white paper official final

of 16 Energy Sustainability: USF is Reducing its Carbon Footprint

Professional Writing ENC 3250

Dr. Francis Tobienne

17 November 2015

Team Cerberus

Patrick Davis

Rowena Kirk

Paul Kirk

Taidje De Vore

Energy Sustainability: University of South Florida is reducing its Carbon

Footprint


Executive Summary:

The global rise in the pursuit of sustainable energy alternatives has changed not only how

we live our lives – but how the governments and companies all over the world view our

societies. As the Green Movement becomes more prevalent in advanced countries like the United

States, the more changes we begin to see across the board. From the manufacturing of vehicles,

appliances, lightbulbs and more – everything is slowly becoming more energy efficient. The

same is applicable to architecture and the manufacturing process of many of the pieces that go

into putting together a building. With this is government intervention. The US government not

only awards green initiatives, but also encourages individuals and businesses to strive to reduce

their carbon footprint.

This article is designed to highlight how this movement toward greater energy

sustainability has changed the University of South Florida, and the University of South Florida

St. Petersburg, herein referred to as USF and USFSP respectively. The goal of this paper is to

demonstrate that both USF and USFSP have both made great accomplishments when it comes to

sustainable energy. 1) Through their LEED certified building initiatives, 2) their continued

efforts in promoting green campuses, 3) and finally, their strong efforts made both by the school

administration, but also through the student governments to ensure a strong impact is made by

USF and USFSP in its green initiatives.


Table of Contents

1: Group Introduction and Cover Page

2: Executive Summary

3: Table of Contents

4: Introduction

What is energy sustainability?

Part 1: Where does sustainability stand?

5: Global stance on energy sustainability

The perception of sustainability

6: USF’s stance on energy sustainability

Think globally act locally

Part 2: What has been done for the “going green” cause?

7: Initiatives undertaken by USF and USFSP campuses

Patel College of Global Sustainability

Sustainable energy projects at USFSP

8: Student Governments role

Clean Energy and Resource Conservation Commission (CERCC)

Part 3: Why?

9: Why go green?

Benefits outweigh the costs

11: Conclusion

Part 4: Bibliography

12: Annotated Bibliography

Part 5: Glossary of Terms

16: List of Terms


Introduction

What is Energy sustainability?

“Sustainability is the key to our survival on this planet and will also determine success on all

levels.” –Arison, Shari

Energy sustainability in recent years has become a growing topic as information on the

subject has significantly grown. Sustainable energy is defined as any alternative to the

consumption of nonrenewable fossil fuels that pollute the environment and utilize a more

renewable or efficient method of harvesting energy. These may include things like: wind

turbines, photovoltaic cells, hydroelectric dams, etc. Other methods of sustainability include the

usage of electric power stations to charge electric vehicles or the use of efficient materials that

reduce the loss of efficiency like insulation.


Part 1: Where does energy

sustainability stand?

Global stance on energy sustainability

The emergence of climate change as

a global topic has pushed many into

considering renewable alternative energy

production in lieu of the tradition fossil fuel

sources society has been accustomed to for

years. Many organizations have looked to

grow their own energy sustainability

programs which include the use of solar,

wind, and materials or processes that

increase energy efficiency or reduce energy

loss, as a means to help reduce carbon

emissions into the environment. Carbon

output usually defines a person or entities

carbon footprint or “the amount of carbon

dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by

activities of an individual, company, or

country” (Dictionary).

Countries all over the world have

taken steps to reduce their carbon footprints

in the wake of the growing threat of

anthropogenic global warming or global

warming caused by human related activities.

Many coastal countries fear the threat of

relocation as the sea level rises from the

melting of polar glaciers. Other countries

have experienced rapid changes climate over

a short period of time. Record breaking

droughts and hurricanes have also been

prevalent in many regions of the world with

the blame being set on the rise in greenhouse

gases.

The EPA has comprised data with

the use of ice cores to measure the parts per

billion concentration of greenhouse gasses

over the past 2000 years. Their findings

indicate that the greatest increase in

greenhouse gas concentrations occur after

the industrial revolution. The graph on the

right shows the natural balancing of

greenhouse gases until the exponential

growth that occurs after the 1800’s (EPA).

This year, hurricane Patricia became

“the most powerful tropical cyclone ever

measured in the Western Hemisphere” as it

was able to reach category 5 in just a few

days (Weather). It is believed that the

unnatural warm waters and the strengthened

El Nino effect contributed to Patricia’s

explosive development. To combat and

reverse the effects of excess carbon, many

colleges around the world have created their

own global initiatives in response to climate

change that includes the reduction of their

carbon footprint while helping their

surrounding communities partake in the

“green” movement. Colleges greatly impact

the global threat of climate change through

their research and educating of others to

better understand the effects of carbon in the

environment while providing them with the

information on how to help reduce their

carbon footprint.


USF’s stance on energy sustainability

Many colleges around the world

have created their own global initiatives in

response to climate change that includes the

reduction of their carbon footprint while

helping their surrounding communities

partake in the “green” movement. Ivy

League colleges like Harvard and Duke have

both expanded their sustainability agendas

to reach all majors and disciplines with the

aim of helping to reduce consumption and

increase efficiency of energy. In addition to

spreading global sustainable ideals

throughout all disciplines, most colleges

offer a direct program for global

sustainability.

The University of South Florida

(USF) has proactively taken part in the

global effort to reduce its carbon footprint.

An example of this would be the installation

of the first 20,000 watt Solar Charging

Energy Station in the US at the College of

Engineering in 1995 (Office of

Sustainability). USF has continuously grown

its global sustainability efforts since then

through the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of

Global sustainability where students may

also obtain a master’s degree that focuses on

global sustainability.

In a global perspective, the Patel

College of Global sustainability also helps

“communities and environments through

collaborative research, education and

community involvement” where their main

goal is “helping cities around the world,

including those in developing countries,

reduce their ecological footprint while

improving their form and function to make

them healthier, more livable and resilient”

(sustainability(2)). USF also has established

the Student Green Energy Fund which is

used to help the country use more carbon

neutral alternatives and use its growth in

knowledge to help educate others. This

practice creates a positive feedback loop

where more students are actively taking part

in energy sustainability initiatives while

educating others who will likely want to

participate in like programs.


Part 2: What has been done for the

“going green” cause?

Initiatives undertaken by USF and

USFSP campuses

The push to achieve a more energy

sustainable institution requires that the

campuses insulation and roofing are

constantly up kept. This will reduce the

excess use of air-conditioning during the

hotter season and will retain more of the

heat during the cooler season. USF has

invested money into green infrastructure

including “several roofs (including the

library) have been replaced with high

insulation and reflectivity values” which

helps to reduce energy consumption

(Sustainability). Additionally, USF is

committed to the fulfillment of the LEED,

“Leadership in Energy & Environmental

Design,” process in the constriction of its

new building projects (U.S. Green Building

Council ).

University of South Florida St.

Petersburg (USFSP) also shares the same

green initiative that is so prevalent at the

USF Tampa campus. At USFSP, there is “a

100 kilowatt solar voltaic system” provided

by the “Duke Energy Florida” grant

(Boatwright). It charges electric cars while

also providing the prospects of having the

“solar array and Tesla battery” as a source of

electricity after “[retrofitting] the parking

garage with LED lights:” the completion of

this project will ensure that the entire

parking garage is fully “net zero” (Scott).

A new business building project in

underway for the Kate Tiedemann College

of Business. USF has posted articles

pertaining to the management of the

building project that touts the new building

as being in line with the sustainability “goals

and initiatives” of USF. Those associated

with the building of the project have taken

proactive steps prior to the start of

construction to get “feedback from

stakeholders” and commissioned for the

oaks the building would displace to be

reused and made into “furniture and

fixtures” for the building. (USFSP). Details

about the buildings LEED certification

process is currently unavailable, though

given the trajectory of current and past

projects, the building will likely be LEED

certified.


Student government’s role

Student Government spearheaded

bringing sustainable energy to USF through

committees and creating new clubs and

organizations on campus. “I made it a key

element of Student Government by creating

DSI and CERCC within

SG,” says Student

Government President

James Scott, “this drove

the changes since,”

(Scott). These separate

branches and committees,

once formed, had to work

on bringing the actual

idea of sustainable energy

to campus. This required

student and staff support,

resulting in a lot of hearings and motions to

get these proposals agreed upon. “We built

student support, created the structures to

oversee the efforts, secured funding, and

ultimately built administrative support,”

(Scott).

Gaining the support of the Student

Government representatives and members

was essential for the success of this project,

because the SG representatives are the ones

who were making the decision on whether

or not to bring these practices to campus.

For these ideas, a person cannot simply go

to the office at USF and announce that they

would like to have green initiatives on

campus. In order to make any progress or

create the initiatives, Student Government

must be involved and must support it.

Gaining the support of the members, in turn,

will produce more effort on the project and

create a wide following of anticipation. The

Student Government became interested in

the idea of bringing this project to the

campus, and ultimately created the many

different organizations and committees that

are responsible. With a project as enormous

as bringing sustainable energy to the USF

campuses, it would be impossible to

accomplish the overall goal without going

through or getting the

support of the Student

Government

representatives and

President.

Another interviewee

on the subject was

David Vasquez, who

is the Secretary of

Sustainable Initiatives

in the Executive

Branch of Student Government, among

multiple other positions. After speaking with

him on the project as a whole, the question

of difficulty was brought up. According to

David, “the biggest difficulties are coming

up with funding for projects.” Getting

funding for these projects can be very

tedious, because of the amount of money

that is needed for some of the projects. The

funding mainly comes from Student

Government and the school itself, so the

whole project, again, wouldn’t have made it

very far without the help and support from

Student Government. “There are different

funding sources for projects,” David says,

“including Student Government, SGEF,

Administration, and outside donors.” All in

all, most of the large projects that want to be

completed for the school require approval

from SG or the school itself, thus in turn

granting Student Government a very large

responsibility: determining whether the

green initiatives are enacted and brought to

campus.


Part 3: Why?

Why go green?

Going green and using renewable,

sustainable energy sources has become one

of the largest, if not the largest, topics being

discussed in the past decade. Sustainable

energy refers to the ability of the energy to

be used infinitely, such as solar power or

wind. Things like Fossil-Fuels are not

sustainable because they are non-renewable,

meaning that there is a finite amount of the

substance on Earth. The fact that fossil fuels

are so widely used today and that people are

so heavily dependent on it have raised

questions about the usage itself. It is a finite

substance, which means that at the rate of

consumption today, the substance will

eventually run out in the future. This fact is

what has stirred talks and debates on what

types of renewable energies we can use, and

how to use sustainable energy practices in

order to make up for this inevitable shortage.

The debate has proponents and opponents

alike, and will most likely be hotly debated

and discussed for years to come. A lot of

parts of the sustainable / renewable energy

debate stem from multiple different sub-

topics including pollution, quantity, and

Safety & Reliability.

Pollution has been a large detriment

of the modern day energy sources, and have

sparked wide uproar concerning the after

effects and dirty leftovers created by these

energy methods. “Fossil Fuel-powered

transportation pumps more than 1.7 billion

tons of carbon equivalent emissions into the

air annually,” (Matthews, par. 5). These

emissions being pumped into the air are

causing the greenhouse effect that is

discussed quite a bit in the modern times,

and also creates smog in highly urbanized

areas. Places such as Beijing, China and Los

Angeles, California are famous for having

large problems with smog due to all of the

emissions and exhausts being pumped into

the air from the burning of non-sustainable

resources. Other things such as pollution of

rivers, as well as the scarification of land

and mountains caused by coal mining has

brought a lot of attention and a lot of critics

alike. Emissions from nonrenewable, non-

sustainable energy have been blamed for

causing Climate Change, and resulting in

extensive damage to the Earth.

Another huge portion of

nonrenewable energies is the quantity left.

This ties in with safety and reliability as

well. Nonrenewable energy is not

sustainable or reliable, because it will

eventually run out and can be quite

expensive. “Renewable Energy can be

locally produced, and therefore is not

vulnerable to factors that may cause high

spikes in prices,” (Moll, par. 4). Political

upheaval in countries where the source of

nonrenewable energy is can cause massive

spikes in prices, making fluctuations on the

market and higher prices for consumers.


Sustainable energy practices cut

down on all of the pollution and lack of

quantity/reliability. Using sources such as

wind and solar power are beneficial because

it will never run out. These sources are

infinite, compared to the finite quantity of

things such as oil and coal. Future

generations using renewable, sustainable

energy

will not

have to

worry

about

where

the

energy

will be coming from or how much is left.

Since it is renewable, it will solve the

problem of quantity and supplying the

masses. “Coal, natural gas and oil reserves

are finite and hidden, leading to expensive

excavations to find. Renewable energy, by

contrast, is as easy to find as sunlight or

wind,” (Moll, par. 3).

Overall, Sustainable energy solves a

lot of problems that come from the usage of

nonrenewable and non-sustainable energy.

Thinking about the future is important, so

many scientists and environmentalists are

pushing hard to bring about more

sustainable initiatives to save the future

generations from shortages and troubles.

Cost is a huge point to take into

consideration, and it includes more than just

monetary costs. These costs also contain the

destruction of the environment and

important Earth systems, which makes the

clean sustainable energies even more

desirable. “Renewable energy is reliable and

plentiful and will potentially be very cheap

once technology and infrastructure improve.

Renewable energy produces only minute

levels of carbon emissions and therefore

helps combat climate change caused by

fossil fuels,” (Moll, par. 1).


Conclusion

Efforts toward energy sustainability are something that has taken the forefront at the

University of South Florida and University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Both campuses have

taken significant initiatives toward energy sustainability. As previously stated, the student

government at USFSP have helped start numerous projects to help reduce the USFSP’s carbon

footprint, which also helps the environment. The efforts by the student government is not where

it stops though. Both USF and USFSP’s administrative bodies have gone to great lengths to

ensure that adequate measures are taken to make both campuses more energy efficient and

sustainable. This includes, but is not limited to, water refill stations for water bottles, energy

efficient buildings and a green energy initiative funded by tuition. By going green USF and

USFSP no longer have to waste as much energy to keep the campuses many buildings running,

nor do they have to leave such a heavy carbon footprint.


Part 4: Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography

Boatwright, Josh. "Duke Energy unveils solar power project at USF St. Pete." n.d. TBO.

<http://www.tbo.com/pinellas-county/duke-energy-unveils-solar-power-project-at-usf-st-pete-

20150520/>

This article provided helpful information about the Duke Energy grant that provide USF Tampa

with a solar voltaic system.

Dictionary. n.d. Dictionary.Reference. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/carbon-footprint>

Simply used for the definition of “carbon footprint” to inform readers of the meaning if they are

unfamiliar with the term or were unaware of the actual meaning.

"Energy Analysis & Environmental Impacts Division." Sustainable Energy Systems. Berkeley Lab, 2015.

Web. 27 Nov. 2015. https://eaei.lbl.gov/group/sustainable-energy-systems

Used for some basic information and to cite a picture taken from the webpage.

EPA. "Causes of Climate Change." n.d. <http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/science/causes.html>

This article provides valuable information about climate change which helps the reader

understand how much we have raised the levels of greenhouse gases in recent years which helps

solidify how important the green movement is.

Matthews, Mike. "Do Nonrenewable Resources Cause Pollution?" Home Guides. SFGate, 2015. Web. 18

Nov. 2015. <http://homeguides.sfgate.com/nonrenewable-resources-cause-pollution-79346.html>

This article helps provides information on how much harm fossil fuels have done to the

environment and helps answer the questions, “Why Go Green?”

Moll, Eric. "Importance of Renewable Resources of Energy." Home Guides. SFGate, 2015. Web. 18 Nov.

2015. <http://homeguides.sfgate.com/importance-renewable-resources-energy-79690.html>

This article provides a wealth of information on how important it is to switch to sustainable or

renewable energy resources because alternatives are finite and cause a lot of harm to our

environment, therefore hurting us more than helping us. Whereas sustainable or renewable energy

helps us gain a constant source for energy as well as help the environment.

https://eaei.lbl.gov/group/sustainable-energy-systems


Muellner, Alexis. "LEEDership Awards to Celebrate Green Building Innovation, Sustainable

Development." Tampa Bay Business Journal. American City Business Journals, 19 Oct. 2015.

Web. 11 Nov. 2015. <http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2015/10/19/leedership-

awards-to-celebrate-green-building.html>

While this article is not focused on USF or USFSP specifically, it does discuss the LEEDership

Awards given by the U.S. Green Building Council - and what they strive to achieve through their

awards. It discusses that they were holding the award ceremony at USFSP's University Student

Center, which is a LEED Gold-certified complex. I think it is helpful that how the ratings and

awards for environmental sustainable architecture works is helpful, and it is also important to

show that USFSP has been recognized by this ratings boards.

Office of Sustainability. "Energy." n.d. <http://psgs.usf.edu/office-of-sustainability/office-of-

sustainability/initiatives/energy/>

There is a wealth of information that comes directly from the USF office of sustainability

website. Information about the past and future initiatives are explained all throughout the text.

Also, by providing details on initiatives like the "Solar Energy Charging Station" helps readers

recognize USF as an active member of the green movement, and has been as far back as 1995. In

addition to that, as the source comes directly from USF, this is a good source to use in the early

parts of the document and can be easily paired with future references.

Sandler, Neal. "Shari Arison Shares Her Green Vision." Businessweek. Bloomberg L.P., 18 Nov. 2009.

Web. 29 Oct. 2015.

<http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/nov2009/gb20091118_704349.htm>

Shari Arison is a very influential Israeli businesswoman; that while controversial at times in her

homeland - has made great efforts in promoting environmental sustainability. Her words are a

great starting point for the paper as they provide the reader with a good insight as to what to

expect when reading this paper. It gives a good look into the content without requiring the reader

to go through the entire paper.

Scott, James. Virtual Interview. 11 November 2015.

James is the Student Government President, and led the creation of Student Government’s

Department of Sustainable Initiatives (DSI), the Clean Energy and Resource Conservation

Commission (CERCC), and the Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF). As well, James has been


responsible for many different legislations enacted by the Student Government body about

different sustainable initiatives.

sustainability(2), Office of. "About." n.d. psgs.usf.

<http://psgs.usf.edu/about_patel_school_of_global_sustainability/>

Provided information about how the Patel College of Global sustainability helps reduce the

ecological footprint around the world through their research, community involvement, as well as

through education.

Sustainability, Office of. "Green Building." n.d. <http://psgs.usf.edu/office-of-sustainability/office-of-

sustainability/initiatives/green-building/>

In addition to the information provided by the “energy” source provided, this source goes further

by explaining how the actual building materials of a few campuses and renovated buildings now

have better roof insulation to help make the buildings more energy efficient. The roof materials

have a 94/100 Sun Reflective Index (SRI) which aids in the conservation of energy when using

cooling systems.

"University of South Florida Archives - EV News Report." EV News Report Site Wide Activity RSS. EV

News Report, 21 May 2015. Web. 27 Nov. 2015. http://evnewsreport.com/tag/university-of-

south-florida/

This article gave us more information about sustainability on the USFSP campus, and also

granted us a picture to use in our report.

U.S. Green Building Council. LEED. n.d. <http://www.usgbc.org/leed>

Helpful information about the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design that the University

of South Florida intends to implement in all future designs.

USFSP. "USFSP Promotes Campus Expansion, Sustainability." University of South Florida St.

Petersburg. University of South Florida St. Petersburg, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.

<http://www.usfsp.edu/home/2015/10/14/usfsp-promotes-campus-expansion-sustainability/>

Since the white paper project holds emphasis on USFSP, we had to look on the website

specifically for the St. Petersburg campus. The Kate Tiedemann College of Business campus

expansion page details that they look to hold events explaining what the new building was to

http://evnewsreport.com/tag/university-of-south-florida/

http://evnewsreport.com/tag/university-of-south-florida/


feature in regards to energy sustainability. It provides information on what the environmental

impact the building will have on the surrounding area, as well as how USFSP plans on decreasing

the impact it will inevitably cause through its energy sustainability initiatives. The meetings

posted on the webpage have already passed, however, any future meetings could provide more

information that could be used for this white paper project.

"USFSP University Student Center - Creative Contractors, Inc." Creative Contractors Inc. Creative

Contractors, Inc., 2015. Web. 27 Nov. 2015. http://www.creativecontractors.com/usfsp-

university-student-center-2/nggallery/page/2/

Used this website for a few very small details about the University Student Center at USFSP, and

also for a picture.

Vasquez, David. Virtual Interview. 06 Nov. 2015.

David is the Secretary of Sustainable Initiatives in the Executive Branch of Student Government,

as well as the Chair for the Clean Energy & Resource Conservation Commission, the Chair for

the Student Green Energy Fund committee, and a member of the Student Environmental

Awareness Society.

Weather. "Hurricane Central." n.d. Weather.com.

<http://www.weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-patricia-mexico-coast>

This article provides information on Hurricane Patricia which is believed to have been caused due

to the unnaturally warm waters.

Winston, Alyssa. Virtual Interview. 09 November 2015.

Alyssa used to be the Director of Sustainable Initiatives in Student Government, and was also the

Chair of Clean Energy Resource Conservation. Along with these positions, she was also a voting

member in the Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF).

http://www.creativecontractors.com/usfsp-university-student-center-2/nggallery/page/2/

http://www.creativecontractors.com/usfsp-university-student-center-2/nggallery/page/2/


Part 5: Glossary of Terms

Abbreviations

- CERCC: Clean Energy & Resource Conservation Commission

- DSI: Department of Sustainable Initiatives - LEED- “Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design

- SEAS: Student Environmental Awareness Society

- SG: Student Government

- SGEF: Student Green Energy Fund

Definition of Terms

- Anthropogenic Global Warming- Global warming attributed to human activities.

- Carbon Emissions- Carbon dioxide or Carbon Monoxide released into the atmosphere by

“vehicles or industrial process. (Mac Millian dictionary)

- Carbon Footprint- A measure of the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by

activities of an individual, company, or country given a specific period of time.

- Climate Change- A change in global or regional climate patterns largely attributed to the

increased levels in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

- Ecological Footprint- Like the carbon footprint, the ecological footprint is a measure of how

human activities affect the environment such as how buying paper contributes to the cutting of

trees or how littering contributes to the death of sea animals.

- El Nino- an irregular occurring and complex series of climate changes affecting the equatorial

Pacific Region and beyond every few years. (Google)

- Energy Efficiency- The use of energy that is devoid of the production of excess waste.

- Energy Sustainability- The active state of utilizing alternative sources that do not use fossil fuels

and/or use methods of increasing energy efficiency.

- Fossil Fuels- Fuels that are derived from the Earth formed by the decomposition of living

organisms.

- Green Initiative- An action that contributes to the reduction in greenhouse gases or improves an

environment.

- Greenhouse Effect- An effect where gases absorb radiation in the atmosphere, thus warming the

planet.

- Greenhouse Gases- Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared

radiation.

- Net Zero- When the amount of energy a something consumes is about equal to the amount of

energy it produces with alternative energy.

- Positive Feedback Loop- An environmental state where actions further enhance a system to

move to a greater state of entropy.

- Political upheaval- A political revolution in which a government is ousted violently.

- Smog- A fog that contains atmospheric aerosols and pollutants.

white paper official final

Documents

vore energy sustainability

shari energy sustainability

greater energy sustainability

energy efficient

perception of sustainability

sustainability stand

carbon footprint page

carbon footprint introduction