October 2022 | Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment | Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation

Op-Ed: Let’s Break the ‘Midterm Curse’

EDITOR’S NOTE: iSEE Communications Intern Lucy Nifong is passionate about the importance of students voting, and she offers this op-ed piece to bolster that argument.

The countdown to midterm election day has begun. In Illinois, one U.S. Senate seat and all 17 Illinois U.S. House of Representatives seats are on the ballot. This election will also decide the next state Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Comptroller, not to mention countless local elections.

Now more than ever, midterm elections are pivotal moments for our country’s future. The rise of political extremism, worsening climate change, and other prominent issues raise the stakes of today’s elections. These politics have an enormous impact on people’s outlook and optimism for the future.

Will politicians protect the Earth so I can grow old on a planet that I recognize?

Will I have the same rights I have now in a few years?

The 2022 midterm will be extremely close and decisive for the future of the United States. Growing political polarization as many societal issues reach a critical point will undoubtedly affect this year’s election, but it’s unclear how the 2022 political climate will interact with the “midterm curse.”

Although the national voting rate for college students increased 13 percentage points between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, student voting rates continue to plummet during midterm election years. At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 66% of all eligible students voted during the 2020 presidential election, the same as the national average voting rate for college students. Meanwhile, the campus student voting rate for the 2018 midterm election was only 40% (the same as the national average voting rate for college students that year) — though in fact that was a record turnout for student voting during midterms.

The trend of lower voter participation at midterms extends far beyond college campuses. National voting rates are roughly 20% lower in midterm years compared to presidential election years. This leads to the feared “midterm curse” in which only voters who dislike the president and the president’s political party are motivated to vote. Supporters usually feel no need to enact change through their vote since they are content with the current political leadership. The curse has affected nearly every midterm election in recent history, as midterms do not have the same popularity, “wow factor,” or straightforwardness of presidential elections.

Efforts on Campus

To combat the curse, members of the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC), the campus chapter of Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA), and many other student organizations are working overtime to convince students to cast their vote.

Maddie Gats and other SSC Communications Project Leads are developing a social media campaign to promote voting among students concerned with environmental issues in politics. “Information is a powerful tool,” she said. “Just letting students know of websites they can use to register to vote and locations to submit their ballots will have a major impact.”

Gats believes the 2022 midterm season will begin to push environmental issues back to the forefront of American politics.

“Over the past couple years, most elections have focused on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic issues surrounding the pandemic,” she said. “However, as we have slowly returned to normalcy, I think environmental issues and issues regarding sustainability are coming back onto the agendas of businesses and the mass public.”

As politicians turn their attention back to environmental issues, being aware of the values and perspectives of the candidates we vote for is essential for electing politicians that advocate for the environment.

PPGA Co-Presidents Adriana Nguyen and Emma Darbro are determined to overcome the challenges students face that may deter them from voting. Students, especially freshman, are often hesitant to vote.

“After hearing that we would support them, help them get registered beforehand, let them know who Planned Parenthood endorses, and offer to go to the polls with them, that hesitation evaporates,” said Nguyen. PPGA plans to vote early as a group to empower new and returning voters at the polls.

Unlike PPGA, which advocates for reproductive rights, SSC must remain politically neutral as a university-affiliated organization. Claire Keating, the SSC’s Education and Justice Working Group Chair, argues this should not stop organizations from encouraging students to vote.

“Mass mails should be sent out to encourage students,” Keating said (campus sent one on Oct. 25). “Setting up tables on the Quad to help them register is a great way of increasing student voter engagement. In addition, creating an easy list of candidates who support certain policies will allow students to feel encouraged and empowered to vote.”

By facilitating registration, providing information on the voting process, and breaking down the real-world impact of electing different candidates, student organizations embolden young people to make their voice heard.

“We always appreciate other RSOs who continue to mobilize young people by helping them register to vote, providing information on candidates, and even providing opportunities to speak with candidates to truly humanize the name they fill the bubble next to,” said Darbro, “but there can never be enough.”

For Keating, voting itself is an act of environmental advocacy.

“This midterm election is crucial to the environment. Moreover, every election after this will be important for environmental sustainability. There are some candidates who don’t even believe in climate change, and there are other candidates who are fighting to create a healthy environment for all.”

From now until Nov. 8, it is up to us to elect these candidates.

Author Lucy Nifong sporting an “I voted” sticker

Not Too Late to Cast Your Vote

I believe it is impossible to “not care about politics.” Policy impacts every aspect of our lives whether we accept it or not. You can deny this, or you can determine who has the power to make the policy that affects you and the people you care about.

So, here is how students can vote in the upcoming midterm election.

In Illinois, everyone must register before voting. Although the online registration deadline was Oct. 23, you can register in-person at your local elections office from now until election day, Nov. 8. To register in Illinois, you must be at least 18 years of age, a U.S. citizen, a resident of Illinois, and a resident of whatever precinct you wish to vote in for at least 30 days before election day. This means that students from other parts of Illinois may choose to register to vote in Urbana-Champaign rather than in their hometown. In fact, PPGA encourages members from regions of Illinois with likely landslide election outcomes to register in Urbana-Champaign, where election results are more uncertain.

Once registered, Illinois residents may vote by mail, vote early in-person, or vote in-person on election day. If you wish to vote by mail, you can apply online for an absentee ballot up until Nov. 3, which is five days before election day. The ballot will be mailed to you with instructions and a return envelope to submit by mail. The completed ballot must be postmarked by election day. Early in-person voting is also open at various locations until Nov. 7. By entering your county on the Board of Elections website, you can find early voting locations and hours for your precinct.

For students voting in Urbana-Champaign, the Illini Union is an early voting site! Cast your ballot on the first floor of the Union any time from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, or 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. Beginning Monday, Oct. 31, the Siebel Center for Design will serve as an early voting location during the same hours.

On Nov. 8, polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you’re in line at your polling place by 7 p.m., you have a right to cast your vote. Additionally, Illinois voters are not required to show ID when voting as long they have shown proof of ID when initially registering to vote. You can find your election day polling place here.

For information on voting in other states, go to Vote.org to find your state’s voting rules, deadlines, and polling place location. Be sure to travel home to vote early, or vote by mail, as soon as possible. And note: Nov. 8 is a campus holiday — so you can get to the polls anytime without missing class.

As college students, we are constantly busy, may not have our own transportation, or otherwise feel like voting is too much of a hassle. Luckily for us, many aspects of voting are now online, the Illini Union is an early voting location, and election day is a campus holiday. Voting is 100% accessible to college students! We should not let our classes, jobs, extracurriculars, or social life be an excuse to not cast a vote. So bring a friend with you to vote at the Illini Union, cast your vote early next time you travel home for the weekend, or make a gameplan to vote on Nov. 8.

For descriptions of the candidates on your midterm ballot, use the nonpartisan Illinois Voter Guide created by the League of Women Voters in Illinois. By entering your address, you can view your sample ballot with a summary of each candidate’s values and links to further information.

If you’re interested in politics and public policy — and perhaps shaping future policy — check out iSEE’s Environmental Leadership Program. Experience the policy development process firsthand at the state and local level and engage with leaders in government. The deadline to apply is has been extended to Monday, Nov 7, 2022.

Students Earn 2022 Janelle Joseph Environmental Writing Contest Awards

A poignant reflection on birds and the dangers they face from urban buildings, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign undergraduate Eva Bein’s article was the grand prize winner in the third annual Janelle Joseph Prize for Environmental Writing, curated by the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE).

In total, three University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students won awards in the contest this year. In addition to receiving cash prizes, their work will be published in upcoming issues of Q Magazine.

Since the summer of 2020, Q Magazine’s generous benefactor, Janelle Joseph, has sponsored the Environmental Writing Contest.

“I am proud to donate and beyond proud to see talented environmentalists put their research and experiences on the page,” Joseph said.

The contest received a record-breaking 14 entries this year. Entrants competed for cash prizes and the chance to have their work published in Q, a student-written, professionally curated publication of the undergraduate Certificate in Environmental Writing (CEW) program. The magazine tackles big environmental questions, such as the complicated relationships between humans and the species we share our planet with, battles for environmental justice, and the everyday items that clog our waste stream.

“Small Birds, Big Impacts,” by Bein, a senior in Earth, Society, and Environmental Sustainability (ESES), took the $1,000 grand prize. Bein writes of a day spent helping collect data — and dead birds — for the U of I’s Bird Strike Survey. An excerpt:

“As I ventured into the engineering quad toward our 7 a.m. meeting spot, the morning sun was bright against buildings lined with clean, long, reflective windows. The University of Illinois campus proved a perfect example of why cities are major death zones for birds in migration. They get confused by the reflective glass and light from windows and accidentally strike them mid-flight, causing over 1 billion bird deaths a year in the U.S. and contributing to declining bird populations. The sheer weight of that number of dead birds is comparable to 550 loaded coach buses.”

Q veteran and senior in ACE Tyler Swanson was the feature category winner with his piece, “Farming the Sun in More Ways Than One.” He explores the potential of agrivoltaics — the co-location of agricultural production and solar energy generation.

Finally, Momo Wang’s piece, simply titled, “A Ladybug,” won the memoir category. In a thoughtful meditation on the fragility of life all around us, Wang reflects on our everyday interactions with the living world, from the humble ladybug to the catfish that will soon be cooked for dinner. Wang graduated in May 2022 with a degree in ESES.

In addition to the three prize winners, three honorable mentions were selected. These authors will also have the opportunity to be published in an upcoming Q Magazine: Gabe Lareau, a junior in English; Jorge Corral, a senior in ESES; and Elaine Guel, a junior in ACE.

“The awards committee was hugely impressed by the range of environmental topics taken up by students in this year’s writing competition, and the standard continues to rise,” said Professor and CEW Director Gillen Wood. “The winners this year showcase the very best writing in our program — urgent, well researched, and with a flair for the poetic.”

The writing contest, which will be offered again next spring and summer, is open to Illinois undergraduates from any major and geared toward those with an interest in writing and the environment.

Check out Q Magazine online at q.sustainability.illinois.edu.

— Article by iSEE Communications Specialist April Wendling

ASC Wins Grant to Quantify Phosphorus Leaching from Streambank Erosion

Andrew Margenot works at Polecat Creek, a tributary of the Embarras in Coles County, Ill., with severe bank erosion. Credit: Andrew Margenot

A team of Agroecosystem Sustainability Center (ASC) scientists was awarded a grant from the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council (NREC) to quantify streambank erosion across the state and its contributions to phosphorus (P) loading of surface waters.

Researchers will develop estimates of non-agricultural sources of P that leach into the Mississippi River, clarifying agricultural P contributions. The study will provide much-needed information for a 2025 milestone in the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS), the state’s plan to reduce P losses to the Mississippi River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico.

Currently, the Illinois NLRS does not account for phosphorus from eroding streambanks, thereby incorrectly “counting” this nutrient load as an agricultural loss. Quantifying it will improve understanding of P loss sources from Illinois to the Mississippi River, and it should improve allocation of resources for nutrient loss mitigation.

The project, which will receive $851,049 over four years, is led by Andrew Margenot, Assistant Professor of Crop Sciences and co-Associate Director of ASC; and Kaiyu Guan, Blue Waters Associate Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES) and Founding Director of ASC. Co-PIs include Shengnan Zhou, Research Scientist in Crop Sciences; Bruce Rhoads, Professor of Geographic Information Science; and Sheng Wang, Research Assistant Professor in NRES.

Geothermal: A Bright Campus Future

The new Campus Instructional Facility is heated and cooled by a geothermal energy system. Credit: Lucy Nifong

Geothermal is often overlooked as a renewable energy source, but at the University of Illinois, multiple organizations and campus units are championing it as a solution to meet clean energy goals. Geothermal energy systems take advantage of the stable temperatures underground to heat and cool buildings. In the winter, fluid in underground pipes absorbs and carries heat stored underground to a building, while in the summer, pipes carry heat away from the building and into the ground, thus cooling the building.

In April 2021, the largest geothermal energy system on campus became operational to condition the new Campus Instructional Facility (CIF). The heating and cooling capacity of the shallow geothermal energy system is based on 40 vertical borehole heat exchangers that circulate fluid from 100 meters underground to CIF to maintain steady indoor temperatures throughout the year. U of I Facilities & Services expects the CIF geothermal system will reduce the building’s energy consumption by 65% compared to the energy use of a building with a traditional heating and cooling system. So far, the system has successfully met the majority of CIF’s heating and cooling demand, but operational testing is still underway to optimize the system.

John Zhao, a Ph.D. student in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, has focused his research on holistically evaluating the performance of the CIF’s energy system by modeling it with commercial software. Conventional techniques for determining energy efficiency in buildings with geothermal systems include measurements of electricity reduction, carbon emissions, and the coefficient of performance (COP). Zhao takes this process a step further by examining how geology and the flow of ground water impact the system’s performance. He contends, “we need to add more complexities into the system so that we can accurately predict and analyze the performance.”

Heat is carried to or from the building via underground pipes. Credit: dbHMS

Installing a geothermal energy system is no easy feat; just the process of drilling 100-meter-deep boreholes and installing heat exchange loops can take months. According to Zhao, one of the university’s greatest concerns regarding new geothermal infrastructure is land availability for drilling; “even though the land can become parking lots or athletic fields afterward, (the installation) still requires a lot of time, which could inconvenience campus operations.” Along with land availability, the existing underground infrastructure (pipes and utility lines) must be considered when planning to drill. Adding to this complexity is the fact that borehole heat exchangers cannot simply be located wherever it is easiest to drill. Engineers must determine the optimal flow rates of fluid in the geothermal loops to avoid wasting energy by designing an optimal spatial layout for the boreholes.

While many issues remain to consider, the installation of geothermal energy systems has become more economically feasible for the university. Andrew Stumpf, an Associate Quaternary Geologist with the Illinois State Geological Survey, postulates that the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act will “supercharge the campus” to increase geothermal energy use. “Previously, tax credits for geothermal energy were only available to entities that paid taxes,” which excluded universities, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, the university is now eligible for the 30% base credit to install geothermal energy, which significantly reduces the up-front costs of implementing a new geothermal system. The university is eligible for additional 10% bonus credits if domestic materials are used for its construction and if prevailing wage requirements are met.

Said Zhao: “Right now I don’t see any F&S proposals for new geothermal energy projects on campus, but I believe the (Student Sustainability Committee; SSC) would love to see projects like that.” SSC has contributed funds to many renewable energy projects, including Solar Farm 1.0 and the CIF geothermal system. Zhao encourages students to submit proposals for future geothermal projects.

The Illinois Geothermal Coalition (IGC) is another resource for those looking to implement geothermal energy on campus and beyond. The new coalition is a collaboration between the University of Illinois, corporations, nonprofits, and geothermal professionals. Stumpf, an IGC principal founder, said “our mission is to promote the wider adoption of geothermal energy in Illinois and the U.S. Midwest, which includes campus … (and) to provide expertise and information so that people can consider geothermal energy systems as an option.” With the creation of the IGC, Facilities & Services has access to experts from across the nation for advice on geothermal projects on campus.

With the success of the CIF geothermal system and the development of the IGC, the future of geothermal energy looks bright. Still, it is an oft-overlooked form of renewable energy by the public. The main components of a geothermal system are located underground, while solar panels and wind turbines can be spotted on rooftops and in fields. According to Stumpf, geothermal energy systems are more efficient than solar or wind energy because their performance is not dependent on weather conditions. An added benefit is that materials used for geothermal systems are primarily sourced domestically, while components of solar and wind installations are imported.

The lifespan of geothermal systems is impressive as well: “I don’t know of any systems that have totally been retired because the boreholes are expected to last for over 50 years,” Stumpf said. “Typically, the first equipment that needs to be replaced is the geothermal heat pump that is located in the buildings.” High-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes used for in the borehole heat exchangers are extremely durable and resistant to chemical degradation. Maintenance of a geothermal energy system is comparable to maintenance of a natural gas furnace for heating and an air conditioner for cooling, but geothermal heat pumps perform both heating and cooling functions.

The biggest challenge to adopting geothermal is the high upfront cost of installation, but both Zhao and Stumpf suggest there are ways to address the issue. “When installing single residential or building-by-building geothermal energy systems, the cost is great, but when these systems are upscaled to neighborhoods and multiple buildings, the economics behind are much better,” Stumpf said. He recalls a neighborhood in Austin, Texas, called “Whisper Valley” that does just that; each house has solar panels and is connected to a community geothermal energy system that provides the entirety of the heating and cooling. Along with the implementation of community energy systems, Zhao explains that expansion of existing geothermal systems by adding additional borehole heat exchangers is more practical and cost effective than creating new, separate systems. Ultimately, a “district-based” geothermal system is much easier to manage and maintain than many individual systems.

Don’t be surprised if you begin hearing more about geothermal projects on campus and in Illinois thanks to the work of the IGC and students like Zhao. The increased affordability of geothermal and accessibility of educational resources will boost awareness of this renewable energy source. This fall, the IGC plans to publish an interactive webpage to describe the potential of geothermal energy in Illinois and outline its environmental benefits and positive impacts on workforce training and economic development. Students interested in learning more about geothermal energy are encouraged to get in contact with the IGC.

— Article by Lucy Nifong, iSEE Communications Intern

Shifting to a More Sustainable Campus

Campus Bike Center Coordinator Jacob Benjamin at work. Credit: Gabe Lareau, iSEE Communications

There was really one way I could’ve gotten to the Campus Bike Center, literally and metaphorically. Time, the environment, my sanity, and a healthy dose of potential irony were at stake. I rode my bike.

The ride was easy. The Campus Bike Center is on Gregory Drive, sandwiched in between First and Oak streets, surrounded by roads with dedicated bike lanes for (mostly) safe passage — a rare commodity in the Quad Cities, where I hail from.

At the University of Illinois, however, providing safe cycle routes has been a mainstay of campus transportation for decades, and the Campus Bike Center reflects another shift toward sustainable transportation geared to bike repair and education. After locking up my steed at the Center — bike racks were appropriately legion — I was greeted by the Coordinator, Jacob Benjamin.

Evidenced by his lubricant-stained Illini-orange shirt, Benjamin is a lifelong cyclist. He started out as a volunteer and has held his current position managing the Center’s many operations since 2016.

Campus Bike Center employees are happy to teach members how to build and/or repair bikes.

Initially, the concept was to offer a bike-sharing program for the university and larger community. “They realized pretty quickly that that model puts a lot of strain on the maintenance side of things and keeping a bike operational,” Benjamin said. “It was a better model and idea to really create a space where people can learn to keep up their own bike.” This idea evolved into The Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign, a 501(c)(3) organization and the university’s collaborator in managing the Bike Center.

Originally starting out in a poorly ventilated, unmarked campus garage, the Center transferred over to Campus Recreation from Facilities & Services in 2018 and moved in 2020 to its current air-conditioned space at 51 E Gregory Drive in Champaign. Since then, the Bike Center has cemented itself as a university staple, serving “the community, students, faculty, staff — everybody who needs a bike fixed up and wants to learn how to do it themselves,” as Benjamin puts it.

The Bike Center has continued to grow in popularity. By Benjamin’s count, the Center sees 30 to 40 people a day this time of year. A few weeks ago, Benjamin said, “we were only open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and we had around 110-115 people in over those three days. Only being open four hours a day, that’s about 10 people an hour.”

With such a large influx, it’d be nearly impossible for Benjamin, the student staff, and the Center’s volunteers to manage every repair. That’s why the Campus Bike Center is education-focused.

Learning to fix a bike or putting one together through the Center’s Build-a-Bike program is accessible for a $30 membership fee or eight hours of volunteer service. All parts are provided, courtesy of the university, community donations, as well as the haplessly forgotten, easily salvageable cornucopia of bikes and partial bikes abandoned at the end of every spring semester.

In addition to helping cyclists become self-sufficient at caring for their bikes, the Bike Center is equally committed to its community service mission.

On Friday afternoons, the Center hosts community rides. Annual traditions include the popular “Light the Night” bike light giveaway as well as the winter Kids Bike Giveaway where “upwards of 80 bikes are given to kids, free of cost,” Benjamin said.

The case for bicycles as the most sustainable transportation option is almost inarguable. No emissions result from a bike’s locomotion and the little carbon that is expended in its actual production is offset immediately after its 430^th mile, according to Trek’s #GoByBike campaign. Any subsequent miles render your bicycle carbon negative. The Campus Bike Center, embodying this principle through its reuse and recycling of bicycle parts, makes it an exemplar of sustainability for campuses and communities nationwide.

The new Campus Bike Center building at 51 E. Gregory Drive, Champaign, has plenty of space.

Walking around the Center that morning, looking at all of the bikes lined up waiting to be fixed by those who will ride them, Benjamin directed my attention to a cluster of old, frameless wheels. He saw their potential as reusable, their jobs as unfinished.

That’s how the Bike Center takes sustainability a pedal stroke further. It finds value in every potentially recyclable part. It reminds us that teaching and serving others sustains sustainability. It serves as a living example of how we are capable — of fixing our bikes and much larger things.

As our time wrapped up, I took Benjamin outside to show him, in a moment of shameless pride, my green Fuji America that my dad and I built together. After talking about our various bike trips, Benjamin affirmed, almost under his breath, “Bikes can take you all over.”

Benjamin is right, literally and metaphorically. Commuting by car or on foot literally cannot compare to bike rides. But the Campus Bike Center is here to suggest a larger idea: that bikes have the ability to take us even further toward a service-oriented, more environmentally sustainable community.

— Article by Gabe Lareau, iSEE Communications Intern