team outsider white paper project

8/2/2019 Team Outsider White Paper Project

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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/GAS


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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=2295


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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#.T2eq9vCToUM


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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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