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USF CAMPUSES: Making the World A Greener Place
The Initiatives that USFSP is Taking to Lead the Green
Movement on Campuses and in The Community
Contributors
LEVI NIENDORF
SUMMER CARNLEY
PATRICIA CALVO JASCHKE
ENC3250.791F13
Dr. Francis Tobbienne, Jr.
November 29, 2013
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Executive SummaryThis paper provides a look into the
initiatives for environmental and
sustainable living at the University of South
Floridas St Petersburg campus. It also
researches examples of connections
between the school, local business
partnerships, and the city of the community
it serves. Topics of school projects include
the proposal and building of green
buildings, student committees, and various
SGEF proposals. Areas researched are
curriculum, recycling and waste
management, greenhouse gas emissions,
transportation, water, green building,
energy and community. These proposals
include the Race for the Watts event and
future project presentations. This paper
also explores the relationship with the
schools community through Duke Energys
SunSense grant program. The goal of this
paper is to highlight the universitys green
impact on its campus as well as the
community.
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 2
Curriculum ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Student Green Energy Fund .......................................................................................................................... 4
Recycling and Waste Management .............................................................................................................. 5
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ........................................................................................................................... 6
Transportation .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Clean Water .................................................................................................................................................. 7
Green Buildings ............................................................................................................................................. 8
Energy ........................................................................................................................................................... 8
USFSP Community Partnerships ................................................................................................................... 8
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 8
Glossary of Terms.......................................................................................................................................... 9
Annotated Bibliography .............................................................................................................................. 11
Works Cited ................................................................................................................................................. 13
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INTRODUCTIONThe following report is intended to
highlight the projects or initiatives thatthe University of South Florida has
undertaken to become more
environmentally friendly. The report
discusses details of the past, current and
future projects that are intended to
reduce the schools impacts on the
environment. The university as a whole
has undergone some level of changes
and each campus runs independently
while at the same time cooperatively to
achieve its goals. This report focuses
primarily on the St Petersburg campus
and immediate area. It is the intent of this report to identify both the successful projects and
those that did not perform as well, so that future efforts can be directed toward the programs
that have the potential to provide the greatest benefits. The purpose of this report is not to
convince anyone of whether or not these initiatives should be undertaken, but rather to inform
the reader of what can be done, or what should continue to be done in the future.
It is also intended to educate students and members of the community on what they can do toget involved. It is no secret that individuals, businesses and organizations have a growing
concern regarding sustainability. One thing is for sure if nothing changes, than everything stays
the same, and the impacts to the earth could be irreparable.
There are many issues that impact our environment. The University of South Florida has set in
its vision the design and building of sustainable environmental responsibility. It is envisioned
that the university will develop partnerships throughout the communities that it serves to
strengthen its initiatives and improve innovations.
The University of South Florida began its initiatives in sustainable environmental programs long
ago. Since its inception the university has increased its initiatives from simple changes to more
substantial and far reaching changes. The creation of task forces and committees has helped to
develop the efforts and focus of the schools initiatives. Areas of focus are curriculum, recycling
and waste management, greenhouse gas emissions, transportation, water, green building,
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energy and community, according to the universities sustainability report of 2007 (USF
Sustainability Steering Committee).
Early on initiatives included planting trees and
changing out light bulbs to reduce consumption of
electricity. The university planted over 2,000 trees,
and reduced consumption of electricity, saving the
university somewhere in the neighborhood of $10
million (Patel College of Global Sustainability). The
initiatives have since been expanded to include much
larger projects such as LEED certified construction
and renovation of buildings including landscaping.
Student activities include recycling programs, educating the community and businesses about
their initiatives, reducing poverty by improving environmental, social and economicsustainability, both locally and globally. There are several student groups, who are actively
involved with these initiatives, such as the student environmental association, students in free
enterprise, engineers for a sustainable world and others (Patel College of Global Sustainability).
Curriculum
The University has created the first College
of Global Sustainability. Although other
colleges have provided curriculum in
sustainability USF is the first to include the
global designation, according to a report
School of Global Sustainability Proposal
written in 2009 (University of South
Florida). The college focuses on providing
education to students that further the
sustainability efforts through collaborative
research, education and community
involvement. Some of the classes offered
from the college are the principles of
sustainability, the economics of
sustainability, keys to sustainability,
communication of the value of
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sustainability and requires internships
(Patel College of Global Sustainability). The
purpose of the school is to prepare students
for work in the field of sustainable living.
Upcoming events hosted by the collegeinclude the 2014 Green Infrastructure
Conference and Florida Alternative Fuel
Vehicles Expo (Patel College of Global
Sustainability). The university has invested a
great deal into educating their students in
environmental stewardship.
Student Green Energy FundThe Student Green Energy Fund, which began in
the fall of 2011, is the primary source of financing
for the schools green initiatives. A $1 fee per
credit hour is assessed to each student every
semester. The funds collected contribute to the
financing of green projects around campuses. A
committee was formed to oversee how these
funds are put to use. The committee is comprised
of 50% students in order to ensure that the
students have a voice in how the money is used.
Students are able to propose projects to the
committee that in some way reduce energy consumption or lower greenhouse gas emissions
for instance. The committee then votes on the projects that have the most merit. Through thisprocess they have already managed to complete several projects such as solar docks being
installed around the USFSP campus for cleaner energy. Motion censored lights were installed in
the parking garage in order to conserve energy. Hybrid cars have been purchased to for school
use. A friendly computing project has been put in place, where they are utilizing recycled
material for computers. The University is also making sure that any computer parts that need to
be replaced, such as batteries, get taken to the nearest local recycling center.
SGEF is also looking towards the community for fund needs as well as inspiration. SGEF is
looking into the SunSense School Program from Duke Energy, in order to one day install solar
panels on campus. The SunSense School Program assists local schools in managing energy costs
through grants as well as installing PV systems.
St. Petersburg campus' Student Green Energy Fund committee hosts presentations for project
proposals, and current proposals include a rainwater cistern project, Phase 2 of a plan for light
replacement in the student parking garage, the addition of several water bottle refill stations on
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campus, recycling older dorm furniture, water recycling system, and the possibility of campus
electric cars. The university has done many projects around the St. Petersburg campus that are
getting us closer to that desired eco-friendly ideal.
Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF) is host
to the annual energy awareness event,
Race for the Watts. Race for the Watts is a
"race" that takes place in the St.
Petersburg Campus fitness center, in its
Green Energy Loft. All departments, clubs,
and organizations within the campus are
invited to take part in the event, which
uses SportsArt and Woodway Curve
equipment such as treadmills, purchased
by the fund, to bring awareness to carbon
reduction through reducing electricity use. Woodway Curve as well as SportsArt treadmills are
unique in that they have no motor, buttons, or plug-ins. The entire experience of using these
machines is powered by the user's own energy and pace. The end result is a gym that not only
offsets power costs, but provides clean and sustainable exercise equipment for students on
campus. The goal of this race is to exercise, or "run" miles and generate watts on the green
equipment, spreading awareness of carbon-free independent energy sources.
Recycling and Waste ManagementRecycling and waste management is incorporated into many
aspects of the schools efforts. From the construction of
buildings to placing recycling bins around the campus,
recycling and waste management has been incorporated
into the master plan of the campus. Recently, the SGEF
approved the proposal Dont Be Trashy. This proposal
included to placement of 20 recycling bins, made 100% from
recycled materials and to include the SGEF logo on them,
strategically on the St Petersburg campus. The maintenance
staff has agreed to weigh the collections in order to
measure the amount of trash and estimate the ROI. This
project is intended to lessen the amount of waste that
makes it to our landfills and also to increase awareness of
the SGEF. The project is still fairly new so no numbers have
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been made available to this point. USF dining halls abandoned the use of Styrofoam boxes in
2010, eliminating hundreds of thousands of boxes from making their way to our landfills. A
recent approval of water filling stations has resulted in the installation of 9 stations around the
St Petersburg campus. The locations are 2 upstairs in the Davis building, 1 downstairs in the
Bayboro Hall, 1 upstairs in the Bayboro Hall, 1 on the second floor of the library, 1 in the PeterWallace Building, 1 in the gym, and 1 upstairs in Coquina Hall. These fill stations count every
bottle saved in order to measure the results of this initiative. SGEF water bottles are to be
distributed around the campus to create awareness of this project (University of South Florida
St Petersburg). These are just some of the ways the St Petersburg campus is reducing their
waste and increasing recycling.
Greenhouse Gas EmissionsThe University of South Florida St Petersburg has put in place aset of standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the
next five years by reducing its use of fossil fuels and conserving
energy. The school conserves energy by the use of solar powered
charging stations, having sensors installed in classrooms that
turn on and off automatically, changing out incandescent bulbs
with more efficient LED and CFL bulbs, and many other ways.
Upon the signing of the American College and University
Presidents Climate Commitment on April 12, 2009, by William
Hogarth, the University agreed to take certain steps to improve
sustainability. These commitments include first, to eliminate operational greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions; second, to provide the education, research, and community engagement to enable the rest
of society to do the same; and third, to publicly report progress on an annual basis, according to the
ACUPCC Implementation Guide found on The American College and University Presidents Climate
Commitment website. Currently there are 679 signatories to date. The University of South Florida St
Petersburgs Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report can be found online at
http://www.acad.usf.edu/Office/Strategic-Initiatives/Sustain-A-Bull-USF.htm (University of South
Florida).
TransportationA car sharing program known as WeCar has
been implemented on the St Petersburg
campus of the University of South Florida.
This program began on the Tampa campus,
and entails cheaper short term and daily
rates for car rentals. This program includes
http://www.acad.usf.edu/Office/Strategic-Initiatives/Sustain-A-Bull-USF.htmhttp://www.acad.usf.edu/Office/Strategic-Initiatives/Sustain-A-Bull-USF.htmhttp://www.acad.usf.edu/Office/Strategic-Initiatives/Sustain-A-Bull-USF.htm -
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two vehicles, at the moment, that are kept
in the parking garage on campus. These cars
are fuel efficient vehicles that are for use by
students and faculty, and will eventually be
offered to the general public. The rates are
cheaper than what would be availabledirectly from enterprise rent a car, which is
who provides the vehicles, and is available
to anyone over the age of 18 years of age
rather than being restricted to ages 21 and
up. This allows students who live on campus
to not have to have their own
transportation. They must sign up for a
membership into the program, but then
may use the vehicles according to the terms
of the program. This is a fairly new program
having been officially launched on February
12, 2013 according to the Tampa Bay Times
(Gartner). It is still too early to determine if
it will be successful. The University of South
Florida St Petersburg has also installed
vehicle charging stations in the Gold lot.
These stations allow for priority parking
being right near the STG building.
Based upon a lack of available resources wemake the assumption that there is not
currently a bike sharing program or
agreement between the university and
PSTA, the local bus service, to provide
discounts to current students. These are
areas that the University could definitely
improve. The implementation of a bike
sharing program, and providing discounts
above the typical student discounts to USF
St Petersburg students, for bus passes,
would help to reduce students needs for
private transportation, and undoubtedly
lower emissions.
Clean WaterAlthough not directly related to the St Petersburg campus of USF, there is an initiative currently
underway that would help to detect unhealthy amounts of bacteria in water. The idea is that
when a water source is a potential harm to people it can be detected and more quickly
remedied. Here in Florida we have multiple beach closings due to unusually high amounts of
bacteria in the water usually related to the dumping of treated waste water into the bays, lakes
and rivers. It is opined that these beach closures impact businesses and communities.
Therefore, it would be a benefit to be able to deal with these issues quickly and be able to
reopen the beaches as soon as possible. Also this initiative could help to detect contaminants
on our food from water cleansing. Foods that have been
contaminated would never reach our dinner tables! Having access
to clean water is essential to life and something that we take for
granted here in the US.
Other technologies being worked on would create fuels from the
byproducts of treating waste water. This would lessen our
dependency on fossil fuels and is a sustainable, renewable energy
source. These initiatives recently gained the attention of the EPA
according to a story printed by the Tampa Tribune (Stockfisch).
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Green BuildingsCampuses have been designed while keeping sustainability top of mind. From the buildings to
the landscaping no stone has been left unturned. One of the greatest impacts that a universityhas on the environment is the use of the actual physical buildings. They are used a majority of
the time throughout the year, and cost a great deal to maintain and operate. This is exactly why
USF has put forth a substantial amount of effort and capital toward reducing the effects that
their campus buildings have on the environment.
Recycled materials and materials from within
close proximity have been used to reduce
transportation. Buildings do not use certain non-
renewable resources like granite. When planning
new buildings it is done in a way that provides the
greatest use of natural lighting and that creates
maximum exposure for things such as solar
panels, which are used to heat the water. Special
paints are used to improve indoor air quality. The
landscaping is drought tolerant, so that watering
them is not necessary. Lights turn on and off
automatically when people enter and leave a room. These are just some of the ways that USF
buildings reduce the consumption of resources. Two of our buildings, the Science and
Technology Building and the new University Student Center here at the USFSP campus are LEEDCertified. LEED certifications are awarded by the Green Building Council for buildings that are
constructed meeting a certain criteria. USF has made a commitment to the green movement by
mandating all new buildings and renovated buildings meet the LEED certification criteria
(Chachere). Since its construction many other buildings are being constructed, or have been
constructed with similar concepts,and with sustainability at the forefront of their designs.
EnergyEnergy consumption has been discussed
throughout this paper and is the most
important aspect to the green movement.
With more than seven billion people in the
world all being driven by the consumption
of energy it is easy to understand why this
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=T8wt_HBSWchKqM&tbnid=7YUj3XPj2TplgM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/financialservices/utilities/compare-gas-and-electricity-pri/9140750/Green-energy-tariffs-provide-cheap-energy-and-help-the-environment.html&ei=l_qUUoniMYHfkQeWiYD4Cg&bvm=bv.57155469,d.b2I&psig=AFQjCNHymxyG4fSCs1Qmm5GpfHsar4OThw&ust=1385581196521513 -
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initiative the hardest to tackle. Many of the
projects funded by the SGEF are aimed at
reducing energy consumption. The
University has also received grants from the
local power company, Duke Energy, forvarious projects. From lighting retrofits, to
self-sustaining work out equipment, solar
charging stations, green building initiatives,
and more, a great deal of resources has
gone to this principle! In the future I would
look for more solar and wind powered
energy to be generated by campuses, in
general, and certainly here on the StPetersburg campus. Here in Florida our
greatest natural resources are sunlight,
water and wind.
USFSP Community Partnerships
The City of St. Petersburg has been a green city for many years, and has provided ideas and
inspiration for USFs local campus. The goals of the city and the university are aligned when it
comes to sustainability. Currently, the city is working on community gardens and urban farming
to promote sustainability as well as local food sourcing. As a campus located in the heart of the
city, USFSP will be affected by this ambitious project along with the rest of the community.
It is not apparent through our research that the university and the city have worked together
on projects to this point. This is an opportunity for the university to reach out to the city and
provide assistance in the projects that are underway and proposed. The university is an integral
part of what the city of St Petersburg has to offer and attracts many new students, businesses
and full time residents to the area. We hope to see more collaboration between the universityand the city in the future.
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ConclusionThis paper has explored USFSPs sustainability and green projects historically, presently, and
those proposed for the future. It explored the history of the green movement in both theschool and the city of St. Petersburg. It has discussed projects in detail, as well as introduced
important student led committees in charge of making campus environmental decisions. It has
examined the communitys influence on projects through company grants, and presented ways
students can get involved. Although it is possible to measure the successes and failures of
certain initiatives such as savings in operational cost from green buildings, weight of trash
recycled and the number of plastic water bottles saved through refill stations, the results are
not widely published and distributed to the community. Any initiative that is carried out has
been voted on by committee, and presented with an estimated ROI; this means that only the
most promising initiatives are undertaken. Many of the initiatives once the investment has
been made are relatively inexpensive to maintain. Regardless of the effectiveness they are
creating awareness and this has a positive impact on the thoughts and actions of students and
faculty.
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Glossary of TermsSunSense - A Duke Energy program that offers incentives for solar energy installations
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) - is a certification for energy efficient
building designs awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council
University of South Florida (USF) - is an institution of higher learning
University of South Florida St Petersburg (USFSP) - A campus of the USF school
Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF)A fee charged to currently enrolled students to finance
green initiatives approved by committee
Photovoltaic (PV) - of, relating to, or utilizing the generation of a voltage when radiant
energy falls on the boundary between dissimilar substances
Return on Investment (ROI) -A performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an
investment or to compare the efficiency of a number of different investments
Light Emitting Diode (LED) - a semiconductor diode that emits light when a voltage is
applied to it and that is used especially in electronic devices
Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) - also called compact fluorescent light, energy-saving light,
and compact fluorescent tube, is a flourescent lamp designed to replace an incandescent lamp
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) - is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the
thermal infrared range
The American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) - is a high-
visibility effort to address global climate disruption undertaken by a network of colleges and
universities that have made institutional commitments to eliminate net greenhouse gas
emissions from specified campus operations
WeCarCar sharing program at University of South Florida operated by Enterprise Rent a Car
STG BuildingScience and Technology Building is a LEED certified building on the University of
South Florida St Petersburg campus
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) - provides public transportation for Pinellas County,
Florida
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - is an agency of the US Federal Government, which
was created for the purpose of protecting human health and the environment by writing and
enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress
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Annotated BibliographyUSF News Channel. Current News. University of South Florida, Dec. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
This is the official site for the entire USF school system. It hosts all green campus
accolades and is the broadest source of information for anything to do with special
reports, videos, and media contacts.
McGarigal, Daniel. University of South Florida. (2013) Student Green Energy Fund. University
of South Florida, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
The official site for the Student Green Energy Fund. It includes past projects, current
project monitoring, and future project proposals.
Patel College of Global Sustainability. (2013). Office of Sustainability. Retrieved November 10,
2013, from University of South Florida: http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/
The office of sustainability is a college within the University of South Florida. This site is
a great source of information regarding the history, programs, and initiatives of the
school regarding green projects.
City of St Petersburg. (2013, July 31). Green City. Retrieved October 28, 2013, from The
Official Site of the City of St Petersburg, FL: http://www.stpete.org/green/
This site is the official site of the city of St Petersburg. It provides great information
about the cities green programs in city government, energy efficiency, renewable energy,
water conservation, recycling, and building codes. This site has proven to be invaluable
as a resource.
Cash, J. (2010, May 05). USF One of Nation's Top Green Colleges. University of South Florida -
Provost Office, p. 1.
The article is about USFs inclusion into The Princeton Reviews Guide to 286 Green
Colleges. It outlines and summarizes the activities that USF is taking, which earned them
this esteemed honor.
Temple, Liisa. "Solar Power Plant Coming to USF." n.d.: n. pag. Web.
.
This article is about USF staff trying to improve the environment by making solar energy
more affordable. They are trying to make a plant of solar panels at USF.
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University of South Florida Sustainability Initiative Report.Rep. USF, 13 Oct. 2009. Web.
This report informs readers on how USF plans to improve their sustainability and how
they have already started to do so. The report mentions the expo that the university has
participated in order to get involved. It does also mention internal changes that they have
undergone in the student living area and many more.
"USFSP Should Sign Commitment to Go Green: Guidelines for Making Campus More Eco-
friendly Could Push the University." The Crows Nest. N.p., 25 Jan. 2012. Web.
This is the school newspaper article for USFSP students where they inform students of
what should still be done and what has been done to be green. They talk about signing on
to agree to reduce greenhouse emission which is great. The article says what the school
can improve on but also does not discredit what we have already accomplished.
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Works CitedChachere, Vickie. ""Green" Patel Center Opens at USF." University of South Florida News 21 January
2010.
Gartner, Lisa. Tampa Bay Times. 12 February 2013. 26 November 2013
.
GWSC Campus Staff. "Hillsborough Community College Florida." 2012. District Campus News. 24
November 2013 .
Patel College of Global Sustainability. Events. 2013. 24 November 2013 .
. History. 2013. 20 November 2013 .
. "Patel School of Global Sustainability." 2013. M.A. Program Description. 24 November 2013
.
. Student Initiatives. 2013. 20 November 2013 .
Stockfisch, Jerome. The Tampa Tribune Online. 28 March 2013. 25 November 2013
.
The Office for Sustainability at St Petersburg College. "SPC building named Project of the Year by USGreen Building Council." 28 October 2011. Sustainable SPC. 24 November 2013
.
University of South Florida. Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President. 2013. 26 November 2013
.
University of South Florida St Petersburg. SGEF. 2013. 22 November 2013
.
USF Sustainability Steering Committee. "University of South Florida." 2013. Academic Affairs. 20
November 2013 .