pinnacle writing club

Pinnacle Writing Club

Pinnacle Writing Club Members: • Crystal Pruneda – Interviewer

o Email: [email protected]

• Shannon Quirey – Compiler


• Jaspreet Sabarwal - Researcher


Going Green at University of South Florida

March 2011 Are the students stepping up? Is the community participating? What are the costs & benefits?

ENC3250 Professional Writing

Professor F. Tobienne


Table of Contents

Cover Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

USF Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 - 12

Current Green Initiatives at USF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Getting Involved in Going Green. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Green Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Green Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 - 10

Green Energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

USF Emissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Green Practices in the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 – 17

St. Petersburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Tampa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 - 16

Hillsborough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 - 17

Green Practices at Other Universities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 - 18

Actual Costs/Effects of Going Green. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 - 20

Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Works Cited. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Annotated Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23


Executive Summary

The population explosion in the 20th

century has created an ever growing demand

leading to depletion of our natural resources.

The University of South Florida, since 1995,

has joined forces in improving sustainable

resources through their Campus Master

Plan. The plan extends to all of the Tampa

Bay area and is committed to improving

recycling, water conservation, emissions,

electricity and green building. Can students

and staff to attempt to regenerate these

natural resources? Perhaps not! But they

can help by Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.

In the Tampa Bay Area, the students & faculty of USF have come together to start the

Going Green Initiative & Sustainability Program. The goal is to reduce the carbon footprint and

the ability to live well within the available resources (natural or recycled) while being cost

effective.

Going Green at USF research includes discussing USF “green” practices receiving a

“gold rating” from Sustainability Tracking Assessment an Rating System (STARS), Recycling

around campus , and make efforts of making small changes that create big effects. Discussions

and research will also include student and staff involvement in investing their time and efforts in

promoting environmentally friendly practices.

Not only does USF promote awareness of “going green” but they also are providing

education in the “green” environment. In addition, they are building green buildings, using

resources that save energy while partnering with major companies in the power industry, and

define emissions and how they can be off-set.

Furthermore, research will include a comparison of USF with other Universities such as

California State University San Marcos. Also how the Community is involved and what they are

doing to get all residents to participate in green efforts.


Lastly, even if costs are always a factor the benefit of savings the natural resources will

always be better than the actual costs that are being spent. In the long term there will always be a

cost savings and natural resource savings.

Ultimately USF is leading the way in making sure that all students and staff are

participating in saving resources and continue to improve the environment through reducing,

reusing & recycling.


Introduction “Going green” has become a widely discussed topic and an everyday practice for many

people. Going green refers to becoming environmentally conscious about the impact our usage

has on the environment and the world around us. The United Nations World Commission on

Environment and Development defined sustainable development in its 1987 report, "Our

Common Future," as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the

ability of future generations to meet their own needs." For any effort to be sustainable, it must

address environmental, social, and economic issues (Purdue Sustainability).

Further discussion will include USF efforts on “going green” including recycling,

education, emissions, energy, and green building. In addition, a review of the Tampa Bay area

and what is being done throughout the community, not just at USF, and what they are doing to

increase participation. Additionally, research will include how the environmental, social, and

economic issues all contribute toward sustainability.

With the assistance of Elizabeth Brown, Waste Reduction Specialist, of Hillsborough

County and Christian Wells, Director, University of South Florida it is better understood what

residents can do to participate in becoming a more sustainable place. Also, Mr. Wells further

discusses projects at USF that are “going green” and helps better understand what terms such as

“carbon off-sets” mean.

Overall “Going Green at University of South Florida” will give an understanding of all

efforts that are being made to be a real leader in becoming a sustainable university and

community.


Current Green Initiatives at USF

The University of South Florida’s

efforts toward becoming environmentally

aware has earned them a coveted “gold”

rating from the Association for the

Advancement of Sustainability in Higher

Education, which is the nation’s leading

advocacy group for the green campus

movement (madduxpress.com). USF

achieved this rating by submitting a report

detailing their green initiatives to the

Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and

Rating System (STARS). The University

received top scores in sustainability

innovations and activities, planning for a

more sustainable campus, and research

regarding sustainability issues; however they

still struggle against a large commuter

population which accounts for the majority

of the campus’s carbon emissions

(madduxpress.com).

USF also participates in going green

with its recycling efforts. The University

ranked 25th out of 199 universities in

RecycleMania, an interschool recycling

competition to promote environmentally

friendly practices (madduxpress.com). The

St. Petersburg campus has six main

recycling centers that accept paper products

(such as printing paper, newspapers, books

and magazines), plastic products, glass

products, aluminum, and electronics (such

as computers, monitors, keyboards and

printers), which require a service request

before recycling. St. Pete campus also has

over ten mini-recycling centers placed

strategically around campus that accept

paper, plastic, and aluminum (Green

USFSP).

USF has also made efforts to stay

green in their maintenance habits. The glass,

hard surface, and all purpose cleaner the

custodial staff use on a daily basis have all

received a Green Seal TM of approval (which

means the products had to meet certain

requirements and pass tests to ensure they

were environmentally safe). USFSP is also

converting more carpet to hard surfaces to

save money on cleaning. They also use a

more efficient floor stripper which requires

less water, chemicals, time and man power

to produce the same results (GreenUSFSP).


Getting Involved in Going Green

The students and faculty at USF also invest their time and energy into going green.

Organizations like USFSP Green Group meet during each semester to promote environmentally friendly

practices. They provide information regarding green practices and events, such as recycling, to students

on the St Pete campus. USFSP Green Group also organizes events like the Earth Week Alternative

Transportation Challenge, where students take a pledge to use other sources to get to campus besides

driving by themselves. Students are encourages to carpool, walk, take a bus, sail, bike, and skate (Green

USFSP). USF has a permanent carpooling endeavor set up through the Center for Urban Transportation

Research (CUTR). CUTR set up a social networking site that allows USF commuters to set up a profile

and add their route to school to hopefully be matched with others in order to carpool (USF Oracle). This

system would allow for reduced carbon emissions from less cars and decrease traffic on campus.

Another USF organization dedicated to helping the environment is the Student Environmental

Awareness Society (SEAS) at the St. Petersburg campus. This group has weekly meeting and monthly

cleanups of the harbor. Their main work in the harbor is to maintain the “watergoat” which is a netting

system that traps trash and contaminants. Volunteers empty the netting and clean the harbor around it.

So far they’ve removed well over two thousand pounds of trash from the water (seasusf.com).

Mr. Wells, Director, of USF Office of Sustainabilty envisions that USF will conitinue their

offorts in becoming a more sutainable environment. USF will continue to raise awareness throughout the

campus. Most importantly if USF makes efforts and continues in the right path, they will influence

surrounding communities. Recently USF participated in Recyclmania a (see page 17) and he strongly

believes that our achievement and participation shows the students really care.


Green Education

In addition to Marine Science degrees to

study and work with the environment, USF also

offers a Minor, a Bachelors, and a Master’s

Degree in Environmental Science and Policy.

This program of study allows students to create

their future by changing the environment and

create new “green jobs”. Another Master’s

program, Global Sustainability, is in its

inaugural year at USF. This program focuses on

broad solutions for and management of

environmental issues and has an international

internship required for the program (USF

News). This program sets up USF to become an

international environmental liaison for the

future.

Other research, like that at the Florida Institute of Oceanography at USFSP performs water

related environmental research. This marine focused program has been funded $10 million from the oil

company BP in 2010 in response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (USF News). This research, will

allow researchers at USFSP to study and hopefully help the damage done to the Gulf. By learning how

disasters like the oil spill happened and affect the environment, researchers can learn how to prevent and

manage issues like this in the future.


Green Building

USF also strives to go green

in their building and

construction on campus. The

Science and Technology

building on the St. Petersburg

campus is the first building in

the USF system to earn

Leadership in Environmental

and Energy Design (LEED)

certification. The building’s

environmentally conscious

planning, construction

materials, and design was

able to earn Gold LEED

certification. The LEED

green building certification

program is managed by the

U.S. Green Building Council

and is a national rating

system for buildings

designed, constructed, and

operated for improved

environmental and human

health performance (USFSP

News).

At the Tampa campus USF has constructed the Patel Center

for Global Solutions which also meets LEED certification.

Recycled and composite materials (recycled steel and concrete,

recycling more than 90 percent of the construction waste used in

building to lessen impact on local landfills), water recycling and

efficiency (use captured rainwater and condensation from the air

conditioning system to run facilities, 30,000 gallon recycled water

tank below the building), practical drought tolerant landscaping,

energy saving designs and fixtures (practical use of natural light,

designing building on an east-west axis, LED light fixtures,

automatic lighting system in rooms), and use of alternative energy

sources (solar panels on the roof heat the buildings water) all

contribute to make this a sustainable building (USF News).


There have also been renovations to other USF Tampa campus buildings including

Chemistry, Education, Science Center, and Kopp to make them more efficient and

environmentally friendly. New constructions, such as the Music building hope to achieve LEED

certification as well. Several roofs (including the library) have been replaced with high

insulation and reflectivity values. Sunscreens on southern window exposures continued to be

installed along with high efficiency glass. The university is conducting Life cycle analysis

(Florida Commercial Building Energy Computational Program) on its construction materials and

are developing standards in building insulation values for walls, roofs, windows, motor and

equipment efficiencies, mechanical systems insulation, and controls for HVAC and lighting

(USF News).


Green Energy

USF research is also dedicated to sustainability and helping the environment. In 2008, USF

partnered the City of St. Petersburg, Progress Energy Florida, and the Florida High Tech corridor

released brand new technology called Sustainable Electrical Energy Delivery System (SEEDS). This

technology could become part the “Smart Grid” power delivery system, which allows electricity from

energy sources (either renewable energy, like wind and solar, or energy produced at off peak hours at

power plants) to be efficiently stored and used later on a power grid. Each SEEDS site uses a

photovoltaic system to collect solar energy, which is stored, along with off-peak grid power, in a high-

tech energy storage system (Green USFSP). The system allows for the greatest use of the energy that is

stored. This innovative technology opens many doors for the future of energy research and usage.

The University of South Florida also looks to the future of energy efficiency and sustainability.

Currently, Dr. Yogi Goswami is the co-director of USF's Clean Energy Research Center and is also a

distinguished researcher with many international awards and certificates, patents, published books and

scientific articles, and he serves as Editor in Chief of the Solar Energy Journal. Dr. Goswami and his

associates at the College of Engineering are building a solar power plant at the Tampa campus of USF

where their goal is to find a way to make solar energy available consistently and at an affordable price.

The on campus solar power plant is funded with a grant from the State of Florida through the Florida

Energy Systems Consortium. The project includes a thermal storage system being developed with a

grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.


USF Emissions

Figure 1 shows that electrical usage at USF Tampa campus

has greatly increased in the past five years.

Figure 2 shows that natural gas usage at USF Tampa campus

as greatly increased in the past five years.

Despite even the greatest efforts to go green

people’s actions and habits still have carbon

emissions as a result of modern technology. In

2008 an extensive committee was formed to

estimate USF’s greenhouse gas inventory. The

committee only surveyed the main Tampa campus

and some information was estimated due to no

records being kept (i.e. amount of fertilizer used on

campus, student flight travel abroad etc.). It was

deduced during this examination that there has been

an increase in the amount of energy used on campus

(Figure 1 and Figure 2). Also the greatest amount

of carbon emissions is caused by purchased

electricity and commuting (Figure 3). By learning

about the data involved in USF’s actual carbon

emissions they can alter their current practices to

reduce their environmental impact.

Mr. Wells took the time to discuss with us,

what a carbon footprint is. “Whenever you drive,

fly, turn on a light or use an electric appliance, you

create a carbon footprint. This is the amount of

carbon dioxide you produce in the atmosphere from

activities that burn fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas

to run machinery.

In addition, he gave tips on how we can

“offset” carbon emissions by saying, “Offset means

“neutralize,” “balance,” or “cancel out.” When we

do certain activities like drive, fly or heat our homes

we emit carbon dioxide. Carbon offsets counteract

these activities by funding projects that remove

carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.”

.


Figure 3 shows the different percentages different parts of USF contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Green Practices in the Community

St. Petersburg USF’s community

also works on going green.

St. Petersburg was designated

as the first city in the state to

become a "Green City" by

the Florida Green Building

Coalition in 2006.

Some of St. Petersburg’s environmental initiatives include

use of biodiesel fuel and hybrid vehicles in its fleet; one of the

country’s largest reclaimed water systems; recycling program and

a successful yard waste – to – mulch program; preservation of

environmentally sensitive land and habitat restorations; an

extensive parks system; more than 50 miles of bicycle trails; water

conservation education; programs to protect surface waters, such

as the recent restoration of Lake Maggiore; tree planting programs;

environmental education at such places as the Green Thumb

Festival, Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, Sunken Gardens and Weedon

Island; and more (stpete.org/news). The community around the St.

Petersburg campus has recently began their curbside recycling

initiative. So, in addition to many free recycling centers, there is a

new voluntary curbside recycling program that costs residents just

$2.75 a month (billed annually) and includes recycling

newspapers, cardboard, metal and aluminum cans, glass and plastic

(stpete.ord/sanitation).


Tampa

In addition to several recycling centers

in the city of Tampa, at USF’s Tampa campus

the recycling center located on the corner of

Elm and Sycamore behind the SunDome is open

to all residents, students or nonstudents, where

they accept cardboard, newspaper, aluminum,

plastic and glass recycling.

The Recycling Division of the City of Tampa is responsible for implementing, monitoring, and

administering the Department’s recycling program, which includes curbside and multi-family recycling,

yard waste recycling, office paper and commercial recycling programs. The City of Tampa has also

worked to expand its list of recyclable materials to include recycling of plastics # 3-7 in its curbside

recycling program in addition to aluminum products, glass, plastics, tin cans, aseptic juice boxes, gable

top containers, computer paper/mixed paper, colored paper, corrugated cardboard, Kraft paper,

magazines/catalogs, newspaper (and inserts), paperboard (e.g. cereal boxes, and soda boxes), phone

books, and junk mail (Tampagov.net).

Figure 4. City of Tampa’s distributive information for residents (Tampagov.net)


Figure 5. City of Tampa’s distributive information for residents (Tampagov.net)

However, there is some controversy regarding recycling in the Tampa community. It costs the

city more for curbside recycling than it cost to just remove unrecyclable trash. According to documents

obtained by 10 News, Tampa's recycling program cost $3 million in 2006, $3.3 million in 2009, and in

2010the program cost nearly $3.4 million. However, the city of Tampa reminds those opposed to

spending more on recycling that the recycling program is not intended to turn a profit, that it is instead a

public service for residents (like city transportation, or city parks) and an attempt to help the

environment. Also, under the Florida Statutes, all counties in the state are required to participate in

some sort of recycling program. More costs of going green will be discussed later.

The Tampa Bay area is also working to include more multifamily homes in their recycling

endeavors to increase cost effectiveness, for both the city and the property managers. In the grant for the

“Urban Recycling Plan for Multi-Family Property Managers” to fund this endeavor it states that the city

of Tampa only serves about 15% of the multifamily buildings in the area (Dep.state.fl.us). By

increasing the number of buildings served recycling trucks can collect more items by traveling less

distance and building management has to pay less for trash removal since recyclables will be disposed of

separately.


Hillsborough County

Like the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County also has a recycling program

throughout the unincorporated part of Hillsborough County. They also provide curbside

and multi-family recycling, yard waste recycling, office paper and commercial recycling

programs. According to Elizabeth Brown, “they service over 240,000 homes and the most

recycled items are paper and paper products which include cardboard.” They provide

recycling service to all residents one time per week and the costs of recycling is included

in their annual assessment.

Ms. Brown also defends the position of the cost effectiveness by stating, “That

although the cost may seem excessive if there is market for the materials and participation

is high then there is no actual cost for the program.”

In addition, to curb-side recycling she wants to make residents aware that curb-side

recycling is not the only way of creating a more sustainable world. “The use of Waste-to-

energy facilities saves landfills space, water conservation is an area we need to work on

especially in Florida, and carefully monitoring emissions all contribute toward a more

sustainable environment.”

In Hillsborough County they are always trying to promote participation for

recycling by educational programs and recycling programs. “Most people do not see some

of the advantages of recycling because they are less obvious such as: creating jobs and

reducing disposal costs for organizations.” Hillsborough County continues to meet and

exceed the state mandated requirements.


Green Practices at other Universities

Considering USF’s green efforts by

themselves only gives a partial idea of what

could be done in the endeavor to go green.

Looking into green practices at other

universities is an essential part of ensuring USF

is doing all they can.

California State University San Marcos

is an adequate university to compare to and

learn from. CSUSM has won first place in

RecycleMania for the past six years, the friendly

inter-college recycling competition in which

USF has only ranked 25th. CSU San Marcos

strongly and consistently encourages its students

to recycle both at school and at home.

The CSUSM website features a carbon

footprint calculator that allows you to estimate

the amount of carbon emissions you’ve used in

the past year, how this compares to others, what

you can do to change it and why changing is

beneficial. CSUSM defines a carbon footprint

as a measure of the impact our activities have on

the environment, and in particular climate

change, it relates to the amount of greenhouse

gases produced in our day-to-day lives through

burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating,

transportation, and buying food and goods

(csusm.edu/sustainability).

Some of the tips on how to reduce your carbon

footprint include walking or using public

transportation more often, eating organic and/or

locally grown produce, buying products with

less packaging, using energy efficient

appliances and devices, and of course, recycling

as much as possible. Having students become

more aware that their impact has a lasting effect

on the environment is a great step in getting

them involved in sustainability efforts on

campus. USF could learn from this in order to

get more people involved in going green.

CSUSM also strongly emphasizes water

conservation. Since the University is in an arid

climate and receives little rainfall throughout the


year, this effort has a real impact on the student’s lives. Water is probably a resource USF

students aren’t as aware of in conservation efforts because of the climate in Florida.

California State University also prides itself on a staff that is dedicated to the future of going

green. The assistant director of Energy and Engineering Services at CSUSM, Floyd Dudley II, was

recently awarded the international honor of Young Energy Professional of the Year by the Association

of Energy Engineers for his role in reducing the University's energy consumption (csusm.edu/news).

Dudley led many projects to improve sustainability on campus. His Energy Saving Company (ESCO)

project decreased energy consumption used on campus, reduced annual energy costs, and upgraded

existing infrastructure, which helps for future campus growth. All these initiatives saved CSUSM more

than $1 million in utility costs in one year.

Some aspects that CSUSM and USFSP are equivalent in are LEED (Leadership in

Environmental and Energy Design) green building certifications for campus buildings, both schools plan

new additions to their campuses with LEED’s guidelines. Also both schools encourage their students to

recycle and join in green efforts at school or at home, but obviously California State University’s efforts

have been more effective.


Actual Cost/Effect of Going Green

Recycling at any location takes time, effort, and funds to setup. It is no shock that recycling costs is

arguable on both sides. Many believe that recycling costs are actually much higher than placing all the items in

the processable waste, while other argue that the benefits outweigh the financial costs of running such a

program. In the end what needs to be determined when recycling are environmental, economic, and social

factors.

The environmental benefits of recycling for most people outweigh any actual costs of recycling. The fact

that removing and reusing materials eliminates use of space in a landfill or can produce renewable energy is a

very important environmental factor. In a landfill space is used up and is undeterminable how much the value of

that space is costing, not to mention who will one day have to build a home on top of the garbage. So it is

important to be able to dispose of garbage in alternative ways that are renewable sources of energy that are not

actually placed within the ground. After space in a landfill is used it has to be continually monitored and tested

for any hazardous that can effect living standards.

As an economic factor there are many other options that can be used to determine how ones items are

recycled. There are options as using a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) or Waste-To-Energy Facility. Both

of the waste flow streams have the ability to bring in sources of revenue or lower actual operating costs in a

facility such as University of South Florida. If USF could operate and manage a MRF or WTE facility they

would have the ability to create jobs, and bring in sources of revenue. Alternatively they could reduce the

amount of waste that is actually placed in the landfill. Not only can waste be reused it can be turned into actual


electricity for use in a building. Not only can it be used to power up a building inter-connections can be

accomplished with adjoining properties to also power up other facilities. So it is not unachievable to be able to

power up all of USF if the operated a Waste to Energy Facility.

Most importantly is the social aspect of recycling. Recycling makes humans feel good, as sense of

accomplishments that there small efforts can make the future a better place for living. Not to mention that small

changes such as changing out light bulbs or curbside recycling are often an actual dollar costs savings to the

recycler. In this area is where USF can make the biggest strides in promoting recycling to students, faculty, and

staff. The more accessible it is the more likely they will use the services.

Even though, actual costs of recycling is difficult to determine because many counties have the rate built

into their annuals fees; the fact of the matter is that natural resources, pollutants, emissions, and energy savings

are benefits to humans whether now or in the future. Recycling provides a much greater benefit than the actual

costs of running a program.


Conclusion

University of South Florida has come a long way in becoming “Green” within the community. They

have improved and implemented initiatives such as recycling centers being placed strategically across campus,

allowing recycling facilities to be used by all residents of Hillsborough County (not just USF students), using

programs to improve transportation alternatives, and many other educational and practical solutions. USF has

received many recognition and awards for all they have accomplished. However, the awards and recognition is

not the end of the road, it is just a beginning. It is the beginning to continuing efforts and endeavors to improve

and influence the surrounding communities to follow in the same steps.

With USF serving over 47,000 students there is the ability expand and provide educational information

on “going green” that can make a real impact on the environment. USF can continue to improve and educate on

renewable resources and alternatives to wasteflow disposal and become a role-model to other surrounding

Universities throughout the State of Florida and others in the nation. The efforts in working with other entities,

municipalities, and businesses only increase the awareness to others around the area, and can promote others to

do the same. In addition, USF can also continue to improve their awareness and continue to implement projects

or processes such as Center of Urban Transportation, Building and Construction processes, Sustainable

Electrical Energy Delivery Systems, and Solar Plant energy sources.

Despite all the ongoing efforts USF will continue to improve the awareness, education, and participation

throughout the campus and community. Their sustainability plans will improve and lessen the impact on the

environment by continuing to address the environmental, social, and economic issues, which in turn will

educate and promote participation in recycling efforts.


Works Cited

Amrhein, Saundra. "Water Is Focus of Global Sustainability Master's Program - University of South Florida." Under Construction. Web. Mar. 2011. <http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=2772&z=123>. Chachere, Vickie. "Florida Institute of Oceanography Receives $10M - University of South Florida." Under Construction. Web. Mar. 2011. <http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=2459&z=123>. Chachere, Vickie. ""Green" Patel Center Opens at USF - University of South Florida." Under Construction. Web. Mar. 2011. <http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=3086&z=127>. "CSUSM: CSUSM Employee Honored for Leadership in Sustainability Projects." CSUSM:

California State University San Marcos. Web. Mar. 2011. <http://www.csusm.edu/news/topstories/current/tsSustainability.html>.

"CSUSM: RecycleMania 2010 Is Here!" CSUSM: California State University San Marcos. Web.

Mar. 2011 <http://www.csusm.edu/communications/topstory/tsRecycleMania2010.html>.

Greenhouse Gas Subcommittee. "Greenhouse Gas Inventory USF." Web. Mar. 2011. <http://www.acad.usf.edu/Office/Strategic-Initiatives/docs/USF-Greenhouse-Gas- Inventory.pdf>. "Green USFSP." University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Web. Mar. 2011. <http://www.stpete.usf.edu/green/index.htm>. Modigell, Krystal. "New Program Creates Communication for Carpoolers." The Oracle. Web. Mar. 2011. <http://www.usforacle.com/news/new-program-creates-communication-for- carpoolers-1.2376920>. "News - USF St. Petersburg." Usfsp.org. Web. Mar. 2011. <http://www.usfsp.org/inews/view.asp?ID=599>. "Purdue University Sustainability." Purdue University. Web. Mar. 2011. <http://www.purdue.edu/sustainability/pages/sustainability.html>. S.E.A.S. Web. Mar. 2011. <http://seasusf.com/index.html>. Temple, Liisa. "Solar Power Plant Coming to USF - University of South Florida." Under Construction. Web. Mar. 2011. <http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=3044&z=121>. "USF Sustainability Initiatives Earn Coveted “Gold’ Rating." Maddux Tampa Bay News Wire. Web. Mar. 2011. <http://madduxpress.com/2011/02/03/usf-sustainability-initiatives-earn- coveted-“gold’-rating-18922>. "University of South Florida - Office of Sustainability." University of South Florida - A Metropolitan Research I University, with 4 Campuses Located in Central Florida. Web.

Mar. 2011. <http://usfweb2.usf.edu/Sustainability/Initiatives/gbuilding.html>.


Annotated Bibliography http://www.stpete.usf.edu/green/index.htm This website links to the USFSP Green Group, which is an organization based on St Pete campus that is dedicated to environmentally friendly practices at USF. It functions as a great resource for this white paper on going green because it shows what people are already doing on campus to help in this transition. This group gives information on recycling programs at USFSP, green cleaning, alternative transportation, and even alternative energy projects. http://madduxpress.com/2011/02/03/usf-sustainability-initiatives-earn-coveted-%E2%80%9Cgold%E2%80%99-rating-18922 This article “USF Sustainability Initiatives Earn Coveted ‘Gold’ Rating” details some of the projects USF has on campus in an effort to achieve sustainability. The article also compares USF to other schools that work with the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System. They mention that “USF ranked 25th out of 199 universities in the United States in RecycleMania” (a competition to encourage recycling on college campuses). The article also lists organizations and green initiatives that will be mentioned in the white paper. http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=3044&z=121 This article discusses the plan to build a Solar Power Plant on USF campus. This is a very useful and informative article when writing the white paper because it shows large scale initiatives from USF. More than just starting a recycling project, this solar power plant would greatly impact the energy actually used on campus. This also shows how USF is using natural and free Florida resources to better the environment. http://wasteage.com/Recycling_And_Processing/ This website has been helpful when writing the white paper because it details what going green initiatives are occurring on a larger scale. Many articles discuss large companies, states, and the nation as a whole and the issues, initiatives, programs, and real life costs involved with going green. http://www.acad.usf.edu/Office/Strategic-Initiatives/docs/USF-Greenhouse-Gas-Inventory.pdf This article has proved helpful when writing the white paper because it shows real effects USF has on the environment through data regarding greenhouse gas. There are also many graphs, charts, and statistics regarding actual energy use by USF that will be useful in the white paper. http://www.csusm.edu/rms/safety_programs/sustainability.html This website is for California State University San Marcos. This college was the grand champion for cumulative recycling rate. By comparing their practices to those at USFSP we can make recommendations in the white paper on how to improve and encourage more recycling.

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Documents

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