March 2016 · 2017-11-20 · Although composting has always been appealing, living as a student prevents me from making this lifestyle change. I have no space for a composter, nor

March 2016Volume 6. Issue III

GETTING TO KNOW THE NEW

SUSTAINABILITY MINOR

BREAKING DOWN COMPOST

NOW IN NATURE: EPHEMERAL

EMERGENCE

ECO-FRIENDLY SHOPPING

GUIDELINES

SATIRE: UI SHUTS OFF ELECTRICITY

WHY “SKIP THE BAG”

ZERO-WASTE LIVING

MCORE TO RESHAPE GREEN STREET

INTERVIEW WITH HOLLY CURIA OF

THE RED HERRING RESTAURANT

CLIMBING GYM HAS URBANA FEELING

“BOULDER”

STUDENT SUSTAINABILITY

COMMITTEE PROFILE

BEET JUICE: THE NEW

ROAD SALT?

GREEN IT YOURSELF: BEER BOTTLE

PLANTERS

2 Re a d G r e e n . L i v e G r e e n .

Check us out online: www.GreenObserver.netwww.facebook.com/TheGreenObserverwww.twitter.com/GreenObserverCUwww.instagram.com/TheGreenObserver

E. Chen, E. Cole, S. Coleman, A. Dunham, V. Halewicz, D. Jamrozik, Z. Jiang, H. Kurawadwala, D. Lin, A. Peredna, T. Schramer, R. Shah, V. Shanbhag, E. Zarnesky

ADDITIONAL STAFF

TABLE OF CONTENTSGETTING TO KNOW UIUC’S NEWEST MINOR

BREAKING DOWN COMPOST

NOW IN NATURE: EPHEMERAL EMERGENCE

THIS NOT THAT: ECO-FRIENDLY SHOPPING GUIDELINES

UI SHUTS OFF ELECTRICITY [SATIRE]

WHY “SKIP THE BAG”

ZERO-WASTE LIVING

MCORE WIN-WIN FOR UIUC AND CITY

HOLLY CURIA: CHEF, GARDENER, ACTIVIST

CLIMBING GYM HAS URBANA FEELING “BOULDER”

PROFILE: STUDENT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

BEET JUICE: THE NEW ROAD SALT?

GREEN IT YOURSELF: BEER BOTTLE PLANTERS

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social justice | environmental protection | faith in action | global engagement

WE’RE FOR CAUSE-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP YMCA OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

printed on 100% recycled paper

The Green Observer is a student program of the University YMCA

Cover Photo by Tristan SchramerPictured: Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)

from Cook County, IL.

LAURASCHULTZ

social media chair

JEETHSURESHwebmaster

KATIEKLAUS

layout editor

REMYCROWLEYFARENGA

YMCA liason

ELISESNYDERtreasurer &

advertising chair

RACHELLAUTER

distribution chair

CATHERINEKEMP

co-editor in chief

JESSTANG

co-editor in chief

3 The Green Observer Magazine

SNEAK PEAK: EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CONTENT WWW.GREENOBSERVER.NET

There is no doubt that sustainability is one of the most quickly burgeoning topics of conversation, particularly in the business world. With increasing global concern for the environment, businesses are gradually taking steps to minimize their contri-butions to climate change. Whether these businesses are act-ing altruistically, out of desire to minimize costs, or scrambling to attract earth-conscious customers, it is clear that there are benefits to becoming a green business. Those of Champaign-Urbana are no exception. Businesses in the area are quickly joining the movement, as seen from the rise in certifications from the Illinois Green Business Association (IGBA). But what challenges do they face on this path? I sat down with Emily Cross, the Development Associate at the University YMCA to find out more about motives, challenges, and incentives for small businesses to go green in C-U.

To learn more about the YMCA’s efforts to be sustainable, and the challenges to green business, read the rest online at www.greenobserver.net!

From Donald Trump’s antics to the rise of Bernie Sanders and from Hillary Clinton’s email scandal to Jeb Bush’s lackluster campaign, the 2016 presidential elections have received an undeniably massive amount of media coverage. Unfortunately, the one topic that perhaps will have the most bearing on the future of this country, and that of the entire world, has been sorely neglected. That topic, as you may have very well guessed, is the environment.

In our October 2015 issue, the Green Observer covered the stances that each candidate held on the urgency (and in some cases the very reality) of climate change. Now, with the primary season well under way, we are taking the opportunity to revisit the environmental beliefs and proposed policies of the five candidates who have the best chance of winning the White House.

Whichever one of these candidates is elected will bear an enormous respon-sibility to lead the United States to a low-carbon, sustainable future. Frankly, this is our last opportunity to pick a leader who has any chance to prevent the worst of climate change- we cannot afford even another four years until a president takes action. The rest of the world is waiting on America to begin making good on the promise we made in Paris to start reducing our carbon emissions. Should we fail to do so, few other countries are prepared to lead the way. With that being said, let’s examine where each of these candidates stand and what they are likely to do if elected.

To find out where the 2016 Presidential Candidates stand on environmental issues, go online to www.greenobserver.net!

Article and Illustration by Remy CrowleyFarenga

VOTE FOR THE ENV IRONMENTArticle by Laura Schultz, Illustration by Emily Chen


Although composting has always been appealing, living as a student prevents me from making this lifestyle change. I have no space for a composter, nor a garden to put compost in. Luckily, one church on campus is using its vermicompost system to help students realize that they can indeed manage this practice.

At the entrance to St. Andrew’s Church is a purple bag, set up on what I later discovered to be an IKEA laundry hamper. This $100 investment allows St. Andrew’s to compost most of their kitchen waste and inspired me to look into the vermicompost sys-tem. It relies on little red worms that eat and digest food waste into compost, also called “vermicast”.

After church-sponsored free-dining events , tenants at the “Worm Inn” expect a big feeding. “They’ve got to be sick of watermelon by now,” joked Pastor Amy Thoren, who brought this system

to St. Andrew’s. She couldn’t stress enough how manageable it was. I didn’t sense any smells of decomposition; and besides feedings of food waste and sprinklings with a watering can, the system takes care of itself. After about 4 months, the worms digest the food scraps and shift it towards the bottom of the bag, near a drawstring opening.

I was lucky enough to join Pastor Amy as she harvested fresh compost. She referred to the finished product as “black gold” and remarked at how connected this process made her feel with the world. “We’re obviously manipulating nature here and it can go the wrong way if we’re not good stewards [of the earth]. I totally consider this responsibility a part of my faith.”

With this, I realized the value of composting does not neces-sarily lie with the utility of the product. Even if I tossed compost on the grass at the side of my apartment, I’d be returning that resource to the natural cycle instead of sending it to a land-fill. And when all I’d need is a laundry hamper-sized space to house my worm friends, the dream is even more attainable.

Article and Illustration by Jess Tang

BREAK ING DOWN COMPOST

GETTING TO KNOW UIUC’S NEWEST MINOR Article by Elise Snyder

In the fall of 2015, a new minor was added to the UIUC roster: the Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (SEE) Fellows program. The minor is a collaboration between six departments -- Civil and Environmental Engineering, the School of Earth, Society, and Environment, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and the School of Integrative Biology -- and the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE).

While the university has long offered a variety of environ-mentally-focused minors, this new program is intended to of-fer students the opportunity to look at environmentalism and sustainability through a more comprehensive lens. According to one of the lead developers of the new minor, Dr. Madhu Khanna, who is also a professor in the department of Agri-culture and Consumer Economics and the Associate Director for Education and Outreach at iSEE, “The idea was to try to create an interdisciplinary minor that would draw upon the strengths of the different participating units and to give our students a more interdisciplinary perspective on sustainability and environment issues.” The minor is aimed at students with a passion for sustainability, regardless of their background -- everyone from business majors and future engineers to those

already in environmental sciences are encouraged to apply.

While many of the approved courses existed prior to the SEE Fellows program, two new classes were created specifi-cally for the minor. The first, ENVS 301: Tools for Sustainabil-ity, is taught by professors from several different departments and aims to give students the skills they need to solve and communicate sustainability issues. The second course is a capstone class, which students would take during their senior years before completing the minor. Both of these courses are intended to facilitate collaboration between peers and to help students gain the practical skills required for solving sustain-ability issues. In addition to these two courses, students in the program will take introductory sustainability classes, one course from a selection of economic/policy/social dimension courses, and one course from a selection of environmental/natural systems courses.

Since the minor was just created this past fall, enrollment is currently low -- only 11 students. However, the developers would like to see it grow substantially in the coming years. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors of all disciplines are encouraged to apply. Minor requirements and application information can be found on the SEE fellows website at http://sustainability.illinois.edu/education/sustainability-minor/


NOW IN NATURE : EPHEMERAL EMERGENCE

Article and Photographs by Tristan Schramer

At last, the wondrous spectacle of spring emergence is now upon us. Up until this point, perhaps the only sign of spring has been the surfacing of skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), the earliest flowering plant in Illinois. These thermo-genic plants are particularly interesting because they produce vast amounts of heat to melt the frozen ground and snow in their proximity. Their flowers are a marvel to witness, fill-ing seeps, fens, and ravines with colorful patches of mottled purple flowers. Catching a glimpse of these unique angio-sperms is not uncommon while exploring the protected lands of Vermilion County like Forest Glen near Danville. Most of our other biotas, however, must wait for substantial thawing events to be reawakened.

With the arrival of the first warm rains of spring comes both the release of that gentle, earthy fragrance we’ve all come to know, but also something much less obvious—the annual amphibian migrations. Each spring, hundreds, if not thousands, of frogs and salamanders congregate and breed in various ephemeral pools that meltwater and rainfall have recently filled. To locate these vital wetlands, you’ll have to listen -- the high-pitched peeps of the so aptly named spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer), the creaks of boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata), and the clucking of wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) may lead you to these breeding sites. The choruses of these male frogs climax just after dusk, be-coming almost deafening. Seeing this firsthand is astounding, to say the least.

Meanwhile, the mole salamanders (Ambystomatidae) subtlely migrate to their breeding ponds, only becoming sur-face active during this brief period. If timed correctly, dozens upon dozens of these amphibians can be found clustered under adjacent fallen logs, seeking refuge between nocturnal breeding sessions. The smallmouth salamander (Ambys-toma texanum), tiger salamander (A. tigrinum), and spotted salamander (A. maculatum) are a few of the more common species in this area, but several others are possible depend-ing on the location. Busey Woods in Urbana has an espe-cially dense population of smallmouth salamanders that can be readily found in spring and fall under logs near flooded basins.

Another family of salamanders known as the lungless sala-manders (Plethodontidae) also becomes surface active in the more heavily forested areas near UIUC during this time, how-ever their life histories and breeding strategies differ greatly from the mole salamanders. Fortunately, this family also has a much longer season of surface activity, and in some cases, is more widely distributed in the right tracts of habitat. The most conspicuous and common species of this lungless group is probably the red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinere-us), which can be found under rocks or logs in just about any woodland in Vermilion County.

So, the next time you decide to go out for an early spring hike and come across a flooded basin or rocky hillside, take a look under a log or listen closely for any vocalizations–you might be fortunate enough to observe one of the most promi-nent signs of spring in action. But please remember to place any flipped cover back to its original position, so that valu-able and delicate microhabitats can be maintained for these sensitive animals.


The University of Illinois today announced plans to shut off the electricity to all three of its college campuses, citing a renewed commitment to environmentalism. The policy, which will be debated on the floor of the Illinois Student Senate next week, has already drawn outrage from the student body.

The new proposal, expected to be as controversial as it is thorough, will require the removal of all electrical cables run-ning to, from, and through every building on all three Univer-sity campuses. The administration argues that this will create jobs, offset costs, and reduce carbon emissions, placing it on a list of measures designed to adapt the school to decreased federal funding in the future. The Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the College of Engineering at UIUC, Umberto Ra-vaioli, has been a vocal supporter of the new policy. “We at the College of Engineering applaud this move by the admin-istration. A removal of all electrical access and appliances will help UIUC create more resourceful, passionate engineers who are ready to take on any challenge they may face in the real world.” Many engineering professors and course staff have expressed their satisfaction with the new policy.

The student body has shown considerably less support. Students surveyed by the GO were overwhelmingly opposed to any kind of reduction in the electrification of campus,

citing the multitude of devices currently on their person that required an electrical charge to function. Many also report-edly had larger (and often more powerful) versions of these devices at home, but balked at the thought of leaving the house without the more portable versions. One student, who spoke to the GO on condition of anonymity, was furious at the attempt by the administration to stop him from watching political rallies during class. “You know, this is typical of the establishment. They’re trying to silence the people - if they weren’t such losers, or if college tuition was free, I bet we wouldn’t even be in this situation right now!” The student re-portedly stormed out of the interview when it was pointed out to him that the measure would actually save the University money in utility fees.

The measure is expected to shut down the Illinois Student Senate during its scheduled voting period. Many solutions have already been proposed to the largest concerns. For in-stance, the University already has plans to replace all electric lighting with oil lamps. A little-known company from New York City called “Standard Oil” has been awarded the lucra-tive contract. The emergency phone booths scattered around campus also require electricity, and will therefore be replaced by two tin cans and a piece of string leading to the nearest police station.

UI SHUTS OFF E LECTR IC I TY [SAT IRE ]Article by Jeeth Suresh

Article by Sarah Coleman

TH I S NOT THAT: ECO - FR I ENDLY SHOPP ING GU IDEL INESReusable bags, not plastic. If you’d like to know why reusable bags are so important, check out “Why Skip the Bag?” on the next page.

Hormone free, not hormone fed. Dairy cows are often fed artificial hormones to increase their milk production. This can negatively impact both the cows and the environment. In fact, industrial dairy produc-tion is also linked to massive greenhouse gas emissions.1

Wheat bread, not white. Brown breads are actually less harmful for the environ-ment! It takes less time in production to make whole wheat flour because it isn’t refined. Not only is this better for the environment but it is also better for your body! Your body absorbs processed grains and simple sugars in white bread relatively quickly, so an hour or two after eating refined sugar, your hunger will return.2

Beans, not meat. About 18% of greenhouse gas emissions come from rais-ing and transporting livestock. On top of that, the world’s largest source of water pollution is from the livestock sec-tor.3 So if you’re trying to have a diet high in protein, stick with legumes.

Paper packaging, not plastic or Styrofoam.It’s best to avoid pre-packaged products all together but if you simply can’t, go for paper. Manufacturing Styrofoam creates hazardous waste and greenhouse gases and has limited recycling options. If you have to buy that bag of chips, look out for packaging with the least amount of material.

SOURCES1http://www.sustainabletable.org/859/industrial-livestock-production 2http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/truth-about-white-foods 3http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/


UIUC has a new campaign called Skip the Bag. As you can probably guess, the goal is to reduce the number of plastic bags used on campus. Why should we reduce plastic bag consumption, you ask? Here are a few quick facts about plastic bags that will have you saying “skip the bag” the next time you go shopping.

1. Plastic bags were originally created to replace paper bags, whose production was contributing to deforestation. Ironical-ly, plastic bags are now the culprit for thousands of animal deaths each year. In 2012 scientists found 100 plastic bags in the stomach of a sperm whale;1 and in 2013, a green sea turtle was found to have 3,400 plastic pieces -- including pieces of plastic bags -- in its stomach.2

2. The first plastic bag was created in 1977, and they weren’t widely used until 1980. So in just 39 years, plastic bags went from being nonexistent to being everywhere -- in South Africa plastic bags are so common they are jokingly called the “national flower.”3

3. One hundred billion to one trillion plastic bags are used globally each year.3

4. Plastic bags, like all plastic, are made from oil. The amount of energy in about nine plastic bags is enough to drive a car for nearly three quarters of a mile!3

5. Only about 5% of plastic bags are recycled in the US. Globally, that number is 1%. Many bags are instead thrown into landfills or wind up in the environment.3 (Can you imagine only 1% of one trillion bags being recycled each year?)

6. Many countries have already imposed a plas-tic bag ban or tax. The first year of China’s bag ban saved them 1.6 million tons of oil.3

7. The average family in the United States uses about 1,500 plastic bags each year.3

8. Plastic bags have a high societal cost. They can clog pipes and cover storm drains, increasing the severity of floods. In 2005, a flood in Mumbai killed over 1,000 people as storm drains were clogged by plastic debris. The resulting stagnant water can worsen the problem as the water can increase mosquito populations, and thus spread disease.3

9. It’s estimated that about 12 million barrels of oil go towards making plastic bags each year.4

There are 42 gallons in a barrel, so that means over five hundred million gallons of oil are used to make plastic bags each year!

Want more facts on why you should skip the bag at UIUC? Like “Skip the Bag” on Facebook

or drop by their weekly meetings at the University YMCA, Wednesdays at 6:30.

WHY “SK IP THE BAG”?Article by Elizabeth Cole, Infographic by Olivia Harris

SOURCES

1 http://oceanwildthings.com/2012/06/sperm-whale-death-by-100-plastic-bags/ 2 http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/03/ocean-plastics-impact-on-wild-sea-turtles-dr-wallace-j-nichols/ 3 Plastic Purge: How to Use Less Plastic, Eat Better, Keep Toxins Out of Your Body, and Help Save the Sea Turtles! By Michael SanClements 4 http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=2935417&page=1


MCORE A W IN -WIN FOR U IUC AND C I TYArticle and Photograph by Andrew Dunham

Among urban planners, Champaign-Urbana is a very well-respected example of a sustainably developed community. Its robust and frequent bus system, expanding bike infrastructure, and a relatively high level of walkability on- and off-campus make the mid-sized university towns more vibrant, greener places than even much larger cities. However, there are always ways to improve the system at hand.

After many years of debate over a new high-capacity transit corridor, the university, city, and the MTD have decided to move forward on the MCORE (Multimodal Corridor Project) , which aims to improve alternative transportation access on campus and in Urbana with new features such as dedicated bike and bus lanes on Green Street and a revamped Wright Street in hopes to create a transit corridor through the university and making the crossing of Green Street easier for students. Although grandiose plans of the past considered much loftier goals such as a streetcar connecting Downtown Urbana and Champaign, this is a more cost-effective and flexible solution that allows for an improved connection between the twin cities and the Uni-versity.

This project will not only encourage greener modes of transport and discourage driving on campus, but it will also create a new, high frequency transit corridor that can connect the cities to and through the university. This will almost undoubtedly improve the town-gown relationship, which is currently strained by the explosive growth of student apartments in formerly resi-dential neighborhoods. The new bike and transit infrastructure along Green Street from Downtown Urbana to Neil Street will encourage commuters and locals to ride through Campustown, rather than circumvent it. According to the project website,

Hello reader! How many times have you used a garbage can today? Was it to toss the remnants of your morning cof-fee? Your plastic yogurt container? That number in your head is probably still increasing.

The average human produces 1,569.5 pounds of waste each year. Scaling that to the residents in Champaign-Urbana, we create close to 95 million pounds. That is the equivalent weight of about 6,200 elephants. However, this measurement pertains to the average human. Gaining popu-larity amongst various journals and blogs is the concept of “zero-waste living.” These individuals defy the average and produce around 12 ounces of waste per year.1 If the entire C-U population followed in these environmental pioneers’ footsteps, we would produce only 45 thousand pounds of waste. That’s about three elephants!

As shown, leading a zero-waste lifestyle can significantly lighten the burden we place on the environment. But what does zero-waste entail? Lauren Singer, a zero-waste blogger, defines it as, “I do not produce any garbage. No sending anything to landfill.”2 Admittedly, this is no easy change, so where do we start?

The first step in initiating a zero waste lifestyle is to collect data on what you throw away. I encourage you to physically dig through your trash to see what you’re putting in there. Make a note of recurring items and think of reusable replace-ments for them. For example, if you notice your morning coffee making a quotidian appearance, try to find a reusable travel mug. Next, to account for food storage, mason jars and buying in bulk will eliminate your need for packaged goods. Farmers markets and local grocery stores that sell their products by weight usually let you use your own contain-ers. Don’t forget the reusable bag to carry your zero-waste groceries! Finally, be sure to get a recycling bin and a kitchen composter. Both of these resources will allow you to dispose of the reusable or organic waste you produce.

Eventually, smaller waste-producing items can be replaced as well. For example, investing in compostable bamboo toothbrushes will replace your plastic ones. So get started and be aware of your trash! Each step we take is one closer to only three elephants worth of waste.

SOURCES 1 http://www.zerowastehome.com/p/about.html 2 http://www.trashisfortossers.com/p/about.html

ZERO-WASTE L I V INGArticle and Illustration by Emily Chen


about 80% of the region’s jobs lie within a mile of the proposed corridors (Green Street, White, Wright, and Armory) and the plan is to be fully implemented by 2021. Though almost everyone on campus now will have graduated by then, it will be an environmental milestone for transportation for both Illini and local residents.

The advancement of this project is definitely a step in the right direction, however, it does raise traffic and safety concerns. With the discouragement of through traffic on Green Street, many drivers will likely shift to the already traffic-clogged Univer-sity Avenue. With two new massive apartment complexes being built on the north-ern side of the street, this raises some concerns about the safety of pedestrians on this four-lane, high-speed thoroughfare. The safety of pedestrians is currently being reviewed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). Urbana and the car-oriented IDOT hope to implement a pedestrian safety plan for University Avenue in the near future, a “relatively unheard of” move, according to Elizabeth Tyler, UIUC professor and Urbana City Planner. They are also hopeful that increased alterna-tive transportation usage will mitigate some of the increased traffic on University.

As the project inches forward, many residents and students are eager to see whether MCORE will provide a lasting impact, or a simple band-aid on a much larger problem. It’ll be five years before Champaign-Urbana sees MCORE in full, but the simple fact that there is continuing investment in better alternative transportation infra-structure shows that the twin cities and the University have their priorities straight.

“My personal path of activism and creating social change is not the most traditional way… it’s never something I could have predicted…being a part of a positive social change can come in many shapes and forms, and it’s usually gonna look small…[but] it’s super important…, and if you can’t find it, don’t be afraid to start it… find one or two people to do it with you, and you can do just about anything.” -- Holly Curia

Holly Curia is the manager of the Red Herring Vegan and Vegetarian restaurant as well as the owner and operator of Delight Flower Farm. An activist and environmentalist at heart, Holly has turned her passion into grassroots business-es. Her path began in southern California studying interna-tional relations and Spanish. This focus inspired Holly to act locally (as in think globally, act locally), and turn her passion into actions. She started with food and cooking because of how crucial it is in all of our lives. It sustains us, is a key to our economy, impacts transportation, genetic modification, pesticide and fertilizer applications, and has an important role in community building.

The Red Herring is unique in that it is a non-profit with a clear vision and mission, implemented by the staff. A part of this mission is to provide food that is sourced sustainably

and safely, is healthy, delicious, seasonal, and affordable, all while making sure the people working to produce and prepare it have a high quality of life. If that wasn’t enough, there is an additional emphasis on building community rela-tionships with farmers and artists, and providing a community space for activism.

Holly has broadened her local impact with flowers too. According to Holly, roughly 82% of the flowers in the US are imported. Local flower production has several benefits, such as reduced transportation and cooling costs. Additionally, a part of the mission of the flower farm is to provide a safe and fair work environment for employees, an ideology that most international flower production lacks.

Both of these businesses are a part of what makes the Champaign-Urbana area special, and their impacts are growing. The Red Herring provides a space for local artists to display their work, as well as opportunities for local musicians to perform. And there are new, monthly cooking classes! There will also be free events at the flower farm this summer, including yoga and guided meditation.

The Red Herring restaurant is open Monday - Friday for breakfast and lunch (9:00 AM - 2:30 PM), and every Wednesday hosts culturally inspired meals for dinner (5:00 - 8:00 PM). If you’re a local artist looking for a space, contact The Red Herring for more information.

For the complete interview, check out our website.

Article by Eric Zarnesky

HOLLY CUR IA : CHEF, GARDENER , ACT I V I S T

THE LOGO OF THE RED HERRING RESTAURANT

GREEN STREET: LOCATION OF FUTURE MCORE IMPROVEMENTS


In October 2015, two men on a mission opened the doors to Urbana Boulders, the area’s first climbing gym. After a year of fundraising and repurposing the structure at 1502 N. Cunningham Ave, co-founders Alex Bragg and Kristoffer Schmarr watched as their innovative gym exploded in popu-larity over the coming months.

The first of its kind in C-U, Urbana Boulders is a rock climbing gym that specializes in ‘bouldering,’ a style that doesn’t require the use of any ropes or harnesses. With routes of varying skill levels, the gym is accessible to new and experienced climbers alike. “When we sat down and asked ourselves why we wanted to do this, we knew that we really wanted to bring in new climbers and get them addicted to climbing so that we could build the network of climbers in the area,” gushed Alex Bragg as he welcomed in a customer, “Kris [Schmarr] and I have always been really passionate about climbing.” This enthusiasm, coupled with the need for a community climbing space, meant that building a gym was the natural step for Bragg and Schmarr.

Back in February 2015, when the duo first found the build-ing on Cunningham, they realized what a crazy ride they were in for. Before it sat vacant for nearly 2 years, the building was a small engine repair shop, and there was a lot of demoli-tion and oil cleanup to be done. “Along the way we offered out passes to the gym in exchange for volunteering from the

climbing community with the demolition and rebuild,” Bragg mentioned, “The climbing community and the City of Urbana have been so helpful and we are really thankful for their ongoing support.”

Using their own savings, a few small business grants from the City of Urbana, and a very successful crowdfunding campaign that raised nearly $14,000, Bragg and Schmarr set to work on creating the gym using the existing structure of the building. “If I could go back and do it again, I would still choose to repurpose an existing building instead of building a brand new one,” said Bragg, “it is important for businesses to realize the potential that is already here and reuse the space.”

Urbana Boulders followed true with their repurposed theme by keeping the garage doors from the previous business to provide for optimal natural lighting and temperature control. They also have an assortment of repurposed handholds that were once other objects like bowling balls.

For the coming year, Urbana Boulders has big plans. As part of their revitalization efforts of Cunningham Avenue, they hope to expand the gym to include more bouldering space. Eventually, they dream of adding rope climbing inside of recycled shipping containers turned on their ends for a 50-60 foot-high top roping experience.

With goals of increasing community involvement and town revitalization, Bragg and Schmarr intend for Urbana Boulders to be very much a part of the community as the community is a part of Urbana Boulders. “Climbing is empowering and so is reusing and revitalizing something with your own two hands,” said Bragg, “take everything one bite at a time and it will all be worth it.” At the end of the day, with all of it’s suc-cess, Urbana Boulders has been making Urbana feel ‘boul-der’ than ever!

For more information on Urbana Boulders visit http://www.urbanaboulders.com/

CL IMB ING GYM HAS URBANA FEEL ING “BOULDER”

Article and Photograph by Alex Peredna

D Recycle ?

Take a step in the right direction

RECYCLE today with

Urbana’s U-Cycle program !

Green recycling carts are located

at all Urbana apartment complexes

Visit www.urbanaillinois.us/u-cycle

or follow us on Facebook at 2ucycle


BLACK I C E I S NO MATCH FOR RED BEETSArticle by Dan Jamrozik

Hate beet juice? Use it as road salt to de-ice your driveway or sidewalk! Actually, that might look weird to neighbors, but many local governments use earth-friendly alternatives like beet juice to de-ice roads. Road salt, typi-cally in the form of calcium chloride or sodium chloride, is detrimental to local ecosystems: it depletes oxygen in soil as runoff and seeps into local watersheds.1 Many public servic-es use these standard chlorides because they are cheap and dependable, however, alternatives are gaining popularity. Cities like Elgin, IL, are creating their own brine (salt-water mix) by blending beet juice with a very small percentage of calcium chloride (5% in this case).2

You may be asking yourself, “wait a second, how does beet juice actually help de-ice the roads, and is it effec-tive?” When beet juice is mixed with brine to treat roads, the freezing point on the road surface is lowered to -20°F,3 which prevents water from freezing on the roads. Traditional road salt lowers the freezing point to 5°F, making beet juice a vi-able alternative. On top of the positive environmental effect,

the city of Elgin was able to save $80,000 annually2 after switching to the beet juice mixture.

Are there other interesting alternatives that cities use? Yes, there are actually plenty of other liquids that lower the road surface freezing point to below 5°F. For instance, Polk County in Wisconsin uses cheese brine in their mixture and saves $40,000 annually.4 Other governments have used sugar cane molasses with a high level of success. While the transition to these these road salt alternatives is challenging -- new truck equipment and materials are not cheap -- the benefits for the environment are worth the investment. SOURCES 1 http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lan tern/2010/02/salting_the_earth.html 2 http://blog.chicagolandh2o.org/2011/02/08/elgin-beets-winter-snow- management-blues/#comment-340460 3 http://www.deeproot.com/blog/blog-entries/deicing-with-beet-juice 4 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/23/road-salt- substitute/1939793/

If you pay close attention to the UIUC campus, you will realize that there are many small, environmentally-friendly changes that have happened in the past couple of years.

For example, on one of my trips to the CRCE men’s bath-room, I noticed the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC) logo near the handle of the water-saving toilets, which made me wonder what else they were doing to make our campus greener. Fortunately, I knew someone who was on the SSC. On the evening of Superbowl 50, I sat down for an interview with Justin Vozzo, one of the students on the committee.

The SSC is composed of twelve students, four non-voting members, and six non-voting faculty members. The purpose of the committee is to allocate two student fees to various projects for which students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to apply. Since Spring 2014, the Cleaner Energy Technolo-

gies fee and the Sustainable Campus Environment fee have been $2.00 and $12.06 respectively, amounting to a sum of $1.1 million which is given to the SSC to allocate.

“Basically, if your project is under $5000, then it’s a single step, and you can get that gone through in one semester. If it’s more than $5000, you have to do a two step applica-tion...in the first semester, you write a more [general pro-posal], and then the next semester you have to make it more clear about what you’re actually doing.”

“I think the biggest project we are looking at from last semester overall is a flour milling project. The [Sustainable Student Farm] wants to buy a flour milling machine that they could use with the tomato sauce [from the farm] to make pizzas that are completely locally created. That project is about $200,000.”

PROF I L E : STUDENT SUSTA INAB IL I TY COMMITTEEArticle by Vinay Shanbhag, Infographic by Katie Klaus

This project aims to recycle the 600lbs of pipettes thrown away per year.

This will produce 7.86 million kWh per year, or about 2% of campus’ annual

electricity usage.

Replacing the incandescent lighting in three auditoriums with LEDs will save over

500,000 kwH annually.

Ten fountains with bottle refill stations track the number of plastic bottles saved, encourageing the use of refillable bottles.

SOLAR FARM: $1,000,000 VLD PIPETTE RECYCLING: $4,040 KRANNERT LIGHTING RETROFIT: $403,323 UNION WATER FOUNTAINS: $54,014


READ GREEN . L I VE GREEN .

What You’ll Need:

• A beer/wine bottle• Cotton string(1 ft. long)• Lighter fluid• A lighter• Sandpaper• 2’’ by 2’’ screen• A sink• Soil• A plant of your choice

GREEN I T YOURSELF : BEER BOTTLE P LANTERSIf you’re like me, you may struggle a bit with growing plants from seeds. They require so much time and

attention in the early stages of growth that my plants often don’t make it. Good news! These self-watering planters are the answer to any plant lover’s prayers. So, to welcome the arrival of warmer spring months, let’s get growing!

Putting the Planter together The following steps utilize the neck of the bottle.

Step 7:Take a 2’’ by 2’’ screen and cut a hole in the middle, wide enough for string to pass through.

Step 8:Lead the string through the hole and tie it so that the knot will keep the string in place. Keep in mind that this string will serve as a wick to guide the water up to the plant.

Step 9:Have the string run through the neck of the bottle so that the screen fits firmly in place inside the bottle from the end that was cut.

Step 10:Finally, put your plant of choice (along with some soil!) into the side that was cut and rest it upside down (lip side down) in the base of the bottle that was put to the side.Make sure you fill the base with water and that the wick is immersed in it.

Step 11:Water will remain in the base for about 1 week (or whatever amount of time) depending on the type of plant you use. Add water when it has all been absorbed and enjoy your new planter!

Article and Photograph by Victoria Halewicz

Breaking the Bottle

Step 1:First, tie your string five times around the base of a bottle. Make sure the string is tied tightly.

Step 2:Carefully remove the string from the bottle and soak it in lighter fluid for a few seconds.

Step 3:Now, slide the string back on the bottle and position it around the widest point, just below the neck.

Step 4:Once the string is in place, hold the neck and angle the bottom of the bottle slightly upward. Make sure you are holding the bottle above a sink.

Step 5:Be careful with this step! Light the string on fire and slowly turn the bottle so as to make sure the fire is evenly distributed.

Step 6:Once the fire has died out, quickly place the bottle and string under cold, running water. It should break cleanly into two pieces.

Documents

March 2016 · 2017-11-20 · Although composting has always been appealing, living as a student prevents me from making this lifestyle change. I have no space for a composter, nor