March 29, 2011 Pro-Writing

ENC3250.797S11 Professor Tobienne

TEAM 3: Green Life

Jeffrey Dempsey Justin Fredericks Irene Hernandez Deanna McGarth

Table of Contents

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 1

USF Going Green Efforts………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 3

LEED……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……… Page 3

College Sustainability Report Card ………………………………………………………………………… Page 4

Office of Sustainability……………………..…………………………………………………………………….. Page 4

School of Global Sustainability………………..……………………………………………………………… Page 6

PNC Financial Services Group ………………………………………………………………………………. Page 6

PNC Financial Services Interview…………………………………………………………………………… Page 8

Ford Interview………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 9

Office of Sustainability…………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 11

Comparison to University of Florida………………………………………………………………………. Page 14

Works Cited………………………………………………………………………………………….……………….. Page 16

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Executive summary

The University of South Florida has joined the going green movement. Since

its Establishment in 1956 USF has progressed to an environmentally friendly,

green university. For example, USF has a formal sustainability policy and

incorporates sustainability in the campus master plan. USF has begun to build

LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified buildings

such as the Patel Building on the Lakeland campus. This will ultimately

change the face of the earth as well as the university itself.

USF not only provides its students with a quality education but the benefit of

being a student reaches far beyond the boundaries of education. As a matter of

fact USF has boosted its College Sustainability Report Card from a grade D in

2009 to an A in 2011. The University offers many programs such as on

campus recycling. The on campus recycling center is for students, faculty as

well as the general public. This benefits the students who don’t have the

option to recycle at their apartment complexes or in their neighborhood. The

university also has a Sustainability Initiative Steering Committee in which

drives the school to becoming more environmentally friendly.

USF also provides the students with a bus system, the Bull Runner, in which

the buses operate solely on biodiesel. The Bull Runner also works hand in

hand with the HART, the Hillsborough County bus system by charging a

reduced fair for students and faculty. Instilling the concept of conserving

energy, and not to mentions a few dollars commuting to and from work is a

phenomenal idea.

The University system in the state of Florida has many diverse incredible

programs for educating and maintaining a sustainable world. For example, UF

in Gainesville Florida has created a similar committee called the Office of

Sustainability. UF recently received a Silver STARS rating. This program

measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

Throughout the research process there were several different perspectives

analyzed from the University level to the corporate level. From information

USF president Dr. Judy Genshaft provided to Ford employee Michael Cialo.

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During a brief interview a Ford employee there were several issues discussed

such as the government requirements for manufacturing vehicles to the

benefits of creating environmentally friendly vehicles.

Another major corporation analyzed is Pittsburgh National Corporation

(PNC). PNC integrates environmentally friendly practices while doing day to

day business. PNC has already constructed more LEED certified green

buildings than any other company in the world.

The damage we as society create on our environment has and will have a

lasting impact on all of our lives, it is essential for the well-being of our earth

to put factors into play now. Education and technology are two ways humans

can legitimately alter the deterioration of our environment.

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As human population continues to

increase globally the need to care

for the Earth and its precious

resources seem more vital now

than ever. People from all over the

globe are doing their part to

preserve our limited resources.

Many institutions, companies,

organizations, businesses are trying

to encourage recycling, educating

people on renewable energy and

promote environmental

conservation. The relatively new

phrase “Going Green” is to describe

one’s efforts in conserving.

Recognizing the importance of environmentally friendly initiatives, The University of South Florida has a formal sustainability policy and incorporates sustainability in the campus master plan and strategic plan to promote environmental conservation to its students, faculty, staff and even community. The Sustainability Initiative Steering Committee works to improve sustainability with just eight staff members. USF is in the process of implementing a green purchasing policy called Green Building.

Green Building is a policy and practice of an institutions’ adoption and use of high-performance green building design. This includes the adoption of campus-wide green building policies or guidelines, integration of green building practices into new construction projects, and the incorporation of green building design features into retrofits of existing buildings. The leader in determining the true influence that organizations exemplify by undertaking green projects is The Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. This certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project is environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy place to live and work. USF is adhering to the LEED requirements and has requested stat funds to build its first green building on the Lakeland campus. The LEED certified buildings will have lower operating costs, increased asset values,

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reduce wastes sent to landfills, conserve energy and water as well as the buildings are safer for its occupants. This is the first building of many buildings the school plans to build to help further their image as a “green” university.

Abstractly, in addition to Green Building efforts already undertaken by USF, it also operates the Bull Runner, which is a bus service that uses biodiesel fuel and is free with a valid USF identification card. The USF U-Pass, which is a partnership with the regional bus service (HART), allows students to ride free and staff and faculty to ride for 25 cents. There are more than 30 HART stops on campus, and all Bull Runner and regional buses are equipped with bike racks. USF has photovoltaic solar system for charging electric golf carts. USF has conducted a greenhouse gas emissions inventory and is working

to reduce emissions with the aid of carbon offsets. To decrease energy use, heat recovery systems, lighting systems, and energy-efficient lighting fixtures have been installed. The school conducts audits of individual energy use and has energy monitoring displays on campus. The school also generates renewable energy through the use of solar panels, and purchases electricity from renewable sources.

In line with The Sustainability Initiative Steering Committee, the campus master plan includes policies that support green building initiatives. Two buildings are being evaluated for LEED Gold certification, and several others meet LEED criteria. The installed water metering technology, lighting sensors, and LED lighting in all buildings, as well as low-flow showerheads and dual-flush toilets in some buildings, is a small portion of efforts undertaken to promote Green Building. The implementation of the green purchasing policy has made tremendous strides already.

The College Sustainability Report Card is an example of the extraordinary measures that institutions such as USF, have undertaken in order to fulfill its commitment to adopting the most environmentally friendly practices.

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From 2009 to 2011 USF has boosted its Green Building practices from grade D to grade A. As a community leader, outstanding achievement in the one of the most expansive aspects of our economy in terms of awareness and sustainability is a symbol of pride. The adoption of a more aggressive Green Building strategic plan would both further USF’s aspirations to become a more environmentally and economically friendly institution, as well as set an example for others to follow. While there are various other areas of concentration which help USF to attain some of its “green goals”, a focus on green building is sure to have the intended and lasting affect that USF strives to reach.

As further proof of USF’s commitment to the environment and its community, the board of trustees has adopted policies in the campus master plan to guide campus development and to address the location, design, and construction of site development and facilities. These policies incorporate both large scale and detailed green design principles, including preservation of open space, infill development, storm water management, erosion control, and tree protection. 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. USF has also installed energy meters in each building for all utilities, including, electricity, gas, and water, to allow for energy accounting and measuring the success of energy efficiency initiatives. With the volume of students that attend USF, this is one of the building practices that have had the biggest impact on USF’s goal to promote a green society. Blow down discharge from the storm water and cooling tower is collected in on-campus ponds. Some of this storm water is utilized for landscape irrigation.

USF continues to make great strides in efforts to promote a culture of going green within its students, faculty, staff and the community. Another organization to help with their initiative that is extending beyond the Tampa Bay region is the Engineers of a Sustainable World. Engineers of a Sustainable World is an interdisciplinary education with hands-on research experiences for students in the engineering profession. They have sincere

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concerns for the earth and its humanity with focuses on sustainability and renewable energy sources. Also known as ESW, they work on not only research but various other projects including digging wells that provide clean water and improved sanitary conditions for African villages.

As we see USF has several organizations to help with the going green movement, one of the main organizations is the Office of Sustainability that was established in 1995. Therefore, “going green” is nothing new to USF and its students. The Office of Sustainability is the single point of contact for all sustainability activities within USF. They have developed an advisory council as well as an advisory board. USF’s Office of Sustainability primary commitment is to not only provide education, training and resources to the students but extend well beyond into the Tampa Bay community. For this reason companies in the Tampa Bay area like Tampa Electric Company (TECO) have been funding this organization because they see the importance of USF’s vision.

A graduate student at USF named Frank Michael Malatesta, explains some of his valuable contributions to USF's Office of Sustainability as well as his contributions to politics. The student describes his many grueling hours of hard work to further the state of Florida's understanding of the importance of educating its college students about sustainability.

Mr. Malatesta also explains his viewpoint on creating a Students Office for Sustainability as well as how this committee is governed. For example, the Student Office for Sustainability and Awareness is composed of an advisor and Renewable Energy Initiatives Board or REIB. This board has five students and five faculty members. The board is responsible for the allocation of revenue and projects are proposed by the students themselves. The benefit of using such a model is the fact half of the staff are students within the

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university. This means instead of paying a staff member a salary, the staff member is actually paying tuition or paying for his or her own services. This reduces the cost of running the Sustainability program.

There are several different models or examples one could look at for guidance when creating a Students Office for Sustainability. For example, UC Boulder gives their students the opportunity to create potential projects such as incorporating renewable energy, energy efficiency, recycling as well as waste reduction. These projects have not only reduced the impact the campus makes on the environment but have also given the students the opportunity to contribute to the well-being of planet earth. These worthy programs have all been funded threw a small fee, in UC Boulder’s case the fee was $2.80 per student per semester. This fee is called a renewable energy fee.

Creating a renewable energy fee built in to every student’s tuition is quite controversial because many college students don’t have sufficient income to support such a fee. On the contrary a proposed fee is only a matter of a few dollars and will benefit the environment not only on USF’s campus but far beyond as well. There are also several different ways a university could assess such fees. For example, a school could create a CITF or Capital Improvement Trust Fund which is a per credit hour fee created by State legislature. Another prime example is an activity and service fee, this per credit hour fee usually is applied to improve campus life, transportation etc. There have been several attempts to have such a bill passed

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in the state of Florida but they have all been stopped.

Some of the projects that the Office of Sustainability has been working on include planting of 2,000 trees, implementing a free off-campus shuttle that is powered by bio-fuel technology to reduce the campus traffic congestion, saved over ten million with Green lights replacement that has resulted in a three percent reduction in electrical consumption over the past six years, established a recycling community on its campus by placing containers throughout the campus. USF’s Office of Sustainability is also working on programs such as the Sustainability Scholars program, Sustainability Fellows and Sustainability Mentors.

More recently, in January of 2010 USF created a School of Global Sustainability. “The school is an inclusive and holistic academic unit, based on integrated interdisciplinary research, scholarship and teaching. Its strength derives from the committed involvement of faculty representing natural and social sciences, engineering, business, the humanities, arts and health”, according to Kalanithy Vairavamoorty, Subcommittee Chair. The program primarily focuses on water but have

concentrations in food security, health, environments, transportations climate change and many more. The program is mostly generated by performances, collaborations, discussions, research and explorations. The School of Global Sustainability is working with several colleges like the College of Business, College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and more.

As stated before, the leader in determining the true influence that organizations exemplify by undertaking green projects is The Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. A great example for USF to follow is that of PNC. PNC or Pittsburg National Corporation is a financial services firm that specializes in banking and investment products. PNC has already constructed more LEED-certified green buildings than any other company in the world. PNC officially received the trademark of ‘Green Branch’ in 2007, and its 43 eco-friendly bank buildings helped the company to achieve this.

“Recognizing the importance of wise investments, The PNC Financial Service Group strives to integrate our day-to-day business

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practices with environmental responsibility. Our nationally recognized commitment to green building practices has enabled us to lower costs, increase efficiency and productivity as well as enhance the communities where people live, work and play”.

PNC has more newly constructed "green" buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council than any company on Earth. PNC is also the first U.S. bank to apply green building standards to all newly constructed or renovated retail branch offices. Benefits include cleaner indoor air and improved health and well-being of employees. At Firstside Center, for example, a study found employee retention and satisfaction was 50 percent better compared to a traditional facility.

Green roofs are a growing trend in the U.S., with many different buildings adopting roofs topped with dirt and living plants. PNC Financial Services Group is taking

the lead on green walls, with the largest “Green Living Wall” in North America which was constructed on the south side of the bank's Pittsburgh headquarters.

“When completed in September of 2009, the 2,380-square-foot wall--outfitted with 602 panels of soil—will look much like a painting constructed out of regional plants. The wall will do more than just add aesthetically to the PNC building--it will also provide shade to surrounding sidewalks, absorb sound, and cool the surface of the south wall by 70 to 80 degrees.”

Some of the notable environmentally friendly things that PNC does is its ability as a large corporations, to cut 35% of its operating cost with the adoption of its' green building standards. Leading the industry with environmentally friendly standards, PNC has also taken an active role in influencing other companies to make commitments that will inevitably make them function better as a company. As members of the Environmental Bankers Association and the U.S Green Building Council, PNC leads by a great example.

As USF continues on its trek to have

a great impact on the “going green”

initiatives that they have had great

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success in, they should look further

into green building standards that

originated from PNC. It is my belief

that USF has an endowment, close

to three hundred million, large

enough to create buildings that

would be completely green. As

stated before, USF has two

buildings that are going to be

recognized by the Green Building

Council, for their awareness on

matters of lighting efficiency,

recycling, disposal, and water

practices.

By implementing some of PNC

business practices, I think that USF

can in fact benefit from an

investment sooner rather than

later. Some of the new technology

aside from green building is the use

of different energy sources. The

technology that PNC uses takes

advantage of seasonal pricing by

using natural gas in the summer

and electricity in winter in select

buildings. USF is in a geographic

region in which cooling costs can be

astronomical. By taking small steps

like this, the school will be able to

handle many more projects with

the money that it would save. In

addition to the heating and cooling

system innovation that would

further USF green building

standards, it would have less of an

impact on the atmosphere. CFC’s

are the chemical compound that is

released as a result of machinery

and chemicals used to keep

buildings cool. While USF is only

responsible for a minuscule portion,

there is no reason not to take those

steps if we are willing and able.

Over the next few years I think

that a viable option for USF to

undergo would be to bring forth an

idea to the USF Office of

Sustainability and use available

research tools to weigh the

cost/benefit of taking the steps that

PNC deemed viable and undertook.

PNC’s example is such a good one to

follow because other institutions

have already begun to follow their

lead. One of the most astonishing

things that I found in record of PNC

green building practices is the fact

that fresh air is used as much as

possible. During moderate weather

seasons, some buildings can be

cooled and ventilated with 100

percent outside air. By adopting

this technology, it’s as though their

intent is to bring their buildings to

life.

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USF has also taken many steps to reduce the amount of pollution and greenhouse gases it produces. USF president, Dr. Judy Genshaft, wrote an article describing some of her personal contributions as well as some of the contributions USF has contributed. Since her promotion to president of USF Dr. Genshaft has signed onto the American College and University’s President’s Climate Control Commitment.

This exclusive group of university presidents is committed to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from specified campus operations and to promote the research and educate society to stabilize the earth’s climate. In doing this she has developed and promoted leadership among not only students but faculty and staff within USF.

Dr. Genshaft discusses the similarities between governing USF and a city itself. There are many similarities, for example, there are residential areas, restaurants, a bus system, police force and health care facilities. While governing a school there are many environmental issues in which students will disagree upon. Her primary objective in making USF a “green” campus is to reduce the carbon footprint that USF leaves behind while educating the benefits of doing this.

Some of the researchers at USF have pioneered solar and renewable energy technology, as well as environmentally conscious manufacturing. Another great attribute on USF’s resume is the environmentally friendly architecture USF is implementing on their campus. One particular building for example is, the Patel Center for Global Solutions. This is USF’s first “green” building on USF’s Tampa Campus. This building is designated to identify world challenges and pin pointing a solution for these issues.

These are just a few of the ways Dr. Genshaft and USF have assisted the environment. There are many strides USF will still have to take to continue to educate its students the benefits of living in a sustainable world. Right here on USF’s campus we have buses that run on biodiesel, and we have constructed bike lanes on campus. There is also a recycling program in place as well. USF has even encouraged some students to grow their own vegetables at the universities botanical gardens. In one of USF’s residential halls they have created a friendly competition. A small group of students are living the ideal “green” life while volunteering around campus. This has also encouraged students in other

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residential halls to participate in the green movement.

Although the university has put many hours of hard work and effort into living sustainable lifestyle there are still defaults in the green movement. For example 30% of the greenhouse gases produced by our university are from students and employees commuting to and from campus. Ultimately this is overturning all of the efforts the university has put forward.

Ford has put forth a lot of hard work and effort to change the face of the company from the vehicles they produce to the facilities in which their employees work. As a current employer of FORD Company, I myself have noticed a few changes made. For example, the manual paper towel dispensers were changed to automatic dispensers to conserve paper. When an account shifts from one department to another we used to create large paper packets and walk them to the specific department. Now we utilize our imaging system to put together an "e-packet" and email the paperwork. This in turn helps the environment while conserving paper.

During a brief sit down with center operations manager Michael Cialo

there were several issues discussed, from the benefits of improving fuel mileage to improving the public image of the company. Mr. Cialo was asked what actions Ford has taken to have less impact on our environment. Mr. Cialo gave an in depth analysis of some of the effort Ford has put forth as well as some of the government requirements on new vehicles.

His response was quite informative: “Ford has taken steps to improve fuel economy on all of their new vehicles. The company has also begun engineering biodiesel and electric vehicles. Although electric cars are not highly popular in the United States yet other countries such as Brazil have taken to electrical vehicles. Not only does this save the customer money on gas mileage but this also keeps the company competitive in a cut throat market”.

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Another excellent example Ford taking strides to improve the impact it makes on the environment is the new Ford explorers have been designed and built with 85% recycled materials. This environmentally friendly way to construct vehicles will ultimately create less impact on our environment than many auto makers.

Although it is important to have fuel efficient vehicles there are also government standards in place to for each type of vehicle. For example all new compact sedans built during or after 2011 are required by law to meet a minimum of 30 mpg. Trucks and SUV's are required to meet 24 mpg. This is the result of environmental groups voicing their opinions on such issues.

Yes, the government has stringent guidelines for fuel economy however from time to time the government will offer incentives such as the “cash for clunkers” program in 2009. This program was intended to spur the economy by enticing customers to trade in their older model vehicles for a more fuel efficient car. This program was also intended to help boost sales for auto dealers across the states. The program lasted only a few months however sales

skyrocketed throughout the United States. Shortly after this government program ended many auto dealers across the nation offered their own “cash for clunkers” program to continue to boost sales.

Another great example of Ford joining the “going green” movement is the production of electric vehicles. Ford has begun to mass produce electric vehicles in the United States. Some of these vehicles are powered by an advanced lithium ion battery system. The new Ford Focus Hatchback is a 100% electric vehicle. This car will not only save the consumer a considerable amount on gas it does not create any emissions as well.

Another incredible fact about the new Ford Focus is it produced with sustainable and renewable materials similar to the new Ford Explorer. For example, the seats are engineered from recycled denim jeans. Another interesting piece of information is the plant in which these vehicles are produced is powered by one of the largest solar energy systems in the state of Michigan. Ford is not stopping with the Ford Focus there are five more electric vehicles scheduled for mass production in the United States and Europe by 2013.

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As we see universities like USF, several banks like PNC, businesses like FORD are helping in the green movement. However, USF is not the only university to participate. Other institutions like the University of Florida are also doing lots within its community to promote going green. Similarly to USF, UF also has an organization called The Office of Sustainability. The Office of Sustainability is an organization about training and educating people on how to conserve the earth’s precious resources. However, the Office of Sustainability is made up of smaller groups including focuses on agriculture; energy conservation and climate change implementation; equity, health and wellbeing; land and resource management as well as stewardship implementation.

The Office of Sustainability hold annual “Earth Days” to inform students on campus the importance of conserving the earth and its precious resources. The also hold Energy Summits encouraging the public to ‘chump down on energy’.

In addition, there is various green teams throughout the campus for students to get involved and promote the going green movement. UF has partnered with various sustainable groups that include the Forest Stewardship council that is responsible for promoting responsible tree management. Sustainable Forestry Initiative that participate in the planting of trees at UF. Environmental Protection Agency Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines to promote the use of materials recovered from solid waste.

Green-e logo is the nationally recognized symbol for certified renewable energy. Green-e provides an easy way for consumers to quickly identify environmentally superior products made from renewable sources of electricity such as wind.

Recently in the month of February UF received a Silver STARS rating. STARS, Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, is a

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program that measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. This shows that the efforts at the University of Florida are not done in vain.

In conclusion, the going green movement is critical for vast reasons including our health, animals’ existence and to continue to have limited resources accessible for a longer time by conserving them now. USF has made great strides as well as other businesses like PNC, companies like FORD and similar institutions like UF.

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Works Cited

Schwartz, Ariel. "PNC Bank Building Largest Green Living Wall in U.S. ." Fast Comapny (2009): 1. Web. 25 Mar 2011. <http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainability/pnc-bank-building-largest-green-living-wall-us#>. Cash, Jacqui. "USF One of Nation." University of South Florida News (2010): 1. Web. 17 Mar 2011. <http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=2295>.

Admin,. "PNC Bank Expands Green Initiatives." Green Student U (2008): 1. Web. 25 Mar 2011. <http://www.greenstudentu.com/eco_lifestyle/pnc_bank_expands_green_initiatives.aspx>.

"Green Report Card." The College Sustainability Report card. Sustainability Endowments Institute, 2011. Web. 25 Mar 2011. <http://www.greenreportcard.org/report-card-2011/schools/university-of-south-florida>.

Percio, Stephen. "PNC Registers "Green Branch" with Trademark Office." GB:NYC Magazine (2007): n. pag. Web. 25 Mar 2011. <"Green Report Card." The College Sustainability Report card. Sustainability Endowments Institute, 2011. Web. 25 Mar 2011. . >.

"The PNC Financial Services group." PNC Environmental Responsibility. PNC, n.d. Web. 17 Mar 2011. <https://www.pnc.com/webapp/unsec/Requester?resource=/wps/wcm/connect/f9f7c7804e5c6c2c8b478ffc6d630ad7/Environ_FactSheet_1210.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=f9f7c7804e5c6c2c8b478ffc6d630ad7>.

“Sustainability at USF” Thurs. 10 March 2011. <http://www2.eng.usf.edu/cee/USFCEE/sustainability.htm/>.

“Turn Over A New Leaf”. Sustainable UF. Fri. 11 March 2011. <http://www.sustainability.ufl.edu/about/>.

“Office of Sustainability” Fri 11 March 2011 <http://usfweb2.usf.edu/Sustainability/about/mission.html/>. “Renewable Energy” Sunday. April 3 2011. <http://www.renewable-energy-news.info/ford-electric-focus/>