under major changes: usfsp's ride towards a more sustainable future

7/21/2019 Under Major Changes: USFSP's Ride Towards a More Sustainable Future

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N D E R M A J O R C H S F S Ps R i d e T o w a r d s a M o r e S u s t a i n a b l e

U TATIANA MIRANDA, MICHAEL METCALF, STEPHEN ROEHM, ANTHONY RIVERA, BRENT SCHUMACHERG R E E N B U

W H I T E P A

University of South Florida SPDr. Francis Tobienne, Jr

Professional WritingENC3250.797S15


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary 3 Introduction 3

History 3-5

USFSP Undergoing Changes 5

USFSP/ FGCU 5

The Student Green Energy Fund 6

SGEFs Completed Projects

6 Fitness Center 7

Solar Doks 7

Silverado Hybrid 8

Water-bottle Filling Devices 8

Other Sources of Funding 8-9

SunSense Grant

8 Bay Mini-Grant 9

Student Environmental Awareness Society 10

Gardening Club 10

Latest Proposals to SGEF 11

Conclusion 11-12

Annotated Bibliography 12-14Works Cited 14-15

Glossary of Terms 15-16


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

USFSP Green Project Initiatives

There are some major things happening at the University of South Florida Saint

Petersburg. USFSP has taken on multiple initiatives in order to improve their carbon footprint.

Some of USFSPs major initiatives are the Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF), the Student

Awareness Society (SEAS), and the Garden Club.

It is through these student-run initiatives that USFSP is having a huge impact on not only its

campus, but everyone involved. These three initiatives allow students to focus their time and

energy into making USFSP a better place to live. It is through these initiatives, and others, thatUSFSP has brought together its students, faculty, and community in order to provide everyone

with an environmentally sustainable campus.

INTRODUCTION A Greener Tomorrow

USFSPs Go Green movement has really taken off since its introduction in 2011. With

programs and organizations such as the SGEF, SEAS, and the Garden Club, USFSP is really

starting to make a difference in what it truly means to Go Green. Almost four years ago, theStudent Green Energy Fund was created as a way for students to take their green ideas and

make them a reality. At the low cost of one dollar per credit hour, SGEF has been able to fund

numerous projects over the years. With organizations like SEAS and the Garden club, students

and the community are able to get together to make for a greener tomorrow, while the funds from

SGEF facilitate the change that is necessary for that greener tomorrow.

HISTORY Vastly Growing Efforts

Not only did the University of South

Florida have the first College of Global

Sustainability in the United States first

implemented in 2010 for the purpose of

sustainable research, education, and

communities it is also one of the nations

top green colleges. Back in 2009, based on

The Princeton Review Guide, the first

complete guidebook solely dedicated to

campuses across the nation that have been


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given green ratings, USF, along with all

USF campuses, including USFSP, was

ranked among the 286 out of 697

environmentally responsible schools chosen

for its above average commitment tosustainability.

As a testament to the schools hard

work and dedication to creating a healthy,

green environment for their students and

faculty, USFs top ranking score is an

honorable one. It is a direct reflection of

USFs strong history of sustainable projects,

programs, activities, achievements, and

initiatives of those the school hosts. It is an

honor to be singled out for inclusion in the

recent Princeton Reviews Guide to Green

Colleges , which was prepared in conjunction

with the highly respected U.S. Green

Building Council. Our inclusion is testament

to the hard work and steely dedication of

numerous students, staff, faculty,

administrators, and alumni over the past few

years to make USF a cleaner, greener place

to live and work, says Christian Wells,

director of the USF Office of Sustainability.

USFs sustainability efforts and

achievements have largely grown since the

implementation of the USF Tampa Master

Plan in 1995, and each year the campus

spends thousands, if not hundreds of

thousands, on environmentally friendlyinstallations and projects such as charging

stations, solar panels, water refill stations, a

rainwater harvesting system used to flush

toilets, and programs it offers in water

sustainable tourism and sustainable energy,

as well as conferences such as the annual

Campus and Community Sustainability

Conference designed to promote a

sustainable future. "All of these initiatives

really are working towards changing themindset and make them aware and actively

engage in sustai nable practices, says

Kebreab Ghebremichael, director of the

Office of Sustainability.

Recognized as a separate entity

within the University of South Florida

System, the University of South FLorida St.

Petersburgs efforts to greening up their

campus are far more recent. Voted in 2011,

the Student Green Energy Fund, a fund for

green energy projects, was USFSPs first

step towards the commitment to the Green

Project. And it was only up until last year

that USFSP became a signatory of the

American College and University Presidents

Climate Commitment, an organization aimed

at colleges and universities that have

committed to sustainability efforts for the

purpose of encouraging these institutions to

continue promoting their research and

efforts to students.

However, though recent, USFSPs

push towards sustainability is vastly growing

and its efforts towards sustainability are here

for the long run. And since universities that

sign the American College and UniversityPresidents Climate Commitment are

pledging to complete at least two actions, of

many listed, as part of the commitment to

reducing greenhouse gas emissions within a

year and implementing an institutional plan


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within two, USFSP will noticeably undergo

many new and fast changes within the years

to come as part of their commitment to

informing about and promoting for the Green

Movement. This has fueled our community

to build a movement and become stewards

of the environment, says Brandi Murphy,

SEAS president.

USFSP Undergoing Changes

According to the PCGS section on the USF website, which focuses on Global

Sustainability, USF has made some drastic changes, of which some include, extensive

monitoring, implementation of standards in building insulation values for walls, roofs, windows,

motor and equipment efficiencies, mechanical systems insulation and controls for both HVAC and

lighting. Another change was the overall Conservation: they replaced the lamps they used withlamps approved by the Green Light program; cost efficient purchasing of natural gas through gas

transportation contracts has saved $7.7 million in gas costs; and currently, a new project is in

motion replacing incandescent traffic lights with LED traffic lights.

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USFSP / FGCU

Following the Green Initiative

A campus in constant comparison with USFSP is FGCU in Fort Myers, Florida. This

campus was constructed in 1997 with an already green initiative" in mind. An abundant of trees

surround the FGCU campus to give a natural air and all bridges on campus are made from

recycled material. Their trash bins are also made of recycled materials, each with separate

receptacles for waste and single-stream recycling. USF, being a campus that was established in

1956, is a campus that was constructed in a time where a green campus was not a focus at all .

Comparing our campus to FGCU has not only provided USFSP with a great exemplar of a green

campus to follow, but also a great competitor that will continue to push USFSP in making morechanges for a greener campus.


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The Student Green Energy Fund

At USFSP, the Student Green Energy Fund

started back in 2011. USFSP ensured that the students

had a major voice throughout this project by making 50%

of the committee, students of USFSP. The Student

Green Energy Fund accumulated about $300,000 over

the course of three years intended for renewable energy

and other efficient projects on campus. Some of the

projects that have been put into effect over the years are

solar panel installations, multiple recycling centers

(computers, batteries, Mobile phones, Etc.), and low-

power computer hardware which automatically power

off. Also, at USFSP, the campus purchases recycled paper and then recycle any used paper for

all campus computer needs. On campus, the Student Awareness Society, which conducts beach

clean-ups and plantings along Bayboro Harbor, plant native trees and plants on campus and

along the beach to enhance the ecosystem and reduce erosion.

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SGEF Completed Projects

Since its implementation at USFSP in 2011, The Student Green Energy Fund has funded

several projects on behalf of its going green cause. SGEF projects comprise of environmentally

sustainable equipment that are intended to conserve energy, reduce energy costs, promote

renewable energy technologies, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Projects already in effect

include a power generating gym, solar-powered charging stations, a hybrid vehicle in proper

place of Waterfront programs, and water-bottle filling stations.


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Fitness Center

Proposed in 2012, SGEF approved theinstallation of energy-producing cardio

equipment in the now- called Green Cardio Loft

located on the second floor of the Student

Fitness Center. Ellipticals, Woodway Curve

treadmills, and Green Machine bikes are all

non-electric, plugless machines equipped in the

loft. Powered by the user, these machines

successively convert that output (human

energy) into electricity, ultimately powering themachine. Located in the Fitness Center, the SportsArt reader, a device that tracks and records

the amount of energy produced by the machines, reads that a generated amount of about 27

kilowatts of energy is produced hourly.

Solar Doks

Also funded by the SGEF, two Solar Doks and the

Solstice, solar powered charging units made from recyclable

materials (milk jugs, plastic bottles and aluminum), allow

students to charge their portable devices in an environmentally

sustainable way. The charging units are equipped with outlets

powered by solar panels for students to plug in their digital

devices such as cameras, recorders, laptops, and gaming

devices, all while enjoying the outdoors. USB ports are also

featured to charge cell phones and tablets. As for day to night

time use, energy trapping batteries charge the ports in

conjunction with the solar powered LED lights during the day,

providing students use of it at night.


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Silverado Hybrid

SGEF has also funded a Silverado hybrid

for Waterfront trips and sailing team regattas. Its

purpose: to provide fuel-efficient transportation of

equipment and people for less gas expenses and

emissions. An estimated $1,300 in fuel costs will

be saved and 6,395 lbs of CO2 will be reduced

annually.

Water-bottle Filling Devices Thanks to SGEF, several water-bottle filling

devices have also been installed across the campus.

These bottle filling stations are a quick, clean, and green

way to refill your water bottle rapidly with cool, filtered

water for your convenience and the environments benefit.

These refill stations were installed, and essentially

designed, to mitigate the amount of plastic bottle waste in

the environment. An estimated 1500 plastic bottles will be

saved annually as a result of their use.

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Other Sources of Funding

SunSense Grant

Other sources of funding have also contributed to the

going green movement at USFSP. A recent Duke Energy

grant has provided USFSP with an energy efficient and money

saving 100 kW solar photovoltaic system, which has been

positioned atop the schools par king garage. The awarded


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SunSense grant also comprises of a one million dollar fund intended to subsidize research to

explore solar energy production and storage in conjunction with the new battery systems.

Bay Mini-Grant

Constantly flowing into Bayboro

Harbor, trash, such as cans, bags,

cigarettes, and numerous other objects,

created a large waste problem. Much of this

problem originates from the city s pipeline,

which carries trash collected from the city

that is dumped right into the harbor, and

eventually, into the bay. The goal of theStudent Environmental Awareness Society

was to unite students to make a difference in

the USFSP community by maintaining the

school beach, Bayboro Harbor, and

surrounding waterways. Feb. 7, 2011 The

Student Environmental Awareness Society

at USF St. Petersburg recently received a

$3,500 Bay Mini-Grant from the Tampa Bay

Estuary program for the installation and

maintenance of a 75-foot Watergoat that will

help keep trash and pollutants from the city

out of Tampa Bay. The Watergoat wa s

essentially a net attached with buoys in front

of the drainage pipe which would prevent

trash debris from drifting into the bay. We

call it a Watergoat because goats eat

anything, said SEAS president Stephanie

Lawler. Once or twice a week studentswould go out in canoes and clean out the

Watergoat. Before the Watergoat was taken

into effect, there was trash all over the

harbor. A month or two later, afer its

installation, no trash was to be found. SEAS

students have removed nearly 2,250 lbs of

trash from the harbor. Unfortunately, the

Watergoat is no longer there due to a heavy

summer rain storm which damaged the net;it was soon after removed. They plan on

installing another highly improved

Watergoat, but as of right now, money

needs to be raised for one.


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SEAS Another great group that is pushing our school toward a more clean and friendly

environment is called SEAS or Student Environmental Awareness Society. This society promotes

environmental awareness on campus, as well as within the community by planning eco-friendly

activities to celebrate the earth. We are not a group to force ideas down [peoples] throats, but to

hopefully give them the opportunity to understand who we are as an environmental awareness

group, said SEAS President Solange Gorleku. One of the se activities held to promote awareness

throughout the community is Earth Hour. This event calls for an hour without technology or

electricity starting, to promote saving energy during that hour. The campus will shut off all lights

and SEAS will be hosting an outdoor neon themed party with glow-in-the-dark field games for

everyone to enjoy.

Garden Club

The Garden club at USFSP began

back on November 15th, 2011 when they

started to build the Bayboro Garden right

behind the Piano Man building at USFSP.

The Garden was built so that students

could build a connection with their food.

Within the Bayboro Garden, there are 19

raised beds, each planted to be used for

companion planting. Companion plantingrepels rests, promotes pollination, and

increases crop production. The Garden club has dedicated their time and efforts to not only make

USFSP a healthier place to eat, but a greener place to live. The pollination that this garden helps

promote helps to fuel the ecosystem around USFSP. And by doing so, the Garden Club is doing

their part to making the community a greener place to live.


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Latest Proposals to SGEF

The SGEF is looking towards the

future. As of March 30th, 2015, there have

been five new proposals that have been

submitted to SGEF, and the voting for them

is planned for two weeks as of the previous

date. According to Jennifer Winter, the

project that will be selected must meet all

the criteria, and can only be funded by the

money allotted for this semester. Thefollowing new proposals are not all going

to be implemented, but one, or more than

one, may be selected. The first proposal

was submitted by student Kaitlin McKeever.

She wants to install LED lighting throughout

the gym, as well as replace the equipment

downstairs in the fitness area with all new,

more energy-efficient equipment that is

made from recycled materials. The nextproposal comes to us from Mike Leggitt. His

plan is to install LED lights for the new

recreation field. By installing these new LED

lights, USFSP will save thousands of

kilowatts a year on energy. Mike Leggitt also

proposed the idea of increasing the number

of recycling stations on campus from 20 to

24. Each station consists of a bin for trash

and a bin for recycling. The fourth proposal

was projected by Meghan OQuinn. Her plan

is to add a total of three new Solar Doks to

the campus. She proposes that one Solar

Dok should be outside residence housing,

while the other two be positioned outside

the library. Audrey Goeckners proposal.

Goeckner wants to bring composting to

USFSP by purchasing a composting

machine called Earth Tub. Composting

takes raw materials that would be normally

considered waste and turns it into soil that is

rich with nutrients. This soil can then be

used throughout campus.

Conclusion USFSPs Future

The Go Green movement at USFSP has become such a success in less than 5 years.

Since its introduction, they have completed numerous events that have brought a greener

tomorrow to its community. Such events include, but are not limited to: installing solar docks


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made of recycled materials, installing water bottle filling devices, and reduced CO2 emissions by

funding a Silverado Hybrid for waterfront trips. The SGEF, and other major fundings, have

facilitated change hand in hand with other organizations such as SEAS and the Garden Club.

SEAS, with events such as Earth Hour, have helped push USFSP to becoming the green

community it is today. They educate students on the importance of being eco-friendly. TheGarden Club, and their Bayboro Garden, give students an outlet for their passion towards

environmentally sustainability. With everyone working together and fighting climate change with

old and new solutions, USFS Ps future looks greener than ever.

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Annotated Bibliography

Blais, Jessica. "Duke Energy to Invest $1 Million in USFSP Research Project."University of South Florida

St Petersburg. USFSP News Center, 18 Sept. 2014. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.

This article is about Duke Energy investing $1 million to set up solar panels on the roof of the 5th Avenue

Parking Garage in downtown St. Petersburg. This is touted as an opportunity to manage energy costs as

well as promoting sustainability on campus. The solar array will be one of the largest and most efficient in

the city.

Crawford, Kathleen. "GW Planet Forward Innovators of Sustainability." Florida Gulf Coast University:

Embedded Sustainability. The George Washington University, 13 Mar. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

This website puts a primary focus on Florida Gulf Coast University and how they are centered around a

green campus. They speak in the video and text on how the campus was built to be a green campus.

They focus on how the campus uses solar energy, how the bridges are built around the campus from

recycled materials and how over half of the land that the school is built on is a conservation area. They

also focus on how electricity is generated to run the campus. This source was used to compare on how

USF should model the way they want to change their campus and how we can adopt some ideas on how

FGCU is currently operating their campus.

"Green Initiatives." Undergraduate Admissions. 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

The Go Green movement at USFSP or the Green Initiatives is a combination of various efforts being

undertaken by students in and around the city. These projects include: student initiatives; the Green

Energy Fund; environmentally friendly computing; and Student Environmental Awareness Society.

Environmental Stewardship is one of the universitys six core strategic goals.

June, Karlana. "USFSP Heads West for Sustainability Conference." University of South Florida St

Petersburg. USFSP News Center, 21 Nov. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.


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This article is about 6 students from the Student Environmental Awareness Society at USFSP traveling to

Portland, Oregon. The purpose of going to Portland was to attend the national conference of the

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). This trip was a highly

educational experience and adds to the education level of the members of the SEAS at USFSP.

Arish, Courtney. "Gardening Club Looks to the Future." The Crows Nest. N.p., 03 Dec. 2012. Web. 23

Mar. 2015.< crowsneststpete.com/2012/12/03/gardening-club-looks-to-the-future//>.

This article is about the USFSP Gardening Club and its mission. The club is working with professionals

that are conducting research on barrelponics. Other students in the club are participating in aquaculture,

fluid dynamics and solar growing methods. The group is still looking to expand its membership and

presence in the community.

Patel, Dr. Kiran C. "PCGS Patel College of Global Sustainability USF." Recycle Mania. Patel College of

Global Sustainability, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

This website is provided by and approved by the University of South Florida. This website lists the current

ways that USF is a green campus. They focus on monitoring, commissioning, conservation, recovery and

renewables. This website also tends to focus on future projects that are in the pipeline to make USF more

of a green campus and the amount of money that the school is currently saving by finding more efficient

ways to power the campus, have hybrid busses for transportation, and use more efficient light bulbs

throughout campus.

"Students Earn Grant to Enhance Harbor Clean-Up Efforts." University of South Florida St Petersburg.

USFSP News Center, 7 Feb. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

This article is about a grant the Student Environmental Awareness Society at USFSP received to install

and maintain a 75-ft watergoat. The purpose of the watergoat is to help keep trash and pollutants out of

Tampa Bay. The team will try to attend to and maintain the system once a week and may vary depending

on weather and precipitation amounts.

"USF St. Petersburg Introduces Car-sharing Program." University of South Florida St Petersburg. N.p., 12

Feb. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.< http://www.usfsp.edu/blog/2013/02/12/usfst-petersburg-

introduces-car-sharing-program/>.

This article talks about USF St. Petersburgs new and first car -sharing program. This new style oftransportation offers registered students, and some non-students, the ability to rent a car for a few hours

or even a whole day. This program is brought to the USFSP community in partnership with WeCar by

Enterprise Rent-A-Car. This article talks about all of the great features of this program and how is will be

beneficial to the local community.


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Usfspconnect. "The Garden Club at USF St. Petersburg." USFSP Connect. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.

.

This webpage offers a look into what USFSPs Garden club is all about. It talks about how the group

came to be. It also talks about its plans for companion gardening and how its a place for students to be

able to practice their green thumbs.

Wehunt, Emily. "The Latest Proposals to the Student Green Energy Fund." The Crows Nest. N.p., 30 Mar.

2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. .

This page gave us the brand new proposals that were submitted to USFSPs Student Green Energy Fund

(SGEF). These ideas were submitted by students who want to make the future greener at USFSP. There

are 5 new proposals that were suggested. There were proposals for new LED lights to be placed in

certain areas of the school, a proposal new solar docks, a proposal for new recycling stations, and a new

idea that may very well bring composting to USFSP in the near future.

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Works Cited

Funke, John. "Power from 93 Million Miles." The Crows Nest. 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.

.

McCann, Nancy. "SGEF Sponsors "green" Idea Drive." The Crows Nest. 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 Mar.

2015. .

"Patel College of Global Sustainability | USF |." Patel School of Global Sustainability RSS. 2015. Web. 18

Mar. 2015. .

Starling, Amanda. "SEAS Plans Earth Friendly Events." The Crows Nest. 22 Feb. 2012. Web. 29 Mar.

2015. .

Unknown. "Green Initiatives." Undergraduate Admissions . 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

.

Unknown. "Fitness Equipment at USF St. Petersburg Requires Only Calories." USFSP Connect. Web. 27

Mar. 2015. .


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Unknown. "USF St. Petersburg Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF)." USFSP Connect. Web. 30 Mar.

2015. .

Unknown. "USFSP News Center Students Earn Grant to Enhance Harbor Clean-Up Efforts." University

of South Florida St Petersburg. 7 Feb. 2011. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

.

Unknown. "Watergoat USFSP SEAS Initiatives." Web. 28 Mar. 2015.

.

Usfspconnect. "The Garden Club at USF St. Petersburg." USFSP Connect. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.

.

Wehunt, Emily. "The Latest Proposals to the Student Green Energy Fund." The Crows Nest. N.p., 30 Mar.

2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. . Weybrecht, Giselle. "An Innovative Way to Making Your Campus More Sustainable: The Student Green

Energy Fund." PRiMEtime. 17 Dec. 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

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Glossary of Terms

Bayboro Harbor: The harbor that the campus of USFSP surrounds and uses regularly.

CO2 Emissions: An adverse effect of burning fossil fuels.

Green Bulls: The White Project Team consisting of: Tatiana Miranda; Michael Metcalf; Stephen Roehm;

Anthony Rivera; Brent Schumacher.

Green Project: A diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues.

Go Green Movement @ USFSP: A broad range of projects and groups associated with being

environmentally friendly.HVAC: an acronym used for: heating; ventilation; and air conditioning.

Hybrid Vehicle: A vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to improve eff iciency.

SEAS: an acronym for the Student Environmental Awareness Society.

SGEF: an acronym for the Student Green Energy Fund.


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Solar Doks: A place to charge electronic devices using solar energy.

Watergoat: A device developed to help clean the water way around the USFSP campus.

USFSP: University of South Florida Saint Petersburg

Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: A book centered around sustainability at a college campus andways to be involved in the green movement.

The US Green Building Council: A private 501(c)3, membership-based non-profit organization that

promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built, and operated.

Campus and Community Sustainability Conference: Connects stakeholders from municipalities, college

campuses, government, businesses and nonprofits. Everyone wanting to learn more about best

practices, current trends, and resources will find this conference timely, practical and valuable.

FGCU:Florida Gulf Coast University

Student Green Energy Fund: Aims to provide funding for proposals geared toward increasing efficiencyand reducing wastes and costs on campus at USF.

under major changes: usfsp's ride towards a more sustainable future

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