Completed Projects

These projects have been completed and are no longer being directly funded by TGIF.

Biofuel Technologies Club: Algae Solar Panel Project

Project Description

The Biofuels Technology Club (BTC) is a College of Chemistry club, whose committed mission is to achieve a zero-waste campus. By making biodiesel from waste cooking oil in the campus dining halls, the club has the goal of eventually powering campus fleets. Though CalDining continues to provide an excellent source of oil for feedstock, we have launched an experimental team to look into other potential sources if increased scale is needed. One key area of exploration is microalgae; as it produces lipid content, accumulates in biomass rapidly, and requires low-...

Greening Kroeber Art Studios and Bathrooms

Project Description

Develop a design/marketing campaign to create awareness in Kroeber Hall about sustainability.

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Project Application

Project Poster

Climate Break II

Project Description

CLEE created Climate Break as a means to discuss climate change with a wider audience in a different way than the typical focus on the inevitable negative impacts coming our way. Climate Break instead focuses on solutions in progress, via bite-sized audio clips of 90 seconds that fit as interstitial segments on radio stations nationwide and as easily distributed digital podcasts. With the experience of creating the clips, longer podcasts, and web material, and having experimented with the form, we now seek to apply lessons learned, add short video clips, and...

Reduction in Chemical Use at the UC Botanical Gardens

Project Description

Establish a compost tea brewing and application program as part of a pest management program.

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Project Application

Project Poster

Kingman Hall Creek Restoration

Kingman Hall and the Berkeley Student Cooperatives are seeking funding to restore the riparian cooridor within their house footprint. The upper portion of Strawberry Creek flows through Kingman Hall and there is a current creek bed failure that needs to be addressed. Funding would be used to hire two student leads, cover supplies of new plants and equipment, and the removal of trees to open up the canopy.

Haas Hives Part 2

Haas School of Business is seeking funds to expand their current Hives at Haas mini-grant to build beehives at a new site, after using mini-grant funds to assess feasibility, conduct risk assessments, and obtain necessary campus approvals. The hives would be an educational hub for food and ecology groups on campus, would inlude an educational component, and create signage to connect the new hive location with the existing Haas pollinator garden.

Fellowship for Emerging Sustainability Professionals

The Office of Sustainability sought funds to employ student sustainability leaders to support its efforts to address changes to the UC Sustainable Practices Policy and inform the evolution and implementation of the UC Berkeley Sustainability Plan. OS employed five undergraduate fellows to work within the realms of Communications, Climate Action, and Zero Waste.

UC Gill Tract Community Farm Student Compost Internship and Research

This project seeks to support the expansion of an ongoing SPUR program to facilitate the implementation of a municipal composting system within the Gill Tract. Funds would go to the hiring of graduate student coordinators, travel stipends for interns, and compensation for interviews conducted in the evaluation of the composting system. The Gill Tract hopes that the establishment of this composting system will support student education and the propogation of systems through the SOGA community and beyond.

Vertical Farming at Berkeley Engineering and Organic Research and Development

Vertical Farming at Berkeley, a student nonprofit group, seeks funding to support their research into vertical farming setups. Part of their work involves outreach and education to local schools, as well as donation or sale of produce to the Berkeley Food Pantry and/or Cal Dining

ASUC Sustainable Campus Food System Designathon

Project Description

This designathon aims to empower students to share their voices on decisions about the campus food system, because it should be catered to their needs and values. The Pour Out Pepsi campaign pressures the UC Berkeley administration to end the exclusive pouring rights contract with PepsiCo due to its unsustainable and inequitable practices. There are currently discussions in the UCOP about establishing a UC system-wide exclusive pouring rights contract, likely with PepsiCo or Coca-Cola, demonstrating that they value profit over students. The food and beverage...