November 2007 Newsletter
In this Issue:
- Carbon Neutral Football
- Gainesville Solar Tour 2007
- Living/Learning Green (Diamond Village)
- Campus Susty Day
- UF Gets Scored
- Discussion Forums
- Announcements
- Sustainability Forum
- Tip- 2 Mile Challenge
Carbon Neutral Football
UF and FSU -- Climate Champions
In a un-precedented move, the University of Florida has partnered with the Florida Forestry Association and Environmental Defense to make this year’s UF vs. FSU football game carbon neutral. This effort to offset greenhouse gases created by a college football event will be the first in the nation.
With an anticipated 88,000 fans, this year’s game will generate over 1,500 metric tonnes of carbon emissions. The International Carbon Bank and Exchange, in cooperation with UF’s Energy and Climate Change Task Force, included on and off-the-field activities, from team and fan travel to field lighting, in the calculations. A summary of those calculations can be found on the UF Office of Sustainability Website
Gainesville Solar Tour 2007
Educating Today for a Cleaner Tomorrow
On Sunday, October 21st, 2007,Gainesville residents learned how their neighbors were trimming their utility bills, increasing their energy independence, and taking steps to address global warming right here in Alachua County. This year’s solar tour has been said to be one of the best in a long time. Despite cloudy skies and light rain, many people attended The 12th Annual Gainesville Solar Tour, which was hosted in conjunction with the National Solar Tour. The tour was created and managed by the University of Florida Chapter of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), along with SolarCity Gainesville. There were several demonstrations of solar technology, solar powered homes, solar businesses, numerous hybrid vehicles on display from their Gainesville owners, and a brand new 2008 Hybrid Honda Civic provided by Wade Raulerson Honda. The event was fun for the entire family, with youth-focused activities such as face painting and an inflatable trampoline castle.
Events like this solar tour are influenced by great people in the world of solar technology, such as Dr. E.A. Farber who has been a pioneer in solar energy since his beginnings at the University of Florida in the 1950s. At the tour, Dr. Farber gave his life testimony on solar energy and how he has “greened” his life. Several other solar pioneers and residents of Alachua County also gave testimonies. The tour was held at the University of Florida’s Energy Research and Education Park, where Dr. Farber’s solar museum is located, and many state of the art projects involving solar are coming to fruition.
One of the most captivating projects that appeared on display at the tour was the Photon, a solar-powered recumbent tricycle built by a group of University of Florida students ASES members. The Photon has been featured on Discovery Channel Canada, and was also part of the 2007 University of Florida Homecoming Parade. If solar is an interest of yours and you wished you were at the Energy Research and Education Park on October 2lst, there will be another chance to capture this experience next fall when the National Solar Tour makes its way back to Gainesville.
Contributed by Samuel Shams, ASES Treasurer
Living/Learning Green
A Service Learning Project at Diamond Village
During
Fall semester 2007, faculty and students (graduate and undergraduate)
from the Departments of Interior
Design and
Landscape Architecture worked
with UF’s Department of Housing
and Residence Education to explore a variety of options for converting
existing student housing into a sustainability-oriented residential learning
community. Residents
of Diamond Village also participated through interviews and
a survey of resident needs and concerns.
Building upon prior faculty research, students explored specific research topics and projects (sustainable materials, water conservation and harvesting, Diamond Village’s LEED qualifications, active living, etc.) The Department of Housing and a sustainability mini-grant from the Provost’s office funded a field trip to Atlanta and Decatur, Georgia. There, students studied sustainable design examples, visited sustainable communities, and talked with planner/developers.
Through renovations and new designs, the proposed community’s interior spaces, architecture and landscape demonstrate the breadth of “sustainability”—and how fun and creative it can be. Countertops and flooring made of metal shavings and sunflowers. Sculptural gates and fences made of old bikes and metal signs. Harnessing kid energy through play equipment that pumps reclaimed water for irrigating community gardens. Case studies, materials, and technologies were studied and site specific applications were developed for current and future residents. Just as importantly, lifestyle and education were addressed in the projects, and the students emphasized how the physical environment can support other aspects of sustainability, such as social needs, mental and physical health, cultural diversity and interactions, environmental education, and contributing (even as a child!) to real life research projects.
Many of the projects addressed specific and immediate issues at Diamond Village, but they also explored long-term solutions and ideas that could be implemented at any Housing site—and elsewhere on campus too. In addition to the plans, sketches, and models that were presented to members of the Department of Housing; Diamond Village residents; College of Design, Planning and Construction faculty; and others. There will be a book that documents the larger process, programming research, products, and recommendations. This will be a valuable resource for Diamond Village and other housing complexes.
We hope that this was a first step in continued collaboration with UF Housing and that this will help shape their vision for sustainability and enriched residential learning communities. There are also opportunities for similar service learning and research projects with other units of UF.
The project was under the direction of Maruja Torres, M. Jo Hasell, and Nam-Kyu Park of the Department of Interior Design, and Kay Williams and Gail Hansen of the Department of Landscape Architecture.
Contributed by: Dr. Kay Williams
National Campus Sustainability Day
2007 UF Sustainability Report Card
On
October 24th, the University of Florida’s Office of Sustainability
hosted our annual celebration of National Campus Sustainability Day. The
day was jam-packed with events to celebrate progress in becoming a sustainable
campus while raising awareness on how far we have yet to go. The day began
at 10:00am, with Dr. Machen presenting his annual Sustainability
Report Card speech, which is a kind
of State of the Union for UF’s sustainability efforts. Student Body
President, Ryan Moseley, introduced Dr. Machen and re-asserted Student
Government’s commitment to sustainability by highlighting the institution’s
efforts for the year, like biodiesel in RTS buses and the creation of sustainability
minor. Dr. Machen discussed infrastructural successes, like the commitment
to LEED certification for all UF buildings and the low impact landscaping
on campus. He mentioned educational successes, like the appointment of
Tom Ankersen as a provost fellow in sustainability. He also talked about
where we could go from here and encouraged those in attendance, which included
many administrators, faculty, and students, to go to the visioning sessions
hosted by the Office of Sustainability.
Following Dr. Machen, the focus went outdoors to the many student organizations tabling and talking to people about sustainability. The Society of Conservation Biology, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, Gators for a Sustainable Campus, enVeg, and Greeks Going Green were present, among many others. There was food, games, and people getting to know others who share their commitment to a sustainable campus.
Finally, at noon the Student Government Environmental Affairs Cabinet held an open forum to discuss the fifty cents per credit hour fee that was supported by 78% of voting students in the SG spring 2007 elections. There was a presentation by the drafter of the proposed fee, followed by a panel of faculty, and finally a question and answer session. Students were able to ask panelists, which included Dr. Dave Bloomquist, Dr. Anne Wilkie, Dr. Eric Wachsman, and Mr. John Lawson, questions regarding feasibility of projects in the near future and possibilities for the fee. The forum was attended by about 70 students and faculty. This positive event seemed to be a hopeful conclusion for the day of celebration.
Contributed by Jillian Peters, UF Political Science Junior
UF Gets Scored
2008 College Sustainability Report Card Results
Sustainable Endowments Institute has released the 2008 College
Sustainability Report Card.
The report card assesses sustainability efforts at the 200
public and private U.S. universities with the largest endowments.
Letter grades are assigned to each campus in 8 categories:
Administration, Climate Change & Energy, Food & Recycling,
Green Building, Transportation, Endowment Transparency, Investment
Priorities, and Shareholder Engagement. This year UF ranked
in the Top 25, and improved its grade to a B- overall.
Are You In The Know?
Check out Discussion Forums
Wondering where you can find information about the latest sustainability news at UF? Wishing you had a place that listed jobs, new courses, and conferences related to sustainability? Want to share your opinion about sustainability issues on campus?
The answer to all these questions is right at your fingertips.
Check out the UF
Office of Sustainability Discussion Forums on the
website. This online, interactive repository allows users to
scan job opportunities, search for resources, read about the
latest news and course offerings, and even post comments about
sustainability at UF. If you're new to e-forums, and would
like some basic information about what they are and how to
post, click
here.
Announcements
News, events, and opportunities
- November 16th- UF International Education Week Film Festival,
10am-4pm. For
more information, check out: http://www.ufic.edu/ispIEW.htm - November 24th- Payne’s Prairie Rim Ramble, 8am. Tour begins at La Chua Trail Parking Lot-3 mile hike. Call the visitor center 466.4100 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. for more info or to RSVP, $2 suggested donation. Next Date: December 15
- November 29th- Wes
Jackson,
from the Land Institute, will speak on “What will
the ecosphere require of us.” 5:00pm. UF Women's
Studies Atrium.
Sustainability Forum
Send us your questions about campus sustainability
Q: My colleagues and I were discussing ways for our departments to be more energy efficient. We've heard that "dormant" appliances still draw energy. What can we do about this?
A: Electronic devices obviously draw electricity when in use. Most also draw electricity when not in use. They do this while they wait poised on "standby" or because they have a clock or LED light. Sometimes they do this because their plug is poorly designed. The amount of "phantom" power drawn is amazing. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, around 75 percent of the energy used by our appliances is drawn while we think they are "off." Typical offenders include computers, peripherals, televisions, and chargers for cell phones or iPods, etc.
A quick solution to this financial and sustainability conundrum is plugging
electronics into a power strip with an on/off switch. When you are through
using the equipment on a strip, you can turn off the strip, which cuts
the electricity to the appliances. Of these power strips, I think the most
interesting is the SmartStrip. It has multiple outlets: one is the master
outlet, and when a piece of equipment plugged into this outlet is turned
off, all the connected outlets also shut off power. It’s a lot easier
to remember to power down one electronic device, like a desktop computer,
than it is to remember to shut off the monitor, printer, scanner, charger
cradle, etc.
Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge
Bike your way to carbon neutrality
Take the latest challenge to reduce your carbon footprint-bike to destinations
within two miles of your home. Clif Bar has set the 2
Mile Challenge and developed a great website where you can choose the
activities you want to do to meet the goals, map your two mile radius,
and read other peoples success stories and ideas. http://2milechallenge.com/home.html
