Team 4's White Paper Project

8/22/2019 Team 4's White Paper Project

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Kristin Rachel Presto, LeInterview

Dylyan Smith, Lead Writ

Richard Prince, Lead Compi

Nathan Stopnytsky, Le

Edit

Kristin Willingham Le

Research

The Green InitiativeProfessional WritingENC 3250

August 9, 2013USF summer 2013

Prepared for: Dr. Tobienne


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The Green Initiative

1

1.Executive Summary and Introduction

2. Discussion:

a.Green Initiativesb.Campus Smoking Banc. LEED U.S. Green Building councild.Student Initiativese. USF Residence Hallf. Bull Runner Transit Systemg.Biodiesel in the University Work Fleet

3. Interview

4. Conclusion

5. Annotated Bibliography

Table of Contents


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Executive Summary:

Focus will be attributed to the many

programs and initiatives launched by the

University of South Florida in maintainingand promoting a green sustainable campus.

Introduction:

The University of South Florida is

attempting to go green, and this report will

explore the efforts that the university has

taken in order to become a sustainable

campus. It will focus on the efforts made by

the universitys main campus in Tampa,

along with looking at the efforts made at its

satellite campus in St. Petersburg and

Lakeland; they seem to also be making

strides to go green.

The University has made strides in the

efforts to promote sustainability not only

with their students and faculty, but also

within their regional community. The effortshave not only been recognized locally, but

also on a national level with recognition

from the

Princeton Reviewers Guide to 286 Green Co

llege in 2010, a guidebook which focuses sol

ely on Universities

and Colleges which demonstrate a commitm

ent to sustainability on campus

through different initiatives. In order to

further explore the University of South

Floridas attempts at going green we have

explored the Universitys own websites,

other green initiative articles, and an

interview for a first person perspective on

the sustainability efforts, along with how

affective the most popular initiatives havebeen.

This report is not meant to persuade one to

think that the University of South Florida

has done all it can to be a leader in

sustainability in its community, but this

report will show you all it has done thus far,

and let you as the reader draw your

conclusion whether or not the University of

South Florida has done its part in going

green.

Green Initiatives at USFSP

Smoke Free

Campus

USF

Bullrunner

RecyclingEfforts StudentInvolvment


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The University of South Florida-St.

Petersburg is getting the most out of its

beautiful campus by taking the initiative to

clean things up around campus. To clean

things up would be taken in the context of

picking up trash or something to that

magnitude but the university has taken it a

step further adapting a going green policy

around its campus. As stated on the schools

website, one of the missions of this policy is

to be committed to environmental

stewardship and sustainability around the

campus. As one of the universitys six core

strategic goals, environmental stewardship

helps frame the core objectives.

USF-St. Pete has implemented the going

green concept in a number of ways that

efficiently aligns with the strong suits of its

mission. In the largest of ways USF has

constructed its Science and Technology

building (STG)

to be the first LEED Certified Gold

building in the USF System and along with

the new multi-purpose student center

seeking LEED certification. According to

the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC),

LEED is a program that provides third-party

verification of green buildings. LEED or

Leadership in Energy & Environmental

Design is the independent entity that

builders around North America can be

certified for their sheer techniques applying

green principles to their construction efforts.

According to the USGBC, in order to be

certified a building must pass an

independent verification process having a

sustainable site development, water savings,

energy efficiency, green material and indoor

environmental quality. Having taken classes

in this building, I can say from first-hand

experience that this building has a cleaner

atmosphere. On the first floor in the lobby a
http://www.usfsp.edu/blog/category/construction/http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=OPOounCVAOnhNM&tbnid=L723-AvK8-dhaM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.wusf.usf.edu/radio/program/university_beat/episode/2010-02/usf_st._petersburg_leed_building&ei=RewEUqWUB6aIygHyg4GYBA&bvm=bv.50500085,d.aWc&psig=AFQjCNHx9v8qFEbLmT5LdJT4CBuU5IKlCg&ust=1376140695505622http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=OPOounCVAOnhNM&tbnid=L723-AvK8-dhaM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.wusf.usf.edu/radio/program/university_beat/episode/2010-02/usf_st._petersburg_leed_building&ei=RewEUqWUB6aIygHyg4GYBA&bvm=bv.50500085,d.aWc&psig=AFQjCNHx9v8qFEbLmT5LdJT4CBuU5IKlCg&ust=1376140695505622http://www.usfsp.edu/blog/category/construction/


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small board with a scientific visual

explaining how the building is saving energy

is available for the students to see. It is very

descriptive and provides great information.

USFSP has been nationally recognized

among universities for its efforts going

green because of changes like the STG

building.

Another highlight around the campus for its

going green efforts are the partnerships with

local organizations the schools has which

has attributed to the success of this new

policy. The partnerships have helped USFSP

offer students a more environmentally

friendly computing experiences by offering

initiatives such as: battery disposal at local

battery recycling centers, disposal of our

computer parts at local recycling centers,

automatically powering off idle lab and

classroom computers, mobile phone, battery

and print cartridge recycling, promoting,

purchasing RoHS compliant low-power

computer hardware and peripherals,

purchasing recycled paper and recycling

used paper for all Campus Computing

needs, including computer lab printers.

Students and faculty have involved

themselves by starting societies and

attaining government funds to forward this

process. According to USFSPs website,

started in fall 2011, the Student Green

Energy Fund will accrue approximately

$300,000 for renewable energy and

efficiency projects on campus over the

course of three years. Led by Student

Government, USFSP established a

committee comprised of 50% students to

ensure that students have a major voice in

the renewable energy dialogue. Students

may also submit proposals to the Student

Green Energy Fund committee for projects

such as solar panel procurement and

installation the website says. As a visual aid

of the campus wide changes the Student

Environmental Awareness Society conducts

beach plantings and clean-ups along

Bayboro Harbor. Each Earth day, about

200 native plants, such as sea purslane, are

added to the beach strand to promote

sustainable and educational ecosystem that

reduces erosion.

Campus Smoking Ban-

In attempts to coexist with the campus green

changes, USFSP took it another step and

implemented a campus smoking ban. In
http://www1.usfsp.edu/sgefhttp://www1.usfsp.edu/sgefhttp://www1.usfsp.edu/sgefhttp://www1.usfsp.edu/sgef


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January of 2012 USFSP became the first

entire USF institution to go tobacco-free.

The USF Tampa campus made the change in

2009 so it only made sense for the jewel of

USF being St. Pete to follow suit. The

mission for the smoking ban was to promote

health around the campus and community.

USFSP has strengthened their resources to

accommodate students who may not be quite

fond of the change by providing on campus

resources such as: educational and

relaxation resources for students (through

Wellness Center), smoking cessation classes

(open to all students, faculty & staff),

employee assistance program, free quit kits.

USFSP asks that all people on campus

comply with the wishes of the school. Maps

are available so the boundaries of the school

are known and will help

students/faculty/vendor awareness on where

smoking is prohibited. City streets run

through the campus but according to USFSP

the city streets are a part of the non-smoking

areas also. The map of the boundaries can be

found on the schools website, front office,

and campus boards around campus. The

non-smoking ban is formally known as a

USF System Policy, 0-606, Non Smoking

Areas, Section II. According to policy 0-607

SP, enforcement of this policy depends

upon the cooperation of all faculty, staff,

students, vendors and visitors not only to

comply with this policy, but also to

encourage others to comply with the policy.

Anyone who is in violation of the policy

(including faculty, staff, students, vendors or

visitors) should be politely reminded of the

policy and asked to comply by discarding

the tobacco product. Any student who

continually refuses to abide by the policy

may be considered in violation of the

student Code of Conduct and subject to its

disciplinary procedures. Continuing

violations by any faculty or staff member

will be handled through normal University

processes. All attendees at public events,

such as conferences, meetings, public

lectures, social events and cultural events

using USFSP facilities are required to abide

by this policy. Organizers of such events are

responsible both for communicating this

policy to attendees, and for its enforcement.
http://www.usfsp.edu/wellness/services/wellness-services/http://www.usfsp.edu/wellness/services/wellness-services/http://www.usfsp.edu/adminservices/human_resources/TrainingandWorkshops.htmhttp://www.usfsp.edu/adminservices/human_resources/TrainingandWorkshops.htmhttp://www.usfsp.edu/saffairs/ccc/documents/EmployeeAssistanceProgram.htmhttp://www.usfsp.edu/saffairs/ccc/documents/EmployeeAssistanceProgram.htmhttp://www.usfsp.edu/adminservices/human_resources/TrainingandWorkshops.htmhttp://www.usfsp.edu/adminservices/human_resources/TrainingandWorkshops.htmhttp://www.usfsp.edu/wellness/services/wellness-services/http://www.usfsp.edu/wellness/services/wellness-services/


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When it comes to rules we know college

students are ideal for going against the grain

and using their wit to find loop holes in the

system. USFSP has already designed an

efficient policy by even defining what

smoking tobacco is on campus to counter

the attack of a clever student. Policy 0-607

SP defines smoking tobacco as any product

made of tobacco including, but not limited

to, cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipes, bidis,

hookahs, and any and all chewing tobacco

products. Smoking is defined as inhaling,

exhaling, burning, carrying or possessing

any lighted tobacco product. Tobacco Use

means the personal use of any tobacco

product whether intended to be lit or not,

which shall include smoking as defined

above, as well as the use of an electronic

cigarette or any other device intended to

simulate smoking and thus use of smokeless

tobacco, including snuff, chewing tobacco,

smokeless pouches, or any other form of

loose-leaf smokeless tobacco, and the use of

unlit cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco.

Not only did USFSP make the change to go

green but the decision to make the campus

non-smoking shows how dedicated the

school is to the wellness of the students.

Having no smoking on campus truly makes

the campus a better place and it looks a lot

cleaner than the other schools that allow

smoking or have a designated area to smoke.

The numerous amounts of resources the

schools offers pertaining to smoking, makes

a student feel like the school really has the

best interest at heart. USFSP has created

more than a policy; they have created a

comfortable and peaceful environment for

their student to thrive in. After all, the

campus is known as the jewel of the Bay.

Smoking around campus would cause that

jewel to become cloudy and any person

knows once a jewel becomes cloudy, it loses

its value.

LEED U.S. Green Building council-

When the universitys Tampa campus was

constructed in 1956, a cost efficient low

maintenance approach was taken for the

construction of the campuses buildings. A

simple post and beam concrete structure and

brick infill was done exposing the concrete

frame. Many would consider its architectural

character bland and unappealing. However,

thorough the years the Universitys Tampa

campus has undergone numerous
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=cwlxGrrwy1xyvM&tbnid=Wxrb846yiHCHKM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.landscapeonline.com/research/article/16571&ei=P-0EUoeRNYz8yAHN_YC4AQ&bvm=bv.50500085,d.aWc&psig=AFQjCNHx9v8qFEbLmT5LdJT4CBuU5IKlCg&ust=1376140695505622


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construction projects to modernize the

campus and add a visible appeal to the

buildings.

While architects were at work drafting ideas

for aesthetically pleasing buildings, the

University was working closely with

USGBC or the United States Green Building

Council to ensure that the many projects

done around campus were both

environmentally beneficial and friendly.

The USGBC is a non-profit organization

which promotes sustainability in the manner

of how buildings are designed, built, and

organized. The organization developed the

Leadership in Energy and Environmental

Design green rating system or LEED which

provides third-party verification for green

buildings. LEED oversees every aspect of

the building process from design, to

construction, to operations and maintenance.

After a building project is finished the

USGBC presents the project with a LEED

certification and based on the amount of

point-based credits they acquired through

sustainability construction and completion,

the project can go on to earn one of four

levels (Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum.)

Since its humble inception in 1993 the

USGBC has rapidly expanded from a tiny

volunteer group of six volunteers and one

committee to a massive 200 volunteer, 20

committee, 200 full time staff, and 13,000

member organization with over 77 regional

chapters spanning the United States with a

regional chapter located in the University of

South Florida. Since 1993 the number of

gold certified buildings has increased

rapidly as more projects are taking an


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initiative for sustainability.

The universitys Tampa and satellite

campuses have had several buildings take

the green initiative as they underwent

construction. The Dr. Kiran C. Patel Center

for Global solutions on the Tampa main

campus was built as a certified LEED

project; other Tampa's buildings including

the Interdisciplinary Sciences building, and

Wellness and Nutrition center underwent the

same process as well. The Science and

Technology building on the St. Petersburg

campus was a LEED certified project and

the USF polytechnic campus in Lakeland

Phase I for future growth expansion has also

planned to be constructed under USGBC

guidance with intentions of being LEED

gold certified.

Along with the building of LEED certified

construction projects, a lot of older buildings

found themselves LEED certified as they

underwent renovation. The Chemistry,

Education, Science Center, and Kopp were

all LEED certified as they underwent

renovations. The librarys roofs along with

several other roofs throughout the campus

were replaced with high insulation and

reflectively value. SRI (Solar Reflective

Index) was added to 15 roofs over a course

of three years. The square footage equaled a

total of 410,865 sq ft. Southern window

exposures had sunscreens installed along

with high efficiency glass, to lower the

amount of heat trapped in buildings.


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The New Patel Center for Global Solutions

Building incorporated a rainwater harvesting

apparatus which collects rainwater into a

cistern then has it plumbed out for urinal and

toilet use. At the Marshall Center the

Running of the Bulls reuses waste water

from the campuss Heating Ventilation and

Air Conditioning System. With the inclusion

of these many genius and clever methods the

Universitys older buildings are able to

achieve sustainability and LEED

certification.

The USGBC has three accredited

professionals on facilities planning and the

construction staff for the University.

However, they are not the only USGBC

members who provide priceless consultation

and aid for building projects, the University

houses its very own USGBC chapter on the

Tampa main campus. The members of the

USF USGBC not only help around campus

through informational lectures but they also

take the streets assisting in various projects

around the city of Tampa offering

consultation and promoting sustainability

and LEED certified construction to localconstruction project managers and

supervisors.

The sustainability efforts and green initiative

has also caused the school to send designs

for the Sun Dome and campus Golf Course

so they can be considered for LEED

certification. As Christian Wells, director of

the office of sustainability stated during his

interview with the Oracle in 2011, The

LEED certification process is a very useful

way of helping us design, build, and operate

eco-friendly buildings on campus. This is

important because academic buildings are

not neutral factors in the learning

environment- our buildings have a hidden

curriculum that teaches students just as

effectively as our courses do. If we want our

students to be environmentally literate,

global citizens, then we need to teach our

classes in buildings aligned to this goal.

As the University plunges forward with its

sustainability efforts, the USGBC will

continue in its efforts to make current and

future buildings LEED certified. Daniel Yeh

an assistant professor in environmental

engineering said while being interviewed by

the Oracle Its important to get LEED

certification, its a statement about the


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Universitys commitment to sustainability,

Daniel Yeh also teaches a course on LEED

certification and mentions how it is a worth-

while investment for the University.

Student Initiatives-

Student initiatives on USFSP campus

include STARS, also known as Student

Tracking, Assessment & Rating System.

This program was designed for Association

for the Advancement of Sustainability in

Higher Education (AASHE). This allows

colleges to gauge their efforts to going green

and compare to other Universities around

the country. Institutes are able to earn points

in three categories including: Education and

Research; Student Engagement and Public

administration; and Operations. The

University of South Florida earned a Gold

rating for their efforts in going green. This

allows USF to gauge where they stand and

how they can improve and implement new

programs onto their campus. There is room

for improvement but USF is making a

conscious effort to evaluate there going

green initiatives and how they can get more

students involved.

USF Residence Hall-

Currently residence halls at USF do not

recycle anything but paper, this of course is

a huge amount of waste that is going un-

recycled. There are currently efforts being

made to change all of this, however, as it

stands now USF dorms are producing large

amounts of recyclables that are simply being

thrown away. USF dorms are making some

efforts to go green, even teaching students

the art of composting to create fertilizer in

their dorm rooms. Students are given large

bins with layers and layers of soil and

worms to break down the food. The

composting bins are kept clear of any meat

or dairy to reduce smells. Students seem to

enjoy it and like the fact that they are able to

help in going green, there is even a proposal

being made that would allow the fertilizer to

be used in the gardens around campus.

Another way students seem to be getting

excited about going green is the

competitions that are being held between

USF and other universities. These

competitions, known as recylemania, are

held to see which university can recycle the

most campus waste. These friendly

competitions get students excited about

recycling and educated at the same time.


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Bull Runner Transit System-

With the large student base at USF, the not

so ideal parking situation, and the size of our

campus, the Bull Runner provides a greatservice for student and faculty to utilize. The

Bull Runner consists of 30 vehicles that

operate over a 6 route transit system. Of

these 30, 13 are transit style, 9 of which

Bluebird with Cummings engine and 6

Thomas with Cummings engine. The other

17 are Cutaway style, consisting of 11 Ford,

7.3 power stroke engines, and 6 Chevrolet,

6.5 Dura-max engines. In 2002 the Bull

Runner went 100% green by introducing the

use of biodiesel fuels. The biodiesel

initiative is beneficial for a number of

reasons; it stimulates local economies and

reduces our dependence on foreign sources.

USF uses environmentally friendly fuels that

are derived from renewable sources.

Sources of biofuels include vegetable oils

such as rapeseed, corn, mustard, soybean,

sunflower, macadamia, coconut, and peanut

seeds. Chicken fat is another form of biofuel

that can be used because of the glycerin that

can be extracted and converted into a clean

burning fuel. This is all done through a

process called transesterification.

Transesterification is the chemical process

in which triglyceride lipid fat molecules can

be shattered into four molecules using

methanol and caustic soda as a catalyst

(BiodieselUSF). The chart below assists in

breaking down this process:

Most combustion ignition petroleum

engines can run off of biofuels, with little

engine modifications needed. Biodiesel can

be mixed with regular fuels with mixture

ratings such as B20, which consist of a 1:5

ratio of biodiesel to fuel. However the ideal

is no mixture of fuels, strictly biodiesel rated

at B100 burns at the cleanest possible rate.

Upon the conversion to biofuels, minimum

problems were presented and the only real


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consistent problem was the constant need to

replace fuel filters. Depending on the make

of the vehicle, the older fuel filters would

lead to problems including broken down

engines and clogged fuel filters. However,

some immediate benefits we saw were the

elimination of black clouds being released

from exhaust and an overall improvement in

the environment, especially immediately

surrounding bus stops. Unlike biodiesel,

standard petroleum bases fuels release and

array of greenhouse gasses and pollutants

into the atmosphere, including unburned

hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, sulfates,

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrated

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and

particulate matter.

The biodiesel start up shed a positive light

on USF and its going green movement. USF

was one of the earlier universities to roll

such a large transportation system into a

green fleet, this lead to a Green Fleet

award from the city of Tampa Bay. Since

going green has many positive impacts,

other colleges and universities looked to

USF for guidance on implementing theirown green transportation.

Meeting the minimum EPA standards for

emissions does not seem to be a problem for

USF, who falls well below the mark. Not

only does USF have one of the cleanest bus

transit systems, it also has many electric

vehicles around campus.

With the implementation of the Bull

Tracker, students can now use their mobile

devices to track the busses through AVL or

automatic vehicle location system. They can

check arrival times and even download a

live map that tracks their specific bus.

Students often find that they purchase very

costly parking permits only to run into a

terrible parking situation. This along with

rising gas prices has created a jump in the

number of riders on the bull runner.

For students who do not have a reliable form

of transportation, with an active USF ID

card, students get to ride the HART because

of an agreement USF and HART came to in

2005. All of the Bull Runner routes connect

to at least one HART local bus route, which

makes it very easy for students to leave

campus without driving.

Interview with Eileen Dabrowski-

To get a better understanding of what efforts

USF is making towards going green we

interviewed someone that can give us a

unique perspective. We felt that it would be

appropriate to get the perspective of not only

someone who works on campus in a


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department that works very closely with

physical plant at USF, but also a student. We

chose to interview Eileen Dabrowski. Eileen

completed her undergrad at USF in biology

and considers herself very consciously

aware. She is currently a victim advocate at

the University of South Florida and also

former president, and now advisor, to the

student organization N.I.T.E. One function

that this student organization serves is

conducting a walk during the evening to

evaluate campus safety, physical plant

attends and a strong partnership has

developed in collaboration with the NITE

walk. Eileen not only works on the main

USF campus but also attends graduate

school and is very active in campus wide

events. Eileen was very eager to give her

input into what USF has done in regards to

going green as well as what she feels they

could improve on. When discussing what

USF is doing to go green: Eileen responded

I know for the past few years USF has been

considering adding a green fee to the student

activity fee. But it did not get enough

approval. I think adding this fee to tuition is

a small price to pay for the good it can do.

As students there are many unnecessary

things that come out of tuition, however, this

is definitely not one of them. Ei leen, are

you aware of any green ini tiatives currently

taki ng place on campus?Yes, there are

several. USF is trying to work with a private

recycling company to work with student

housing for recycling. There is currently no

recycling other than paper in the student

residence halls. Just that alone would make a

huge difference in going green. I know there

is a lot of talk and it seems like there is a big

push for it to happen. Then of course the

program with the smart cars, they are now

adding charging stations in the parking

garage and around campus. I think the car

sharing program is great, not only is it green

but affordable for students. Another great

program is the borrow a bike program

through campus recreation. Because Eileen

not only works at USF but also has a vested

interest as a student in programs that USF

may offer we asked her: what she felt USF

could continue to do in Going Green?I

think education and awareness; I dont think

many students are aware of the programs

that are even offered. Getting them

advertised and in your face would be a

great start. Its all about education,

especially when it comes to going green.

Students remember what they see on a daily

basis. Recycling on campus would make a

huge impact, just from the students that live

on campus alone. That is thousands and

thousands of people that are producing a lot


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of waste that is not being recycled at all. Its

sad.

Biodiesel in the University Work Fleet-

1.1 What is biodiesel?

Biodiesel fuel is an alternative fuel source

that is considered environmentally

sustainable. This is because it is made with

renewable, plant-based resources such as,

vegetable oil or fat. The process to make

these resources viable is called

transesterfication; which removes the

glycerin from the vegetable oils or fat in

order to make it non-toxic, biodegradable,

and fuel-grade. The Environmental

Protection Agency has strict standards in

order for biodiesel to be considered fuel-

grade with industry specifications to ensure

proper performance. There is also a lack of

sulfur and other traditional aromatics; all of

which is making biodiesel promising for the

long-term.

1.2 Biodiesel versus petroleum diesel

The energy efficiency ratio of both fuels is

very similar. It has been said that the

biodiesel and petroleum diesel fuels cost are

similar when in operating a fleet. The

overall production, manufacturing,

transportation, biodiesel in turn has a 2.75%

less energy efficiency ratio than traditional

fuel. There are many more benefits to using

biodiesel rather than petroleum diesel.

Biodiesel is a more efficient fuel; this is

purely due to the fact that it takes about one

quarter the amount of fossil fuel to produce

one unit of biodiesel fuel than it does to

produce one unit of petroleum diesel fuel.

USF chose biodiesel, rather than other

alternative fuels because it has the least

emissions when burned, it is renewable,

unlike the other alternative fuels which are

finite.

1.3 USF switching to biodiesel

In 2002, the University of South Florida

took the initiative without any pressure from

legislatures, to switch their Bull-Runner

shuttles from petroleum diesel to 100%

biodiesel fuel. This transition, along with

USFs many electric brought the

universitys emission level well below the

EPAs set minimum standard emission

levels for safe air.

The Environmental Protection Agency

recommends that when switching to

biodiesel one should use 80% petroleummixed with 20% biodiesel, but USF

transitioned their Bull-Runner fleet from

100% petroleum to 100% biodiesel right

away. This did not cause any additional cost

in regards to vehicle engines, and did not


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void any warrantees for the university. The

only additional cost that the universitys

Bull-Runner fleet has encountered is a need

to more frequently change the vehicles fuel

filters. Due to biodiesels nature of being a

natural solvent; it also has a nature of

leaving residue, which could in turn eat the

paint. For that reason the filters of the

shuttle fleet must be changed once a week,

or every 500 miles. This is considered the

down side to using biodiesel.

1.4 The Most Cost Effective Transition

As of 2013, the University of South Florida

maintains their commitment to have all the

Bull-runner shuttles run on 100% biodiesel

fuel. Maintaining the shuttles mechanical

infrastructure was an adjustment for those

who maintain the vehicles. Along with the

additional cost for mechanical maintenance

crew having to change the filters weekly;

USF has also had to purchase a specialty

fuel tank that will not become corroded by

the residue biodiesel leaves. However, the

overall all energy cost becomes about equal

to that of running on petroleum fuel. For that

reason USF thought it would be best to

transition their shuttles overtime; in order

for the maintenance crews to adjust to the

system, and work out the kinks and the

initial additional cost that go along with

working with biodiesel. This seemed to be

the most cost effective way to reach their

goal of fully using the sustainable fuel.

With doing so, USF has found that a mixture

of biodiesel and petroleum diesel is the most

efficient economically, while still being

sustainable, but being able to average a

higher mileage per gallon.

Wrapping it up-

The sustainability effort launched by the

University of South Florida is not limited to

just one department or facility. The Tampa

campus makes use of multiple departments,

facilities, and colleges to aid in the

collective effort of sustainability. Since 2010

the University has received national

recognition for its efforts and didnt stop

there. In fact since that period many other

initiatives and organizations have been

started and carried out to provide a green

and sustainable campus


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Annotated Bibliography

1. Aimee, A. (n.d.). "Campus smoking ban takes effect Jan. The Crow's Nest, 2011. Web. 1

Aug. 2013 Retrieved from http://crowsneststpete.com/2011/11/22/campus-smoking-ban-

takes-effect-jan-2012/

The smoke free policy is another aspect that is part of USFs going green efforts. USF has

implemented a smoke-free campus policy at their St. Petersburg campus. This is significant to

the project because it will be the first USF institution that will be entirely smoke-free. This

shows the Universitys efforts to set forth clean air policies, and its efforts to make green

decisions; even if they are unpopular to some students and faculty. This policy will be a great

point to make in the project, because it is merely a policy not a law. Therefore, it will be

interesting to explore how effective the policy has been on the St. Petersburg campus.

2. "Biodiesel Basics. National Biodiesel Board, 2013. Web. 1 Aug. 2013 biodiesel.org

This website provided useful information about what biodiesel technology consists of and how it

is beneficial to the environment. This site also includes the impact that switching to biodiesel has

on the "going green" initiative.

3. "Biodiesel at USF Green and Gold 2008. Web. 1 Aug. 2013 Retrieved from usfweb2.usf.edu

This source contains information about the history of the bullrunner at USF as well as how it has

made a significant impact on the University. This source also contains statistics on the ridership

before and after switching to biodiesel as well as the efficiency of the vehicles used. In addition,

this source discusses the partnership that USF has created with HART bus systems which has

further helped the "going green" initiative.

4. "Bullrunner ridership increasing. April 29th 2011. Web. 1 Aug. 2013

This source provided information and statistics on the ridership increase after the bullrunner

switched to biodiesel. This source also discusses how the bulltracker device has also contributed

to the success of the bullrunner and its partnership with the public transit system.
http://c/Users/Kristin/Downloads/usfweb2.usf.eduhttp://c/Users/Kristin/Downloads/usfweb2.usf.edu


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1

5. Dabrowski, E. (2013, Aug 02). Interview by R Preston. Interview with Eileen Dabrowski.

The purpose of this interview was to get a better understanding of what efforts USF is making

towards going green we interviewed someone that can give us a unique perspective. We felt that

it would be appropriate to get the perspective of not only someone who works on campus in a

department that works very closely with physical plant at USF, but also a student.

6.. DeAnnuntis, C., & Chaumont, A. D. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nctr.usf.edu/pdf/527-

01-2.pdf

This is a helpful resource because it is a peer reviewed study done by USF in 2002, on the

economic efficiency of using biodiesel fuel for the Bull-runner shuttles. It will be helpful,

because of its detailed description of what biodiesel is, and how environmentally sound biodiesel

is, compared to other alternative fuel sources.

7. Divya, Kumar "Leed Certifications at USF in Progress." USF Oracle. Sep.29, 2011. Web.

Aug. 5, 2013. .

This article is about the LEED certified building at USF. It is a useful source because being

LEED certified means that the building has met the sustainability requirements set by the LEED

counsel. Becoming LEED certified means that the university must have dedication to

sustainability, because the building must be recertified annually; along with USFs goal to have

more LEED certified buildings in the future. This certification is a staple to USF going green,

and making their campus sustainable.

8. Dhingra, A. K., & Sullivan, M. (2011, January 18).Tobacco and smoke free campus. Retrieved

from http://www1.usfsp.edu/adminservices/USFSP_policy/documents/USFSP_0-607.pdf

This will be useful for the project because a popular going green initiative has done by one of

USFs satellite campuses. USF St. Pete has gone tobacco free, and this is the official written

policy. It contains how USFSP defines tobacco, and how the campus plans to enforce the policy.

This policy shows that the campus is following in the Tampa campuss footsteps of trying to


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make the community air cleaner. However, the policy is virtually unenforceable, because it is

only a policy. Therefore, leaves questions of how serious this satellite campus is taking the

universitys mission to be sustainable.

9. "Green Initiatives | Undergraduate Admissions." 2012. Web. 1 Aug. 2013. Retrieved from

http://www.usfsp.edu/undergrad/green/

This resource outlines the type recycling programs that are available at USF. These programs

demonstrate one of the topics the research project is looking at in pursuit to find out if USF has

done its part in going green. These programs demonstrate USFs efforts to become a more green

campus. Keeping in mind it does not include all of USFs campuses. These effo rts include

promoting students and staff purchasing electronics that use less energy.

10. "LEED | U.S. Green Building Council." 2005. Web. 1 Aug. 2013. Retrieved from

usgbc.org/leed

This source contains detailed information on why it was a significant step when the Science and

Technology Building became the first gold LEED certified building at the University of South

Florida. The source outlines the qualifications that must be met before a building will be LEED

Certified Gold. LEED certification is a benchmark of going green, and an ongoing certification

to ensure the building continues to stay green; which includes saving energy, money, and

water; along with other resources year after year. This source shows USFs long term

commitment to making their campuses sustainable.

11. Reduce, Reuse, RecycleMania.University of South Florida News. April 2010. Retrieved

from http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=2266

This resource will be helpful for the project, because it displays USFs efforts to get the

community involved in their green efforts, and becoming a sustainable campus, and community.

It will also be helpful in giving a better description of programs and events that USF does to

involve students, faculty, and the surrounding communities to recycle, and become more

sustainable.


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12. "Student Initiatives Patel USF.Patel College of Global Sustainability. Web. 1 Aug. 2013

Retrieved from: http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/initiatives/student-

initiatives/

The Office of Sustainability is a resource for USF to explore becoming a sustainable university.

This resource office is something unique for USF. It is a resource at the campus that keeps up to

date on how to make the campus more sustainable, and is doing so with efforts to get students

involved in sustainable efforts at school and home. We will be exploring what accomplishments

have been made by the Office of Sustainability. Along with the expanding student involvement

to be sustainable, it says it promotes around campus.

13. Sustainability Programs and initiatives at USF and around the world.. Patel College of

Global Sustainability. Web. 1 Aug. 2013 Retrieved from: http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-

of-sustainability/programs/

This webpage provides a lot of information into the current efforts being conducted by the

University for recycling. The Physical Plant along with the College of Sustainability are now

following a directive issued by the Inter-institutional committee on purchasing green products for

the University. This green purchasing directive was issued by the Waste/Recycling/Purchasing

subcommittee. This page also gives details into the different methods taken to handle the waste

produced by the campus. For example, all scrap metals are recycled; some food waste is

composited with the USF grounds department; yard waste is collected by a vendor named

Republic, who then separates the materials and all garbage solids are burned at the Falkenburg

facility to generate electricity. USF also conducts audits for the waste it accumulates and

recycles. The first audit, which collected information from 1996-2007, showed that USF

recycled over 48 tons of aluminum, and 9,700 tons of mixed paper. This source provides

statistics, figures, and facts which are important for including in the project as well as provide

information and names for the different programs, colleges, and vendors that are taking part in

the waste reduction/recycling efforts in USF.

14."The Digital Bullpen." The Digital Bullpen. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Aug. 2013.

.


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This article puts the spotlight on the Bull-Runner, and looks at why the ridership has increase in

recent years. They say that the reasoning behind increase ridership is because of high gas prices,

and horrible parking on campus, and not necessarily because students have a mindset of going

green. The author does however acknowledge that the Bull-Runner does appeal to students

looking to lead a sustainable lifestyle, and that the expansion of routes has made it more

accessible for students.

15. The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System.STARS.Retrieved from

https://stars.aashe.org/

This is an organization that ranks universities based on their sustainability performance.

16."Transportation." University of South Florida. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Aug. 2013.

.

This resource is all the information on how to access the Bull-runner shuttle. It includes the

tracker, and routes. This is helpful to the project to demonstrate the Bull-runners accessibility to

encourage students to use the shuttle instead of individual cars around campus, and the

surrounding communities.

17. USF Residence Hall Goes GreenUniversity of South Florida News. Nov. 2010. Retrieved

from http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=2996

This resource explores how resident halls have gone green; it will demonstrate USFs efforts to

make going green accessible to students, and how they are making it a part of a students

everyday life. With this resource we will explore how they are making USF resident halls more

sustainable; from recycling bins to low energy light sources.


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5

Work Cited

Aimee, A. (n.d.). "Campus smoking ban takes effect Jan. The Crow's Nest, 2011. Web. 1 Aug.

2013 Retrieved from http://crowsneststpete.com/2011/11/22/campus-smoking-ban-takes-

effect-jan-2012/

"Biodiesel Basics. National Biodiesel Board, 2013. Web. 1 Aug. 2013 biodiesel.org

"Biodiesel at USF Green and Gold 2008. Web. 1 Aug. 2013 Retrieved from usfweb2.usf.edu

"Bullrunner ridership increasing. April 29th 2011. Web. 1 Aug. 2013

Dabrowski, E. (2013, Aug 02). Interview by R Preston. Interview with Eileen Dabrowski.

DeAnnuntis, C., & Chaumont, A. D. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nctr.usf.edu/pdf/527-01-

2.pdf

Dhingra, A. K., & Sullivan, M. (2011, January 18).Tobacco and smoke free campus. Retrievedfrom http://www1.usfsp.edu/adminservices/USFSP_policy/documents/USFSP_0-607.pdf

Divya, Kumar "Leed Certifications at USF in Progress." USF Oracle. Sep.29, 2011. Web. Aug.5, 2013. .

"Green Initiatives | Undergraduate Admissions." 2012. Web. 1 Aug. 2013. Retrieved from

http://www.usfsp.edu/undergrad/green/

"LEED | U.S. Green Building Council." 2005. Web. 1 Aug. 2013. Retrieved from usgbc.org/leed

Reduce, Reuse, RecycleMania.University of South Florida News. April 2010. Retrieved from

http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=2266

"Student Initiatives Patel USF.Patel College of Global Sustainability. Web. 1 Aug. 2013

Retrieved from: http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-sustainability/initiatives/student-

initiatives/

Sustainability Programs and initiatives at USF and around the world.Patel College of Global

Sustainability. Web. 1 Aug. 2013 Retrieved from: http://psgs.usf.edu/usf-office-of-

sustainability/programs/.

"The Digital Bullpen." The Digital Bullpen. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Aug. 2013.

.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assesment, and Rating System.STARS.Retrieved from

https://stars.aashe.org/


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"Transportation." University of South Florida. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Aug. 2013.

.

USF Residence Hall Goes GreenUniversity of South Florida News. Nov. 2010. Retrievedfrom http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=2996


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http://www1.usfsp.edu/adminservices/USFSP_policy/documents/USFSP_0-607.pdfhttp://www.usfsp.edu/wellness/usfsp-smoke-free/
http://www1.usfsp.edu/adminservices/USFSP_policy/documents/USFSP_0-607.pdfhttp://www1.usfsp.edu/adminservices/USFSP_policy/documents/USFSP_0-607.pdfhttp://www1.usfsp.edu/adminservices/USFSP_policy/documents/USFSP_0-607.pdf

Team 4's White Paper Project

Documents

Transcript of Team 4's White Paper Project