Team Evergreen: White Paper Project-USFSP Professional Writing

8/22/2019 Team Evergreen: White Paper Project-USFSP Professional Writing

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Team Evergreen:

Jamie Foster-Mann

Kaylee Galindo

Nadege Guillaumette

USF Going Green

through The Office of

Sustainability


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 2

STRATEGIC GOALS 2

STUDENT INITIATIVES 3

STUDENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATION 3

SUSTAINABILITY SCHOLARS PROGRAM & 5

SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWS PROGRAM

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION &GREEN LLC TOUR 5

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA STUDENT GREEN ENERGY FUND 6

RECYCLING 8

WATER 9

ACADEMICS 11

TRANSPORTATION 14

ENERGY 16

GREEN BUILDING 19

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 19

CONCLUSION 21

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 23

WORKS CITED 26


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Introduction

According to Going Green by David and Patricia Armentrout, Going green means to

improve the way we produce, buy, use and throw away products. It means contributing less to air

pollution and to landfills". The main sources of renewable energy are solar, wind, hydropower,

geothermal, and biomass energy. The purpose of going green is to use more of these resources than

its counterparts of non-renewable energy such as coal, oil, natural gas, propane gas and nuclear

energy. The most commonly used are coal and oil, which when burned release carbon dioxide that

can cause air pollution and harmful side effects to people, animals, plants, and also cause global

warming.

The University of South Florida is contributing to going green in many different ways and

through several methods. One of the many programs leading the way is the Office of Sustainability.

Some of the initiatives include student involvement, recycling, water, academics and education,

transportation, energy, green-building, and designed environment.

The Office of Sustainability produces its own outreach materials and publications to educate

students and faculty on what is currently happening in the going green movement. This includes

their website, the Sustain-A-Bull website, Sustainability newsletter, building signage highlighting

green building features, food service area signage that includes information on sustainable food

systems, information for commuters to use alternate transportation, guides for green living in

residences, and consistent coverage in the USF campus newspaper.

Strategic Goals

The Office of Sustainability at USF is focused on four major goals. Per their website, the


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following are the main areas of targeted improvement.

"Strengthening and supporting integrated and synergistic interdisciplinary research across

disciplinary, departmental, college and campus boundaries." (Strategic Goal 1)

"Building a sustainable campus environment at USF." (Strategic Goal 2)

"Constructing an up-to-date clearinghouse of information about all the sustainability

engagement activities currently occurring at USF and encouraging and rewarding faculty,

staff, and student engagement in sustainability initiatives." (Strategic Goal 3)

"Creating a sustainable environment that supports an expanded and improved teaching and

research mission, a more engaged residential community, and a university-based global

village." (Strategic Goal 4)

Student Initiatives

Students at University of South Florida play a very active part in the green movement on

campus. The USF Office of Sustainability has a number of students and campus leaders participating

in green projects and leading green student organizations. There is also a proposal for a Student

Office for Sustainability and Awareness currently in the works.

Student Clubs and Organizations

There are a number of clubs and associations led by students on campus. The Student

Environmental Association's mission is to make USF a more environmentally friendly campus and is

focused on volunteer activities, educating the community on sustainability, and getting more

students involved in the green movement. They host Rejuvenate the Bay" annually, which is an

event where students meet to clean up trash along the USFSP waterfront beach. They also


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collaborate with the nonprofit research/development organization Green Energy Living Systems,

which is run by a group of USFSP professors.

Another student run club at USF is Engineers for a Sustainable World. Their mission is as

follows:

"Partner technical and educational resources to develop sustainable technological solutions

in communities where need has been locally identified".

"Promote awareness of technological challenges in underserved

communities"

"Promote awareness of sustainable technology appropriate to the community in terms of

culture, resources, and local demand"

"Form and sustain dynamic partnerships between students, academia, and professionals in

service to ESW"

Recent projects that the Engineers for a Sustainable World have organized and participated

in include Water Awareness, Research and Education in East Tampa (which was a collaboration of

USF), Young Magnet Middle School and the East Tampa Community, as well as running the Green

Expo at the USF Sun Dome.

Student Government is also involved in the going green movement. Theyve even went as far

as electing one of their members as the Chief Sustainability Officer at USF. This chosen person has a

large amount of responsibility, which mainly includes organizing and executing university

sustainability initiatives. This person also has a seat on the Sustainability Steering Committee, holds

a executive position in the Student Environmental Association, arranges the university's involvement

in Recycle Mania, and lives in the Green Living and Learning Community Residence on campus.


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Sustainability Scholars Program and Sustainability Fellows Program

The Office of Sustainability created the Sustainability Scholars Program. This service-learning

program provides USF undergrads with the chance to work directly with the Office of Sustainability

personnel to make USF a green college. Sustainability Scholars perform sustainability audits of

selected programs, clubs, and offices, examining and assessing "coupled social, economic, and

environmental practices that promote or impede sustainability". Scholars share their results with

the group in a sustainability report card with precise, detailed suggestions for generating and/or

improving sustainable practices. During the experience, Sustainability Scholars become skilled at

how to create and put into practice a formal research design, they acquire training in research ethics

and they also correct methods for data collection and analysis. Each fall and spring semester, two

Sustainability Scholars are chosen.

Another student initiativeis the Sustainability Fellows Program. This is a service learning

program available for graduate students. The chosen students work 10-20 hours a week as graduate

research assistants. Again, as with the Sustainability Scholars, two are chosen at the beginning of

each semester.

New Student Orientation and Green LLC Tour

USF also includes sustainability in new student orientation activities and on tours. Student

Government passes out related materials to all first year students during Week of Welcome. This

includes reusable shopping bags, reusable water bottles, brochures, handouts, and literature all

made from recycled material.


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The Green LLC tour is given to students from the Green Living and Learning Community. A

faculty member is in charge of this program and educates students on the development of

sustainability on campus. Stops on the tour include the Office of Sustainability, the Botanical

Gardens, and the Center for Urban Transportation Research.

University of South Florida Student Green Energy Fund

Students on the Student Green Energy Fund Council, which consists of 12 members, 2

alternates, and 1 Chair, decide what green projects to focus on each year. Just last year they

awarded $12,000 to install lighting controls and $50,000 to reduce electricity consumption

concentrating on desktop computers and new software for monitors to go into sleep mode when

not in use. They also spent a large amount of funds on upgrades for various buildings' heating,

venting, and cooling systems, as well as installing more water fountains throughout campus. So how

does the Student Green Energy Fund work?Any current student or employee of USF can apply to

use the green energy funds. Proposals are submitted for review online through the Office of

Sustainability's website. There are 2 deadlines each year, one in early fall and one in early spring.

Per their website, the proposal must meet the following criteria:

"Proposals must address energy savings and/or renewable energy technologies that

demonstrably lower energy consumption on the USF Tampa campus,

Proposals must include an educational component that informs the USF community about

the results of the project,


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All relevant university paperwork (e.g., Space Impact Request, Event Request, etc.) must be

completed and approved,

All proposed projects must have immediate application (i.e., should not be pure research),

cannot include salaries or stipends for USF employees but can include stipends for

undergraduate students and salaries (but not tuition) for graduate assistants,

Proposals must demonstrate that funding alternatives (such as fees, grants, etc.) are not

available/applicable,

And all proposals and benefitting units must comply with the reporting requirements of the

American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment and the Sustainability

Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System."

After the proposal is submitted, The SGEF committee reviews it and sets an appointment for the

student or employee to present his or her idea to the committee. The committee then grades the

proposal based on its rubric. After the proposal is discussed, the members gather for a vote and

either deny or accept the request.

The next step in the process is administrative procedures. The party who initiated the idea

must now submit their proposal to the Regional Vice Chair and the SGEF Committee Chair for

approval. If they deny the proposal, the student/employee must make the appropriate revisions and

submit the proposal again for review.

If it is then met with a final approval, they then begin filling out the required university

paperwork. The SGEF assists with this step to make sure they get all the appropriate paperwork

submitted. After the filing is finished, the administration is able to process a purchasing order.


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Implementation of the project can now begin. The SGEF continues to help the proposing party in any

way needed.

Recycling

A lot of thought goes into choosing a recycling program that fits best with your institution.

Many factors have to be considered in order to ensure that the program will be an effective one.

The Office of Sustainability has taken steps towards building a solid recycling program for our

University by partnering with multiple companies who share the same efforts in keeping our school

environmentally friendly.

USF Aramark partners with our dining halls by providing reusable recycle cups for beverages,

reusable recycle bags for transporting food, and more creatively Aramark has provided reusable

recycle to-go containers for those to take out their food whenever they do not feel like dining in.

Aramark also guarantees that there are three separate recycling containers outside of each dining

hall so that guests can recycle their materials whenever they are finished with their meals. Coca Cola

has also generously donated bins to be used for recycling in USF residence halls. Coca Colas goal to

recycle 100 percent of the aluminum beverage cans that it produces in the U.S. has led to the

establishment of a collection program at USF. USF also currently possesses a Coca Cola 100+ soda

machine to help eliminate the use of aluminum cans and plastic bottles.

USFs first waste audit recorded the years between 1996 and 2007. The results of this

showed that the physical plant recycled over 48 tons of aluminum and over 9,700 tons of mixed


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paper. Over 2,000 recycling containers for paper have been distributed throughout campus and over

500 tons of paper was recycled just in 2009. The Office of Sustainability is also responsible for the

low-watt light bulbs that are used in the dining halls helping recycle light through Frontier lighting,

collecting leftover grease and giving it to Darling Restaurant Services or Filtafry to recycle for

biodiesel to fuel cars, as well as recycling various cardboard and tin materials through Frito-Lay and

Republic Waste Services.

Water

Everyone who attends or has attended USF Im sure is familiar with the giant water tower

located on our campus and also of how it glows green whenever an athletic team of ours wins a

game. But what everyone is probably not familiar with is how our university uses the water that is

contained inside the tower, or how our university recycles and reuses water in general. USF

partnered with Southwest Florida Water Management District in the spring of 2011 to run a

university-wide water conservation campaign. Since then there has been changes on the universitys

campus with the help of the Office of Sustainability towards greater ways to reduce water

consumption.


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USF has revamped a majority of all of its buildings on campus to monitor the water being

used. Almost all, with the exception of the residence halls, have motion sensing automatic faucets

and flush valves. A big issue that has revolved around making our university bathrooms more

environmentally friendly and conservable is the idea of using waterless urinals. Although the idea of

these seem like it would really help to conserve the amount of water used on our campus, the cons

seem to outweigh the pros and USF has decided not to install these in our male restrooms. The

reasons that support this choice are the following: additional energy consumption would be

required to operate these that would lead to creating more pollution, manufacturing the cartridges

used for these waterless urinals is a high energy consuming process using oils and plastics that

would also enhance pollution along with the disposal of these cartridges creating more landfill

pollution as well as air pollution, purchasing the cartridges cost much more than the alternative of

using water, and there is overall no economic benefit for USF to use these waterless urinals and only

negative consequences.

USF abides by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection regulations in regards to

creating a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan required by the National Pollutant Discharge

Elimination System. In Ken Sutherlands article, the term grey water is defined as water that is

from the dishwasher, washing machine, shower or faucet that can usually be recycled or diverted

before it is wasted. Most of the grey water produced by USF is used by the City of Tampa for

irrigation all throughout the city. Other non-drinkable or reusable storm water is used by the

university to water the USF golf course (predominately) and other areas of campus. Rainwater is

also harvested and used for the flushing of toilets by the center for Global Solutions.


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Academics

One of the most unique aspects of USF and what the Office of Sustainability has created that

no other university has been able to specialize in is that of a separate school created primarily to

focus on sustainability on a global scale. The School of Global Sustainability was created at USF in

January of 2010. Its creation in the words of Judy Genshaft is because of the fact that sustainability

is this generations space race. Genshaft states that the challenge is not in the domination of space

but in the unsustainable trajectory of our planet's health and the demise of its natural resources

and that USF is ready to answer the call. The School is based on integrated interdisciplinary research,

scholarship and teaching and is the first of its kind in the nation. This school is unique in a way that

there will be no walls or boundaries on what can be done, there wont even be a dean for the

school. The school is managed by an Executive Director and staffed by affiliated scholars from both

the USF system and other universities around the world.

The faculty that represents this School is composed of those who are involved in the natural

and social sciences, engineering, business, the humanities, arts and health. Key characteristics of the

school include: its geographical location, the researchers it offers, how the School brings everything

all together, and the Schools initial emphasis. Because Florida is mostly surrounded by saltwater,


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Florida has a crucial need for fresh water and a way to sustain it. The School is located near Tampa

Bays coastal shorelines giving the School a location that allows them to practice protecting our

environment from the ever rising coastlines. This School also offers repute researchers in climate

change, coastal environments, sustainable cities, health, society and STEM areas related to

sustainability. All of these researchers work together to draw from existing resources to create a

common focus on sustainability that crosses cultures. The School brings everything together

because most of all of the classes are offered online but there is also an on-campus intellectual

center for all to engage with one another encouraging integrative and creative research teams. The

Schools initial emphasis is on global sustainability and water, but the School has a projected goal of

evolving to reflect a broader focus on Sustainable Healthy Communities.

The School includes several different colleges which are the College of Arts and Sciences,

College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, College of Business, College of Education, College of

Engineering, College of Marine Science, College of Arts, and the Honors College. The College of Arts

and Sciences and the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences are similar in a way that they

both provide community based courses that focus on sustainability and include service-learning

opportunities along with other international educational opportunities. The College of Business and

the College of Education both focus on teaching environmental issues however the College of

Business focuses predominately on business sustainability and sustainable enterprise whereas the

College of Education more on informal science education particularly within secondary education.

The College of Engineering faculty members have primary interests in the biophysical environment

and the College of Marine Science faculty members have an expertise in environmental education,

research, and global climate change. Students in the Honors College conduct senior projects that


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focus on sustainability and environment issues and they also take seminars on these topics taught

by various faculty experts in a variety of different areas.

The School also includes four different centers, the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Center for Global

Solutions, the Center for Urban Transportation Research, the Clean Energy Research Center, and the

Power Center for Utility Explorations. These centers focus on a variety of things but their main

concerns are facilitating research and activities on topics of global concern, providing objective high

quality transportation Research, developing and promoting new environmentally clean energy

sources and systems, and exploring all energy related issues in renewable energy systems.


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Judy Genshaft believes that the challenges that this School of Global Sustainability will face is

engaging itself with its community and attracting the right students to the program. She believes

that if they can successfully create an interdisciplinary environment and spur the public conversation

of sustainability in Tampa, the talent that the School possesses will be able to make positive steps

and major improvements in this so called space race of sustainability that our generation is

currently in. However this School has proven to be successful thus far not only in inspiring other

universities to adopt similar programs but also by priding USF in its involvement with its community.

Transportation

One of the many initiatives of the Office of Sustainability is to focus on transportation and to

limit and eliminate the use of harmful fuels in the atmosphere. Some of the ways they accomplish

this is to promote the use of bicycles, carpooling, and providing free bus systems. Other ways

include high parking cost and switching to electric powered vehicles and using alternative fuels. To

get less people driving one manned cars to campus is one their strategies. USF works very closely

with Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) and New North Transportation Alliance

(NNTA) to help get this accomplished.

According to their website one of the many ways is to encourage pedestrian and bicycle

commuting. They have been working on improvements to the campus design to incorporate bicycle

lanes and more pedestrian friendly campus. Bike racks are included in front of all their new buildings

and are working to get them at all of their existing. New sidewalks to connect to the nearby

neighborhoods have been built. They have also constructed more restaurants and on campus

housing to encourage students to stay on campus rather than leaving during the day. The Campus


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Recreation Center implemented a bike rental program for those that dont have any bikes. USF

Division of Public Safety provides a Bicycle Anti-Theft Registration Program as well.

Another way that USF has helped curb the use of vehicles is to encourage the use of the Bull

Runner and the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) System and the use of carpooling. They

offer students the use of the Bull Runner and Hart system for free and staff a reduced fare. These

busses also have bike racks on them so that you can still use your bicycle. The routes run all around

the campus to nearby neighborhoods and the University Mall. Also according to The Office of

Sustainabilitys website, Those who commute by transit at least two times per week have access to

the free Emergency (taxi) Ride Home program which is an added bonus for those who choose to

take advantage of it. Programs like the Bay Area Commuter Services Tampa Bay Ride Share that help

you meet others that live or work in your area so that you can carpool/vanpool. Bay Area Vanpool

leases vans to groups of Staff and Students to commute to school together.

Also, The Office of Sustainability is working to reduce the effect of their carbon footprint by

switching to electrical cars that use the sun as an energy source. Using fuels such as biodiesel for

their Bull Runner Transit causes way less harm to the environment than fossil fuel. According to

Nainan Desai, the Assistant Director of the Physical Power plant, USF has saved over $13 million in

purchased utilities cost since putting into effect the gas transportation program.

Ways that USF discourages the use of driving to school is by charging high prices for parking

permits and making the location options for parking very limited. The cost of parking per semester is

higher than most colleges. You have different options for permits depending on whether you are a

resident or non-resident you also have options on designated parking locations. The closer the

parking spaces are the more expensive it will be. Parking permits can be as much as $1,076 for a


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year according to USF parking permits website. Average student and employee parking can range

from anywhere from $150 to $300 yearly. One day passes average around $5.

A major challenge that USF encounters as far as unwillingness to use bicycles, carpool and

the public transit system is the fact that it just is more convenient for people to drive. Even with the

high cost of parking the truth of the matter is that its more convenient and faster to just jump in

your car and drive straight there. Its less time consuming. You dont have to wait on anyone or be

aware of the bus schedules. Of course the time it takes to drive to school compared to the time it

takes to ride a bike can be very substantial depending on how close or far you live from the school.

Energy

The Energy initiative focuses on monitoring, commissioning, conservation, recovery of

energy and also renewable energy. Criteria from programs such as Florida Energy Code and also Life

Cycle Cost Analysis andFLACOM (Florida Commercial Building Energy Computational Program) are

used as guidelines to make better use of energy. Below is some of the information that I learned

from Nainan Desai (Assistant Director of the Physical Plant) through an interview in the form of a

Q&A.This is a great person to interview because of his insight on energy and the role he plays in the

going green movement.

Nadege:What are some of the short-term and long-term benefits of reducing the consumption of

energy?

Mr. Desai: Frees financial and other resources which are then put to use to further mission and goals

of the University. Improves the environment through reduction in greenhouse gases. Improves the

University's standing as a good citizen of the community. Improves educational value for student


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success.

Nadege:What do you think has been the biggest contributor to USF's success in conservation of

energy?

Mr. Desai: The University has taken an all-around approach. The success can be substantially

attributed to strategic thinking at all levels.

Nadege: How much more efficient is the F28 bulbs then the F32 you are currently using? What do

you anticipate will be the impact of the change?

Mr. Desai: Both lamps are T8 type and used with electronic ballasts. Essentially, F32 lamp uses 32

watts of energy and F28 lamp uses 28 watts of energy. A conversion from F32 to F28 would reduce

about 12.5% in electricity used in lighting these lamps. F28 lamps are more efficient in light output

as well - over the older F32 lamps. Therefore replacing older F32 lamps by newer F28 lamps is

usually a welcome change for the occupants. Our older F32 lamps had life of 20,000 - 28,000 hours.

New F28 lamps have rated life of 36,000 - 42,000 hours. This helps reduce the maintenance cost in

replacement of lamps.

Nadege:How has the purchase of natural gas proved to be effective?

Mr. Desai: USF has been the early adapter in taking advantage of the deregulation in the natural gas

markets in the State of Florida. Over the past several years, the University has purchased natural gas

at the market prices and has gas transported to our boilers. USF has saved over $13 million in

purchased utilities cost since putting into effect the gas transportation program.

Nadege: Do you use a green power supplier for your energy requirements?

Mr. Desai: USF purchases green power at a premium when event organizers make commitments to


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net zero carbon footprints. The organizers reimburse us for the premium paid for the green

power.

Nadege: What are some of the challenges that USF faces when it comes to energy?

Mr. Desai: USF has completed several 'low hanging' opportunities with high return on investment.

Identifying financially attractive, low payback, high return opportunities is a continuing process. b.

Obtaining funding for implementing longer payback items.

Nadege:How has technology helped USF on this green movement?

Mr. Desai: USF has aggressively adapted to advancements in technology for penetration at all levels

in the green movement. High use of technology has allowed the University to be on the forefront of

energy conservation. Technologies such as heat pipes, BACnet controls, high efficiency R123 chillers,

desiccant energy recovery systems, motion sensors, LED lighting, high efficiency fluorescent lighting,

solar PV, etc., have been successfully adapted at the University. Modern communication technology

of social networks, web presence, etc., is in use to bring awareness on the green movement to the

University community.

Nadege:What are immediate costs? Is it funded by taxpayers in the current economic state of

affairs?

Mr. Desai: In the long run it is substantially less expensive to replace and upgrade all lamps

simultaneously (group re-lamping) rather than upgrading each lamp as the older one burns out.

Typical costs include material and labor cost of conversion, and the cost of disposal of the old lamps.

Group replacement of lamps has benefitted USF with under 2 years of payback. The project was

funded entirely through USF's own finances.


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Green Building

The purpose of the Green Building initiative is to ensure that the design and construction or

renovation of newer buildings will be built with materials that will be least harmful to the

environment and will improve overall health and well-being of occupant. They are making sure they

are taking everything into account from the materials used to the design of the finished structure.

Their goals are to reuse, renovate, and retrofit.

According to their website, the Office of Sustainability has three LEED certified professionals

on the Facilities Planning and Construction staff. They have buildings that are currently LEED

certified. Some of the different areas they are focusing on with the Green Building Initiative are the

building materials, smart masonry, materials conservation and recycling, renewable, building

materials, green roofs, rainwater harvesting, low water fixtures, dual-plumbing, and water metering.

Some of the materials being used are concrete, brick and stucco. All of which are LEED certified.

They are also recycling by reusing materials from demolished buildings. Roofs have been replaced

with high insulation and reflectivity values of Solar Reflective Index of 94 or higher. In addition to

that they have also added new windows with high efficiency glass.

Executive Summary

The USF Office of Sustainability is leading the green movement on campus. They strive to

meet all four of their strategic goals through various methods. They have helped create a number of

student organizations, scholarships, and fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students. They

work with the Student Green Energy Fund, and also produce educational materials to distribute to

students, staff, and faculty.


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The Office of Sustainability is also focused on maintaining an efficient recycling program

through various companies, including Aramark, who provide 3 recycling bins outside of all the dining

facilities as well as providing reusable to-go containers for food. Coca-Cola has also donated

recycling bins for all the dorms. USF has partnered with Southwest Florida Water Management

District to run a campus-wide water conservation campaign and has abided by the Florida

Department of Environmental Protection regulations in regards to creating a Stormwater Pollution

Prevention Program. This program recycles grey water to be used in irrigation systems throughout

Tampa. Other non-drinkable or reusable storm water is used to water the USF golf course and

various other areas on campus. Rainwater is also harvested and utilized for flushing of toilets by the

Global Solutions Center.

The Office of Sustainability is also involved with going green through means of alternate

transportation. They partner with the Center for Urban Transportation Research and New North

Transportation Alliance to help accomplish this goal. They heavily endorse the use of bicycles,

carpooling, and provide free bus systems. They are improving campus design to integrate bicycle

lanes by adding more bike racks and focusing on making USF a more pedestrian centered campus.

Another method that USF has utilized to lower the use of vehicles is by promoting the use of the Bull

Runner and the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit System. The Bull Runner and Hart system are

free for students, and staff is given a reduced rate.

The Energy mission concentrates on monitoring, conserving, and recovering/using renewable

energy. Conserving energy improves the environment through reduction in greenhouse gases. For

the past few years, the University has bought natural gas at market prices and then has them

transported to our boilers. Since putting into effect the gas transportation program, USF has saved


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over $13 million in purchased utilities cost. The University is on the forefront of energy conservation

through the use of technology such as heat pipes, BACnet controls, high efficiency R123 chillers,

desiccant energy recovery systems, motion sensors, LED lighting, high efficiency fluorescent lighting,

and solar PV.

USF is also focused on making campus building more environmentally friendly. The Green

Building Initiative concentrates on using green building materials, smart masonry and roofs,

rainwater harvesting, low water fixtures, dual-plumbing and water metering. USF utilizes LEED

certified concrete, brick and stucco and reusing materials from demolished buildings. Roofs were

replaced with high insulation and reflectivity values of Solar Reflective Index of 94 or higher and they

have installed new windows with high efficiency glass.

One of the most distinctive aspects of USF's going green movement is that the Office of

Sustainability has created a separate school that primarily focuses on sustainability on a global scale,

which opened in 2010. The School is based on integrated interdisciplinary research and is the first of

its kind in the nation. It is located near Tampa Bays coastal shorelines, which gives it an ideal

location to study protecting our environment from the rising coastlines. This School includes four

different centers; the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions, the Center for Urban

Transportation Research, the Clean Energy Research Center, and the Power Center for Utility

Explorations. The Schools initial emphasis is on global sustainability, but the School has a future goal

of growing to reflect a more broad focus on Sustainable Healthy Communities.

Conclusion

In closing, USF is at the forefront of the going green movement. The Office of Sustainability is leading


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the foundation for making USF an extremely environmentally friendly campus. Through the mission of their 4

strategic goals, they are concentrating on initiatives including student, faculty, and staff involvement,

recycling, water, academics/education, transportation, energy, green-building, and designed

environment. All of these topics are areas of focus that the USF Office of Sustainability help carry

out.


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Annotated Bibliography

Armentrout, David; Britannica Digital Learning; Armentrout, Patricia. Going Green. Chicago: Britannica

Digital Learning, 2013.Ebook Library. Web. 29 Jul. 2013.

This book gives great background on going green and what that means exactly. A lot of us hear the

term all the time but dont really know what that entails. It is being used to understand the concept

of eco-friendly energy versus those that are not environmentally friendly. It will also be used to

educate on how someone can participate if they chose to with little effort at all.

Desai, Nainain; Assistant Director Physical Plant; Interview Q&A. 08/01/2013"Energy Initiative at USF."

E-mail interview. July-Aug. 2013.

Mr. Desai is a very knowledgeable individual when it comes to the Office of Sustainability going green

movement. We will use his expertise mostly in to discuss the Energy initiative. He has provided

insight on some of the challenges USF faces such as costs as well as getting adequate funding. He

provides information on how technology has impacted and really helped at all stages of sustainability.

Its web presence helps with awareness. According to Mr.Desai, use of technology such as heat pipes,

BACnet controls, high efficiency chillers, motion sensors, LED lighting, energy recovery systems are

just a few of the many great successes. Also plan to use this source to tell about how they plan on

making improvements to discuss some of the improvements changes they would like to see in the

program.

Genshaft, Judy. "The New SPACE RACE: Global Sustainability." Presidency13.2 (2010): 23-

26.Academic Search Premier. Periodical. 31 July 2013.

This article talks about the launch of USFs School of Global Sustainability and the

Universitys efforts to attain sustainability. The article is written by Judy Genshaft and in

it she states that USFs aim by creating this school is to protect and administer all resources human,


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financial and natural. She also states that USF is committed to the

community. This periodical by Judy Genshaft will be used for more information about

the academics side of USFs Office of Sustainability and will give insight on the School

of Global Sustainability that our university has created.

Office of Sustainability. Website.http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/; "Sustainability

Programs and Initiatives at USF and around the World."Patel School of Global Sustainability RSS.

N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Aug. 2013.

This website will be our main source for our research it has lots of valuable information about each

initiative of the Office of Sustainability. We will discuss their strategic goals and touch on each and

every individual initiative such as the student initiatives, designed environment, energy, water, r

ecycling, green building, transportation, and academics. As this is our main source and each group

member has their own initiatives, we will be each using different information from this site to

educate our audience.

Sutherland, Ken. "Feature: Wastewater Filtration: A Future For Grey Water Recycling."

Filtration And Separation 45.(n.d.): 18-21. ScienceDirect. Academic Journal. 31

July 2013.

In this article, the term grey water is defined as water that is from the

dishwasher, washing machine, shower or faucet that can usually be recycled or

diverted before it is wasted. It also states that 50% of water that is wasted in the

U.S. is grey water. It is not black water which is sewage water but it is water

that can still be used to recycle and it provides creative ways of doing so. This

article will be used to compare how USF uses their gray water and how it is

similar to the creative recycling ways discussed in the journal.
http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/


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Truini, Joe. "Coke's Goal: Recycle 'Em All. (Cover Story)."Waste News 13.21 (2008): 1-21.

Business Source Premier. Periodical.1 Aug. 2013.

This article talks about the long term goal that Coca Cola has set to recycle or reuse 100

percent of the aluminum cans that the company sells in the US. It also discusses how

used beverage cans are among the most recyclable consumer products. Stated as well in

the periodical is how making new cans from old requires 95 percent less energy than

manufacturing cans from raw materials. This information will be used to show Coca

Colas partnership with USF and how USFs Office of Sustainability is helping Coca

Cola reach its long term goal.


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Works Cited

Armentrout, David; Britannica Digital Learning; Armentrout, Patricia.Going Green. Chicago: Britannica

Digital Learning, 2013.Ebook Library. Web. 29 Jul. 2013.

Desai, Nainain; Assistant Director Physical Plant; Interview Q&A. 08/01/2013"Energy Initiative at USF."

E-mail interview. July-Aug. 2013.

Genshaft, Judy. "The New SPACE RACE: Global Sustainability." Presidency13.2 (2010): 23-

26.Academic Search Premier. Periodical. 31 July 2013.

Office of Sustainability. Website.http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/; "Sustainability

Programs and Initiatives at USF and around the World."Patel School of Global Sustainability RSS.

N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Aug. 2013.

Sutherland, Ken. "Feature: Wastewater Filtration: A Future For Grey Water Recycling."

Filtration And Separation 45.(n.d.): 18-21. ScienceDirect.Academic Journal. 31

July 2013.

Truini, Joe. "Coke's Goal: Recycle 'Em All. (Cover Story)."Waste News 13.21 (2008): 1-21.

Business Source Premier. Periodical.1 Aug. 2013
http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/

Documents

Team Evergreen: White Paper Project-USFSP Professional Writing