising there hasn't been more discussion about composting on the UIC campus. UIC has the goal of reducing greenhouse emissions by at least 80% by year 2050 and also is aware of the need to implement composting on campus. The UIC Climate Action Plan states on page 40:

Landfilling solid waste generates methane emissions, a strong greenhouse gas. Sometimes those emissions are captured and flared; other times they are captured and used for power generation. This all depends on the type of landfill. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the amount of waste sent to a landfill needs to be reduced. Composting waste materials will also offset carbon emissions. In order to achieve zero waste, there has to be composting. While greenhouse gas emissions due to the waste stream are small at UIC, there are still a number of ways that UIC can reduce its current waste stream and increase composting. Also, recycling is one of the most visible ways to promote sustainability.

No matter the amount of emissions, UIC could implement composting to reduce emission but also to promote the routine of composting and influence the campus population to do it themselves. The plan states that there is an interest on campus, from Sodexo to Facilities Management, but who is acting on that interest?

The Jane Addams Hull House Urban Farm currently composts near the green house, but has not spread any further. In the September 2010 edition of BioCycle Magazine, an article discusses different US college campuses that have composting programs. Most of the programs have been initiated by students, but some were from research grants and the LEED certification standards for buildings.

For example, Vanderbilt University started a program at a commons because of their LEED accreditation, it is still a small program but allows students to get involved. However, it is Goucher College's initiative started by the Agricultural Co-op that I found very impressive. Compost tumblers are placed all around their campus, inviting people to give it a spin. The Goucher population can put their fruit, vegetable, and coffee scraps into white containers next to the tumbler to wait for the co-op student empty in with the rest of the compost. The co-op wanted to create a closed loop for their garden so they grow food, compost the waste from the dining halls and kitchens, produce the compost, use it on their garden, and sell the excess in 5-gallons buckets for $4 each. This initiative gave Goucher's facilities management the drive to set up a larger-scale program with Waste Neutral Group to collect pre- and post-consumer foods and soiled paper.

As a campus within the city, it makes the most sense to collect compost and have it taken off site to be produced. With the rise of local farms and produce, there is sure to be use for all of our organic scraps. The article Expanding Diversion of Food Scraps and Soiled Paper explains three ways to help implement composting successfully.

They first recommended policy changes including raising disposal fees, charging full costs for landfills and making them liable for future damages, giving carbon credits, and obtaining composting permits. Operational changes included restructuring collection to reduce cost by collecting trash on a less-than-weekly basis and organics more frequently and enclosing composting operations to reduce air emissions. Lastly, public awareness includes emphasizing resource conservation with soil and water and use appropriate terms like trimmings and scraps instead of waste.

Could the concept of sustainability and community, as I discussed in my last post, be used here?

Could we succeed using community in respect to UIC through the Green Youth Revolution, the Jane Addams Hull House Urban Farm, and the UIC Office of Sustainability? Would they bring together outside sources to create the most knowledgeable team?

Eat Local: Sustainability Week 2010

2010-09-29T12:51:00.000-05:00

For those of you who attended one of the film screenings in SCE on Tuesday of Sustainability Week, Food Inc. is still fresh in your mind. If you missed the screenings on campus recently, it is a movie that many have seen and a movie that has changed many perspectives drastically.

To recap:

Food, Inc. examines the US food industry, exposing how our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Food, Inc. reveals surprising and often shocking truths about what we eat, how it's produced and who we have become as a nation.

I personally saw Food Inc. for the first time at one of the Re-thinking Soup events at the Jane Addams Hull House Museum Dining Hall. When I think back to it now, I see cows "grazing" in pastures of their own manure, chickens growing 10 times faster and becoming genetically altered to enlarge their breast size, and intensive farming that is harming the environment. Although it did not dramatically hit me as hard as those who have devoted themselves to exclusively organic food, free-range meat and dairy, or even vegan-ism, it undoubtedly gave me the initiative to learn more and pay attention to the types of food I am consuming.

It is easy when you have the ingredients at your finger tips. Those who have the time to cook also have the opportunity to chose between using organic products or not, to chose between local products or not, and obviously, to know what ingredients are in the products they are purchasing. I have come to notice that just by looking at the ingredients lists after watching Food Inc. I steer clear many products with long lists of ingredients that contain things like Beta Carotene Color, Gum Arabic, and Natural and Artificial Flavor. I look for more local products and I look at the regulations that the food is processed by.

Although cooking is one of my favorite hobbies, so is going out to eat, especially in a city as large and diverse as Chicago. I can guarantee it would take a long time, if even a possibility, to get a list of ingredients for every meal you would want to purchase when dining out and would probably just ruin the experience.

However, recently I stumbled upon "Guaranteed Green" restaurants. In many cities across the US, restaurants are getting accredited for their sustainable efforts. As I read more into this, I found the two different non-profit organizations, the Green Restaurant Association and Green Seal, that have the ability to give a "Green Guarantee" label. Restaurants receive a 2, 3, or 4 star rating from a minimum score on a set of standards decided by these organizations. They include water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, sustainable furnishings and building materials, sustainable food, energy, disposables, and chemical and pollution reduction.

Besides passing the standards for reducing waste and increasing efficiency, the restaurants are graded on the quality and standards of food, the amount of meat-free options they provide, and the localness of food they purchase. For an example from the GRA, you can look at their Sustainable Food grading.

There are a number of fine restaurants in Chicago that are in the "Guaranteed Green" family including Avec, Publican, Blackbird, Frontera, Topolobampo, Keefer's, Poag Mahone's, Blind Faith Cafe, Bleeding Heart Bakery, Uncommon Ground, Simone's, Big Jones, and Roti's. I have experienced Publican in the West Loop and Simone's in Pilsen; not only is the quality of food is definitely noticeable but the environment of these restaurants is uniquely satisfying. This Saturday, the after party for the Illinois Solar Tour is located at Uncommon Ground on Devon Avenue, starting at 4pm. Don't miss the chance to experience this "Guaranteed Green" restaurant!

Walking the talk?

2010-07-06T14:41:00.001-05:00

As Associate Chancellor for Sustainability, I often get asked do I "walk the talk" or what do I do to make my lifestyle more sustainable. Here is a glimpse into a summer morning in my house...

I arise to the sound of birds and light coming through an open window in my room. The house has cooled off over night but it's best to leave the windows upon until I leave to cool a little more. We have yet to turn on the AC this season. Downstairs my husband has opened the front and back doors to let more cool air in.

I take the compost out to the bin and then go out in the garden and note that the tomato plants are starting to wilt, as they are in pots. I water them and the ripening squash plants in my front yard vegetable garden. The back yard is too shady for veggies. I wish we had the rain barrels set up so I could use that water in the garden.

I note a bowl of uneaten raspberries in the fridge. Since we are in the peak of our raspberry harvest in the backyard, I throw them in the freezer so we can enjoy them later.

Now, I close all the windows in the house, pull the shades down where the sun comes in. I hope this will keep the house cool enough even though it is going up to 90 degrees today. The ceiling fans help a lot, too.

I grab my back pack, walk over the apples the squirrels have knocked off the tree on the way to the garage, hop on my bike and ride to my El station. I love summer in Chicago!

-Cindy

Real Food Challenge National Team Seeks Nominations!

2010-04-26T15:54:00.000-05:00

The Real Food Challenge is a network, a movement, and a campaign to get young people working together about food sustainability and justice on their campuses and in their communities. They aim to get 20% of all food purchased by colleges and universities towards real food by 2020, which equals 4 billion Dollars!
Nominate yourself or someone you know for the National Committee's Steering Committee or Administrative team. Learn more.

Buy Local Food Year-Round in Chicago

2009-11-24T06:00:00.002-06:00

Spent all spring, summer and fall purchasing fresh, local food at your farmers market and now winter is here and you don’t think that you can continue…WRONG!

You can still purchase local produce, baked goods, dairy items and more at The Chicago Green City Market. The Green City Market is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am-1pm during the winter months at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (2430 N. Cannon Drive).

Have you been to The Chicago Green City Market and want to share your experience? Let us know in the comments.

Sustainability Week - Eat Local Day

2009-09-09T10:36:00.005-05:00

There are several events Tuesday September 15 that celebrate UIC's commitment local, sustainable food.

First, on the east campus, the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum is hosting re-Thinking Soup from 12-1pm at 800 South Halsted. Re-Thinking Soup is a "public and communal event where people gather to eat delicious, healthy soup and have fresh, organic conversation about many urgent social, cultural, economic and environmental food issues" of the day.

Second, on the west campus, the Office of Sustainability, along with Sodexo (UIC's cafeteria and catering provider), is organizing a FREE food tasting event from 1-2pm in the front lawn (or lobby if it is raining) at Student Center West. This event highlights local, sustainable food offered by Sodexo, Joe & Ross, and the Hull-House Urban Farm. Tasty treats, provided by Sodexo and Joe & Ross, will include: vegan soft tacos, black bean and cheese quesadillias, vegan chow mein, vegetarian chili, and italian ice. Ryan Beck, Resident Farmer for the Hull-House Urban Farm will be there to discuss his exiting projects (perfect time to sign-up to volunteer on the farm ya'll!). In addition, Sodexo has invited one of their local food producers to showcase how it is possible for universities to purchase local food for their students, faculty and staff.

Biodiesel From (Virgin) Vegetable Oil

2009-06-23T10:14:00.001-05:00

Editor's Note: Britt, our IEPA intern, is spending the summer examining both Biodiesel and Composting Issues at UIC. He will be reporting his progress on our blog.

Control Biodiesel Processing-
This will help with the WVO (Waste Vegetable Oil) biodiesel later in terms of comparing the final products.

Day 1- So the last two days I have been in the process of making our first control batch of virgin veggie biodiesel. It was surprisingly fun and easy. These are the ingredients I used.

1. Distilled water
2. Lye (NaOH)
3. HEET (methanol)
4. Pure Vegetable oil

I have about 3 hours into the entire process and that includes heating, mixing, and washing. Yesterday I mixed the methoxide (5 grams of NaOH/200 mL methanol) and heated the veggie oil (1 liter) to about 130 degrees. I then mixed the two liquids in a 2 liter pop bottle. This process took about an hour and a half. After 5 minutes of vigorously shaking the bottle the biodiesel was left to sit so the glycerin settled at the bottom. Below is the mixed veggie oil/methoxide.

Day 2- After settling for 24 hours, the biodiesel looked like so..

The bottom layer, where I am pointing to, is the glycerin. I then decanted the biodiesel since it is less dense and began the washing process. I heated ~300 mL of distilled water and gently poured the water into the washing tank with the biodiesel. I then SLOWLY rotated the washing tank so the water has enough movement to extract the excess catalyst and form "soap". Since the water is more dense the final product seperates like below.

After the washing was completed the soap had to be removed and we were left with biodiesel. Right now, the biodiesel is sitting in the fume hood evaporating to its final pure biodiesel state. Here is a comparison of the three stages. From right to left the fluids are 1.) Glycerin with a small layer of biodiesel, 2.) Soap from the washing process, 3.) Biodiesel ready to be evaporated or "dried".

For the record, when I started the lab smelled like chemicals, now it smells like cookies because of the heated cookie oil. The one problem I have found is that veggie oil gets on everything and it does NOT wash off because it is not soluable in water. So I think I will start washing with mineral oil.

That's all for now...

Britt

Tour of Loyola Biodiesel Lab

2009-06-11T16:08:00.003-05:00

First off, hello all! My name is Britt and I am researching the potential for UIC to start processing their own waste vegetable oil into biodiesel. I found out that Loyola University is running their own biodiesel processing. What a great idea for an OS fieldtrip!

After a little under a 30 minute ride, I was impressed. It's one thing seeing biodiesel processing pictures and reading about it on the internet, but when you see them up close and personal...IMPRESSIVE! I was in awe of how orderly the entire set-up was and looked. So as promised I'll post some pictures below. Rich Anderson and Cindy Klein-Banai joined us and came out just as if not more excited than me about the biodiesel program. So far things are looking good in terms starting this program before the summer is over...I don't want to rush the program and come up empty handed but it would be nice to see an actual development from my research and a concrete solution. Anyways, here's some of the pictures I took today.

This is the tank that holds the WVO prior to processing. Before occupying the tank, the oil is filtered down to about 25 microns which is above and beyond what it really has to be for the purpose of making biodiesel. The WVO is heated to about 60 degrees celcius using the band heater attached to the 55-gallon stainless drum. To the right of the drum is the methoxide container where the lye and methanol are mixed together.

Here is the entire tank set up minus the WVO tank. From left to right we have the reaction tank where the methoxide is mixing in the the circulating WVO. The middle tank is the wash tank. The far right tank is the storage of the cleaned biodiesel. I'll explain what these all do in a little bit.

So how does this process work. EASY! Before anything is processed a sample of the 25 micron filtered WVO is taken. The WVO is titrated to see how much extra lye on top of the 3.5 grams should be added per liter of WVO to create the catalyst. Once the lye is prepared it is mixed with methanol. There should be anough methanol in the catalyst tankt o equal 20% of the WVO being used. For example, if 100 gallons of WVO is used, 20 gallons of methanol should be used. This amount is then added to the methoxide storage bin that is plumbed to the reaction tank via tubing and the "blue" pump.

Once the WVO isup to 60 degrees celsius in its storage tank,the sediments that drop down to the bottom of the bin are drained along with some water. Then it is pumped into the reactor tank. The WVO is maintained at 50 degree via a probe inserted into a t-fitting that contacts the WVO during the recirculation. See the picture below.

Once the WVO has been circulated enough the catalyst valve is opened and 80% of the methoxide to be pumped into the reaction tank still while the WVO is being circulated to completely mix the two liquids. This is the first reaction. Glycerin will begin to settle at the bottom of the tank. After about 2 hours the glycerin will be ready to empty. The WVO is then allowed to recirculated again where the other 20% of the methoxide is added. After completely mixing, the reactor is left to sit for 24 hours. The glycerin is then drained.

Once the operator is sure that all the glycerin is out of the crude biodiesel (CBD), the CBD is then pumped into the wash tank. Here tiny misters spray tap water into the tank where it will, because its dense, seep through the CBD grabbing contaminant on its way down. This process created waste water and soap. The water is left to settle and later drained. The drained water is tested and if it is basic, the biodiesel is washed again.

When the biodiesel is cleaned it is then "dryed". This is the cool part. Zach said that a water pump was connected to a piece of wood where the air comes out of the wood as "micro" bubbles which grab the contaminants left over after washing and rise to the surface where they pop and travel back down to the bottom of the container. 24 hrs later the waste water can be drained and the cleaned and ready to use biodiesel can be pumped into the storage tank and used within its 6 month shelf life!

And some random pictures:

Filter that sits in between the WVO and the reactor tanks that filters down to about 25 microns.

This is the valve system that controls what liquid is being pumped where. On the vertical tubing attached to the pump is the temperature probe and heating element.

Methanol is highly flammable and when it burns it creates a clear flame so every metal valve that methanol touches is grounded.

The final filter that filters the cleaned biodiesel to about 5 microns.

That's all for now!

UIC Climate Action Plan - how do you engage the public?

2009-05-11T17:01:00.004-05:00

The UIC Office of Sustainability is creating a campus Climate Action Plan. One of my jobs for the office was to get the public involved with the Climate Action Plan - my job was to "engage the public." My first question was, how do you engage the public, especially around a document as technical as a Climate Action Plan? I started to try and refine the question by doing some brainstorming sessions with my colleagues. After a couple of these sessions, I saw an idea emerge: why not ask the public how to engage the public?

Now this might seem tautological but there was a point. The point is that any Climate Action Plan requires people to change their behavior. This is a tall order - it is hard to get people to change, but people do change. The questions is, what are those motivating factors - what are the things that get people to change? So, it was around this new idea of getting people to change their behavior that I designed the public engagement event.

The event was at the Jane Addams Hull-House museum during their Re-Thinking Soup Program and the participants were asked to brainstorm around this central question and related topics (see pictures above). It was a great event and thanks to everyone who participated! There were some really good ideas that emerged that the Office of Sustainability will use in the UIC Climate Action Plan.

Is There Such a Thing as a Sustainable Disposable Cup?

2009-02-20T14:27:00.001-06:00

On February 19 a "Sustainability Fair" was organized by Bob True, Director Food, Cafeteria, Gift Shop Services University of Illinois Medical Center and Faculty College of Applied Sciences Department of Kinesiology and Human Nutrition. It began with a series of presentations from manufacturers and distributors of disposable cups, plates, cutlery and to-go containers. The question is - which one is more sustainable?
A paper cup with 25% post-consumer recycled content (compostable)?
A polystyrene foam cup (recyclable under a special program)?
A #1 plastic cup with 20% post-consumer recycled content (recyclable)?
A biopolymer cup made from corn starch (compostable)?
Is it more important that the cup be made from a renewable resource or how much energy is used to make and transport it?
Currently UIC currently has no composting program nor can cups be recycled in most buildings on campus (except Student Center East) and in a land fill they may all last for hundreds of years.
Is it better then to use a cup than is made from a non-renewable petroleum product (plastic) or from a chemical process (polystyrene) but can then be recycled into a new cup?
If all of these end up in a land fill anyway, because we are not recycling or composting these products or they don't get put in the right container, should we use the one that weighs the least (polystyrene)?

One way to inform those decisions is through Life Cycle Analysis which evaluates the environmental burdens associated with a product by identifying and quantifying energy and material usage, as well as environmental releases from the raw materials to final disposal.

The Office of Sustainability and the Purchasing & Services and Recycling & Waste Management will be discussing these very questions as we develop policy documents. If you want to be part of the discussion watch our events calendar and come to a meeting or comment on this blog. In the meantime (and all the time) the best choice is a reusable mug such as the one the bookstore and convenience store sell.