The Sustainable Four's view on Sustainability at USF

8/7/2019 The Sustainable Four's view on Sustainability at USF

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The Sustainable Four

Breanna Seright Bernard Joseph

Jordan Albano Jeremy Hilleary

Professional Writing ENC 3250

Spring 2011

Professor F. Tobienne

March 29, 2011


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Page 3

Introduction of Sustainability and the Sustainable Four

Pages 4-6Sustainability in Solar Power

Pages 7-10

Sustainability in Transportation

Page 11

USF (Stars)

Page 12

USF Report Card

Page 13

Sustainability Student Groups @ USF

Page 14-15

Annotated Bibliography

Page 16


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School of Global Sustainability

USF has several renowned professors and doctors and on-campus services that strive towards the goal of sustain-ability and environmental defense. But perhaps there is amore effective driving force towards the green movementof USF. That force is the School of Global Sustainabil-ity's branch of student groups. This collection of organi-zations all actively participate not only in the campuscommunity, but the Tampa community as well. As themuch used phrase goes: "Strength in numbers" this or-ganization is no exception. With a goal like environ-mental sustainability, mass social groups of a communityare probably the strongest game-changers towards going

green.

Solar Sustainability

Solar will be the energy source of the future. No longercan the world depend on fossil fuels and expect the econ-omy to grow along with its rising energy prices. Ad-vancements in new technology have reduced the cost ininitial setup of solar energy systems. Soon that cost willbe equal to the cost of fossil energy sources. One keyfactor in the current use of solar energy systems is themethod in which that energy from the sun can be stored

and used when the sun is not present. Currently there aremultiple methods in energy storage with USFs solar fa-cility focusing on phase changing materials to store andrelease energy. Only time will tell if this method is themost cost effective and efficient for commercial applica-

tions.


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Transportation Sustainability

The bull runner is the primary unit of the transportationdepartment at the University of South Florida. It is used

by over 1million faculty and staff a year. So it is only fit-ting for administrators to make it apart of the sustainabil-ity effort at USF. The article on transportation at USFtalks about the going green effort of the Bull Runnerand the other transportation alternatives on campus, suchas the WeCar. Also included is a testimonial of a studentwho has utilized the different transportation offers on the

campus.

USF STARS

Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System.The STARS program allows USF to monitor and tracktheir sustainability progress online and they are able tocompare their work to other schools around the country.

Inside is a deeper look at this program and its history.


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By: Sustainable Jeremy

Solar Powered Campus

We simply dont have a choice anymore. A great quote from Dr. Yogi Goswami about

societys dependence on energy. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory website claims

that fossil fuels, which provide 85 percent of the energy used in the United States, will soonbecome too rare and too expensive to retrieve. Dr. Goswamis focus on other sources of

renewable energy, especially solar will help in the transition from current reliance on these

fossil fuels to the energy source of the future.

The first oil embargo is when

Dr. Goswami began to focus

mainly on utilizing the sun as

the primary energy source for

the future. With funding from

multiple sources including a

$3.9 million dollar grant

from the United States Depart-

ment of Energy, Dr. Goswami

and his team have begun the

initial stages of creating a

solar plant at the University of

South Florida that will operate

even when the sun is not

available. Through the use of parabolic trough collectors, which are curved mirrors used to

acquire sunlight even as the sun passes through the sky. The energy collected will then bestored, or encapsulated, in phase change materials that store energy when heated and release

energy when cooled.

The issue with the use of solar energy is not one of creating energy from the sun but storing

that energy for use when the sun is not around. Solar thermal power plants allow for that con-

sistent flow of energy even without the presence of the sun.


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By: Sustainable Jeremy

There has been much advancement in solar

technology over the past few decades with

more coming faster every year. Based on

past advancements the utilization of solar-

thermal electricity will be at par with the use

of fossil fuels. Prices will continue to falland solar will one day replace fossil fuels as

the majority source of the worlds energy.

Other Schools

There are multiple Universities involved in

the solar energy race. In September 2010

USF, along with other universities wereawarded the E.ON Research Award. The

Fraunhofer Institue for Solar Energy Sys-

tems in Germany is developing an Innova-

tive Latent Heat Storage for concentrating

solar thermal power using direct steam gen-

eration and other transfer fluids. Their design

uses the phase change materials that will also

be used in the design by USF. USF award

was in Innovative Latent Thermal Energy

Storage for concentrating solar power plants.

I focused on these universities because their

research involves the storage of solar energy

which will be key in reducing solar power

cost and making solar power a major com-

petitor against fossil fuels.


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By: Sustainable Breanna

This graph shows the global demand for energy, the demand for

renewable energy, and the supply of fossil fuels from the years

2000 up until 2050. Fossil fuels are said to become more expensive

and less available in the future. Many are working to have alterna-

tives so that when the day comes the fossil fuels are so scarce andexpensive it will not be too much of a problem. For many the alter-

native is solar power.


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By: Sustainable Bernard

The Bull Runner

Public Transportation has alwaysbeen one of the main ways environmental-ists tell the public that they can help with

the decrease of pollution on Earth. Morebus riders means less cars on the road, lesssmoke emission from those cars, and less airpollution. All over the world, engineers areworking on ways to make transportation lessharmful to the environment. Of course, thepublic schools are taking initiative in theefforts as well. At the University of SouthFlorida, students, faculty, and staff can en-joy the luxury of their own private commu-nity Bus transit and contribute to the Public

transportation movement known as the BullRunner.

The Bull Runner is the main sourceof transportation on the USF Tampa cam-pus. The Bull Runner provides service fortrips within the campus; neighborhoods east,west, and north of the campus; the Univer-sity Mall; and it is connected to the HARTUniversity Area Transit Center. The BullRunner transports 1 million people per year

and that number is expected to increase. TheBull Runner is a part of USFs Sustainabil-ity efforts because it is the main source ofengine transportation on the USF campusand is being modified each year to make itcontribute less and less to air pollution.

Bull Runner

Bull Runner Bus Stop


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Other Schools

Other Universities in Florida have similar methods of transportation for their stu-dents, faculty, and staff to utilize. The University of Central Florida is directly united withthe Orange County bus company, Lynx. Students at the University are able to use the bus

line to go to different stops around their campus. University of Florida students, faculty andstaff may ride RTS public transportation fare-free by presenting their University of FloridaID card. RTS offers multiple bus routes on campus with service to every area of the Univer-

sity, as well as routes to all points ofthe City of Gainesville. Out of thethree schools, USF seems to be in thelead with their Sustainability Depart-ment reaching over into their trans-portation department; through their

Biodiesel Fuel Use

Biodiesel is the name of aclean burning alternative fuel, pro-duced from domestic, renewable re-sources. Biodiesel contains no petro-leum, but it can be blended at anylevel with petroleum diesel to create abiodiesel blend. It can be used in com-pression-ignition (diesel) engines withlittle or no modifications. Biodiesel issimple to use, biodegradable, non-

toxic, and essentially free of sulfurand aromatics. Biodiesel is environmental friendly, renewable, and releases some depend-ency on foreign fuel, stimulating our own economy and research. Once the transportationdepartment started to use this fuel, they saw immediate benefits; one obvious one was thelarge cloud of smoke that would be seen from the bus immediately disappeared. The BullRunner department is composed of 30 buses; 13 transit style and 17 breakaways. USF is hasreceive positive press from their use of Biodiesel fuel and is a reference to other universitieswho want to join the sustainability movement with their transportation department.



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WeCar

So it is obvious that not everyone will want to ride the bus everywhere they need to go,and sometimes the bus system is just not as efficient as some students may need it to be. Fortu-nately, one of USFs other Sustainability efforts for student satisfaction is the WeCar. WeCar

delivers car-sharing technologys speed, efficiency and economy nationwide to businesses, uni-versities and government offices that are looking to enhance their fleet management operationsand sustainability initiatives. All across the United Sates, Renters are able to use the cars athourly rates, getting their personal er-rands done and doing their part to mini-mize automobile pollution. There are 2Nissan Cubes, 1 Honda Civic and 1 FordEscape on the USF campus now. Theprice of gas and basic liability insuranceare included in the hourly fee if you are

over 21.

The WeCars are all hybrid vehi-cles. Hybrid cars typically deliver bettergas mileage than a standard gas-onlyengine vehicle, and, by using less gaso-line, such hybrid cars don't generate asmany harmful emissions when travelingover the same distance as a gas-only ve-hicle. Hybrids use both gasoline and their hybrid batteries to power themselves. At certainspeeds and actions, hybrids can change over to their battery power source. This makes a hugedifferent when cars sit in Idle state (at traffic lights). Idle cars can emit as much pollution asmoving cars. It doesnt make any sense for the same amount of pollution to be put into the air

from a car riding down the road as a car that is not moving and sitting in traffic, burning fuels.The USF Transportation department has even gone as far as changing the way the traffic lightswork in and around the campus. Multiple edge campus intersection improvements have beencompleted in collaboration with Hillsborough County to reduce greenhouse gas/air pollutiondue to excessive idle time. With WeCars on the road, students can ride in cars that are lessharmful to the environment as regular cars. Every little bit helps in the big effort of Sustainabil-ity.


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WeCar Testimonial

Monica Turner is a Freshman as the University of South Florida. Upon her arrival to the

university, she immediately took advantage of the Transportation departments WeCar pro-

gram.

Q: How did you find out about the WeCar Program.

A: I saw the car out in the parking lot and just googled until I found the reservation website for

USF Transportation.

Q: Has rental been as easy as advertised?

A: Yes it is, all the instructions on how to use the car are written out and easy to understand.

Just like driving a regular car.

Q: When you use the WeCar can you tell the difference in its effect on the environment?A: Yes, there is nearly as much smoke coming out of the exhaust as regular cars. Once

Q: Are the environmental effects of the WeCar explained to renters upon rental?

A: No just the requirements and rules to rent the car. Renters can go up to 250 miles on any

rental. But we must have it back by the due time.

Q: How often have you used the WeCar.

A: 2, maybe 3 times a month, mainly on weekends.

Q: What do you usually use the WeCar for?

A: I usually go shopping and skating!

Q: How often have you seen the WeCar used by other students?

A: IT is used very often. I always have to request 2-3 days in advance to secure my rental.



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The Association for the Advancement of Sustain-

ability in Higher Education, AASHE, introduced STARS

(Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System)(Chachere, 2010). In January of 2010 the University of

South Florida registered as STARS Charter participants.

STARS is a one of a kind program that involves a compre-

hensive process of collecting and publicly reporting infor-

mation related to college or universitys sustainability per-

formance in education, research, operations, and planning,

administration and engagement. The STARS program al-

lows USF to monitor and track their sustainability progress

online and they are able to compare their work to other

schools around the country. The specific part of the programwill be a big help in the long run as plans for the climate

action plan for the American College and University Presi-

dents Climate Commitment. STARS is open to all institu-

tions of higher education in the United States and Canada.

The advantage of STARS is that all aspects of campus life

are taken into consideration with regard to the ability to

earn credits, said AASHE Executive Director Paul Row-

land. From providing sustainability coursework, to dorm

cleaning products, to energy efficiency in campus buildings,

there are lots of opportunities for a school to identify and

track its sustainability progress (Chachere, 2010).


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Over the years USF (Tampa cam-

pus) has been through a lot in their going

green process. According to The College

Sustainability Report Card, USF did not

start out so well. Through the years USFhas improved their grade immensely.

USF is working on changing many things that involve all the subcategories so that their

overall grade gets better and their campus can be greener.

University of South Florida Sustainability

Report Card

Year(s)2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

Grade D+ C B+

Subcategories Grades

Administration A

Climate Change & Energy B

Food & Recycling B

Green Building A

Student Involvement A

Transportation A

Endowment Transparency A

Investment Priorities A

Shareholder Engagement D


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By: Sustainable Jordan

The University of South Florida houses a specific school known as the

School of Global Sustainability. As stated on their homepage: Our defini-

tion of sustainability reflects what the UN and the World Wildfire Fund

suggest as the process of improving the quality of human life while living

within the carrying capacity of supporting eco-systems. In effort to strive

towards the goals of sustainability a number of student groups have been

created including:

Emerging Green Builders (EGB)

Engineers For A Sustainable World (ESW)

Engineers Without Borders (EWB)

Student Environmental Association (SEA)

Each of the groups mentioned have their own individual mission state-

ments, but each share the common goal of striving for sustainability not

only on campus but in the surrounding community as well. The groups of-

fer a social and creative outlet for students interested in going green and

dont only apply to those in the School of Global Sustainability. For exam-

ple, the EWB organization has a focus on involving engineering students.

The EGB at USF has been assisting the Florida Aquarium in Tampa with

possible Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certifi-

cation. There are many ways in which USF students are involving them-selves and creating ways

for the community to col-

lectively increase the sus-

tainability of the campus

and Tampa community.


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Chachere, Vickie. "USF Earns a B+ on National Sustainability Report Card." 27 Oct. 2010.

Web. 21 Mar. 2011. .

This website discusses how USF's has made many efforts towards making their campus cleaner

and greener. Their efforts of becoming green has put them in the category with other colleges

who have done great jobs towards becoming green; USF received a B+ on the College Sustain-

ability Report Card. USF did not start out so well with going green, their first grade was a D.

Clean Energy Research Center. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. .

This website has articles, videos, and pictures on different projects that USF has going on. This

websites research and development breaks down USF's projects and why they are being con-

ducted. This website offers great detail about many projects that USF has going on. This web-

site also gives information on the faculty, staff, and students that participate in CERC's develop-

ments.

DeVore, Jaclyn. "How Green Is USF?" The Oracle. 6 Jan. 2008. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. .

This website tells how green USF is; it discusses some of their projects that are no longer ac-

tive, present projects, and some that they are working on doing. This website also discusses

how the projects have impacted USF and the surrounding environment. Things like solar en-

ergy, sustainable design, the green lights program, alternative energy sources, and campus recy-

cling programs are all discussed on this website.

Mooren, Heather. "Solar Power Coming to USF." The Oracle. 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 21 Mar.

2011. .

This website discusses professor D. Yogi Goswami and his teams attempt to replace fossil fuels


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Mooren, Heather. "Solar Power Coming to USF." The Oracle. 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 21 Mar.

2011. .

This website discusses professor D. Yogi Goswami and his teams attempt to replace fossil fuels

with solar power. This article discusses how fossil fuels are non-renewable resources and that in

the future could become scarce. Professor D. Yogi Goswami wants to have an alternative before

we get to the point of running out of fossil fuels. The solar power plant that professor D. Yogi

Goswami wants to build is said to be very eco-friendly for USF and the community.

Suntharalingam, Amirthaa. "USF Unveils New Solar Energy Device." The Oracle. 20 Sept.

2010. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. .

This website discusses Xiaomei Jiang and his team of six USF students and their accomplish-

ment of creating a new solar powered window. The window can generate electricity by natural

and artificial light; before most solar cells obtained power by natural light of the sun. This arti-

cle goes into more depth about the window and the teams efforts of creating it.

"Transportation." Office of Sustainability. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. .

This website discusses USF's different projects dealing with transportation. USF has many dif-

ferent angles of their transportation ideas. They encourage students that live close to the campus

to ride bikes, walk, or catch the bus. This article goes into depth of each angle that they want to

hit on.


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25 March 2011. March 2011 .

BBC. 2011. March 2011 .

Chachere, Vickie. USF is Charter Member in Nation's First Campus-Wide Sustainabilty Pro-gram. 13 January 2010. March 2011 .

Clean Energy Research Center. March 2011 .

Emerging Green Builders. 2009. March 2011 .

Engineers Without Borders. March 2011 .

Knight Lynx. 2010. March 2011 .

Mooren, Heather. Solar Power Coming to USF. 26 January 2011. March 2011 .

Power and Gas. March 2011 .

School of Global Sustainability. 2010. March 2011 .

Solar Thermal Magazine. March 2011 .

Sustainable UF. 1 September 2010. March 2011 .

The College Sustainabilty Report Card. 2011. March 2011 .

Transit and Commuting Options. 3 March 2010. March 2011 .

Transportation. 2009. March 2011 .

Transportation. 17 September 2008. March 2011 .

WeCar. March 2011 .

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The Sustainable Four's view on Sustainability at USF