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T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f S o u t h F l o r i d a sC o n t r i b u t i o n s t o t h e G r e e n M o v e m e n t
Prepared for:
Dr. Francis TobienneProfessional WritingENC3250 (791)
November 29 th , 2013
Team: The Green Machine:Weston Brautigam
Alicia Caruso Nicole Dale
Jamie Gooden Elizabeth Johnsey
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary 3
Introduction 4
BodyWhat is the Campus and Community Sustainability Conference? 6How does this impact other schools? 7How does this impact USF? 8
Conclusion 13
Glossary of Terms 15
Annotated Bibliography 16
Work Cited 19
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Executive Summary:
From construction to campus activities, the University of South Florida has
promoted the going green movement across its many campuses. One such activity
that shows the University of South Floridas goal of sustainability is theirparticipation in the annual Campus and Community Sustainability Conference. This
conference allows for the school to meet and discuss their experience with the
going green movement, and learn what others are doing to be sustainable. The
University of South Floridas participation in the conference has contributed not
only to the sustainability of the school, but also to Floridas sustainable future.
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Introduction:The environmental movement, which is commonly referred to as the
green movement, is an internationally recognized movement that promotes
sustainable use of resources and the environment. This movement has led to
changes in public policy and the behavior of mankind toward the environment. It
is characterized by sustainable activities and actions that are meant to create and
protect a healthier environment.
Such sustainable activities can be traced all the way back to medieval
times, when sustainable agriculture methods began to become popular. These
sustainable practices not only protected the environment, but also benefited
humans by increasing crop yields and agricultural progress.
Through sustainable practices have
been in existence globally for many years, the
United States environmental movement can be
traced back to the early 19 th century.
Transcendentalist philosophy of the 1830s and
1840s first began to promote and spread
environmentalist and sustainable ideas and
beliefs. One of the well-knowntranscendentalists behind this philosophy,
David Thoreau, published Maine Woods in the
1860s. This series of essays called for the conservation and respect of the
environment, promoting environmentalist ideas.
This increase in environmental awareness in the U.S. led to the creation of
the first major environmental policies. Often these policies were created in
response to a major disaster or outcry of the public. In 1950, issues of air pollution
leading to negative health effects arose, and the U.S. held its first conference on air
pollution. This led to the passing of the Air Pollution Act in 1955. The Silent World
by Jacques Cousteau, in 1953, spread awareness of the oceans and marine life. This
led to increased conservation of the oceans and such acts as the Marine Mammal
and Coastal Zone Management Acts of 1972, along with the creation of the National
Oceanographic and Administration in 1970. In 1962, Rachel Carsons Silent Spring
brought awareness to the issue of the overuse of pesticides such as DDT. DDT
would later be banned from the U.S. in1972.
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On April 22 nd , 1970, the first national Earth Day was celebrated. This day
was meant to spread awareness of environmental issues and promote the
environmental movement. It would later be celebrated internationally by a total of
140 countries on April 22 nd , 1990.
Today, individuals and small groups are still carrying out the environmental
movement. Individuals and small groups contribute to the environmental
movement by conserving water and energy, promoting recycling, and conserving
important lands and waters. The environmental movement is heavily characterized
by the use of such things as solar panels, low-flush toilets, and compost containers.
Many schools and universities have also joined the environmental
movement, due to the encouragement of students and faculty with sustainable
ideas and beliefs. One such university is the University of South Florida. The
university has set the goals of using sustainable resources, promoting sustainable
activities amongst students and faculty, and forming a better environment for the
school and surrounding community.
The University of South Florida has also been recognized for having
sustainable and environmentally active campuses. The university has been
recognized through such organizations as the Climate Leadership Awards,
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, andSustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (S.T.A.R.S.).
The University of South Florida participates in many sustainable
conferences, where it shares its sustainable progress with the community and
learns new sustainable
methods to use in the future. Its
participation in such conferences
has helped guide the school through the environmental movement and is helping
it rise to the top amongst other sustainable universities.
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Body:
I. What is the Campus and Community Sustainability Conference?The Campus and Community Sustainability Conference is an annual
conference that has been occurring in Tampa, Florida for the past seven years. The
conference first began in 2006, and since then it has grown in both the number of
sponsors and participants. Its sponsors include Tampa Electric, The University of
South Florida, Sustainable
Florida Collins Center,
Publix Supermarkets,
The City of Tampa, and a
variety of other
businesses (Sustainable
Florida Conference).
The conference is
two days long and is held at
the University of South Florida
Marshall Center, and is
open to the public. The
Campus and Community
Sustainability Conferences
main focus is to bring
together individuals
from campuses,
government, businesses and
communities for a chance to
come together toshare their experiences and
challenges related to
creating sustainability and a green culture (Sustainable Florida Conference). The
presentations that are presented here focus on issues relating to Floridas
economy, environment, and the overall quality of life for Florida residents. Many
participants look at issues involving education and research for sustainability,
economic improvements that would bring about sustainable efficiency and
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effectiveness, protection and restoration for ecological systems, and enhancing
sustainability for the overall well-being of people. These participants include
students from the University of Florida, the Polk County School District, and the
Civil& Environmental Engineering Department at the University of South Florida,
Florida West Coast Resource Conservation & Development, the Florida Farm
Bureau Federation, and a variety of other local businesses in the Tampa Bay area
(Sustainable Florida Conference). Together these local businesses and university
students, come up with new and creative ideas and programs that bring going
green and sustainability to be more accessible to all Florida residents.
II. How does this impact other schools (other than USF)? The University of South Florida is not the only college in the state to make a
commitment to sustainability. The University of Florida in Gainesville is innovator in
the green campus movement; in a 2009 Princeton Review survey UF was rated near
the top of the scale on environmentally related policies, practices, and academic
offerings. Through the college s Student Senate an agency for sustainability was
created called Gators Going Green, GGG for short. The core mission of Gators Going
Green is to create and implement policies and programming that will support a
more sustainable campus and community at th e University of Florida. The college
also has an Office of Sustainability that worked toward creating a Vision for aSustainable UF, the vision includes 14 guiding principles that range from waste
management, land and resource management, as well as health and wellbeing. The
school continues to work to meet their guidelines and make their campus more
sustainable.
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The University of Tampa is also committed to going green. In 2009 the
president of UT committed to carbon neutrality and since this time the number of
sustainability incentives has increased. Now all new construction projects on
campus are being evaluated for sustainability goals: lower energy consumption,reduced water consumption, use of green chemicals, use of sustainable materials in
construction, LEED certification
when reasonable, and the effort to
recycle construction material.
There is also a solar installation
on the roof of the athletics
building that heats all water used
in showers and bathrooms and
another solar panel on the roof of
a 500-plus capacity residence hall
that provides 70% of the hot
water needs. While not a large
school the University of Tampa
strives to make sure its campus
continues on a path to sustainability that seeks a balance in sustainability e fforts in
a manner that improves the quality of life and academic experience at the
University and yet is responsive to the global nature of environmental issues facing
all of society.
III. How does it impact USF?
The University of South Florida has
contributed to the green movement inmany ways since the last Campus and
Community Sustainability Conference. Its
contributions include the sustainable use
of water, energy, and other resources. The
university has done this through such actions as sustainable transportation and
architecture. These actions have helped protect existing environments and create a
better environment for both the university and the surrounding communities. The
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University of South Florida attracts students from many different locations, and
students often travel great distances to take classes and join in campus activities.
Common transportation methods such as cars can cause great pollution, but are still
necessary in order for students to reach the University of South Florida. To help
lessen this pollution, the University of South Florida has begun to offer several
environmental-friendly transportation options. These methods of transportation are
helping the University of South Florida decrease their carbon footprint, increase theenvironmental-health of their surrounding community, and helping promote the
universities green ideas. One such option offered by the University of South Florida
is a program known as WeCar. WeCar is a car rental program that allows students to
have access to environmentally friendly hybrid cars that can be found on several of
the universities
campuses. The cars may be
used by students for
anything from shopping runs
to overnight trips. This gives
students a more
environmental-friendly
driving option, and is most
helpful to the schools many
on-campus residents. The University of South Florida has also participated in
Zimride, an online car-pooling website. The website allows students to find others to
carpool with, and allows students to get to know one another in order to find the
optimal carpooling partner. This promotes carpooling, and lessens the amount of
cars on the road. The University of South Floridas Tampa campus has also offered
U-Pass, a program that allows students to ride the city buses. This promotes more
students to use public transportation rather than a personal car, and lessens the
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Conclusion: Three years ago students at the University of South Florida held a vote, a
vote that decided whether or not to create the Student Green Energy Fund. The
vote passed and over the last three years the Office of Sustainability, with the help
of the Student Green Energy Fund at USF Tampa, has funded eighteen
sustainability related programs. The Student Green Energy Fund has raised about
one million dollars per year contributing a total budget of about three million
dollars. Every program funded is decided by the Student Green Energy Fund
council and contributes to the main goal of the program, which is reducing USFs
carbon footprint within so many years.
The office of sustainability has a real
presence on and off the USFcampus and has received
international recognitions
for its contributions to
promote a greener
community. Now as the
end of a three years
comes to a close the
USF students will have
a big decision to make,
those decisions include
the future of the
sustainability program and the
future of the Student Green
Energy Fund. USF sustainability program
coordinator Shawna Neckar believes strongly in the program and believes the
students do as well, Just based on enrollment in our program we can see that
students are really interested in making this a point in the future. That this is
something that is real and can provide them with great jobs going forward and long
term careers.
The Student Green Energy Fund has made USF one of greenest schools in
the nation making the campus and the future of USF a more desirable place to live
and receive an education. The USF students should support the sustainability
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program to help maintain USFs position as a green school as the new generation
will be even more involved than the current college students, We have
partnerships with k-12 schools and kids are really enthusiastic, I mean they realize
what needs to be done and they are just really fantastic the kids. With the help of
the Student Green Energy Fund when the time comes for some of these children to
apply for colleges USFs carbon footprint will be amongst the lowest in the nation.
The USF campus itself will be miles ahead of universities without a sustainability
program. USF will have the ability to offer amenities t o students making their lifes
easier and more enjoyable, and the future generations will strive and be proud to
call themselves a USF Bull.
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Glossary of Terms:
Campus and Community Sustainability Conference
The Campus and Community Sustainability Conference is anannual conference that brings together Florida campuses,
businesses, and communities to discuss their experiences with
sustainable practices.
Carbon Footprint
The amount of carbon related compounds emitted from a specific
source.Earth Day
Earth Day is a globally celebrated holiday that takes place on April
22 nd , and promotes sustainable practices and environmental
awareness.
Going Green Movement
The Going Green Movement is a movement within politics and
beliefs that pushes for sustainable use of resources and the
environment.
Sustainability
Sustainability is the practice of using resources in a way that
keeps the resources in existence and from being completely used
up.
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Annotated Bibliography:
Chachere, Vickie. Sustainability Gold. USF News. University of South Florida,
February 7 th , 2011. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
This USF News article discusses how USF has been recognized and awarded
by several sustainable competitions and ranking systems. It discusses USFs
progress toward its sustainable goals, and compares it to other organizations and
universities. It also mentions how USF has been recognized for its sustainability.
Thurston, Susan. Zimride Gives Carpooling a Boost at USF. Tampa Bay Times.
Tampa Bay Times, December 2 nd , 2010. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
This article from the Tampa Bay Times, offers information on USFs
participation in Zimride, a website that helps those such as students find an
organize carpooling partners. The article also discusses how USF has promoted both
students and faculty to use sustainable transportation options. It gives a list of
sustainable transportation options offered on USFs multiple campuses.
Williams, Alex. Buying Into the Green Movement. The New York Times. The New
York Times Company, July 1 st , 2007. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
This article offers information on the origins of the environmental movement,
and the current environmental movement status. It mentions common activities and
methods that those who follow the environmental movement complete. It discusses
the popularity of such sustainable things as solar panels and recycled objects, and
the impact these things have on both the environment and the goals of the
movement. It also discusses new sustainable actions that should be taken in the
future.
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Timeline: The Modern Environmental Movement. PBS. WGBH Educational
Foundation, n.d. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
This PBS webpage offers a timeline of major events in the U.S. environmental
movement. It discusses environmental legislation, leaders, and publications. It lists
the events in chronological order, and provides a paragraph explaining each event.
It also shows how one event led to another, or how one event has been influenced
by another.
A Brief History of the Modern Green Movement in America. WebEcoist. TotallyHer
Media, n.d. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
This webpage offers information on the origins of the environmental
movement and major events that have occurred. It discusses the main philosophies
that started the environmental movement, and the main people who influenced the
environmental movement. It also discusses environmental legislation, leaders, and
publications.
History of Environmentalism FeelFriendly. FeelFriendly, n.d. Web. November 19 th ,
2013.
This webpage offers information on the origins of the environmentalmovement and major events that have occurred. It discusses international events
that have occurred which have led to the continuation of the environmental
movement. It discusses environmental legislation, leaders, and publications.
The Office of Sustainability at USF. Patel College of Global Sustainability. University
of South Florida, n.d. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
The Patel College of Global Sustainabilitys The Office of Sustainability atUSF webpage offers information on the sustainable goals of USF and where it sits in
the environmental movement. It discusses what USF has done to promote
sustainability, and what actions USF has taken in such aspects as construction,
transportation, and student life in order to be more sustainable
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Sustainability Challenge. USF News. University of South Florida, March 19 th , 2012.
Web. November 19 th , 2013.
This USF News article discusses USFs participation in sustainable
competitions and challenges. It discusses USFs progress toward its sustainable
goals, and compares it to other organizations and universities. It also mentions how
USF has been recognized for its sustainability.
Green Building. Patel College of Global Sustainability. University of South Florida,
n.d. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
The Patel College of Global Sustainabilitys Green Building webpage offers a
large amount of information on the current and future architecture of USF campuses.
The webpage gives information on different campus buildings, which have been
renovated or built with sustainable technologies such as solar panels, low-flush
toilets, and efficient roofs. The webpage also discuses the schools conservative use
of construction materials, and recycling of unneeded materials. The webpage
mentions USFs sustainable architectural goals for future construction plans, as well.
"Campus and Community Sustainability Conference." Campus and Community
Sustainability Conference RSS . N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.This website offers information on the Campus and Community
Sustainability conference. It discusses the goals of the conference, and the
participants and sponsors. It offers links to past presentations and topics that have
been discussed at the conference, and discusses how the conference has impacted
the community.
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Work Cited:
Chachere, Vickie. Sustainability Gold. USF News. University of South Florida,
February 7 th , 2011. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
Thurston, Susan. Zimride Gives Carpooling a Boost at USF. Tampa Bay Times.
Tampa Bay Times, December 2 nd , 2010. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
Williams, Alex. Buying Into the Green Movement. The New York Times. The
New York Times Company, July 1 st , 2007. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
Timeline: The Modern Environmental Movement. PBS. WGBH Educational
Foundation, n.d. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
A Brief History of the Modern Green Movement in America. WebEcoist.
TotallyHer Media, n.d. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
History of Environmentalism FeelFriendly. FeelFriendly, n.d. Web. November
19 th , 2013.
The Office of Sustainability at USF. Patel College of Global Sustainability.
University of South Florida, n.d. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
Sustainability Challenge. USF News. University of South Florida, March 19 th ,
2012. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
Green Building. Patel College of Global Sustainability. University of South
Florida, n.d. Web. November 19 th , 2013.
Campus and Community Sustainability Conference. Campus and Community
Sustainability Conference RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. November 18 th , 2013.