Download - Final White Paper Project
-
An Analysis of the Progress and Impact of the Green
Movement at USFSP
ENC 3250 Professional Writing
Michelle Sonnenberg Dr. Francis Tobienne Jr.
Sarah Smith University of South Florida, St. Petersburg
Ashlyn Surulall 140 Seventh Ave. South St. Petersburg, FL
Rendy Suryo Ridaliya Sitdikova
June 19th, 2015
-
USFSP makes the grass
greener at home! The mission of the University of
South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP) is
to inspire scholars to lead lives of impact. Part of the way USFSP strives to accomplish this mission is by
encouraging lessons, leadership, and
participation in the Green Movement.
Focusing on student success driven by
interactions with faculty, administration,
and the community, USFSP steps out in
partnership with a diverse student body to
spearhead initiatives on campus and in
the community that inspire action and
change.
USFSP has a lot to be proud of in
respect to the environmental movement.
The construction of two Gold Certified
LEED buildings that host classrooms and
major university events, the installation
of four electric car charging stations, a
new solar array built in partnership with
Duke Energy, and many other
accomplishments speak to the dedication
this institution has in forging pathways to
a sustainable future. These initiatives
hinge on three important components,
student driven projects, faculty and
administrative support, and bridge
building to the community and beyond.
The Green movement starts with
small, individual actions. These actions
grow into sweeping changes that inspire
others to live in a way that honors their
respect for the environment. Actions do
indeed speak louder than words. Here on
the beautiful USFSP campus, actions are
changing the future.
-
Vision 20/20 is USFSPs strategic plan for the future. It focuses on identity,
success, and culture as paradigms for
creating positive growth. One core value
the university gives in the strategic plan
is care for the natural environment.
Students, faculty, and administration are
stewards that celebrate our organic connection to the waterfront and
cityscape. This connection extends beyond the immediate community of St.
Petersburg into the world at large through
scholarship, character, and experience
carried by the actions of our diverse
student population to the global stage.
Beyond a statement on core
values on care for natural environment, USFSP has taken many measures to deal
with global climate change. USFSP
encourages partnership as a means to
grow the green movement through
various organizations, such as Student
Government (SG), the Student
Government Green Energy Fund (SGEF),
and the Office of Sustainability, as well
as through partnerships with the
community at large. Duke Energy,
Nissan, and collaborative relationships
with the City of St. Petersburg highlight
the willingness of the leaders of USFSP
in building green bridges toward the
future through active relationship.
There are, however, bumps in the
road. The vacancy of the Sustainability
Coordinator position at USFSP
strengthened the need to conduct further
analysis on USFSPs dedication to green initiatives. The green movement is
student driven at the grassroots level and
funded at the administrative level.
Channeling student voices and building
healthy communication between the
-
administration, faculty, and student body
will strengthen initiatives and programs
as Bulls work to create a greener, cleaner
tomorrow. Strengthening the universitys connection with the community will give
steady footing to future endeavors,
allowing initiatives to spread out, take on
a life of their own, and inspire others to
live for a sustainable tomorrow.
The Student Green Energy Fund
is a statewide legislated program in
Floridas public university system. Since its inception in 2007, the program has
been funded by a small fee ($1.00 per
credit hour at USFSP) tacked on to tuition
cost. The program is guaranteed funding
as long as students back it. Students have
the right to change or eliminate the fee
every three years via referendum. The
results of referendums yield mandates.
Clearly, the student body at USFSP
supports a green future. The fee stands,
and the programs they have begun are
making a world of difference. Here are
the highlights:
Each semester projects are
formalized and presented to a committee
for approval to begin green initiatives around USFSP to better accommodate the
campus community. In the spring of 2012
the first project that took place was
installing the Solar Docks by the
waterfront of the beautiful USFSP
campus. The picnic tables have solar
powered electrical outlets which provide
power for students who study outside.
They also have lighting for night time
study sessions. The Solstice Pole, which
sends additional power to the tables, is
outside of the SGA building and is
powered from the sun. A 2013 hybrid
truck was purchased for the waterfront
staff to transport students back and forth
to events and has reduced costs over 4000
dollars a year! The campus fitness center
has a cardio loft that has energy
preserving equipment and reuses human
energy that is put back into the building
and has gone through a few phases of
improving. In the fall of 2012 the first
floor of the parking garage underwent a
LED light renovation. According to the
sustainability section on our school
website, by changing out these bulbs it
saved enough energy to light 6 average
size American homes. As the months
past, the parking garages light bulbs had been all replaced and is saving energy as
we speak!
Currently, this past semester in
RHO, (Residential Hall One) a bottle
refill station by Elkay EZH2O. What is
so special about this water station is that
it essentially is preventing the use of
plastic bottles and counts how many
bottles are saved. There is a timer for
water running, LCD lighting for the
screen, a large filtration system and has a
non-touch sensor. A new soccer field was
just build in partnership with the Saint
Petersburg Rowdies soccer team. Project
investigator, Mike Leggett is wanting to
install LED lighting to the new field
because of it saving major energy costs.
These projects and initiatives are
improving the lives of students,
benefitting the environment, creating
green jobs, and saving the university
-
money. SGEF moves USFSP to the
forefront of the green movement with
student led initiatives. The LED-lighting
project for USFSP Soccer field is
estimated to cost approximately
$153,000. This investment will help
USFSP to increase annual energy savings
up to 9,000 KW, or the equivalent of
$2,000 annually. Since the money for the
project comes from mainly SGEF
funding, savings go straight to the bottom
line for the university. These green
initiatives led by SGEF can also improve
the relationship between campus and
campus community around by setting an
example for stewardship and
environmental commitment.
Recycling Bins:
In the spring of 2013, SGEF
spearheaded a project to place 20
recycling receptacles around campus for
plastic and aluminum that were coupled
with regular trash cans. These bins
themselves are recycled from 937 milk
jugs each, showing how reuse can
bullishly build clean and green pathways
into the future. This project received 90%
of the necessary funding from SGEF. The
remaining 10% came from SG. This is a
highly successful student led and funded
initiative.
Currently, SGEF is seeking to add 4 new
recycling bins to the campus at a cost of
$5,700.10. SGEF has calculated that
these bins save three trash dumps per week. Working on a 42 calendar week
schedule, thats 126 less dumps required per year and equals a savings of almost
$11,000.00 annually. These receptacles
would pay for themselves twice over in
the first year. Now, thats no bull! Hopefully, SGEF will expand this project
to include glass and paper at these
convenient locations. Think of the money
saving possibilities and the reduction in
stress to the local landfill
Water Bottle Refill Stations:
It has been widely noted that
water is the source of life and humans will
die without it.
The bottled water industry is booming,
and we have the plastic waste in our
oceans to show for it. From small bottles
to gallon size jugs, which usually attract
college sports athletes, public schools in
the United States are riddled with the
plastic trash from this disposable
lifestyle. USFSP seeks to be different.
Completed in the fall of 2013,
water bottle refill stations have been
installed in buildings around campus to
help put a stop to this plastic waste2.
Reduction trumps recycling! The Elkay
EZH2O bottle refill stations help solve
this issue. This instrument serves as a
water fountain for those who do not bring
water bottles to school and as a no touch
filtered water bottle filling station. The
implementation of this project by SGEF
is good for world health because it
reduces the amount of plastic bottles
being used, and also for personal health
by encouraging water consumption.
LED Lighting:
Light emitting diode (LED)
technology is a great money and energy
saver. This technology used to be very
expensive for large installs, but the cost
has come down. SGEF monopolized on
this economic turn and pursued LED
installation in the USFSP parking garage.
The LED fixtures in the garage have
saved thousands of watts per year which
offsets the cost of energy for 33 single
family American homes.
This technology is highly
-
adaptable, and is used in the Elkay
EZH2O Bottle Filling Station indicator
lights as well as in many other indicators
all over USFSP campus. This
implementation looks very trivial, but
having it been calculated by researchers,
it can supply up to 6 houses energy need
for a year.
Keeping our Environment Fit:
Each semester projects are
formalized and presented to a committee
for approval to begin green initiatives around USFSP to better accommodate the
community. The current SGEF projects
are in progress this summer. The campus
fitness center is currently undergoing
construction for remodeling. This project
is called, Keeping our Environment Fit,
which will consist of installing LED
lighting throughout the entire gym, and
replacing the old equipment with ones
that are made of recycled materials and
use less energy. Not only is the school
saving money by using less energy, and
donating all items, but the money saved
can be used for other departments on
campus, so these departments can focus
on relationships and growth. The total
cost of this project will roughly be 32,000
dollars, but each year the school will save
over 3,000 dollars with the new changes.
LED Soccer Field:
Another new project that is
undergoing is the LED lighting for the
brand new soccer field that is partially
used by the local Rowdies soccer team
and our students at USFSP. Mike
Leggett, the project investigator, wants to
install the new lighting because it is a big
energy and cost saver. This project may
be very expensive ($ 150,000 plus), but in
the long run it will be saving
approximately $1,992.77 each year. With
a 25 year savings plan the school will be
saving almost 50 thousand dollars. The
goal is to add the lighting, along with
concrete bases; 60 mph and galvanized
steel poles.
It takes more than student led initiatives
to change the future. Bulls know the
power of teamwork, and this shows in
their practices. There are many initiatives
on campus led by the university.
Recycling that goes beyond the typical
plastic and paper, xeriscaping to both save
water and promote a healthy habitat,
powering off idle labs to conserve power,
constructing LEED certified buildings,
and providing priority parking and car
charging for electric vehicles are just
some of the work the university is
involved in6.
Environmentally friendly computing is a major step taken by the university to
reduce e-waste. Globally, e-waste has
become a social/environmental justice
issue as wealthy nations, such as the
United States, outsource electronic clean
up to poorer countries. E-waste
represents 2% of Americas trash in landfills, but it equals 70% of overall
toxic waste. Currently, only about 12.5%
of those are properly recycled. USFSP
maintains a working relationship with
Central Receiving, a third party recycling
company in St. Petersburg area to combat
the e-waste cycle. Through this company,
used working computers are resold for
financial gain or donated to charities
through social agencies or directly to
individuals. Scrap machines are recycled
at the local level whenever possible. The
term e--waste is actually not waste at
-
all, but rather whole electronic
equipment/parts that are outdated but
readily marketable for reuse/recycle.
Ink cartridge disposal is another
important university led initiative that
follows in the footsteps of many tech
giants efforts to reduce e-waste. For example, Hewlett Packard runs the HP
Planet Partners Program for recycling of
ink cartridges. Indeed it takes a little
effort to get rid of these small objects
because the processing centers are not
well distributed. For large institutions,
pickup is available. USFSP is engaged in
this service and was able to save on ink
costs by using it. Purchasing recycled
printer cartridges means saving up to
65% of the original brand cartridges cost.
For every 100,000 used cartridges
recycled, 9,599 kilograms of aluminum,
40 tons of plastic, and 1,000,000 liters of
oil can be saved. Recycling these
cartridges means remanufacturing them,
giving a second life to these non-
degradable materials. Ironically, only
about 20-40% of worlds empty cartridges are recycled, USFSP, through
SGEF, strictly monitors every cartridge
used in the school environment, recycles
them properly, and gives violators strict
penalties.
The inclusion of a butterfly
garden and the installation of landscaping
that employs native plants beautifies the
campus, conserves water, and provides
habitat for local wildlife, the student body
included. Mobile phone and battery
recycling go further to reduce the burden
on the local landfill. Purchasing recycled
paper for use in campus wide printers
makes a contribution to the environment
as well.
Here are the major projects that
highlight the university's engagement
with the student body and community at
both the local and global level.
USF LEED:
System was founded in the United States
and has now been recognized globally.
Its main goal is to build new or convert existing buildings that will improve
human health, the environment, and
quality of life. LEED is system intended
to change strategy that people used in the
past to design, construct and operate
buildings. (Taylor, Xing, 2009) LEED
(Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) certification.
University of South Florida has
three major LEED Accredited
Professionals on Facilities Planning and
Construction staff. The university is
managing Life cycle analysis (Florida
Commercial Building Energy
Computational Program) on its standards
to construct building with reflective
insulation on walls, roofs, and windows.
Most of the roofs have been changed with
high reflective insulation system,
covering 410,865 sq ft. Reflectance is
sufficient to lower heat gain as
reflectance limits heat absorption from
the sun, which helps to reduce the cost to
cool the buildings. In addition, insulation
is preventing heat flow into the building,
especially in Florida. Sunscreens and
high efficiency glass have been installed
on windows.
USF is expecting some buildings
to be LEED certified: Dr. Kiran C. Patel
Center for Global Solutions, Tampa
Campus; Interdisciplinary Science,
Tampa Campus; Science and technology
Building, St. Petersburg Campus; USF
Polytechnic Phase1, Lakeland Campus;
and Wellness and Nutrition Center,
Tampa Campus. These LEED projects
eventually will be expanded to all USF
-
buildings.
TransportationBike a Bull:
Officially opened on January 14, 2015 Bike a Bull is a bike share program
on campus at USFSP. Simply by signing
a waiver and showing their university ID
students can rent a bike for twenty-four
hours. Many students on campus that do
not have cars or any other sort of
transportation can now benefit heavily
from this new program. Also, it is helpful
to students who cannot afford their own
bikes. The school gets the bikes from
ABC Bicycles and they are maintained
there too. I think this is a great program.
Not only is it beneficial to students who
do not have means for transportation but
it can also make a difference with other
students. Students that live on campus
that do have cars might use their cars less
since they have the option to use the
bikes. Having less cars on the road is
great for the environment!
Car Charging:
The university has four car
charging stations on campus that are free
for the students to use. These were
installed through the SunSense program
with the help of Duke Energy and Nissan.
These car-charging stations can save
students and professors who have hybrid
cars a lot of money. They will not have to
put as much gas as they were putting in
their cars prior to these stations on
campus. These charging stations shows
that USFSP are trying to be more
involved in going green.
Bus Passes:
With the U-pass students and
faculty are allowed the opportunity to use
the busses and trolleys for free with an
unlimited access. These busses and
trolleys run regularly making it
convenient for the people using them.
This is very beneficial to students that
have to commute to school. It also means
that more students will probably willing
to take the bus rather than driving to
school. It will save them money in gas
and money on parking permits to park on
campus. With fewer students driving
their cars to campus, there will be less
traffic through the e campus.
Solar Array:
Recently, USFSP partnered with
Duke Energy through a grant obtained via
the Sunsense project to install a solar
array atop the USFSP parking
garage. Solar panels and storage batteries
were installed on the top of the parking
garage. This is a net zero mission, which
is one of USFSPs sustainability goals and means the garage would be totally
solar powered! Solar batteries should
produce enough energy for the use of
garage lights, elevators and the electric-
car charging station. Excess solar energy
can be stored in batteries. Duke Energy
Florida funded $1,000,000 toward this
installation through the sunsense grant.
-
This effort is a true collaboration with USF St. Petersburg and the USF
College of Engineering, said Alex Glenn, State President of Duke Energy
Florida. This partnership allows us to enhance our efforts to research and
develop alternative energy solutions that
will be benefit our customers and the
environment. Another interesting angle on this project is the use of collaboration
to change the future of green energy.
Duke Energy is a large company that
practices strip mining, also known as
mountaintop removal (MTR), to get at the
coal that powers our lives. MTR is not
sustainable and wreaks havoc on the
environment. That reality, combined with
global initiatives to drive down CO2, have
driven select universities, such as
Harvard and Georgetown, to divest from
fossil fuels. As sustainable initiatives
move forward at USFSP and across the
nation, it will be interesting to see how
divestment and partnership work to
change our energy consumption.
(Duke Energy, University of South
Florida St. Petersburg unveil solar battery
project.
Sustainability in Transition: An
Interview with Jennifer Winter
Jennifer Winter, the previous
Sustainability Coordinator at USFSP,
holds a degree in Political Science and
Sustainability Studies from the
University of Florida. She is currently
seeking to enroll in an international
Master's program studying sustainable
cities. This interview offers insights into
the sustainability program here at
USFSP, as well as what it takes to truly
support green initiatives on both the small
and large scale.
MS: Tell me about your job with
USFSP. What were your
responsibilities?
JW: I was responsible for all
sustainability related meetings,
association's, grants, energy projects such
as LEED. I had started at 20 hours per
week in Oct of 2013 and my main goal
was to write the grant for the SunSense
project and to be a member of CERCC
and SGEF. So the job duties and
description was not too long but at that
time it didn't really even include all that I
wound up being responsible for.
MS: What is Sunsense, CERCC?
JW: Sunsense is a program Duke Energy
has. Their sunsense post-secondary
schools grant application is for a 100 KW
Array, which we were awarded 534,000
for
CERCC is a student/staff group under
student government that works on clean
energy and does the greenhouse gas
inventory.
MS: How did it turn out? JW: Not bad! I am still hoping we can
work on getting it edited and then posted
on our new sustainability page.
MS: I love the page!! I am referring
students to it. We partnered with Duke
Energy for the solar array. Is the
-
University planning any other
partnerships like that?
JW: Well, it was a grant application, so
that is where that came from. So, No. If
no one writes any grants then no. You
need staff to write grants and then
someone to work on actually overseeing
the partnership like I did.
MS: Thats an interesting point. Lets talk about divestment. Have you heard
this come up on campus at all?
JW: No. No one on campus is aware of
that. Its a great idea but for us that is a bigger deal because all of our investments
are actually USF Tampa and not us, so we
dont control that sep. from Tampa.
MS: Major universities, Harvard,
Georgetown are divesting, but we are partnering with big energy. What
are your thoughts on that? Thats another great point, that ultimately big
decisions are still controlled by Tampa.
We lack independence.
JW: I think that the grant was a great
thing to apply for because it is able to
fund research and there were no millions
coming from administration for such an
array. I do think in the future we need to
stop putting our money into companies
like that and start doing more solar
projects. I cannot speak for divestment
because I have no idea what we have
invested in at all. We will look into it
when the school fills out STARS 2.0
MS: Do you feel that partnership can
do more to further change than
divestment? Whats STARS 2.0?
In the campus strategic plan we call for a
ranking on the Princeton Green Schools
list and to do so you need to do STARS
2.0 https://stars.aashe.org/
Its a rating system for sustainable campuses, which is due in February 2016
for our campus. This is in the plan but I
dont think they knew what it will take to even apply for this. The STARS report is
said to take about a year to work on and it
needs to be done by February so that they
can send that to the Princeton Review.
MS: And who is in charge of getting
that done? No one?
JW: My position.
MS: I see.
JW: I said in March that we need to form
a committee to start this because the
sustainability person is normally the
leader but needs information access. I
didnt have access to the divestment stuff or to HR stuff so you form a committee. I
gave my boss a 14 person
recommendation with which positions I
would need to meet with and nothing
happened.
MS: It was not made a priority,
interesting.
JW: Honestly, not really.
MS: I know there would be support
for a permanent position of
Sustainability Coordinator.
JW: Yes, we need someone else in my
shoes.
MS: Well, since you have had to
change shoes or hats, as it were, what is your ultimate goal?
JW: To not work in anything
sustainability related because that does
-
not exist anymore- as in everything is just
done right. I would then love to open a
little tea and book store. Environmental
consulting is in my future. I envision a
world where everything is fairtrade, fsc
certified, built LEED etc. so that
sustainability work does not even exist
anymore! I read a psychology today
article that people who are 'green' are
more caring.
MS: What have you found that
motivates people to go green? I can see
where that would be true, more
empathetic... a bit more aware of the
consequences of their actions.
JW: I think its like a moment where you realize that things can be done so great so
easily and we just do things so terribly.
For example, we can do solar but we
choose to pollute our own air with coal.
Yeah, very aware of their actions and how
they are just one out of billions.
MS: Truth. What would be the first
thing you would suggest to someone
who wanted to go green - who wanted
to change their consumptive lifestyle?
JW: every single thing that you buy,
think. If everyone else did this too, would
it be okay? Buy less plastic, bring a
reusable bottle, bring silverware, and
bring tupperware. Etc
MS: The little things really do add up,
dont they? If everyone did the little things it would have a huge ripple
effect.
JW: Yes. Bring a bag. Drive less. Like, if
its only a mile away, walk. It may not seem like much but there are 300 million
Americans so that is possibly 300 million gas miles less a day.... and that is
not even making a HUGE Change. No
one wants to give up driving entirely but
if its around the corner, walk. Yes! The little things!
Behind the scenes, sustainability
is work, just like everything else. It takes
time to change the tides and make way for
new initiatives and new styles of
leadership. Given time, USFSP is sure to
grow into a more sustainable, secure, and
steadfast steward of both the environment
and its students. Certainly, the Office of
Sustainability will grow with this. The
first initiatives are steadily growing into
waves of change. Bulls will push
forward!
-
In the Community:
In 2008, the Florida Legislature
passed House Bill 697, requiring all
communities to establish capital
improvement plans for energy efficient
land use standards, greenhouse gas
reduction for transportation systems, and
energy efficient buildings. Pinellas
County was actively involved in
improving infrastructure to promote a
greener, more sustainable environment.
In 2014, the Florida Green Building
Coalition (FGBC) awarded Pinellas
County with Green Achievement Award
for achieving highest score among other
counties in Florida. In addition, Florida
district government of Pinellas County,
who participate FGBC program, is the 4th
highest scoring among other district
government statewide. (Green Pinellas)
Pinellas County offers an
educational program titled Sustainable Floridians for residents and local businesses. This program, offered
through the UF/IFAS Pinellas County
Extension, provides valuable knowledge
about sustainable practices, and how to
improve the communitys quality of life. The program covers areas such as
energy consumption, land use issues,
water conversion and community
leadership. Not only do the extension
offices offer this service, but also many
others that promote sustainability. Any
resident wishing to plant a garden of any
sort may take a soil sample to their
extension for analysis. This will tell them
what needs to be added to their soil to
increase its fertility, stopping the use of
unnecessary fertilizer application and
reducing toxic runoff into waterways.
This service is free!
The Pinellas Trail is a greenway
-
that connects the entire county with an off
road alternative for bikers and walkers.
Connecting the downtown area and the
USFSP campus to the trail would be
advantageous to both the university and
the community. The downtown area is
walkable and this adds to city initiatives
to promote sustainable living.
The City of St. Petersburg is
making great strides with green
initiatives. Many benefits of this
movement can be reaped by USFSP
students. A stellar example is the
Saturday Morning Market. This open air
market brings local farmers, ranchers,
and artisans of all sorts together to sell
their wares to the public. St. Petersburg
has ventured into the Solar Condo
Project, the first project of its kind in
Florida, and boasts a LEED certified
Dunkin Donuts. The city has struggled
with curbside recycling for a long time,
but recently began a program that will
gain success over time. On any rainy day,
trash collects in Bayboro Harbor as it runs
down city streets, into sewer drains, and
ultimately into the water. Perhaps the
City of St Petersburg would be well
served by following in SGEFs footsteps and installing recycling cans along the
downtown thoroughfares.
(http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/sustainability/sustainFloridians.shtml)
The University of Saint Petersburgs efforts to change the student body and the community by weaving cost effective and energy saving technology into their vision for
the future has been quite the success. Anyone that visits the USFSP campus can see all of
the hard work that the staff and students have done to help clean up the campus and save
energy. The trash and recycling bins can be found throughout the campus walkways, the
LED lighting is in almost every building now, and most importantly energy is being
conserved and redistributed to other departments of the campus. Bike racks are going up
with rentals. Butterflies flit about the bouganvilla. However, the community and the
university still face much work to do in order to become truly green. Currently, it would be nice to see every building with automatic power off lighting
for when classrooms are not in use. With all of the cost savings, the school should invest
into more free bikes for the students to rent on campus and expand bus routes. In return, if
our university keeps on improving the surrounding areas will follow suit in this green
movement. Having a better more sustainable future and relationships with the student body,
staff, and the community will strengthen a better understanding on how important it is to
invest in green technology.
Ultimately, being green starts with individuals and individual choice. As the green
movement has grown, initiatives have grown alongside it. USFSP should continue to step
up its green game and be a leader in the local community, the state university system, and
on the global stage. Will bull spirit ardently backing the green movement here on campus
-
and abroad in all endeavors, the future is sure to be brighter, cleaner, and more sustainable.
CERCC: USFSP bases Clean Energy and Resource Conservation Commission strives to provide
dynamic, innovative services and capital improvements to further improve sustainability.
Divestment: Opposite of investments. The process of selling an asset and what investors call the
ultimate financial goal.
Fair Trade Certification: A product certification system that guarantees brands meet
environmental, production, and labor standard that are ethical and sustainable.
FGBC (Florida Green Building Coalition): A nonprofit Florida corporation dedicated to
improving the build environment.
FSC Certified: Wood certified by the international group, the Forest Stewardship Council, to be
environmentally appropriate, economically viable, and socially beneficial.
Greenwashing: Superficial or insincere display of concern for the environment by an
organization, or intentionally misleading advertisement designed to sell a product based on a false
sense of environmental safety.
LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design): A set of rating systems for the
design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods.
Net Zero Building: The amount of energy used by a building or site is produced on site.
-
Referendum: A general note.
SGEF (Student Green Energy Fund): Fund used to assist the university reduce energy costs,
promote power generation, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Sunsense: A grand awarded by Duke Energy to USFSP that will fund research to explore the
integration of storing solar energy in new battery systems. Sustainability: The quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural
resources, and supporting long-term ecological balance.
11 facts about e-waste. Do Something. Web. 15 June 2015.
Boatwright, J. Duke Energy unveils solar power project at USF St. Pete. St. Petersburg Tribune. 2015. Print. 16 June 2015.
Cash, Jaqui. USF One of Nations Top Green Colleges. News USF. 2014. Web. 15 June 2015.
Cartridge Facts. The Recycling Factory. Web. 16 June 2015.
Computer Disposal and Environmental Stewardship. University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Web. 16 June 2015.
Duke Energy, University of South Florida St. Petersburg unveil solar battery project. Duke Energy. 20 May 2015. Web. 15 June 2015.
Environmental Benefits. A greener Refill. Web. 16 June 2015.
-
Green Building. PCGS: Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Global Sustainability. 2013. Web. 11 June 2015.
Green Initiatives. The University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Web. 15 June 2015.
Green Pinellas. Pinellas County Florida. 2014.Web. 16 June, 2015.
Importance of sustainability standards Sustainability Standards Portal. NIST. 2015. Web. 15 June 2015.
Recycling Ink Cartridges. Benefits of Recycling. Web. 15 June 2015.
SGEF Proposed Projects. University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Web. 17 June 2015.
St. Petersburg College gets LEED certification for new building. St Petersburg College News. 2009. Web. June 11 2015.
Student Green Energy Fund, USFSP. The University of South Florida Saint Petersburg. 2015. Web. 15 June 2015.
Sustainability. University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Web. 17 June 2015.
Sustainable Floridians. Pinellas County Extension Solutions for Your Life. 2015. Web. 15 June 2015.
Taylor, Xing. Benefits and Trade-Offs of Low-Slope Roofing System Insulation and Reflectance. 2009. Print. Web. 15 June 2015.
The environmental impact of printer cartridges. Cartridge World. Web. 14 June 2015.
The Latest Proposals to the Student Green Energy Fund. The Crows Nest. 2015. Web. 15 June 2015.
Transportation PCGS: Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Global Sustainability.
-
2013. Web. 11 June 2015.
USFSP Core Values Vision 20/20. University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Web. 17 June 2015.< http://www.usfsp.edu/vision2020/usfsp-core-values/>
"USFSP News Center Free Electric Charging Stations Installed on Campus."
University of South Florida St Petersburg. 28 Mar. 2012. Web. 15 June 2015.
USF St. Petersburg Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF). USFSP Connect. 2013. Web. 15 June 2015.
Wehunt, Emily. The latest proposals to the Student Green Energy Fund. The crows Nest. Web. 12 June 2015.
Winter, Jennifer. Personal Interview. 10 June 2015.
Articles
The Latest Proposals to the Student Green Energy Fund. The Crows Nest. 2015. Web. 15 June 2015.
The Crows Nest the University of South Floridas newspaper and publishing organization. The article briefly discusses what the latest proposals that are in progress at
the moment. In the last few years the school has created a student green fund which
charges a dollar to every credit hour a student takes at the university. By doing so they
have accomplished a lot. The main focus is to make our school the cost effective. By
adding LED lighting to the soccer field it will save money and adding new dual trash and
recycling it will save additional money and help preserve our school.
St. Petersburg College gets LEED certification for new building. St Petersburg College News. 2009. Web. 11 June 2015.
St Petersburg College campuses are involved in building improvement as well. College is
planning to design systematic maintenance of facility infrastructure. College has total of
140 buildings that consist of 2.5 million square feet of conditioned area. In January 2009
SPC completed construction on Natural Science and Mathematics buildings on
Clearwater campus. Both of these buildings were comply with the LEED Green Building
Rating System. Both building were constructed to lower pollution and energy
-
consumption. Buildings were designed to improve quality of indoor air. SPC parking are
provide carpools for fuel-efficiency vehicles. (St. Petersburg College gets LEED Certification,2009).
Electronic Resources
Cash, Jaqui. USF One of Nations Top Green Colleges. News USF. 2014. Web. 15 June 2015.
This source includes information of University of South Florida involvement to many
sustainable activities. USF students participating sustainable program groups such as
Emerging Green Builders, Engineers for Sustainable World, and the Student
Sustainability Initiative. This source also informs students that USF holds annual Green
Fair Jobs for those who seeking position that supports environmental improvement
programs. Sustainability is USFs major concern. USF joined the nations first School of Global Sustainability, and preparing students for a new green collar career pass. USF also hosts Community Sustainability Conferences where members share knowledge and
experiences to keep improve Floridas Sustainable future.
Duke Energy, University of South Florida St. Petersburg unveil solar battery project. Duke Energy. 20 May 2015. Web. 15 June 2015.
This article was published officially in a press release of Duke Energy, a huge energy
industry in St. Petersburg. Following the installation of a solar array on the top of a
garage facility at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus, Duke Energy
will develop that still on-going project by installing solar energy storage. This action is
one of many activities undertaken by them as their concern about environmental damage
due to excessive use of energy by human. Through their online press releases, Duke
Energy is not only showing its commitment to the public of their awareness but also
indirectly urging other fellow field companies to join them to take the same action. On
the top of these, through this online media, Duke Energy also educated people by
providing easy to understand explanations about green technologies in the area.
Importance of sustainability standards Sustainability Standards Portal. NIST. 2015. Web. 15 June 2015.
This source indicates about government mandate regulations that supports sustainability
program. Today, Global market standards require manufacturing organization seriously
consider sustainability as a business model. Each year government regulations regarding
sustainability increasing, it is concentrated to improve human health and environments.
As well as United States, European Union was actively involved in this program. It is an
important aspect to educate international and national organization to provide good and
services with sustainability standards. Another important aspect is sustainability related
policies such as carbon tax, cap, and trade. Organizations must strictly follow the policies
and take an appropriate action.
Student Green Energy Fund, USFSP. The University of South Florida Saint
-
Petersburg. 2015. Web. 15 June 2015.
As stated above the Green energy fund is used to reduce energy cost through
conservation. There are many ongoing projects on both the Saint Pete campus and the
Tampa campus every semester. This article explains more into detail what this fund does
and how it works.
Sustainable Floridians. Pinellas County Extension Solutions for Your Life. 2015. Web. 15 June 2015.
This source informs Floridians about training program that Pinellas County Extension
offers to its citizens to make living interesting, green, and sustainable. This unique
program motivates residents to support sustainability. This program focused on providing
valuable knowledge to resident who have interest in protecting environment. Participants
learn areas such as energy conversion, local foods, land use issues, water conversion, and
community leadership.
USF St. Petersburg Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF). USFSP Connect. 2013. Web. 15 June 2015.
The USF Connect website offers various information associated with the University of
South Florida St. Petersburgs initiatives, actions, regulations, activities, and other matters relating to or affecting directly to students. This particular article highlights how
unique the SGEF system is by taking a dollar out of students tuition to fund the USFSPs environmental movement.
Interview
Winter, Jennifer. Personal Interview. 10 June 2015.
This interview was conducted with the former USFSP Sustainability Coordinator to gain
personal insight into the programs and initiatives on the USFSP campus in regard to the
green movement.
Reports and Studies
Taylor, Xing. Benefits and Tradeoffs of Low-Slope Roofing System Insulation and Reflectance. 2009. Print. Web. 15 June 2015.
This source explains that LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
certification system was first established in United States. Now it is been used globally. It
is a national certification system for green buildings. LEED supports process and helps
builders to make knowledgeable decision to construct well-designed buildings.
Reflectance is sufficient to lower heat gain, which helps to reduce cost to cool building.
In addition, insulation is preventing heat flow into the building, which is very important
with Florida weather. For US climate reflective roof will cost savings, which depends on
individual building design. Authors Thomas Taylor, who is involved in building
improvements and building product industry over eighteen years, and Linlin Xing, who
has experience over eleven years, mainly focuses on energy saving building design.