Joy Scrogum – Page 17

October 10, 2012

Champaign County Residential Electronics Collection, Saturday, October 13

Champaign County (IL) will offer a residential electronics collection event from 8 a.m to noon on Saturday, October 13, 2012. The drop off location is the News-Gazette Distribution Center at 3202 Apollo Drive in Champaign, IL. Click here to view a map of the location, a list of acceptable electronic items being collected, and information on what becomes of the devices that you bring in for recycling (Note: disregard the date on the PDF; the pertinent information is the same for the October 13 event.)

Champaign County hosts approximately four of these events a year. If you are unable to go to the event this Saturday, other collection events will be held next year. Stay tuned for more information.

Between collection events, check ISTC’s Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI) fact sheet on take back and donation programs for a variety of options on what to do with your unwanted gadgets. You can also always check Earth911.com to find recycling locations near you for a wide variety of items by entering your Zip code.

Students: If you are interested in volunteering to assist Champaign County with administering a survey to collection event participants, please contact Courtney Rushforth, 217-384-2302, for more information. Volunteers would need to arrive at the event site by 7 AM. This is a great way to get some real world experience with social science research methods, as well as participating in a community outreach activity focused on sustainability and the responsible management of end-of-life electronics. It’s a learning experience and something interesting to list on your resume.

If you have any questions regarding the county collection events, call 217-328-3313.

October 9, 2012

Andrew Revkin, ‘9 Billion People + 1 Earth =?’ Oct. 24 on UIUC Campus

The Prairie Research Institute, home to the State scientific surveys (including the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center), is pleased to announce the latest installment in its lecture series for Fall 2012. Andrew Revkin, Senior Fellow at Pace University and Dot Earth blogger for The New York Times will speak at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus, at 4 PM (Central) on Wednesday, October 24, 2012. The presentation is free and open to the public; a reception will follow. See http://www.prairie.illinois.edu/lecture/index.shtml for details, including a map to the location, and an event flier that you may download.

Revkin’s presentation is entitled “9 Billion People + 1 Earth = ?” After two centuries of explosive growth, the planet’s human population is widely seen as cresting within the next couple of generations. A mid-range best guess for the peak remains roughly 9 billion people. There are even signs that resource-sapping activities will hit a peak as well. Will we overheat or innovate, conserve or despoil, crash or round the curve with a few scrapes? Andrew Revkin will present an optimistic, but realistic, exploration of ways to share and shape ideas that can foster progress on a finite planet.

The Prairie Research Institute Lecture Series is supported by donors to the Naturally Illinois Expo and Lecture Series Fund. Questions may be directed to 217-333-5111.

September 17, 2012

Celebrate National Pollution Prevention Week 2012

Today marks the first day of National Pollution Prevention Week. Pollution Prevention Week is annually the third week of September. Pollution Prevention Week is a time when businesses, environmental groups and citizens can join forces for a common cause. By sharing information about pollution prevention, businesses can become more competitive, businesses and government can realize cost savings, and environmental quality can be enhanced.

The theme for Pollution Prevention Week 2012 is “Safer Chemicals for a Safer World,” which embodies a national effort for safer alternatives to chemicals of concern. This is to ensure the safety and health of workers and communities. Using safer chemical alternatives also provides companies with a marketing edge over their competitors.

For more information on P2 Week, see the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable web site at http://www.p2.org/p2-week/. See also the US Environmental Protection Agency P2 Week page, with tips on preventing pollution at work, home, on the road, and at school, as well as information on various P2 Week activities.

Read the text of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 here.

For further assistance, see the Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR) web site (GLRPPR is a project of ISTC), or the ISTC Technical Assistance program page.

September 14, 2012

Sustainable Electronics Seminar Series; Next Webinar Scheduled for Sept. 19

This fall, the ISTC Sustainability Seminars are focused on the Sustainable Electronics. The series kicked off on September 5th when Professor William Bullock and Joy Scrogum presented “Electronic Waste: Our Problem and What We Should Do About It.” See the Sustainable Electronics Initiative Blog post on that webinar, and check the ISTC web site for the archived version.

The next event, which will be hosted at ISTC headquarters in Champaign, IL and simultaneously broadcast online will be a presentation by Dr. Callie Babbitt of the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) on “Adapting Ecological Models for Linking Sustainable Production and Consumption Dynamic in Consumer Electronic Product Systems.” This webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, September 19 from noon to 1PM Central. Registration for the webinar is available at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/541176247. Those on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus are invited to come to ISTC to view the presentation. See the Sustainable Electronics Initiative Blog post on this webinar for further details.

The ISTC Sustainability Seminar series is a year-long series of seminars, usually one or two per month, presented by researchers, business professionals, and policy makers. It is an opportunity to share scientific research and discussion with peers in a relaxed, informal environment. Please feel free to bring a lunch to the local presentation. Seminars usually last about an hour and questions are welcome. The seminars will be broadcast live and will also be videotaped and archived on the ISTC website, www.istc.illinois.edu. Continue reading “Sustainable Electronics Seminar Series; Next Webinar Scheduled for Sept. 19”

August 3, 2012

Champaign County Residential Electronics Collection, Saturday, August 4

Champaign County will offer a residential electronics collection event from 8 a.m to noon on Saturday, August 4, 2012. The drop off location is the News-Gazette Distribution Center at 3202 Apollo Drive in Champaign, IL. Click here to view a map of the location, a list of acceptable electronic items being collected, and information on what becomes of the devices that you bring in for recycling.

Champaign County hosts approximately four of these events a year. If you are unable to go to the event this Saturday, another event will be held at the same location, 8 a.m. to noon on October 13, 2012.

If you have any questions regarding the county collection events, call 217-328-3313.