The amount of talent and innovation that emanates from Champaign-Urbana
is astounding.
In the 1990s Champaign County defined itself as a
leader in the early advent of the Internet. Today our defining moment comes amidst a deep economic
crisis, ongoing and 
increasing environmental degradation
and continued erosion of the social systems that sustain us.
In response to these challenges, the community is coming together
in a partnership - CCNet.
Plans for 2012
With the new year will come changes to CCNet - come to our meeting meeting and give us your feedback! We're going to meet monthly at the same time and place and at each meeting we will learn about a specific topic, with time for discussion. Over time, we'll cover the range of sustainability topics. We'll host special events, as needed, on topics or at locations of interest to the group and community. Come learn more about us and about sustainability in our community.
Updated Name - We're still CCNet, but we'll refer to the updated full title "Champaign County Sustainability Network."
Location and Time - Regular meetings will be at noon on the 3rd Thursday of the month at the Natural Resources Building (615 E. Peabody, Champaign, IL 61820) on the U of I campus. Convenient metered parking is available!
Audience - Our goal is to include both the campus community, the business community and government representatives (e.g. city and county officials).
Topics - This Thursday group will cover a broad scope of topics under the sustainability umbrella: energy (renewables, conservation, green building), local food & farming, social justice and transportation.
Seeking additional leadership - Keeping the group running, moderating meetings, organizing events and promoting local news/events has been a team effort. It helps to have a few point people to keep us on track. We would appreciate interested persons in stepping forward to help organize and moderate future meetings/events.
Meeting Schedule:
For the most up to date information, please visit the CCNet calendar.
This group also has an online discussion. To join, please visit the Google Renewable Energy Group page.
CCNet will foster collaboration around leadership opportunities for Champaign County. The current topic that creates an opportunity for competitive differentiation is sustainability. This opportunity enables us to attract and retain innovative ideas, products and people, and it will attract external financial resources in the form of federal funds, research dollars and new corporate investments.
Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC)
SEDAC provides advice and analyses enabling private and public facilities in Illinois to increase their economic viability through the efficient use of energy resources. Learn more in this 2-minute CCNet video featuring Andy Robinson.
A local woman is helping rural communities in Haiti by using biofuels. Learn more in this video on in this 2-minute CCNet video withKathleen Robbins of Seeds for Self Sufficiency and and CU resident.