Transcript
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April 6, 2012
Professional Writing
ENC 3250.791S12
Professor Tobienne
Team 4: The Outsiders
John Campbell
Alton DeClaireTamara Parchment
Cristina Varela
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Table of Contents
Cover Page .. Page 1
Table of Contents Page 2
Executive Summary Page 3
Introduction Page 4
USF History of Green . Page 5
Early Energy Products . Page 5
Creation of the Office of Sustainability .. Page 5
Past Achievements ... Page 6
Current Progress of USF Green Efforts ... Page 6
USF Office of Sustainability Today. Page 7
Future Goals of USF in the Green Movement Page 7
Water Sustainability Initiatives .. Page 7
Glossary of Terms . Page 9
Annotated Bibliography .. Page 10
Works Cited Page 12
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Executive Summary
Global warming, sea level rising, and ozone layer depletion all have one thing in
common, they seem to be linked to a lack of education and a lack of concern for our
environment. We are in a critical period in history, one of great change and exploration. Now
more than ever the population is becoming more informed and conscious of both the harmful
and beneficial affects our actions have on the planet. In recent years we have started to
become familiar with the term Going Green. Going Green is a term /trend that is associated
with changing the process of ones lifestyle for the safety and benefit of the environment. Going
Green Movements are sweeping the nation, many beginning at College/Universities.
The University of South Florida has taken on a very significant role in The Going Green
Movement. USF is currently amongst the top ranking schools in the entire United States fortheir active participation and success in achieving sustainability. In 2010 USF made the
Princeton Review Guide to being one of the 286 Top Green Colleges in the entire United States.
USF has made immeasurable contributions to the environment thus far, with many more
promised for the very near future.
Although, USF has come so far in their efforts towards a more sustainable future, there
is much work to still be done. Sustainability is the capacity to endure. In terms of Human beings
and the environment, sustainability relates to the long-term maintenance and responsibility we
have towards our planet. Achieving sustainability will enable the earth to continue supporting
human life, as we know it. There are many ways USF and the communities as a whole have
participated in Going Green. Some costly and not so costly approaches have been taken. Acertain portion of the population is not convinced that excess amounts of money should be
invested in Going Green.
Another portion of the population values the efforts and sees them as a great
investment in our future. And the rest of the population is torn on the issue. This white paper
will discuss many of the issues we face as a community and as a nation concerning the
environment. The paper will present facts, professional opinions, and statistics. It will also
discuss USFs past, present, and future efforts concerning the Going Green Movement.
The purpose of this paper is to inform/educate readers on the issues at hand, costs of
correcting these issues, and the relation between political and educational aspects at hand.
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Introduction
When my day starts two clocks wake me up.
A regular alarm clock and my phone whichare both plugged into outlets in the Wall. I
turn on my lights in my room and bathroom,
take as long of shower as I possibly can, brush
my teeth, and then wake my children up. I
end up turning their lights on even though
the sun has come out by now. I get them
dressed and we rush out the door as, I am
usually running late. We cram into my ten
year old car and sit in endless traffic with
many other cars that are traveling only a few
miles from their home. As I arrive to work Iam assigned a diesel fueled truck that I drive
to a designated post area where I sit and wait
for an emergency 911 call. While I am
waiting, the truck remains running and I use
my cell phone and laptop to do my
schoolwork. My day has not even really
started and I have already used a great deal
of wasteful energy and contributed to
greenhouse emissions. I am not unlike most
Americans. We rely on a massive amount oftechnical and industrial energy to survive.
Despite our reliance on this energy we have
been informed from researchers, media, and
current political policy that our waste of
energy and greenhouse emissions is an issue
that we all contribute to. In recent years the
green movement has been established to
23%
18%
0%4%
8%
1%0%
38%
7%
USF Greenhouse Gas DistributionStudent
CommutingDirectly Financed
Air TravelWastewater
Scope 2 T&D Losses
Other on- campus stationary
Refrigerants & chemicals
Direct
TransportationPurchased Electricity
Faculty/Staff Commuting
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make us a more energy efficient society. In
1956 the University of South Florida was
established in the Tampa Community. In
recent years USFs active participation in this
going green movement can be examined
through the history of their green projects,their current energy progress, and their
future goals for a more energy efficient
campus and community.
The History of Green
In the 1980s with the booming economy our
society was fast paced and increasingly
consuming. The increase of wealth and jobs
magnified the typical American appetite to
buy, use, and abuse as many products as
possible. The bigger the better, was the
common perceptive on American lifestyle.
Early Energy Products
In this decade USF attempted to counteract
this common life style by a simple change in
campus energy. They started with replacing
all the light bulbs on campus with more
efficient bulbs. In addition to this they also
installed major central plant chillers to reduce
the amount of energy usage (History of
Sustainability 2011). The 1990s gave birth to
awareness in the American consumer and
their surrounding effect on their
environment. Energy usage became a politicalhot topic and people started questioning how
real an energy efficient environment is. USF
started campus environmental awareness by
providing a recycling site that was not only
available to students, but also to the
surrounding community. In 1995 USF started
a free campus shuttle in an attempt to reduce
campus vehicle traffic congestion, and
powered the shuttle with biofuel that was
energy efficient and less hazardous to the
environment. In this decade they also planted
over 2000 trees to add shade and natural life
to the campus (History of Sustainability
2011).
Creation of the Office of Sustainability
In 2001 USF and TECO (community electric
company) established the Green Fund
which was a foundational account to develop
sustainable fiscal base for the future Office of
Sustainability. This office played a crucial role
to the organization of USFs green
movement. In 2006 Provost Ralph Wilcox
hired Dr. Whiteford, an anthropologist, as the
Vice President of Academic Affairs and
Strategic Initiatives. Provost Wilcox gave Dr.
Whiteford the goal to maintain campussustainability. In 2007 Dr. Wilcox established
the Sustainability Initiative Steering
Committee. A year later an important
document was signed by USF President Judy
Genshaft, the American College and
University Presidents Climate Commitment.
This document required a commitment from
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college Presidents around the U.S. to inform
their community and students of ways to
decrease global warming, and gave
information on how to achieve a neutral
climate. The document also required the
campus to develop a long-term ClimateAction Plan that would reduce greenhouse
emissions from USF campuses. This
accountability was a green statement that
displayed an example for the community that
started with the President of the university. A
year in later in 2009, The Office of
Sustainability was official established by
Provost Wilcox. The goal of this Office was to
report climate assessments and conduct and
organize current green activities (History of
Sustainability 2011).
Past Achievements
Since the establishment of the Office of
Sustainability, USF has received notoriety for
their green achievements. In 2010 USF was
inducted into The Princeton Review Guide to
the 286 Top Green Colleges. This review
analyzed thousands of colleges and
universities across the U.S. for their current
green movements. They reviewed the
education and active roles that campuses
were taking to reduce green house emissions
and wasteful energy. That same year USF was
ranked number 2 in the annual Recycle
Mania. This contest was a recycling contest
that was judged on 686 different campuses
(USF one of nation's top green colleges,
2010). The following year USF ranked 4th in
the contest, and again made in the PrincetonReview (USFs green effort good for all, 2011).
Current Progress of USF Green Efforts
As it stands, those initiatives that the Office of
Sustainability has implemented continue to
serve in maintaining a greener institution. The
Bull Runner Transit system deemed a success
by Dr. Philip Reeder, Associate Professor and
Director of Environmental Science and Policy,
continues to transport students across
campus while being fueled solely by low-cost,low-emission bio diesel. The recent awarding
of a second Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design Gold Certification for
water conservation, energy efficiency,
sustainable development, and materials used
in the construction of the Interdisciplinary
Science Building has established a new
standard in development on campus. In
keeping with Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) standards, the
University of South Florida is required to
provide records of materials used in the
construction of the certified structure,
recycling those materials that remain,
including debris, if possible. According to Dr.
Reeder, many of USFs classrooms feature
motion sensors capable of turning off lights
when the room is unpopulated. In an attempt
to raise awareness, while at the same time
reduce its ecological footprint. The University
of South Florida, in coordination withSouthwest Florida Water Management, is
currently conducting a university-wide water
conservation campaign. Solar charging
stations for USF golf carts as well as solar
panels atop the Marshall Student Center are
both awaiting TECO approval, while a project
to install solar-powered umbrellas intended
to provide students with an alternate means
of charging their mobile electronic devices
could be completed as soon as April. Theseprojects would also provide a kiosk to
students intended to share the amount of
power being produced and conserved by
Sustainability Initiatives on campus. Finally,
although simple, an abundance of recycling
receptacles located in offices, classrooms,
and residence halls alike both allow and
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encourage the re-use of plastic, paper, and
aluminum. These initiatives are funded by the
Student Green Energy Fund - a $1.00-per-
credit-hour fee created at the demand of the
students in 2008. Proposals for the Student
Green Energy Fund may be submitted by anyentity within The University of South Florida
Tampa Campus, with accepted proposals
being awarded as much as $100,000 (Reeder,
2012)
USF Office of Sustainability Today
Since its creation, the USF Office of
Sustainability has made tremendous strides in
helping USF continue to become apowerhouse in the green movement. All
students as well as current USF employees
are encouraged to use Student Green Energy
Fee (SGEF) funds. They can do this by creating
energy efficient and sustainability project
proposals pertaining to any USF campuses.
Funds awarded can be up to $100,000.
Projects that have happened because of the
Office of Sustainability include; the close
monitoring of recycling the debris from
construction sites as much construction
waste as possible is being recycled, and all
LEED projects are required to submit records
as evidence. The Office of Sustainability at
USF is also working with the Southwest
Florida Water Management District on a
university-wide water conservation campaign
(Petzoldt, 2012).
Future Goals of USF in Green
Movement
According to an article published in the
University of South Florida Oracle on March
6, 2012, there are several proposals for new
sustainability initiatives funded by the
Student Green Energy Fund. These initiatives
include the replacement of halide lightingfixtures in parking garages, photo-sensors
capable of eliminating needless lighting in
dorm rooms, a new air conditioning system, a
power management system intended to
regulate the computers used on campus, and
a calculation of USFs carbon footprint are
just some of the proposals currently being
discussed. The next deadline for submission
of proposals is October 1st, 2012 (Saleh,
2012).
Water Sustainability Initiatives
USF is also planning to make many
achievements in the area of water
sustainability as well. According to the Office
of Sustainability website, the following are
Water Sustainability initiatives for the USF.
One of these is as stated before, a
partnership of with Southwest Florida Water
Management District to create a university-
wide water conservation campaign. Building
water metering is another initiative. With theexception of residence halls on campus, most
building around the USF campus are
individually monitored to lessen water usage.
This includes using motion sensing automatic
faucets and toilet flushing mechanisms.
Weather informed irrigation, where various
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sensors are placed throughout campus and
how much water is used is adjusted
accordingly. Non-potable storm water is used
by the USF Golf Course for irrigation. USF is
seeking funding for two cistern projects to
capture the blow down condensate frommechanical units and incorporate into use for
irrigation. The Dr. Kiran C. Patel center for
Global Solutions incorporates the use of a
rainwater harvesting system, which is used
for the flushing of toilets. These initiatives are
just a few in USFs water sustainability efforts
(USF Office of Sustainability water initiatives,
2012).
Concluding Thought
As technology proceeds, so do our lifestyles. With this progression we gain knowledge
on the way. One of the facets of gained knowledge is our ever increasing awareness of our
surroundings. Within our surroundings we are connected to social worlds we thought couldnever exist. We now have access to information at the tip of our fingertips. What we also have
gained in our surroundings is the awareness of our destructive environment. Our population
keeps increasing as our life expectancy because of our gained knowledge. As we advance in our
technology we produce and consume more which affects our environment. We have always
placed trust in our universities to prepare the youth with the proper tools to lead our
community as we age. In this preparation we hope that our environment is included and
remains a focus of concern. As we have examined in this report, USF is striving to not only
prepare the generations for a better future, but also to set the example by continuing the green
movement.
The older I become the more I realize how life is a perpetual circle and only death can
stop the completion of ongoing cycles. I also have understood through time that nature and life
survive and thrive on patterns and integrated circles of balance. One day I hope my children will
thrive on their own and survive in this circle of life. I feel that keeping the environment in its
natural cycle without man driven disturbances will keep this circle of our world in check. It is
not a question of us trying to save the environment so that it can exist with our progression, but
instead it is a question of how we can exist in our environment. This gained knowledge has
shown us that we have lived to long thinking that the environment will adapt to us, when in fact
we must adapt to it.
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Glossary of Terms
Going Green - the social phenomenon describing individuals who use their consumer voice to
increase sustainability and decrease their impact on the environment.
Sustainability - Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and
nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other
requirements of present and future generations.
Global Warming - an increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature that causes
corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse Emissions -A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared
radiation
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) - consists of a suite of rating systems
for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and
neighborhoods.
http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/GAShttp://www.wordwebonline.com/en/CONTRIBUTEhttp://www.wordwebonline.com/en/GREENHOUSEEFFECThttp://www.wordwebonline.com/en/ABSORBINGhttp://www.wordwebonline.com/en/INFRAREDRADIATIONhttp://www.wordwebonline.com/en/INFRAREDRADIATIONhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_buildinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_buildinghttp://www.wordwebonline.com/en/INFRAREDRADIATIONhttp://www.wordwebonline.com/en/INFRAREDRADIATIONhttp://www.wordwebonline.com/en/ABSORBINGhttp://www.wordwebonline.com/en/GREENHOUSEEFFECThttp://www.wordwebonline.com/en/CONTRIBUTEhttp://www.wordwebonline.com/en/GAS8/2/2019 Team Outsider White Paper Project
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Annotated BibliographyCash, J. (2010, May 5). USF one of nation's top green colleges. Retrieved from
http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=2295
This link is an article talks about USFs induction into the Princeton Reviews Guide to
286 Green Colleges. This is a handbook that focuses on colleges that are presenting an
above average commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure,
activities, and initiatives. The article justifies USFs inclusion to this guide by stating that
The Office of Sustainability is the backbone for USFs environmental concerns. This
office provides programs for the staff and students to encourage environmentaladvancement on campus and off. It also states that USF was ranked 2ndin Florida for the
2010 Recycle Mania waste minimization contest. This contest is based on the amount of
municipal waste produced by each student. The article states that USF students in 2010
successfully lobbied for a 75 cent per credit hour increase in tuition to support the green
movement. There is a huge list of sustainability activities that are listed in this article as
well.
Dixon, J. Dean's welcome [Web log comment]. Retrieved from
http://www.marine.usf.edu/about/index.shtmlWebsite to the College of Marine Sciences- Deans message talks about the various
missions goals of USFSP marine science to gain knowledge and education about theworlds water source
Green house gas inventory USF. (2008). Unpublished manuscript, Environmental Science and
Policy, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida. , Available from Greenhouse
Subcommittee. Retrieved fromhttp://www.acad.usf.edu/Office/Strategic-
Initiatives/docs/USF-Greenhouse-Gas-Inventory.pdf
Strategic plan of USFSP College of Marine Sciences detailing the vision, goals, and
strategies about the efforts in marine science.
History of sustainability (2011). [Online forum comment]. Retrieved fromhttp://usfweb2.usf.edu/Sustainability/about_history.aspx
This is USFs webpage for The Office ofSustainability. In this section of the webpage the
history is discussed and how USFs influential green office came about.
Petzoldt, T. USF Should Continue Certifying Buildings for LEED. The Oracle. (2012) 4 March
2012
http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=2295http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=2295http://www.marine.usf.edu/about/index.shtmlhttp://www.marine.usf.edu/about/index.shtmlhttp://www.acad.usf.edu/Office/Strategic-Initiatives/docs/USF-Greenhouse-Gas-Inventory.pdfhttp://www.acad.usf.edu/Office/Strategic-Initiatives/docs/USF-Greenhouse-Gas-Inventory.pdfhttp://www.acad.usf.edu/Office/Strategic-Initiatives/docs/USF-Greenhouse-Gas-Inventory.pdfhttp://www.acad.usf.edu/Office/Strategic-Initiatives/docs/USF-Greenhouse-Gas-Inventory.pdfhttp://usfweb2.usf.edu/Sustainability/about_history.aspxhttp://usfweb2.usf.edu/Sustainability/about_history.aspxhttp://usfweb2.usf.edu/Sustainability/about_history.aspxhttp://www.acad.usf.edu/Office/Strategic-Initiatives/docs/USF-Greenhouse-Gas-Inventory.pdfhttp://www.acad.usf.edu/Office/Strategic-Initiatives/docs/USF-Greenhouse-Gas-Inventory.pdfhttp://www.marine.usf.edu/about/index.shtmlhttp://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=22958/2/2019 Team Outsider White Paper Project
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This article highlights USFs recent acquisition of the LEED Gold Certification for its
Interdisciplinary Science Building. It also outlines the environmental and public image
benefits of having such a certification, while also emphasizing the importance of making
the acquisition of additional LEED certifications a priority moving forward.
Reeder, P. (2012, March 19). Interview by J. Campbell [Personal Interview].
Dr. Reeder is Director of Environmental Science and Policy Program for the Department
of Geography, Environment, and Planning at USF.
Saleh, M. (2012, March 6). Student green energy fee sees second round of proposals. The
Oracle. Retrieved fromhttp://www.usforacle.com/news/student-green-energy-fee-
sees-second-round-of-proposals-1.2711887
This article discusses a current proposal of a green fund fee increase that is seen in our
tuition. It also shows multiple proposals for cost efficient lights and plans with TECO to
save energy on campus. Faculty, staff, and students in the fall of 2011 proposed 12
green projects, that we all approved and are to be completed this May. One of the
newest proposals is an LED switch over to all lights on campus that is totaling up to 1
million dollars. Although this switch over could save USF 4 million dollars over the next
decade.
USF's green efforts good for all. (2011, April 25). The Oracle. Retrieved from
http://www.usforacle.com/usf-s-green-efforts-good-for-all-1.2551327This article updates the current progress of USFs green movement stating that the
university made it into Princetons Review Guide of Green Colleges. Also in this year it
ranked number 4 in Recycle mania, which is a national contest. On Earth Day of 2011,USFs Office of Sustainability hosted a celebration that was held at the botanical gardens
at USF. This organization was established in 2009 and according to this article is
responsible for the green movement success of USF.
USF Office of Sustainability water initiatives (2012) 15 March 2012http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/initiatives/water/
This page on the USF office of Sustainability website lists the water initiatives that the
Office of Sustainability is undertaking.
http://www.usforacle.com/opinion/usf-should-continue-certifying-buildings-for-leed-1.2710955#.T2eq9vCToUMhttp://www.usforacle.com/opinion/usf-should-continue-certifying-buildings-for-leed-1.2710955#.T2eq9vCToUMhttp://www.usforacle.com/opinion/usf-should-continue-certifying-buildings-for-leed-1.2710955#.T2eq9vCToUMhttp://www.usforacle.com/opinion/usf-should-continue-certifying-buildings-for-leed-1.2710955#.T2eq9vCToUMhttp://www.usforacle.com/news/student-green-energy-fee-sees-second-round-of-proposals-1.2711887http://www.usforacle.com/news/student-green-energy-fee-sees-second-round-of-proposals-1.2711887http://www.usforacle.com/news/student-green-energy-fee-sees-second-round-of-proposals-1.2711887http://www.usforacle.com/news/student-green-energy-fee-sees-second-round-of-proposals-1.2711887http://www.usforacle.com/usf-s-green-efforts-good-for-all-1.2551327http://www.usforacle.com/usf-s-green-efforts-good-for-all-1.2551327http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/initiatives/water/http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/initiatives/water/http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/initiatives/water/http://www.usforacle.com/usf-s-green-efforts-good-for-all-1.2551327http://www.usforacle.com/news/student-green-energy-fee-sees-second-round-of-proposals-1.2711887http://www.usforacle.com/news/student-green-energy-fee-sees-second-round-of-proposals-1.2711887http://www.usforacle.com/opinion/usf-should-continue-certifying-buildings-for-leed-1.2710955#.T2eq9vCToUMhttp://www.usforacle.com/opinion/usf-should-continue-certifying-buildings-for-leed-1.2710955#.T2eq9vCToUM8/2/2019 Team Outsider White Paper Project
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Works Cited
Cash, J. (2010, May 5). USF one of nation's top green colleges. Retrieved from
http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=2295
History of sustainability (2011). [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from
http://usfweb2.usf.edu/Sustainability/about_history.aspx
Petzoldt, T. USF Should Continue Certifying Buildings for LEED. The Oracle. (2012) 4 March
2012
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