News

Erica Myers co-wrote this piece for Forbes Magazine on why energy efficiency programs sometimes underdeliver and how these programs can change for the better, saving money and effort. 

Erica says there are three main ways to improve energy efficiency programs: 

1. Conduct ongoing testing and analysis of real programs in action through randomized controlled trials.

2. Programs should choose what to install based on real-world energy data and realized program performance.

3. Ensure programs are properly installed by investing in training and pay for workers.

Read the details in the full article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ucenergy/2021/05/24/energy-efficiency-can-deliver-heres-how/

Illinois is undergoing a rapid change in weather patterns that already has started to transform the state. A major scientific assessment by The Nature Conservancy, in collaboration with experts at the University of Illinois and Northwestern University, foretells long-term, serious effects on cities and rural communities alike from climate change that include periods of extreme heat, increased precipitation and more intense storms, particularly if immediate actions aren’t taken to lessen the threat. 

On May 17, 2021, assessment lead authors summarized the report findings in a public webinar.  See the Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change in Illinois (chapter 4) for information on chapter to estimate the effect of projected climate change on corn and soybean yields in Illinois. 

For more information, contact Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at twford@illinois.edu. 

When the Trump administration repealed the Clean Power Plan (introduced during the Obama administration), it "imposed significant economic costs and environmental damages in the form of additional greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade", said Madhu Khanna. Madhu is the lead author on a new study that looks at how the CPP repeal impacted the global and US economies. See what Madhu had to say in a news story from Farmer's Advance/USA Today by clicking here.

Access the full research article.  

Khanna, M., Chen, X., Wang, W. & Oliver, A. (2021). "Repeal of the Clean Power Plan: Social Cost and Distributional Implications." American Journal of Agricultural Economics. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajae.12189

1) See the Survey of Cover Crop, Conservation Tillage and Nutrient Management Practice Usage in Illinois and 2020 Fall Covers for Spring Savings Crop Insurance Discount Program Participation  for insights into how and when farmers have incorporated these sustainable agriculture practices into their farms across Illinois. 

The survey shows that corn and soy farmers in Illinois are increasingly planting cover crops in between crop cycles and there is a higher number of farmers wanting to begin this practice as a strategy to restore and protect the health of their soils. The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy shows that cover cropping can be one of the most effective in-field strategies for reducing both nitrate-nitrogen and total phosphorus lost from corn-soybean fields. 

Congratulations to Catalina Herrera-Almanza for winning a seed grant from ACES International Programs! Catalina will use the grant to support research into “Obesity, Maternal and Infant Health in Mexico". 

The funding of the International Seed Grants program is made possible through support provided by the Arlys Conrad Endowment Fund, and the applications are reviewed by the College of ACES International Programs and Policy Committee. OIP issues requests for seed grant proposals once a semester.