If The University Of Illinois Can Do This For Itself Why Not The Rest Of Champaign

‘Green’ residence

 hall to be first for U of I

.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS____________

CHAMPAIGN — A $23 million residence hall under construction in Champaign will be the first at the University of Illinois to be certifi-ably “green.”

The eco-friendly features of the 262-bed Presby Hall include a geot-hermal system to heat rooms and water, water-saving plumbing, as well as environmentally friendly lighting and paint.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the building, expected to be the first U of I residence hall to receive certification from the U.S. Green


On the Net

Presby Hall: www.presbyhall.com

Building Council, is planned for this summer.

The Champaign-based McKinley Presbyterian Church and Founda­tion, which owns the property, took the initiative in pushing for a green hall, the private foundation’s direc­tor said.

“We wanted to be responsible. We wanted (the building) to be sustainable, and we wanted to give back to the world,” Heidi Weatherford told The (Cham-


paign) News-Gazette.

There are construction chal­lenges.

One is the installation of the pricey, $650,000 heating system, which will use ground-source pumps to keep the building warm.

To install pumps and many miles of tubing, some old trees along a nearby street must come down, though new trees will be planted to replace them.

Weatherford said while the geot-hermal system is expensive, the costs will be recouped by the $40,000 in annual energy savings.

“The upfront costs are signifi-


cant,” she told The Associated Press on Saturday. “But the finan­cial payback is almost immediate.” Factoring in the energy savings, Weatherford said, the heating sys­tem could pay for itself in about 10 years.

The Illinois Clean Energy Foun­dation recently awarded the foun­dation $100,000 to help pay for Presby Hall’s green features.

The university itself has said it plans a major renovation of a clus­ter of residence halls called Six Pack, saying it hopes that project also will get the green certifica­tion.

Urgent Alert..Like this will catch us up with Europe Japan and Australia..But everyone is certainly up in arms so..

URGENT ACTION ALERT!!

Call your Senators Friday for a Strong Energy Bill!

Dear Diane,

Our threatened climate and your children, born and unborn, need you to take action NOW, right now, sometime Friday, December 7th! The word from Capitol Hill is that the U.S. Senate may vote on the energy bill by as early as Friday evening.

You can call your U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 or look up their direct phone number here .

You can use this sample script: “Hello, I’m ___________, and I’m calling to urge that Senator ________  oppose efforts to prevent the energy bill from coming to the Senate floor for a vote and support the use of our tax dollars for renewable energy, not subsidies for fossil fuels. For the good of our economy, our pocketbooks and the environment, we want the House energy bill to be passed now.”

This afternoon the House of Representatives passed a good energy bill by a 235-181 vote. Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, described it this way:

“It is a bill of firsts: the first increase in fuel economy standards in more than three decades, the first national requirement for renewable energy…and the first energy bill to provide billions for clean energy instead of shoveling subsidies to Big Oil and other polluters. Instead of a pork-laden monstrosity tailored to the needs of the dirty energy industry, this bill will give us clean electricity, greener cars, provide billions for clean energy instead of Big Oil’s bottom line, strengthen our economy, make us more secure, and begin to address the challenge of global warming. It is a tremendous achievement for the Congress, but more importantly, it is a victory for the hardworking American families who are now suffering as a result of decades of failed energy policies.”

As you may know, I’ve been on a climate emergency fast since September 4th. Today is my 94th day without solid foods. The focus of this fast from day one has been to help stimulate grassroots pressure on Congress to get them to pass the strongest possible climate legislation. And it is happening!

But there’s a big hurdle, and that’s the planned filibuster by Senator Inhofe, dirty energy advocate and global warming denier number one. To get over that hurdle, we need 60 U.S. Senators willing to stand up for the right thing, willing to vote the right way, willing to follow their conscience and not bend to the demands of the dirty energy lobby.

Tomorrow needs to be a day the U.S. Senate never forgets. Their phones need to be ringing off the hook, hearing from all of us. Senators and presidential candidates Clinton, Obama, Biden and Dodd need to be in D.C. to vote — no excuses on an issue this important! Republican and Democratic Senators need to stand up for the Earth!

You can call your U.S. Senators at 202-224-3121 or look up their direct phone number at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm .

You can use this sample script: “Hello, I’m ___________, and I’m calling to urge that Senator ________  oppose efforts to prevent the energy bill from coming to the Senate floor for a vote and support the use of our tax dollars for renewable energy, not subsidies for fossil fuels. For the good of our economy, our pocketbooks and the environment, we want the House energy bill to be passed now.”

And please send this alert out widely to others who might be responsive.

Let’s make history this week! It’s time to act!

For future generations,

Ted Glick, coordinator, U.S. Climate Emergency Council

P.S. You can go to our website, http://www.climateemergency.org, for more information about the energy

The Energy Bill May Pass..Ok so everyone is real excited and the internet is a vibrating so I put this up but TGI(WB)F shall not be ignored!

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Dear Doug,By just picking up your phone, you could help combat global warming and diversify America’s energy supply.This week, Ray LaHood will vote on whether to put America on the path toward a clean energy future.  All the pieces are in place:  A national renewable electricity standard means consumers across the country would save more than $13 billion on their energy bills by 2020. Raising fuel economy standards will save American consumers $25 billion at the pump, create 170,800 new jobs in America, and cut U.S. global warming pollution from passenger vehicles 21 percent by 2030.

Harnessing energy from clean, renewable resources and making cars that go farther on a gallon of gas would create jobs, save consumers money, and significantly reduce global warming pollution. Congress must pass strong final legislation now!

Your Representative’s vote is key to determining whether or not we will take this crucial step.

Our Call Center makes it painless for you to call your Representative’s office and ask that your elected member of Congress cast a vote that will put us on the path toward a clean energy future. Call now!

Thank you for your help in putting America on the path towards a clean energy future!

Sincerely,

Greg Haegele
Greg Haegele
Director of Conservation  

Springfield Has A New Architectural Standard

A new standard has been set for any new buildings in Springfield and Central Illinois in general. While I think they should have included some generation capacity, its pretty good. Please see the specifications below:

Melotte Morse Leonatti, Ltd.

213’/2 South Sixth Street, Springfield, Illinois 62701-1502 (217)789-9515 FAX (217)789-9518

illinois municipal electric agency headquarters

building fact sheet

features:

      project team:

o    owner: illinois municipal electric agency o    architect: melotte morse leonatti, ltd. o    engineer: eta engineers o    contractor: o’shea builders

         prairie style influences         2.5 acre lot, 75 stall parking lot         33.OOO gross square feet         s-bay garage         36 seat board room with integrated AV and voting, 25 seat gallery         executive conference facility with integrated AV & phone       24/7/365 CONTROL CENTER IN 3,53O SQUARE FOOT TORNADO SHELTER (DESIGNED FOR

category F5 storms) with 72 hour generator backup

green features:

          alternative transportation (Bus rte, car pools, Low CO2 cars)          bicycle storage/shower

•—»- “cool” roofing/paving, light pollution reduction

          goal of 3o% water use reduction          building envelope 16% better than code          10o% geoexchange (geothermal) heating/cooling:

o    82 tons capacity – 54 tons = bl_dg. 28 tons = data racks

o    methalene solution in > 5o,ooo feet of polyethelene piping

o    1 1 high efficiency heat pumps — each heat pump a zone

o    6 loops (thermal exchange zones) of (1 2) 4″ diameter holes, 3oo feet deep

— reverse return system

o    fossil fuel consumption = O at the building o    energy savings: 84,601 kwh/year over similar water source heat pump

system. $6,10o estimated annual energy savings over conventional

system (as defined by ashrae 9o: electric boiler for heat and air-cooled

chiller/vav system for cooling) — 3o%

          fundamental & enhanced commissioning          goal of 5o% construction waste diversion          goal of 2O% recycled content a 2O% regional materials          automatic lighting controls:

o     interior based on available daylight and occupancy o    exterior based on astronomical time clock

          daylighting/views, operable windows          Low VOC finishes/indoor air quality          goal of silver level LEED certification

Rails C. Melotte, A.I.A. •  Richard R. Morse, A.I.A. •   David J. Leonatti, A.I.A. •   T. David Parker, A.I.A., Principals

Darrell R. Schaver, Associate

And That Post Led to This One

Please come if you can!!!

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Sorry for the omission…

The Bicentennial Room is on the third floor of the Lincoln Library downtown, 7th & Capitol.

Jim

—– Original Message —–

From: jimjohnston

To: Diane Lopez Hughes ; Jim Bonacum ; Young, Chris ; Roy Wehrle ; ann hamilton ; Will Reynolds ; Sharon Bilotti ; Lindsay Record ; Sharon Zayac, OP ; Maureen Irvin ; Craig Pelka

Cc: Freecycle Springfield ; Greene ; jimjohnston@insightbb.com ; ‘Tih-Fen Ting’ ; Marc Klingshirn ; Bob Barewin ; Arthur Neal ; Bill Crook ; John Sanford ; Brett Ivers ; Doug Nicodemus ; Coplea, Wynne ; vlagesse@fosv.org ; O’Connor, Catherine

Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 6:59 PM

Subject: Sangamon County Council for the Environment

Dear Friends,

There have been many responses from the email regarding a meeting date for the first organizational meeting of a new group comprised of representatives from the local environmental groups. The purpose of this meeting is to begin a network of information sharing for the benefit of all.

It seems as if Thursday, November 29th at 7:00 pm at the third floor conference room (Bicentennial Room) is the date of most favor.

An agenda will be prepared, and anyone wishing to include items for discussion are welcome to reply to this email.

Sincerely,

Jim Johnston

Sustainable Springfield Inc.

The last post led to this post

I believe the date will be the 29th.

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Hello fellow environmentalists, hope all are well,

Following up on an idea that was offered Sunday’s Cool Town Meeting
about
forming an Enviromental Council, made up of the organizations that are
functioning locally, the following are the dates that are available at
the
Lincoln Library for an evening meeting:

November 20th, 26th, or 29th.

The purpose of this first meeting would be to share ideas on how we can

better support each other’s group by coordinating meetings and planning

future events together. One idea that seems to have great interest is
an
expansion of the Earth Awareness Fair held each April at the
fairgrounds.
Wynn Copela, the City’s Recycling Coodinator and one of the prime
organizer’s for this event is very supportive regarding all the
environmental groups comming together to discuss how this fair can be
expanded.

Please get back to me regarding which date works best, & we’ll go ahead
&
reserve the meeting room.

Also if any group wants their meeting dates posted at
http://www.sustainablespringfield.org/Calendar.htm , please let me know
too.

Let’s sustain the energy that was generated Sunday!

Sincerely,

Jim Johnston, President
Sustainable Springfield Inc.