Going Green

The University of South Florida: Working Toward a Sustainable Future

Team: The Professionals Thomas Pirone Stevie Schanbachler Jessica Stanziani

ENC3250-799 Professor Francis Tobienne, Jr. November 18, 2009

Table of Contents

Page Executive Summary

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Introduction

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Recycling at USF - The Green Initiative Continues

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Greenhouse Gases at USF

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Energy Conservation

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Conclusion

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Works Cited

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Annotated Bibliography

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Executive Summary Is the University of South Florida doing everything within its power to work toward a sustainable future? The University of South Florida is making many efforts in order to reduce its carbon footprint. Although there is still much to be done in the way of “going green,” the University of South Florida is constantly improving its methods. The University has made significant strides in the areas of recycling, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency.

When it comes to recycling, the University of South Florida is taking a progressive stance. The Office of Sustainability has made recycling one of its missions for a more “green” future. Students are making an effort to recycle as well. Programs such as Sustain-a-Bull are popular with students who are to make a difference. Although the University is making major efforts to recycle, it was still given a D rating on its Sustainability Report Card.

Greenhouse gases reduction is a huge factor in working toward a more sustainable world. The University of South Florida has committed to reducing global warming by lessening the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted from its campuses. The University noted that it‟s heating and cooling systems as wells as transportation by students and faculty were major contributors to its greenhouse gas emissions. USF has created new ways to monitor and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Finally, the University of South Florida is increasing its energy conservation by using several different methods. The University is in the process of building its first LEED certified building. This building will have to meet several standards in order to qualify for the certification. Also, the USF is involving its students in conserving energy by creating Conserve-A-Bull. This is a competition which determines which residence hall uses the least amount of energy. Another way USF is conserving energy is by installing BTU meters. BTU meters measure the amount of energy being used by the heating and cooling systems throughout the buildings. Finally, the University of South Florida is working with other organizations as well as conducting its own research in its efforts to reduce energy usage within the university as well as in the community.

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Introduction “We are much more prepared today then we were” (Wells). These are the words of Dr. Christian Wells on the University of South Florida‟s efforts toward sustainability. Dr. Wells is the director of The Office of Sustainability at the University of South Florida. Over the past several years, the University has made significant advancements in becoming environmentally aware. One area of sustainability that USF has expanded is recycling. There have been many programs created on campus to promote reusing and recycling. Another method that the University is enhancing to reach its goal of sustainability is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. It has initiated several approaches to lowering greenhouse gas emissions throughout each of its campuses. Energy conservation is the third way the University of South Florida is reducing its carbon footprint. USF has made much advancement in this area and proved there are many ways to reduce energy usage. The University of South Florida has joined the “going green” movement by increasing recycling, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and conserving energy.

Recycling at USF - The Green Initiative Continues By this point in time it is fair to say that most everyone is familiar with the concept of recycling. Recycling is defined as "to pass again through a series of changes or treatments: as " to process (as liquid body waste, glass, or cans) in order to regain material for human use" (Merriam-Webster). So if we assume that most everyone has a basic understanding of what recycling is and if we also believe that most would say it is beneficial to some degree, then how many would also say they contribute to it? I think we would find that most are willing but few take part. Why is this the case?

Your average American citizen is catered to by all sorts of services. We flick in a light and the power is there. We turn on the sink and we have drinkable water. We compile a bag of trash and we simply walk it to the curb several times a week. This catering is a wonderful benefit of modern living but has it trained us against recycling? If we could simply carry our recyclables to the trash and did not have to drive them a great distance or pay extra to have them removed, would we then do it? While my conclusion may be merely conjecture I would say absolutely.

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I recently spent several weeks in Germany where recycling is the law. Almost everything that we throw out in one bag is carefully separated by the German citizen and placed is separate buckets for pickup. It is actually quite complicated as it goes far beyond your normal paper, aluminum, glass separation. I was actually a little annoyed by the amount of tedious scrutinizing I had to go through just to toss out the day's rubbish. Yet for the German it is just a normal and easy part of daily life.

Colleges and Universities tend to be progressive. USF is no different. We have taken on the call to be sustainable and green. The Office of Sustainability at USF has created a mission to recycle and appointed Sharon Hanna-West, Exide Distinguished Lecturer of Ethics and Sustainability, Department of Management and Organization, to be the cub-committee chair (Office of Sustainability). As of today USF can boast the following achievements: Community Recycling Center on campus 500+ paper recycling containers 100+ aluminum recycling containers Mixed metal recycling in Physical Plant Landscape waste converted to mulch Construction/demolition materials

In April of 2006 Dr. Hanna-West along with a team of contributors conducted research and completed an in-depth report on the current state of recycling at USF, other schools, as well as suggestions for the future (Hanna-West). This comprehensive analysis showed tremendous benefits should a sustainability recycling initiative be put into action. The following contentions highlight what the report believes are benefits of recycling:

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Recycling conserves natural resources Recycling provides preferred sources of raw materials Recycling and reuse add value to the U.S. economy Recycling is a diverse industry Recycling is competitive with other major industries Local recycling and reuse spur "downstream" economic impacts Reuse businesses contribute significantly to the U.S. economy Recycling saves energy Recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions Recycling reduces emissions of air and water pollutants

One interesting point is that they also showed how recycling could ultimately be profitable. The following table was used as a reference to show how much money was saved in Washington State when they began a sustainability program:

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USF now has their green initiative in full swing with the Office of Sustainability at the head of it all. New construction projects, greater recycling, efficient energy use and many more efforts are becoming apparent at a fast rate. Students are getting involved as well. A few students got together and made a Facebook page to promote the Sustain-a-Bull project (Welcome to Facebook). Websites to assist faculty and students with information regarding recycling seem to be popping up all over (Guide to Recycling at USF).

Accountability plays an important role in changing the future. That's why there is now a scorecard available to rate various universities in their attempts at being green (The College Sustainability Report Card). When it comes to recycling USF received a grade of a D. Here is what The College Sustainability Scorecard had to say about USF: " USF‟s internal recycling program collects mixed paper, aluminum cans, and scrap metal. The USF Community Recycling Site is open for use to members of the general community as well as students, faculty, and staff who do not have access to home recycling pickup. A newly formed subcommittee that addresses recycling and waste management is a priority focus for the Climate Committee." It may not be even an average attempt just yet, but it is a much needed start. Dr. Wells, the director of the Office of Sustainability believes that, “the scorecard others use really helps measure our communication” (Wells). The University is beginning to communicate its mission to recycle a bit more clearly that it has in the past.

So how do we improve our attempts and therefore improve our grade? “It will require that we get our own house in order, which is first and foremost the political task of rebuilding our country's democratic foundations and the atrophied habits of citizenship. The unfinished business of America is to extend and deepen our ideas of equality, positive freedom, decency, nonviolence, and commonwealth transformation that will one day temper individualism with the acknowledgement of our obligations and responsibilities; replace the extractive/consumer economy with a truly prosperous economy that protects the natural capital of soils, forests, and biotic diversity; extend and broaden the idea of representation to include future generations and the larger web of life (Orr)".

In conclusion there is a lot to be found occurring at USF. The world is changing in a greener direction and USF is certainly taking part in that movement.

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Greenhouse Gases at USF Since the mid 1700‟s and the introduction of the industrial era, human actions and behaviors have contributed to the greenhouse gas emissions within our atmosphere. In turn, this has led to the worldwide epidemic of the greenhouse effect and the introduction of global warming. Greenhouse gases are the gases that absorb infrared radiation and aid in the trapping of heat within the atmosphere to allow sunlight to enter the atmosphere without restraint. While some gases such as methane, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, and water vapor occur naturally, others such as aerosol gases are entirely human-made (Renewable Energy Institute). As the levels of greenhouse gases continually increase, concentration must be focused on switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy technologies not only to participate in the „going green movement,‟ but to eternally sustain our global environment.

In April of 2008 members of the University of South Florida participated in the Going Green Tampa Bay Expo and signed the American College and University Presidents‟ Climate Commitment. “This commitment is a high-visibility effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions, and to accelerate the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to re-stabilize the earth‟s climate” (American College and University Presidents‟ Climate Commitment). Since then, USF organized a Sustain-A-Bull program and a Sustainability Steering Committee with a Climate Commitment Task Force consisting of fourteen subcommittees focused on areas such as transportation, water, recycling and waste management, and greenhouse gas emissions. The University also implemented several research centers such as the Clean Energy Research Center, the Center for Urban Transportation Research, the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions, and the Center for Applied Anthropology (Initiatives: Research). In signing this Commitment, Presidents are pledging to eliminate their campuses‟ greenhouse gas emissions by completing an emissions inventory, integrating sustainability into the curriculum and making it part of the educational experience, setting a target date and interim milestones for becoming climate neutral within two years, taking immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and making an action plan with inventory and progress reports being publicly available (American College and University Presidents‟ Climate Commitment).

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As the University took on this challenge of becoming a green campus, members focused on local greenhouse gas emissions and the development of an emissions inventory for the campus. In order to develop an emissions inventory, a wide range of students, staff, and volunteers collaborated in performing extensive research on areas ranging from agriculture, to transportation, to energy usage. Although the team covered a wide array of emissions elements, some information was unattainable thus delivering a restricted a research list noteworthy for future improved inventories. The Greenhouse Gas Inventory is divided into several sections which all relate to the University of South Florida‟s size, budget, and elements involved in the inventory model. Essential measurements involved in the report are the Clean Air Cool Planet inventory tool, electricity, heating, cooling, University fleet vehicles, refrigerants and coolants, fertilizer applications, faculty, staff, and student commuting, solid waste, waste water, and carbon offsets (Initiatives: Greenhouse Gas).

One of the many sources used in the development of the Clean Air Cool Planet model was the University‟s usage of electricity, heating, and cooling. Although the campus usage amount fluctuates on a monthly and annual basis, the team found that “there is a 15% increase in electrical use and an 8% increase in natural gas use over a five year period” (Greenhouse Gas Subcommittee). Another element researched was the University fleet vehicles. For the gasoline, biodiesel fuel, and diesel fuel used for department vehicles, researchers found that “in 2007, the university fueled its vehicles with 83,819 gallons of unleaded gasoline, 15,262 gallons of diesel fuel, and 27,144 gallons of biodiesel fuel” (Greenhouse Gas Subcommittee). As campus refrigerants and coolants were researched, it was found that hydro chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) coolants were a major factor in campus emissions. It is noteworthy that HCFC‟s are known contributors to ozone depletion. Fertilizer applications throughout campus grounds were also researched. The team found that a total of 75,500 pounds of fertilizer were applied followed by a significant decrease to 40,500 pounds in 2008 (Greenhouse Gas Subcommittee). It was also found that student, faculty, and staff commuting are one of the largest components to greenhouse gas emissions. It is noted within the report that a precise and exact measurement of miles commuted was difficult; however, researchers found that 83.7 percent of faculty and staff drove alone, while 8 percent carpool. With simple math employing trips per week and average round trip averaging, approximately 46,173,629 miles were traveled by faculty and staff in 2007 (Greenhouse Gas Subcommittee). Moreover, the 2007 Parking and Transportation Survey measured the percentage of students who move their vehicle and leave campus to eat or shop throughout the day. Additionally, trips per week and semester length were taken into account which totaled approximately

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148,678,423 miles driven by students in 2007 (Greenhouse Gas Subcommittee). Furthermore, 2007 and 2008 solid waste levels were also measured. In 2007, USF produced over 3063 tons of waste and in 2008 the University produced 3135 tons of waste. “Since most of USF‟s waste is transferred to a waste to energy facility, the USF actually has a modest net carbon reduction due to the fact that energy is produced from USF‟s waste” (Greenhouse Gas Subcommittee). In addition, the University‟s wastewater was measured. Findings show that in 2007, approximately 140 million gallons of sewage wastewater was generated followed by 128 million gallons in 2008 (Greenhouse Gas Subcommittee).

In total, according to the Greenhouse Gas Subcommittee‟s Inventory, the University of South Florida is responsible for approximately 257,566 metric tons of greenhouse gases. This inventory of the various natural and anthropogenic gas emissions that contribute to the greenhouse effect and quite possibly global warming aid in the realization that not only members of the USF community, but human beings in entirety increase emission levels on a daily basis. It is the University‟s goal “to address how to „green‟ the University and to co-ordinate and facilitate the multiple sustainability activities” (Whiteford). Among USF‟s future steps are implementation of sustainability curriculums and rewards for integrated sustainability concepts throughout various courses. It is vital that the University community focuses on reducing not only greenhouse gas emissions, but waste and resource consumption as well. It is the responsibility of not just University community leaders, but faculty, staff, and students to develop solutions and methods for the continuous environmental conflicts and problems that surface. USF has achieved establishing the Office of Sustainability and has begun circulating the „green‟ movement throughout campus. Environmental and sustainable issues have become known and solutions are continuously being generated.

Energy Conservation The University of South Florida is taking several steps in order to conserve energy. The University is using a multi-dimensional approach to monitor, change, manage, and research its energy usage. It is fulfilling its goals of energy conservation by using LEED certification, motivating students to conserve, measuring its usage, and working with other organizations to help the community “go green” and research new methods to conserve.

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Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a certification system for buildings, put in place by the U.S. Green Building Council, in which the candidate is measured against a set of standards. In order for buildings to be granted certification, they must prove that they are or will be meeting certain water and energy efficiency requirements as well as greenhouse gas emission reductions and provide an acceptable indoor environmental quality ("U.S. Green Building Council"). One requirement is building on a sustainable site. This encourages developers to find areas that have been previously developed. It also supports building on sites that will not disturb waterways or ecosystems. LEED certification causes builders to choose materials for construction that are sustainable and renewable since these aspects are necessary due to the materials and resources requirement. For inside the building, there are conditions such as water efficiency and energy and atmosphere. The water efficiency obligation can be met by using water efficient fixtures and appliances. There are also available options for water reducing landscaping fittings. Energy and atmosphere encourages the builders to choose energy efficient lighting options and fixtures as well as appliances ("U.S. Green Building Council"). This is put in place because buildings use a major portion of the energy and electricity produced in the United States. In order to obtain certification, a building must satisfy all of the prerequisites as well as earn at least forty out of the available one hundred. As shown in the chart, the points are based on the mentioned certifications, each having a different value. There are also ten bonus points that can be awarded if the design of the building is innovative or if it addresses regionally specific issues ("U.S. Green Building Council"). As a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, the University of South Florida is in the process of creating its first LEED certified building (Kay). The building is called the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions and will be located at the Tampa campus. The building will contain state of the art features that are not only green but said to be aesthetically pleasing. There are several precautions being taken to ensure that the building will pass the LEED certification requirements. Builders are ensuring that even the construction of the Patel Building will within LEED standards by using energy efficient mechanical systems. They are also planning to use solar technology and a system of collecting rain water to use for the plumbing (Kay). One the inside of the building, designers will use special tiles and maple and bamboo paneling and frames (Kay). All of these materials pass

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the LEED specifications. Although LEED certification is beneficial to the environment, many businesses and institutions are unable to afford it. The Patel Building is said to have a price tag of upwards of ten million dollars. Five million has been donated by a private donor while the other five million is coming from the state (Kay).

The University of South Florida is not only taking its mission of conserving energy upon itself, it is asking for help from its students. One program the University is implementing is the Conserve-a-Bull competition. This competition encourages students who live in residence halls on campus to use less energy ("University of South Florida"). The residence hall that uses the least amount of energy is the winner. The competition lasts for nine weeks and for this year, is currently in progress. The assumption is that each hall will use one hundred units of energy; the hall that gets there the slowest is considered the winner ("University of South Florida"). Each week, the usage for the hall will be totaled and added to the

base number of units, which is zero. The chart shows the progress of the competition thus far ("University of South Florida"). Conserve-a-Bull is not only designed to motivate students to monitor their energy usage for the nine week period of the competition, it is meant to encourage the students to do their best to conserve energy in every aspect of their lives. Some ways that students are reducing their energy and water usage are, setting computers to hibernate, studying outside, running full loads of laundry on cold or warm, and running washing full loads of dishes in the dish washer ("University of South Florida"). Setting a computer to hibernate or standby when not needed for immediate use is

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excellent for conserving energy because it lessens the energy used by the computer to power the monitor and components inside the tower, like the hard drive. It also lessens the amount of heat emitted by the computer, reducing the need to turn on the air conditioning. If students choose to study outside during the day, instead of inside their rooms, they are reducing their amount of energy being used. This is because they can leave the lights off and also because they will not need to have on the air conditioner or heater. Only washing full load of laundry is used by students to save on water usage because it reduces the overall amount of loads. Using cold or warm water for doing laundry, instead of hot reduces energy because the water heater does not need to use energy to heat the water as highly. Using the dishwasher only for washing full loads of dirty dishes allows students to conserve water as well as energy. The water is saved because less total loads will need to be washed. Energy usage is lessened because the dish washer will run less often. The Conserve-a-Bull competition is expected to save the residence halls forty percent of its energy usage ("University of South Florida").

Another method of conserving energy used by the University of South Florida is British Thermal Unit (BTU) measurement. In its buildings, the University has a heating and cooling system that carries water through pipes to heat or cool the rooms ("Engineered Systems‟ Case In Point"). With this system in place, it was very difficult for the University to monitor the actual usage from each building since the energy bills were based on the amount of square footage being heated or cooled ("Engineered Systems‟ Case In Point"). This left little incentive for any of the departments to try to be more energy efficient. In 2000, the University, in order to get more accurate ideas of how much energy each building was using, created a committee to find ways to monitor each building ("Engineered Systems‟ Case In Point"). This measurement system needed to be able to meet the requirements of many different departments, making this a difficult task for the committee to accomplish. Some features necessary for the measurement devices were that their cost remains within a fixed budget and that their installation does not interfere with the heating and cooling that was already taking place ("Engineered Systems‟ Case In Point"). The committee chose to purchase BTU meters from a company located in Clearwater, Onicon, Inc. These meters were to become standard throughout the campus ("Engineered Systems‟ Case In Point"). “Each system consists of an insertion turbine flow meter, a pair of matched temperature sensors, a BTU meter that calculates energy based on inputs from the flow meter and temperature sensors, and all required components to allow installation without a system shutdown ("Engineered Systems‟ Case In Point").” The turbine flow meter measures the amount of water flowing through pipe. Temperature sensors measure the change in water temperature as it flows

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throughout the building. The BTU meter calculates the amount of energy usage of the building from the water flow and temperature change. The installation began in the residence halls, many of which are old, so adding the meters was not an easy task ("Engineered Systems‟ Case In Point"). In addition to accurate billing, the installation of the meters allows the University to reduce its energy usage. This is because the meters can indicate which areas are using too much or have a problem and can resolve the situation accordingly. The University believes that with the amount it will save in energy, will pay for the installation of the meters ("Engineered Systems‟ Case In Point"). With the success of the BTU meters in the residence halls, the University decided to implement the same system in other building on the Tampa campus ("Engineered Systems‟ Case In Point").

The University of South Florida is working with other organizations as well as performing their own cutting edge research in an effort to conserve energy. In partnering with The Planning Commission, the University hosted the 2009 Going Green Tampa Bay Expo. Along with Progress Energy, USF will be creating storage systems for solar energy. Also, the University‟s own Dr. D. Yogi Goswami has been awarded many prestigious awards as well as conduct research on solar energy.

The Going Green Tampa Bay Expo, which was held at the Marshall Center at USF‟s Tampa Campus in 2009, was an opportunity for the public to learn about efforts being made to create a more sustainable and green future. The Expo featured many goods and services as well as information and ideas that can be used by individuals or businesses to maintain an energy efficient and sustainable life ("Going Green Tampa Bay"). Displays and information sessions were held at the event which fostered energy efficiency and solar power usage. There were solar exhibits and eco-vehicles all around the Expo which were popular among many of the visitors ("Going Green Tampa Bay"). In addition to learning about living more energy efficiently, guests of the Expo were invited to learn about sustainabilityrelated career opportunities. For the Expo, the University of South Florida‟s goal as well as the goal of The Planning Commission was to educate the public and create interest in sustainability ("Going Green Tampa Bay"). Together with Progress Energy, the University of South Florida has built containment facilities that can store and distribute solar energy ("College of Engineering"). The project was held at the University‟s St. Petersburg campus and was used to test whether these systems could potentially be used for different types of power systems ("College of Engineering"). Many USF students worked on this project, therefore containing these systems on campus was a major bonus. While conducting research, the students were learning valuable facts that could be

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major assets to them in the future ("College of Engineering"). The group that designed, installed, and maintained the systems, the Power Center for Utility Explorations (PCUE), is located at the University of South Florida. The goal of the PCUE is to perfect these units and maybe one day use them for their customers ("College of Engineering"). If these systems because part of everyday use, they would cause a decrease in electrical energy usage and in increase in the use of renewable resources.

One of the University of South Florida‟s own professors, Dr. D. Yogi Goswami has made many strides and earned several awards with his work on solar energy (Melendez). In 2007, Dr. Goswami earned two prestigious awards. These awards included the American Solar Energy Society‟s Hoyt Clarke Hottel Award and the Mechanical Society of Engineer‟s Frank Kreith Energy Award (Melendez). Dr. Goswami is world renowned for his work on solar energy. Some of his research includes solar thermal energy, solar photo catalytic detoxification, and photovoltaics and hydrogen (Melendez). He is Editor-in-Chief for several well known journals such as Solar Energy Journal, and Advances in Solar Energy: An Annual Review of the Developments in Solar Energy (Melendez). He has also written fourteen books on the topic of solar energy (Melendez). With Dr. Goswami at the University of South Florida, they will be able to make great advances in solar energy usage and conserve electrical energy well into the future.

Conclusion With all of this hard work, and more work to come in the future, the University of South Florida is taking major strides to become more sustainable. The University has made advancements in recycling, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and conserving energy. The creation of the Office of Sustainability has given a major positive push to the amount of recycling that is being done on the USF campuses. Many programs have been started to ensure that greenhouse emissions are being lessened at USF. Lastly, USF has become more “green” is by reducing it energy usage. The University has taken many approaches on campus, including installing meters and involving students, to conserve nonrenewable energy. If these efforts continue and more programs like them are created, the University of South Florida would become ahead of the game when it comes to a more sustainable world.

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Works Cited American College and University Presidents‟ Climate Commitment. About the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. 14 November 2009. "Conserve- A- Bull 2009." University of South Florida. 2009. University of South Florida, Web. 25 Oct 2009. . "Going Green Tampa Bay 2009." Going Green Tampa Bay. 12 Oct 2009. Going Green Tampa Bay, Web. 14 Nov 2009. . Greenhouse Gas Subcommittee. Greenhouse Gas Inventory USF. 14 November 2009. "Guide to Recycling at USF." University of South Florida - WebMail. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. . Hanna-West, Dr. Sharon. Rep. 4 Apr. 2006. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. "HowStuffWorks "Recycling History"" Howstuffworks "Science" Web. 15 Nov. 2009. . Initiatives: Greenhouse Gas. GHG Inventory. 14 November 2009. Initiatives: Research. Research Centers. 14 November 2009. Kay, Sheryl. "Patel Center brings new shade of green to USF." St. Petersburg Times 26 May 2009, Web. Melendez, Barbara. "USF Professor Receives Two Prestigious Energy Awards." News &Media. 03 Aug 2007. University of South Florida, Web. 14 Nov 2009. . Orr, David W. The Last Refuge: Patriotism, Politics, and the Environment in an Age of Terror. 1st ed. New York: Island P, 2004. <www.oberlin.edu/newsinfo/observations/observation_davidOrr3.html>

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"Recycle-a-Bull | Facebook." Welcome to Facebook! | Facebook. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. . "Recycle - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. . "Recycling, Waste Management and Procurement - Office of Sustainability at the University of South Florida." University of South Florida - A metropolitan Research I university, with 4 campuses located in central Florida. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. . Renewable Energy Institute. Greenhouse Gas Emissions. 14 November 2009. "University Gets an “A” for BTU Measurement." Engineered Systems’ Case In Point (2000): n. pag. Web. 22 Oct 2009. . "University of South Florida - Green Report Card 2009." The College Sustainability Report Card. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. . "USF Partners with Progress Energy for Solar Energy Storage Research." College of Engineering. 2007. University of South Florida, Web. 14 Nov 2009. . Wells, Christian. Personal Interview. 16 November 2009 "What LEED Measures." U.S. Green Building Council. 2009. USGBC, Web. 25 Oct 2009. . Whiteford, Linda. Executive Summary of the Sustainability Report. 14 November 2009.

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Annotated Bibliography The Professional‟s White Paper Project analyzes the University of South Florida‟s actions and beliefs regarding sustainability and environmental awareness. The University has taken several steps toward the “going green” movement that are designed to enhance the environment in the present as well as into the future. Through our research of journals, and credible websites, we have documented many instances of the University of South Florida implementing its efforts toward sustaining our environment. There have been continuous improvements, such as LEED certified buildings and BTU measurement, made by the University to ensure that its plans are being brought to light.

American College and University Presidents‟ Climate Commitment. About the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. 14 November 2009. This website contains information on the American College and University Presidents‟ Climate Commitment that USF President Judy Genshaft signed. The site delivers a detailed explanation of the documents‟ purpose, goals, and criteria members should meet when signing this commitment. It will help our group document USF‟s involvement with caring for the climate.

"Conserve A Bull 2009." University of South Florida. 2009. University of South Florida, Web. 25 Oct 2009. . Conserve-A-Bull is a competition among the residence halls that motivates students on campus to conserve energy. The hall that conserves the most wins a prize. The website provides information for students on how they might go about conserving energy while still being able to perform their everyday tasks. The information provided by this site will be used to describe how the University is motivating students to be a part of the “going green” movement.

Going Green Tampa Bay 2009." Going Green Tampa Bay. 12 Oct 2009. Going Green Tampa Bay, Web. 14 Nov 2009. . This website provides information about the Tampa Bay Going Green Expo 2009. It mentions all of the activities that will be held at the Expo as well as the exhibits and

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workshops. The site also mentions that USF has been greatly involved with the events. This source will help our group give details on USF‟s partnerships with other organizations to spread the word about sustainability.

Greenhouse Gas Subcommittee. Greenhouse Gas Inventory USF. 14 November 2009. This source links to the Greenhouse Gas Inventory USF that various students, staff, and faculty all worked together to complete. It is a report and summary on in-depth research conducted on the University of South Florida‟s greenhouse gas emissions. It gives factual and quantitative data on the research contributed to this project.

"Guide to Recycling at USF." University of South Florida - WebMail. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. . This source is a comprehensive guide to recycling at the University of South Florida. It gives tips on ways to better recycle. It also mentions and explains different recycling programs that are taking place at the University of South Florida. This source will be helpful in our paper for explaining the actions being taken place on campus in regards to recycling.

Hanna-West, Dr. Sharon. Rep. 4 Apr. 2006. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. This source provides a large amount of information on USF‟s recycling plans. It gives an overview of the entire program and also compares USF to other universities in the state. The site also explains the actions the University should take in order to put these plans into action. Our group will use the information from this site to document USF‟s efforts regarding recycling.

"HowStuffWorks "Recycling History"" Howstuffworks "Science" Web. 15 Nov. 2009. . This site gives a complete history of recycling. It begins by telling how people of the 1930s and 1940s reused items since they could not afford new ones. It moves on to later generations, explaining how metals and plastics were recycled. Finally, it talks

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about recycling in the present. This site will help our group give a brief history of recycling.

Initiatives: Greenhouse Gas. GHG Inventory. 14 November 2009. This is a source created by USF‟s Office of Sustainability on the factors researched when conducting the greenhouse gas inventory. It lists all of the areas in which the University of South Florida is trying to reduce greenhouse gases. This site will help our group describe how USF is trying to reduce greenhouse gases.

Initiatives: Research. Research Centers. 14 November 2009. This source is also created by USF‟s Office of Sustainability that lists the research centers created in order to aid in the compilation of information based on environmental sustainability. It lists USF‟s research initiatives for greenhouse gases. The information from this site will help our group give specific initiatives on areas in which USF is looking into ways to reduce greenhouse gases.

Kay, Sheryl. "Patel Center brings new shade of green to USF." St. Petersburg Times 26 May 2009, Web. This article gives information about the University of South Florida‟s new “green” building. It describes the building methods and interior designs that will go into the building to ensure that it is sustainable. It also mentions that this will be a LEED certified building. This article will help our group give details about LEED certification as well as energy conservation.

Melendez, Barbara. "USF Professor Receives Two Prestigious Energy Awards." News &Media. 03 Aug 2007. University of South Florida, Web. 14 Nov 2009. . This website describes the works and awards received by Dr. D. Yogi Goswami. He is a professor at the University of South Florida that has done major research in the field of solar energy. His research has earned him many prestigious awards. This

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site will help our group document way in which USF is looking for renewable energy.

Orr, David W. The Last Refuge: Patriotism, Politics, and the Environment in an Age of Terror. 1st ed. New York: Island P, 2004. <www.oberlin.edu/newsinfo/observations/observation_davidOrr3.html> This article documents the challenges that any society would face while trying to become more sustainable. It specifically details the United State‟s struggles with “going green.” This article will help our group add the difficulties of becoming sustainable to our paper.

"Recycle-a-Bull | Facebook." Welcome to Facebook! | Facebook. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. . This site is a Facebook group page for USF students. The group is designed to involve students in helping the University reach its recycling goals. Students can log on and share their ideas about how to make USF more sustainable. This website will help our group give details about how USF students are getting involved in helping the University recycle.

"Recycle - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. . This website provides a dictionary definition of the word “recycle.” It contains the pronunciation as well as several definitions to ensure that the reader fully understands the meaning of the word. This site will allow our group to ensure that the reader of our White Paper will understand the word “recycle.”

"Recycling, Waste Management and Procurement - Office of Sustainability at the University of South Florida." University of South Florida - A metropolitan Research I university, with 4 campuses located in central Florida. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. . This source details information about the University‟s efforts to recycle. It lists each activity that USF partakes in to ensure sustainability. This site will allow our group to explain USF‟s involvement in recycling.

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Renewable Energy Institute. Greenhouse Gas Emissions. 14 November 2009. The Renewable Energy Institute is a non-profit organization that has a website containing information on what greenhouse gas emissions are, the various types of greenhouse gases, and ways to decrease these gases. The site was very informative and aided me in better understanding the different aspects of this topic.

"University Gets an "A" for BTU Measurement." Engineered Systems 01 Jul 2000: n. pag. Web. 22 Oct 2009. . The information provided by this article details how the University of South Florida is measuring its heating and cooling energy usage. The University uses a water flow system to heat and cool its buildings. They installed meters to measure the amount of energy used in each location to see which areas are being most efficient. This information found in this article will allow us to put in our paper, specific steps taken by the University to manage their energy usage.

"University of South Florida - Green Report Card 2009." The College Sustainability Report Card. Web. 15 Nov. 2009. . This source shows the grades that USF received in many areas for 2009. It shows areas that could use some improvement but also mentions some positive aspects of their going green program. The University was rated on several different criteria, which was combined to form a letter grade. The information from site will be used to explain the areas in which USF could improve its sustainability.

"USF Partners with Progress Energy for Solar Energy Storage Research." College of Engineering. 2007. University of South Florida, Web. 14 Nov 2009. . This website provided information about the partnership between USF and Progress Energy. The two built storage systems to capture solar energy and store it for later use. The building and maintenance of these storage systems provided the students of USF with a major opportunity to learn about solar energy. The information from

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this website will allow us to detail how the University of South Florida is working with other companies to conserve energy.

Wells, Christian. Personal Interview. 16 November 2009 Dr. Wells is the director of the Office of Sustainability at the University of South Florida. The interview with him provided details his accomplishments as well as challenges. He also talks about the University‟s report card rating for its environmental awareness. The information from this interview will be used in our paper to describe the efforts of the Office of Sustainability.

"What LEED Is." U.S. Green Building Council. 2009. USGBC, Web. 25 Oct 2009. . The website provided by the U.S. Green Building Council describes the meaning of a LEED-certified building. It is noted that USF is making efforts to have as many certified buildings as possible. This certification is named by a third party verifying the building‟s compliance with LEED‟s standards. The information in this website will help us describe the standards USF is completing in order to have LEED-certified buildings.

Whiteford, Linda. Executive Summary of the Sustainability Report. 14 November 2009. This source links to the Executive Summary of the Sustainability report created by Linda Whiteford. It is an in-depth and detailed analysis of USF‟s Sustainability Initiative that describes USF‟s actions and goals that will be implemented to focus on becoming a „green‟ university.

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