TGM WhitePaper Revised

8/13/2019 TGM WhitePaper Revised

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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.

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