Panel explores importance of renewable energy

Environment Illinois and EcoCampus, a UIC student organization, worked together to create a panel to educate the community on the importance of renewable energy.

Environment Illinois is running a campaign to ask campuses to commit to using 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. It’s an important step in working to stop climate change and involving universities.

“Universities are vital in this process as they are already a hub of innovation and research. We are very impressed with the work that UIC has already done and will continue to support them in their efforts.” said Lianne May, the Environment Illinois campaign organizer.  The campaign is harnessing the power of faculty, staff, students and the student government in at UIC and the Urbana-Champaign campus.

EcoCampus is UIC’s student environmental group, which aims to lead and bring green energy to campus.

“The environmental crisis is a global problem, but if we all take responsibility for our actions, we can save the world,” said Kady Lam, EcoCampus president. “I hope this event motivated more students to take action; every step counts.”

May, with student interns, Olivia Hutto and Juri Taylor-Foster, moderated the panel. Cynthia Klein-Banai, UIC’s associate chancellor for sustainability at UIC; Gustavo Sandoval of the UIC Solar Working Group; Jan Gudell from Elevate Energy; and Kyra Woods of the Sierra Club spoke on the panel.

This panel event allowed student to ask questions and learn from the efforts at UIC and in Chicago.

“This event hopefully inspired more students and community members to take action against climate change and gave them so concrete tools on how to do this,” May said. “Panels like these serve to bring everyone together against a common problem.”