Sustainability Stories

Wei Zheng (orange shirt) and Rabin Bhattarai (left of poster) speak about biochar at a field day. Photo courtesy of Illinois Extension.

UIUC researchers reducing pollution, increasing nutrients in fields and waterways

Nov 18, 2024 10:15 am

Researchers at Illinois Extension are working to create a sustainable and budget-friendly solution to water runoff that contains high amounts of phosphorus. The goal of this field study is to figure out if farmers could prevent excess phosphorus in downstream waterways, and also recycle that phosphorus as a slow-release fertilizer in a cost-effective way.

A CROCUS sensor node tower collects climate and air quality data at the UIC Plant Research Laboratory. (Photo: Martin Hernandez/UIC)

UIC's CROCUS project empowers communities facing effects of climate change

Nov 11, 2024 10:00 am

The Community Research on Climate and Urban Science project, or CROCUS, deploys advanced sensors around Chicago to study the influence of trees and skyscrapers on the city's climate and then meets with communities to understand their most urgent problems and questions.

Madhu Khanna, Director, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy & Environment

A conversation with Madhu Khanna, director of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)

Nov 5, 2024 12:00 pm

Topics include creating a circular bioeconomy, research about corporate social responsibility, and the impact that digital technology has had on central Illinois farms and farmers.

the Urbana-Champaign Quad as seen from the air

UIUC's iSEE lands $10M donation for climate-smart bioeconomy center

Oct 21, 2024 4:30 pm

The Levenick Center for a Climate-Smart Circular Bioeconomy, named after donors Stuart and Nancy Levenick, will aim to reduce the use of fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals in food production and processes in favor of technological and biological solutions to restore and regenerate natural systems.

assorted batteries in a disorganized pile

UIC joins Dept. of Energy initiative to design next-gen batteries

Sep 30, 2024 1:00 pm

The University of Illinois Chicago will join a new Department of Energy initiative uniting researchers from three national laboratories and 12 universities to pursue cleaner, safer and longer-lasting battery technologies. The collaboration will explore the scientific foundations in electrochemistry and materials science that enable breakthroughs in energy storage.

Subdued illustration of vehicles on highway system

International partnership fuels transportation equity, EV buy-in

Sep 30, 2024 1:00 pm

Leading the way in addressing climate challenges, the U of I System ensures faculty and students experience international collaborations to help better society while also creating a globally focused workforce.

UIUC to show Skokie businesses better environmental practices

Sep 23, 2024 4:30 pm

Skokie businesses are getting the benefit of some advice from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on how to make their businesses more environmentally friendly, thanks to a partnership between the village of Skokie and the university.

Researchers, from left, agricultural and consumer economics professor Madhu Khanna, civil and environmental engineering professor Jeremy Guest, crop sciences professor DoKyoung Lee and their colleagues weighed the many factors that go into selecting a biofuels feedstock to supply aviation fuel and meet various environmental, land-use and policy related goals. Photo by Michelle Hassel

UIUC study identifies best bioenergy crops for sustainable aviation fuels by U.S. region

Jul 29, 2024 4:30 pm

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers analyzed the financial and environmental costs and benefits of four biofuels crops used to produce sustainable aviation fuels in the U.S. They found that each feedstock — corn stover, energy sorghum, miscanthus or switchgrass — performed best in a specific region of the rainfed United States.

PRI-managed $80M carbon capture project expected to boost economy, jobs

Jul 18, 2024 2:30 pm

Springfield is getting close to having one of the largest carbon capture pilot programs in the world. The $80 million project is being managed by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Prairie Research Institute.

an aerial picture of buildings in Singapore

UIUC announces establishment of new precision fermentation center in Singapore

Jul 18, 2024 2:30 pm

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has announced the establishment of a new precision fermentation center in Singapore, named the Centre for Precision Fermentation and Sustainability (PreFerS). The five-year, $14.8 million grant came from Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF). PreFerS is also supported by the University of Illinois’s Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment (iSEE) and various stakeholders who facilitated the proposal development.

Associate Professor Meenesh Singh, right, and postdoctoral researcher Rohit Chauhan work in Singh’s laboratory at the University of Illinois Chicago. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/ UIC)

UIC team develops hydrogen production method using solar, agri-waste

Jul 18, 2024 2:15 pm

The method reduces the energy needed to extract hydrogen from water by 600%, creating new opportunities for sustainable, climate-friendly chemical production. It uses a carbon-rich substance called biochar to decrease the amount of electricity needed to convert water to hydrogen.

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