Climate Cycle

About Us

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:20:01 -0600

Climate Cycle is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to reduce global warming and empower our youth to become leaders in an emerging green economy. We have many close partnerships we work with including Motorola Foundation, CPS (Chicago Public Schools), I.B.E.W. Local 134, and many other local Chicagoland based organizations to help foster proactive climate partnerships among local schools, government, green businesses and individuals. Click here for more details about Our Team

The Ride

Tue, 05 May 2009 21:56:18 -0600

Thank you Climate Cycle riders, donors, volunteers, sponsors and supporters! We finished our inaugural bike-a-thon and left with the knowledge that this is just the beginning of something special that will continue to grow in years to come. No words better summarize the day and its inspirational effects than those of Tracy Kwock, who organized a group of twenty-seven 2nd-4th grade riders from Polaris Charter Academy. This is what she had to say in a letter sent the day after the ride:

"I've never seen a group of prouder kids then when we returned! The kids actually choose to push themselves to go an additional mile and a half down the course because, "then more people will know what we're doing and think about why solar power is important." Of course, this made for a rather challenging return trip, but despite fatigue and the relentless head wind, every student completed the course. I think their endurance was summed up by Rose who, about a mile from the end, wiped out and landed smack in a mud puddle. When we asked Rose if she wanted to walk and cut across the hill to get back sooner said, "No! We have to finish together. This is too important not to finish.""

Again, we cannot thank you enough and we recognize that it is all of you that make what we do for the environment and the local Chicago school community possible. For more information about our Solar Schools Program visit The Schools page of our website.

Top Fundraisers

Mon, 04 May 2009 09:53:08 -0600

$2000 and Above
Charles Frank
Suzanne Malec-McKenna

$1500 - $1999
Hanh Pham
Seth Hostetler

$1000 - $1499
Michael Johnson
Alex Brown
David P O'Donnell
Karen Cooper
Sarah Wonnell
Beth Masterson

$500 - $999
Suzanne Carlson
Adam Heenan
Dave Norton
Josh Parker
Shane Crone
Sarah Schwartz
Kate Ervin
Jeff Kurt
Robert Schwalb
Emily Barton
Rebecca Ho
Sarah Lozanova
Christian Pillsbury
Debra Gamson
Kristina Shih
Brad Parker
David Feinstein
John White
Russell Hardin
Michele Ulbrich
Meghan Zefran
Michelle Fisher
Joshua Knight

The Schools

Fri, 01 May 2009 13:17:43 -0600

Did you know that Chicago schools spend more on energy than on textbooks and computers combined? Did you also know that buildings generate more carbon emissions than cars, trains and planes combined? We believe children are the future. They face the uphill challenge of dwindling financial resources in their schools as well as the inevitable challenge to combat global climate change. Through our Solar Schools Program we believe there is a tremendous opportunity to provide schools both immediate and long term solutions to these serious challenges by: 1. Absorbing the upfront cost of a solar energy system which results in decades of savings. 2. Providing important green education outreach to students in order to maximize the long term benefits of our initiatives. Imagine how an energy efficient school can be a model to students and the community by using solar power to cut operating costs and carbon emissions, while at the same time incorporating hands-on green education into its curriculum.

Volunteer

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:28:12 -0600

Thank You Climate Cycle Volunteers! A special thanks to all the volunteers who gave the gift of their time in helping make our inaugural bike-a-thon a success! Without the strong network of volunteers, whom there are too many to name here, the organic nature of Climate Cycle's seeds would never have been planted in the community and taken root in providing schools with solar energy and green education as well as outreach. As we wind down from our bike-a-thon we are still always looking for volunteer help. If you are interested in lending a hand, please contact info@climatecycle.org specifying your areas of interest, availability and contact information. We look forward to working with you!

Donate

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:35:42 -0600

Last year, Chicago schools spent more on energy costs than on textbooks or computers. Please help us free up more resources for education, while strengthening climate change awareness in academic learning. Your contribution will be supporting local schools in the Chicago region by: 1. Providing an environmentally sound solution to a school's energy needs by installing a solar energy system. This creates a reduction in both the school's carbon emissions and energy costs in an era of dwindling and costly fossil fuel. 2. Providing students with first hand experiential education on energy conservation and sustainable energy technologies. The student education programs are especially engaging because the solar technology they are learning about is installed on their school's rooftop.

Programs

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:35:39 -0600

Climate Cycle partners with Chicago and local Chicago area public schools in providing solar energy systems for their facilities and green education outreach. If interested please feel free to email us at info@climatecycle.org, sign up for Climate Cycle's newsletter at the upper right corner of our website, as well as download our Solar Schools Application. All local public schools are eligible to apply. Schools will be selected based on three main criteria: 1. How effectively a school can demonstrate that the solar panel systems will be incorporated into classroom and/or extra-curricular activities. 2. The level of support a school has offered to our events; for example, providing volunteers and/or participants. 3. A school's willingness to share best practices with future solar school recipients. Click the application link below for an Adobe downloadable application: Solar Schools Application All purchase and installation costs will be covered by money raised through participant pledges and matching grants. Schools will not be asked to pay any of the purchase or installation price. For more information on state grant, rebate and foundation information go to http://dsireusa.org for the 3 programs:

The Cause

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:35:36 -0600

Global warming caused by global CO2 emissions is one of the most urgent issues facing humanity. Global CO2 emissions reached 6.5 billion tons in 2000, with 75% being caused by the combustion of fossil fuels. We are the cause of global warming; but also possess the tools and ingenuity to combat it. Did you know that buildings contribute more CO2 emissions than cars? For this reason, solar energy systems can dramatically reduce the release of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide that are byproducts of energy use. For example, a 15-panel solar hot water system can prevent 15 tons of CO2 emissions every year. Most solar energy systems are designed to last more than 30 years, thus the CO2 emission savings over the life of this system is easily 450 tons. While solar energy is a solution to environmental issues that threaten our planet, it also provides additional benefits that are more visible and practical in our local communities, expanding well beyond the walls of the building. Conserving tax money, keeping energy dollars close to home and making Chicagoland a model for renewable energy education are just a few of the benefits of installing solar energy systems in our schools. Illinois imports tens of billions of dollars in energy each year. Our Solar Schools Program utilizes local solar contractors and U.S. manufactured equipment whenever possible, helping to strengthen the local economy.

Register

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:35:34 -0600

Registration for our inaugural May 9th 2009 bike-a-thon is now closed. We are excited to announce that as a result of your efforts, we have raised over $65,000! This has helped achieve our goal of welcoming six Chicago public schools to our Solar Schools Program within a year. It has also energized and inspired us to raise the bar even higher, changing our goals; we're aiming to reach a fundraising total of $75,000+, so please consider helping with our post-ride pledge drive. Thank you again; this would not be possible without you! Please visit The Ride page on our website for more details, stories and news about our inaugural bike-a-thon. Don't forget we are also currently in the planning stages for the 2010 bike-a-thon so please stay tuned!

Our Team

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:34:46 -0600

Luz Agudelo - Video Production Luz Agudelo is a graduate of Columbia College in Chicago and has worked for several years in Chicago's active independent film industry. A number of the short narratives she has produced have been screened at film festivals worldwide. Most recently she screened The Verve at the Midwest Independent Film Festival. In 2008 Ms. Agudelo had the privilege of working as an Associate Producer at AKPD Message and Media, President Barack Obama's leading media firm. She is currently working with Anya Traisman of Natropolis on video content aimed at creating awareness for a more sustainable living. Nick Aster - Media Architect & Web Builder Nick Aster is a new media architect specializing in using online technology to advance conversations on sustainability. He has worked with companies like Nike, SAP, Gawker Media, Offermatica, and many others on internal and external strategies for communication, and is also a founding team member of TreeHugger.com, the most popular environmental website in the world. Currently, Nick runs the Green Business website TriplePundit.com to promote sustainable business and works for Mother Jones magazine. Nick holds an MBA in Sustainable Management from the Presidio School of Management and graduated with a BA in History from Washington University in St. Louis. Ethan Austin - Fundraising Coordinator Ethan Austin is the Co-founder of GiveForward.org, a website that provides individuals with personal fundraising pages to raise money online for the causes and organizations they care about. When he manages to step away from the GiveForward office, Ethan can likely be found scouring the aisles of Trader Joe's or training for marathons in a banana costume. David Curtis - Treasurer David brings over 25 years of experience in consulting and professional services management to Climate Cycle. Most recently, David served as a management consultant where he acted in key leadership roles for several health care companies. David has sold and delivered solutions that exceeded 100 million dollars in the pharmaceutical, utilities, telecom and banking industries. As a VP at Oracle, he was instrumental in converting client specific solutions into products, specifically in the area of banking and telecom. He also created and implemented Oracle's worldwide professional services method for delivering on all types of engagements. As an Executive Vice President at march FIRST (formally USWeb/CKS), David managed both internal and customer facing organizations. Abigail Dean - Designer Abigail Dean is a graphic designer residing in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood. Abigail's passion for environmental causes aligned her with Climate Cycle in the early stages of its development. With 10 years of commercial print and multimedia design experience, Abigail's diverse list of clients include: national trade associations, local rock bands, corporate coaches, business consulting firms, industrial manufacturers and energy transmission companies. Abigail brings to the table extraordinary enthusiasm for Climate Cycle, a welcome journey into a greener realm of design, which is very close to her heart. Joey Feinstein - Executive Director Joey had given little thought to climate change until he met a small town North Dakota farmer during a cross-country bicycle trip in 2000. This farmer shared his deep concerns about the shifts he was seeing in weather and this conversation changed Joey's life. The following spring, Joey graduated from the University of Illinois in Chicago with a BA in Sociology and began teaching in his hometown of Evanston, IL at Rice Children's Center. More than 80% of all children attending this school were wards of the state and lived in a residential facility attached to the school. Despite the severe personal challenges these children faced, Joey could never shake the nagging feeling that these kids were learning little about the global challenges that would ultimately affect them in the future. After graduating from the Presidio School of Management with an MBA in Sustainable Management in 2007, he founded Climate Cycle. Jake Fray - Web Coordinator Jake has been an Evanston, IL resident since 1999. He is an independent insurance catastrophe adjuster and travels to the front line of weather related disasters such as wildfires, tornadoes and hurricanes to assess the damage. He is a transplant, originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and a graduate from the University of Oregon. While working as a catastrophe adjuster he has coordinated several side projects to get businesses to utilize more environmentally sound practices such as moving toward flex fuel vehicles and large-scale office waste reduction and recycling programs. In 2005 he worked in Hurricane Katrina and Rita's aftermath throughout Louisiana and Texas seeing the destruction and turmoil first hand. While aiding residents in rebuilding their lives along the Gulf Coast he developed a passion for fighting climate change and a dedication to getting the public as involved and aware as possible to the climate crisis. Cassie Freeman - Director of School Outreach Cassie Freeman is a researcher at the University of Chicago's Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education. While researching learning in non-human primates she developed a more global appreciation for habitat destruction and climate change. This appreciation became a call to action when she worked with students in New York City's Harlem and Washington Heights neighborhoods, where few children are given the opportunity to learn about environmental issues. Now that she lives in Chicago, she is dedicated to developing actionable awareness about the environment, especially in children. She holds bachelors degrees in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology and Educational Studies from Emory University and a master's in Educational Leadership from Columbia University's Teacher's College. Sarah Lozonova - Editor After earning an MBA in Sustainable Management from the Presidio School of Management in San Francisco, Sarah Lozanova joined Solar Service Inc. as the director of marketing and public relations. She is a writer for Green Options Media and co-founder of Trees Across the Miles, a non-profit urban reforestation project. Hanh Pham - Director of Creative Greening Hanh Pham is passionate about waste reduction and inspiring people to rethink what they throw away. Hanh's enthused about giving trash a second chance and has done street performances that bring beauty to waste. She has "greened" conferences, where 1,100 lbs of food waste was diverted from the landfill, and festivals, where the waste diversion rate was over 90%. Hanh has an MBA in Sustainable Management from the Presidio School of Management and works for the Chicago Department of Environment as their first green business projects coordinator. Marise Robbins-Forbes - Director of Sponsorship Marise is currently a freelance event planner/fundraising consultant. She has lived in Illinois for the past 12 years, currently residing in Decatur. With 19 years of experience working for diverse clients including Fortune 500 companies, universities and nonprofits, she brings her professional fundraising experience along with a long-held passion for the environment to Climate Cycle. Over the past three years she created a ride called Rolling on the River from the ground up. With the backing of the Lumpkin Family Foundation and Grand Victoria Foundation this ride for the environment raised funds for three statewide charities (Prairie Rivers Network, Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund and Stewardship Alliance). Rolling on the River quickly became known for its high level of participant support and beautiful route, growing 200% in just three years and advertised to more than 3 million households. Although she holds three degrees in the sciences and spent her early years as a field biologist in the wilds of the Adirondacks and Florida swamps, she discovered through her work with Rolling on the River a love of event planning and a talent for partnership development. With her event on hold until 2010, she is pouring her passions into growing Climate Cycle. She encourages all the cyclists, sponsors and volunteers from Rolling on the River to join her in supporting Climate Cycle in 2009. Lisa Brin Spewak - Children's Event Coordinator Lisa Brin Spewak has been a teacher of early childhood for 16 years. She is also the director of the Jewish Council for Youth Services (JCYS) Sunflower Day Camp in Highland Park, a northern suburb of Chicago. Lisa is interested in bringing the great big ideas of renewable energy to small children in order to help them understand they can be an active part of a global solution. She continues to seek innovative ways for children to be active partners in changing our climate for the better. Anya Traisman - Video Director Anya Traisman's educational background is in environmental studies, multimedia journalism, media management and marketing. She is the owner of Natropolis, a consulting and media company that focuses on sustainability. As the photo editor for the Planet Magazine, Anya was given the opportunity to follow her passion for the great-outdoors and photojournalism. As a freelance photojournalist at the Bellingham Herald, she learned alongside Pulitzer Prize winning and nationally recognized photographers. The editors of America 24/7, DK Publishing, recognized Anya as one of the top student photographers in the nation, publishing her most notable photograph in a double-page spread, hardbound book. Contributing to her outlook, Anya is an international and wilderness backpacker, long-distance backpacker, and has owned a Mercedes Benz that ran on vegetable oil. She believes in thinking big and the pursuit of daily happiness. Jimmy Watkins - Designer Jimmy is a graphic designer who holds a BA in Advertising from Michigan State University, and he currently works for both Murdoch Marketing in Lansing, MI and Cramer-Krasselt and Hoffman York in Chicago. His career path runs from Michigan to Chicago and back. Advisory Council Suzanne Carlson Suzanne Carlson is environmental program manager in the Office of CEO Arne Duncan for Chicago Public Schools (CPS). She was brought on in May 2007 to help meet the Mayor's vision to make Chicago an environmentally friendly city and CPS an environmentally friendly school district. She has worked on transportation, climate change and energy policy in Chicago and Seattle. Previously, she served as founding executive director of a community bike shop in Seattle. Suzanne has a Masters in Public Administration. Rob Eiseman Rob's broad-based public relations experience spans more than 20 years. Prior to opening Eiseman Associates, he worked with a variety of public relations agencies, as well as broadcast and association groups. He served as creative director for Dome Communications, earning creative agency of the year honors in 2000. Rob has also served as vice president at Selz/Seabolt, Ketchum Public Relations (Chicago) and Laughlin/Constable Public Relations (Milwaukee). He spent the early part of his career as director of communications for the National Roofing Contractors Association, and as promotions director for WBEZ-FM Radio. Rob has worked with a variety of nationally-recognized clients, developing award-winning campaigns for Wendy's, Harley-Davidson, Bombardier (Ski-Doo/Sea-Doo recreational products), Jim Beam Brands, Encyclopedia Britannica, Motorola, ConAgra, Disney Regional Entertainment, ESPN Zone, Sara Lee, Sargento Cheese Company, Fannie May, Mayflower, the American Iron and Steel Institute and many others. Sarah Elizabeth Ippel Sarah Elizabeth Ippel is the founder and executive director of the Academy for Global Citizenship, a new Chicago Public Elementary Contract School that opened on August 18th, 2008, on the city's Southwest side. AGC's mission is to empower children to become active global citizens by positively impacting their community and the world beyond. Throughout her career, Sarah Elizabeth has traveled to 64 different countries across 6 continents, extensively examining educational philosophies and world languages as well as creating international alliances that have contributed to the design and culture of the Academy for Global Citizenship. In addition to studying the application of the International Baccalaureate approach in various cultural contexts across the globe, her most recent initiatives have been the development and implementation of globally cooperative literacy programs for orphan children in northern Tanzania. As current vice president of education on the governing board of the United Nations Association, Sarah Elizabeth is committed to fostering implementation of The Growing Connection, a globally collaborative organic gardening initiative established to cross-culturally connect children and educators. She also serves on the United States Green Building Council Green Schools Advocacy Committee for the Chicago Chapter, Chicago Public Schools Environmental Action Plan Taskforce, and the Steering Committee for Climate Cycle. Sarah Elizabeth's additional leadership and civic contributions have included executive board memberships with Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Art Institute of Chicago. Hunter Lovins Hunter Lovins is president and founder of the Natural Capitalism Solutions (NCS). (www.natcapsolutions.org) NCS educates senior decision-makers in business, government and civil society to restore and enhance the natural and human capital while increasing prosperity and quality of life. Trained as a sociologist and lawyer (JD), Hunter co- founded the California Conservation Project (Tree People), and Rocky Mountain Institute, which she led for 20 years. Lovins has consulted for scores of industries and governments worldwide, including the International Finance Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell, Interface, Clif Bar and Wal-Mart. Governmental clients include the Pentagon, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy and the governments of Jamaica and Australia. She also serves as an advisor to the Energy Minister of the Government of Afghanistan. Michael Orlove Michael is a senior program director for the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. He joined the Department of Cultural Affairs in 1993 as an intern in the Public Programming Division assisting on a number of performing arts series at the Chicago Cultural Center. Over the years, Michael has worked at transforming the Chicago Cultural Center into a prime venue for a variety of musical forms including jazz, blues, folk and world music. Additionally, he created two summer festivals that have become staples in the Chicago summer festival season. Chicago SummerDance, an 11-week outdoor dance/concert series (now in its 12th season) and World Music Festival: Chicago, a multi-day festival highlighting both traditional and contemporary music from around the world in a variety of venues throughout Chicago (now in its 10th season). In 2004, Michael was instrumental in organizing the opening weekend events at the new Millennium Park in downtown Chicago and is now responsible for programming a majority of the non-classical events including a series of jazz, world music and rock concerts this season. Currently, Michael serves as senior program director for the Department of Cultural Affairs and collaborates with many additional city agencies including the Mayor's Office of Special Events, Chicago Office of Tourism and the Chicago Park District on a variety of seasonal events. He was selected as one of the "Chicagoans of the Year" by the Chicago Tribune in 1999. Richard Ross Richard Ross is an award winning marketing and strategy professional with over 18 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods and technology sectors working for and consulting with start-ups, small entrepreneurial firms and Fortune 500 firms such as The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods and Intel Corporation. Over the course of his career he has launched or helped launch an IT consulting firm, a promotional goods company, an internet startup and most recently various sustainability-related businesses and organizations. His areas of expertise are branding, positioning, new product and small business development, communications, consumer insights and multicultural and grassroots marketing. He often presents at industry conferences and has written for and is often quoted in trade magazines. He holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Michigan and a BS in Biology from Emory University. He sits on the advisory boards of Climate Cycle and Steppin Out Adventures, serves as the Chicago city ambassador for The Couchsurfing Project and volunteers with a variety of other organizations including the Notebaert Nature Museum, Junior Achievement and the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center. He is an active member of the Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance and Net Impact Chicago. His passions include adventure travel (which has taken him to nearly 50 countries on 5 continents and 48 U.S. states), sustainability, hiking, art, education and photography. Jason Smith Jason Smith is the vice president of key accounts for ClimateCHECK, a greenhouse gas (GHG) management services and solutions provider. In this role, he manages the company's marketing strategies and customer relations, as well as its operations in the U.S. Prior to ClimateCHECK, Jason was the founder and executive director for LiveNeutral, a non-profit organization (where he currently serves as board chair) that is centered on educating individuals and companies on how to reduce their carbon emissions. During his tenure at LiveNeutral, Jason helped facilitate numerous CO2 offset and climate change education initiatives at major organizations, such as TransGroup Worldwide Logistics, American Electric Power, Williams-Sonoma and DuPont. Jason earned an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio School of Management and a bachelor's degree in Ethics and Religion at the University of Oklahoma, where he focused his studies on environmental ethics and economics.

Installations

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:28:18 -0600

Climate Cycle celebrated its landmark solar installation on Tuesday April 14th at Perspectives/IIT Math and Science Academy. Joey Feinstein, Climate Cycle Executive Director, Eileen Sweeney, Motorola Foundation Executive Director, Suzanne Carlson, Chicago Public School's Sustainability Project Manager, Richard Rioux, I.B.E.W. Local 134 electrician's union President and Mary Cummane, Perspectives/IIT Math and Science Principal each addressed the students and rejoiced in the victory of a future with greener and cleaner schools.

Through a generous grant from the Motorola Foundation, six solar panels were installed, completed and operational on April 12. Through a coordinated effort from our Motorola grant and I.B.E.W. Local 134 electrician's union who generously donated their labor our inaugural solar panel installation was completed six months prior to our original targeted installation date! This is a true testament to what a community based operation like Climate Cycle can do.

Why Solar In Schools?

Fri, 16 May 2008 20:22:04 -0600

The benefits expand when schools go solar and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. The educational value of hands-on learning is priceless and an on-site solar energy system offers students the opportunity to learn from a real world application. Climate Cycle helps prepare children for responding to climate change by educating them about solutions; both with solar energy systems in schools and with climate change curriculum. This empowers children to be better stewards of the earth and provides knowledge that can be useful in a changing job market. Schools are in the unique position to take advantage of many government grant opportunities and Climate Cycle helps with this process. Donations to Climate Cycle go a long way because of the significant grant resources available. In some cases, grants will pay up to 90% of the cost of a solar energy system. The money saved from solar energy systems is then freed up for other purposes. For instance, many people do not know that Chicago schools spend more on energy than on textbooks and computers? Utilizing solar energy can help reverse this, while using a local energy source. Why import energy when free energy falls on roofs every day? One solar school at a time, Climate Cycle is preparing children for a cleaner future.

Calendar

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:34:29 -0600

JUNE 2009

6.19.09

Polaris Charter Acadamy (3pm-5pm)

Climate Cycle will be at Polaris Charter Academy this Friday to celebrate their Solar Research Project. Please join us in the celebration. Click on the link below for more information.

Celebration of Learning.doc

6.11.09

Green Room Session at Uncommon Ground (6pm-8pm)

Uncommon Ground and the "Tree-Tini" are proud to sponsor the Green Room Sessions; a FREE monthly eco-awareness series featuring local environmental organizations along with live music and FREE appetizers featuring the product of a local farmer or producer prepared by uncommon ground's Executive Chef Brian Millman.

Fundraising Prizes

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:32:39 -0600

Verdessence, REI and Chipotle have generously provided prizes for the May 9th bike-a-thon. The Top Individual Fundraisers Can Choose One of the Following Until All Have Been Awarded: * Solar Powered Satchel from Verdessence * Solar Powered Tote from Verdessence * Free Burritos for a Year at Chipotle (52 free burrito cards - one free burrito, bowl, salad or tacos each week for a year) * A Weekend at a Hotel in Downtown Chicago with Complimentary Massage *12 Boxes of Clif Bars (12 Clif Bars Per Box in a Variety of Flavors - 144 total Clif Bars in One Lump Shipment) Team With Most Members Will Win: * A Burrito Party at Chipotle Top Fundraising Team Will Win: * Free Burritos for a Year from Chipotle (52 free burrito cards - one free burrito, bowl, salad, or tacos each week for a year among your team) First 30 Participants to Raise $500: * Bike Handlebar Bag from REI