University of Florida Office of Sustainability

Editorial: Renewable fuels
Florida shouldn’t repeat mistakes of other states

Daily News

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

The new federal Energy Independence and Security Act calls for quintupling the use of renewable fuels by 2022.

Florida with the nation’s longest growing season is positioned to be a leader in the drive toward biomass conversion. But, in doing so, the state ought to avoid the swamp of unintended consequences that has bogged down the ethanol industry. Wholesale turnover of Midwestern farmlands to plant corn for ethanol has inflated the price of food, from wheat to meat. More intensive land use also has drawn down water supplies in America’s bread basket, and energy is burned up tilling, fertilizing and hauling the crop to ethanol plants.

Florida can make a positive difference. Instead of banking on corn a relatively inefficient energy producer Sunshine State agronomists ought to explore other, more efficient crops that will produce a net gain for consumers. Some studies have pointed to switchgrass and sugar cane as promising alternatives.

Yet any crop that requires fertilization and irrigation will soak up fossil fuels and resources that already are diminishing. What sense does it make to grow biomass products that require 20 percent to 120 percent more energy than they yield in the form of ethanol fuel?

Perhaps the best strategy for Florida is to harvest the unharvested. Citrus byproducts and other agricultural flotsam are voluminous and they burn just as well as freshly grown crops. Eric Waschman, of the University of Florida’s Institute for Sustainable Energy, is bullish on the state’s potential and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson has predicted that it could grow no less than 30 percent of its annual fuel supply.

Truly green alternatives like solar and wind power deserve equal attention, and here, too, sunny, peninsular Florida can play a vital role.

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O'Dome encourages recycling

By LISE FISHER
Sun staff writer

6:58 am, December 27, 2007
Gainesville resident Kim Hankins didn't understand why the University of Florida wasn't taking advantage of recycling during home basketball games at the O'Connell Center.

Continue to 2nd paragraph "My husband and I regularly go to the basketball games at the O'Connell Center," said Hankins, 64, in her submission to Since You Asked.

"I was wondering why there are no recycle bins for all the thousands of drink bottles that are used at every game. Supposedly UF is trying to be more "green." It seems to me that this one little effort would have a big impact," Hankins said.

Turns out the center's new director, Lynda Reinhart, who served as the facility's interim director until her appointment in November, also was wondering the same thing and decided to do something about it.

This fall, temporary cardboard recycling bins were placed around the building in the lobbies and the arena in time for basketball season, Reinhart said. Permanent plastic bins that will hold recyclable items are on order and expected to arrive in January.

Reinhart started the push for a recycling program at the center while she still was the facility's interim director.

The idea involved more effort than some people might think, Reinhart said. It didn't just take ordering new receptacles for inside the center. First, the question about what would happen with the gathered debris had to be answered.

"If we collected all the waste, what do we do with it?" Reinhart asked.

That problem was resolved with help from UF's Physical Plant Department.

A collection bin now is located on-site for the recyclable items gathered inside the center, Reinhart said. Staffers go through the stands after events and sort through the trash, checking to make sure anything that can be recycled ends up in the bin and not the garbage.

Reinhart said organizing the program wasn't the only hitch. Awareness, both among staff and visitors to the center, has been another issue.

"I think it was probably a lack of education. Just not realizing the impact that we could have on recycling in the community," Reinhart said in responding to Hankins' question as to why a recycling program hadn't been started sooner at the center.

And, now that the program has begun, the center's staff is trying to alert visitors that there is a recycling effort under way and they should throw drink bottles in the bins instead of the garbage. Signs are being added so people realize the bins are available, what they're for and what items can be recycled, Reinhart said. When the new, permanent bins arrive, they'll also help focus attention on recycling.

It's not only the drink bottles used at the games that add to the center's recycling pile. There's also plastic souvenir cups fans leave behind that should be collected, Reinhart said.

"When you look at it in those terms, it becomes obvious the impact we could have with recycling," Reinhart said.

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By DREW HARWELL, Alligator Staff Writer

A highly toxic chemical that has faced strong opposition from farmers and chemists nationwide after it was approved as a pesticide is being reviewed today by the Florida Department of Agriculture in the Reitz Union.

Methyl iodide, a soil fumigant that can emit an odorless gas to fight off weeds and fungi from crops like strawberries, tomatoes and peppers, is extremely poisonous and can kill a person within seconds of inhalation, said Donald Dickson, a UF professor in the Entomology and Nematology Department.

The fumigant, however, was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in October for a restricted one-year period after the agency said its tests had found risks associated with the compound to be minimal.

The compound's approval from the Florida Department of Agriculture, which will review the issue today at 9 a.m., is needed before it can be used on the state's farmlands.

The fumigant, though fairly new in the agriculture community, has already raised a furor over possible dangers associated with its field use.

More than 50 professors and chemists, including five chemistry Nobel Laureates, sent a joint letter to the EPA in September urging the agency to rethink its approval.

"As chemists and physicians familiar with the effects of this chemical," the letter stated, "we are concerned that pregnant women and the fetus, children, the elderly, farm workers, and other people living near application sites would be at serious risk if methyl iodide is permitted."

The EPA responded with its own letter vouching for the agency's rigorous tests. However, the chemists who wrote the letter, as well as the nonprofit Florida Certified Organic Growers & Consumers, have questioned the EPA's initial tests, suggesting weak trials or conflicts of interest as the only reasons the fumigant was approved.

Part of the danger with methyl iodide, Dickson said, is that half of the fumigant is composed of a toxic liquid called chloropicrin that serves as a warning agent to keep people and animals away.

In combination with other ingredients, the liquid has been used in the past as a wartime chemical weapon, a tear gas mixture for riot police and a fumigant to rid bugs from houses.

Though the fumigant has yet to be used in an agricultural setting, the chemists who wrote the letter said methyl iodide is a cancer hazard and can cause permanent neurological damage as well as fetal problems in exposed people and animals.

To read this article online, click HERE

Car pool opens to students
By DEBORAH SWERDLOW, Alligator Writer
Thursday, January 17, 2008 1:31 AM EST

Whether you want to catch extra sleep on the ride to school, find a buddy to keep you company during a long drive home or save gas on a road trip to a Gators game, GreenRide has the answer.

GreenRide, a UF online ride-matching program that promotes carpooling for environmental and economic reasons, is opening its doors to UF students after its first successful year with faculty and staff.

Ron Fuller, assistant director of UF Transportation and Parking Services, said the program aims to make on-campus parking easier and reduce gas emissions by organizing carpools.

"Every single occupant car we can get off the road is to everybody's benefit," Fuller said.

He said the site was only open to faculty and staff last year because it was designed to work with UF's carpooling program, which students aren't eligible for.

But now the site has been updated to accommodate students, and registration is free, he said.

After registering on the GreenRide Web site, users post their starting point, final destination and other information, such as if they prefer to ride with a non-smoker and if they have a car.

The site displays a map showing other users with similar preferences along the route and within a quarter-mile to half-mile radius of the starting location.

Fuller said students could use the site to find rides to class, back to their hometowns or other long-distance locations.

He emphasized that all of this occurs without revealing a user's personal information, besides a first name and the provided starting location, which doesn't have to be a home address.

Once users find a match, they can contact that person through the site and decide later whether they want to arrange a ride or not.

Fuller said there are about 500 faculty and staff members and about 10 to 15 students registered.

Natalie Andrietta, a UF sociology senior, said she would use the ride-matching service for getting to classes, because it would most likely be faster than taking a bus or driving herself.

"I've tried to find parking on campus before," Andrietta said. "It's not fun."

But she said she probably wouldn't use the program to find a ride home to Miami. It would be awkward to spend five hours in a car with someone she didn't know, she explained.

Fuller said he hopes to encourage participation with monthly prize drawings and giveaways.

He hopes to offer an autographed Urban Meyer football giveaway later this semester, he added.

If every UF student - or even just 5,000 - signed up for GreenRide, it would make a huge difference in gas expenditures and impact on the environment, he said.

To read this article online, click HERE

UF joins in national teach-in on global warming solutions
Filed under Top Stories, Announcements on January 16, 2008.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. On Jan. 31, the University of Florida will participate in Focus The Nation, an unprecedented teach-in on global warming solutions.

"Today’s college students are truly the greatest generation," said Lewis & Clark College professor of economics Eban Goodstein, author and project director for the national campaign. "No other generation has ever had to face this kind of civilizational challenge. And we as educators would be failing if we did not prepare them with the tools to meet this challenge."

The local event, called Focus The Gator Nation Teach-in, will begin at 3 p.m. at Ustler Hall Women’s Studies Atrium with a presentation by UF professors Stephen Mulkey and Paul Sotkiewicz on the science of climate change. At 4 p.m., Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan and Tallahassee Mayor John Marks will discuss the state and local leadership opportunities and challenges for addressing climate change. In addition, they will discuss the climate challenge between the two cities.

"Mayor Marks and I are working hard in Tallahassee and Gainesville to meet our goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. Gainesville and Tallahassee have kicked off an energy efficiency competition to see whether the ‘Orange and Blue’ or the ‘Garnet and Gold’ are most green," Hanrahan said.

"By synchronizing traffic signals, planting trees, saving land, growing transit ridership and curbing wasteful energy use, we not only help protect our global environment, we also create a more desirable place to live right here at home."

After the Leadership for Climate Change Forum, the teach-in will continue with an energy debate at 6 p.m. UF faculty and industry experts on various energy sources, including coal, bio-fuels and nuclear, will debate the pros and cons of each option. Gator Dining is providing refreshments for the teach-in.

The teach-in will be preceded by the Climate Change Awareness Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Reitz Student Union North Lawn, coordinated by Gators for a Sustainable Campus and the Environmental Science and Policy Society.

As part of UF’s commitment to bring awareness of global warming solutions to the local community, UF is holding a climate change competition in conjunction with the Alachua County Schools. Elementary, middle and high school students may submit drawings, essays, poems or art work or they can conduct a carbon footprint analysis of their school. Entries are due Jan. 24. Local businesses, including Satchel’s, Indigo, Gainesville Regional Utilities and Adventure Outpost, are donating prizes for the competition.

For more information on the event, please visit: http://focusthenationuf.googlepages.com.

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Light bulb exchange is bright idea

By STACEY DAVIDSON
Special to The Sun

An additional 100 or so Alachua County homes now have energy-efficient lighting, thanks to a community light bulb exchange held Saturday at Westside Recreation Center.

Continue to 2nd paragraph The exchange was supposed to last for four hours, but the organization running it ran out of its 2,000 compact fluorescent bulbs in a little more than an hour and a half because of an unexpected high demand.

The compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) were exchanged for 2,000 regular light bulbs in an event co-sponsored by the International Carbon Bank and Exchange Inc. of Gainesville, the University of Florida's Office of Sustainability and Gainesville Regional Utilities.

Residents were able to exchange regular light bulbs for CFLs for 75 cents per CFL - at least half of their typical retail cost. Some brought one light bulb. Others exchanged as many as 30.

"[The CFL] has 60 watts of brightness but only 14 watts of energy consumption," explained Mark van Soestbergen of the International Carbon Bank and Exchange. It uses one-fourth the amount of energy as a regular bulb, he said.

The purpose of the event was to "raise awareness and increase participation in energy efficiency," said van Soestbergen. "CFLs reduce greenhouse gas by 1,000 pounds per CFL over their lifetime."

Van Soestbergen works for the Carbon Bank and Exchange, a Gainesville company that tracks greenhouse gas reductions through an online platform.

Doug Klepper, a Santa Fe Community College history professor, also helped at the exchange.

"I believe the environment is a significant issue for us," Klepper said.

As for Saturday's exchange, "we underestimated the demand," Klepper said as he spoke to residents disappointed to find all the CFLs had been given out.

Some residents explained how they had unscrewed every light bulb in their home to exchange them for the discount-priced CFLs.

One CFL normally retails for about $3.75. They are cheaper when bought in packs of six for about $9.

Jessica DiMuzio, a Gainesville resident, arrived at the light bulb exchange about 12:30 p.m. only to find the CFLs had run out more than 30 minutes earlier.

She brought three old bulbs to exchange - the last three in her house that weren't energy-efficient, she said.

"Whenever [CFLs] first started, I went out and bought them," she said.

DiMuzio said her decision to be energy-conscious is not political but very personal.

She said she has cut back on water usage and checked her home for any waste of electricity.

"I keep a cold house in the winter time," she said. She doesn't mind being a little cold to save energy, she said.

If you missed out on Saturday's bulb exchange, another is planned for Feb. 23 at Westside Park.

To read this article online, click HERE

Energy Efficient Light Bulb Exchange
By Kate Packer

Saturday, January 19 10:00a to 2:00p
at Westside Park: Westside Park Recreation Center, Gainesville, FL
University of Florida’s Office of Sustainability and the Gainesville Regional Utilities are jointly sponsoring a community outreach program to educate the public about energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and saving money. People can brin

Price: 75 cents for each CFL with trade in of old bulb
Phone: 352/256-1204
Age Suitability: All Ages
Tags: There are no tags.
University of Florida’s Office of Sustainability and the Gainesville Regional Utilities are jointly sponsoring a community outreach program to educate the public about energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and saving money. People can brin

Participants will be asked to sign pledge cards to commit to reducing power plant emissions that cause global warming. "The community could reduce energy use by as much as 10 percent by completely switching to CFLs," said Mark van Soestbergen of the International Carbon Bank and Exchange in Gainesville. Volunteers from UF’s Office of Sustainability will be on site to hand out CFLs and collect old bulbs. The CFLs are funded by GRU and the revenue collected will fund future CFL distribution in the area.

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Now Recycle Mixed Office Paper and Junk Mail
January 23, 2008

2:34 p.m.

ALACHUA COUNTY - Alachua County and the City of Gainesville are pleased to announce that the residential curbside recycling program has been expanded to include mixed office paper and junk mail. These items should be placed in the Orange Bin along with newspaper, magazines, catalogs, brown paper bags and corrugated cardboard. Residents are reminded to place their Blue Bin on top of their Orange Bin to prevent paper from being blown into the street or other yards.

The City and County would like to thank SP Recycling Corp. and Waste Management, Inc. for their assistance in expanding the curbside recycling program. Their cooperation made this expansion possible at no additional cost to residents.

Please call Alachua County at (352) 338-3233 or the City of Gainesville at (352) 334-2330 for additional information.

To read this article online, click HERE

Gator Dining makes efforts to aid environment
By ILEANA MORALES, Alligator Writer

UF's official food service provider, Gator Dining Services, has kicked up its efforts to go green with three new sustainability initiatives.

Gator Dining is now reusing cups, donating unused food and coffee grounds, and educating its employees about conservation.

Susanne Lewis, sustainability coordinator for Gator Dining, said UF partnered with Pepsi to design a reusable cup for all campus dining locations serving fountain beverages.


The cups are sold for $1.99 at nine spots on campus, including the Reitz Union and the Hub, Lewis said.

Customers who bring the cup back get a 50-cent discount on their drink, which is normally $1.59, she said.

This semester, about 630 cups have been sold, but the number of times they have been reused would not be determined until February, Gator Dining marketing program manager Jill Rodriguez wrote in an e-mail.

Lewis said as part of a university community, Gator Dining has a responsibility to educate its customers on conservation and waste reduction efforts.

"We're trying to educate students to realize that the little choices they make in their everyday lives really can make a big impact," Lewis said.

Signs have been posted at all-you-can-eat dining locations on campus asking students not to be wasteful, she said.

In addition, educating Gator Dining employees on sustainability is key to the success of the initiatives, she said.

Gator Dining is also recycling coffee grounds. Lewis said UF will donate the grounds to local farmers to use as fertilizer.

Eighteen campus locations brew coffee, and each produces up to 10 gallons of grounds a day, she said.

Some Starbucks locations on campus are already donating grounds, and other spots will begin soon, she said.

Gator Dining is also donating leftover food from catered events on campus to local homeless shelters and food banks.

UF donated about 1,500 pounds of unused food this month, Lewis said.

Gator Dining began its sustainability efforts a few years ago, and one of its first projects was buying about 30 percent of its produce from local farmers, she said.

Investing locally provides better quality food, keeps money in the community's economy and reduces pollution because of less distance traveled, she said.

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UF launches 10-week Recyclemania campaign
By ASHLEY MCCREDIE, Alligator Contributing Writer

Students now have a different way to beat rival universities: recycling.

On Sunday, the UF Office of Sustainability started its Recyclemania campaign, a 10-week competition between 350 colleges to determine which school can recycle the most.

The campaign runs through April 5 and kicks off with Recycling Day on Tuesday on the Reitz Union North Lawn.


The event will feature games and a trash exhibit to show students how many objects which are commonly thrown away can be recycled.

This is the university's second year competing. Last year, UF beat all other Southeastern Conference schools in per capita recycling and placed third in gross weight of recyclables, said Adrian Erlenbach, an intern for UF's Office of Sustainability and Recyclemania coordinator.

"My number one goal is to win," Erlenbach said. "My larger goal is to get schools to improve their recycling."

Erlenbach plans on making the Recyclemania campaign much larger this year by raising more awareness, involving other clubs and holding events around campus. This year, the UF Physical Plant Division has put up more recycling bins to help promote more on-campus recycling, Erlenbach said.

The caught-green-handed program is another way people will be encouraged to participate. Students caught recycling by campaign volunteers will be given a free T-shirt, he said. As large contributors of recyclables on campus, the residence halls will also set up bulletin boards in their halls to educate their residents.

"I hope we win," said Alexandra Klein, Inter-residence Hall Association environmental concerns director, "but even if only 10 people choose to recycle, it will be worthwhile."

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UF joins Focus the Nation efforts to raise global-warming awareness
By KATIE SANDERS

UF students, Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan and local businesses will join forces today in an effort to boost global warming awareness with events from morning until night.

After an 11 a.m. fair on the Reitz Union North Lawn, a campus-wide program called Focus The Gator Nation Teach-in will begin at 3 p.m. in the Ustler Hall Atrium, said Laura Ruhl, UF graduate student and one of the event's organizers.

Focus the Nation, a national initiative to pursue solutions to climate change, is the largest teach-in in U.S. history, according to the program's Web site. More than 1,750 universities, K-12 schools and businesses are involved nationwide.

"This has been a grassroots effort," Ruhl said. "It's really remarkable that we've all joined together."

Following climate-change presentations from two UF professors, Mayor Hanrahan will discuss the role that leaders have in sustainability, Ruhl said. Her appearance is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Gator Dining will provide refreshments during the event, Ruhl added.

Following the leadership forum is a 6 p.m. energy debate. UF faculty and experts from industries that produce solar, wind, ethanol and hydroelectric power will weigh the pros and cons of each alternative energy source, said Rainer Shaw, UF wildlife ecology and conservation senior and co-director of the teach-in.

"We really can't expect people to act on anything or to make a change in their lives without knowing any of the real information about it," Shaw said.

To read this article online, click HERE

UF competes to conserve
By WHITNEY HOLTZMAN
Campus correspondent
12:03 am, January 29, 2008

Since Sunday, The University of Florida has been competing with hundreds of other colleges and universities across the country to see which school can recycle the most material.

Continue to 2nd paragraph "RecycleMania is not just about the competition, it's also about teaching people about recycling," said Adrian Erlenbach, the publicity chair for Gators for a Sustainable campus, as well as an intern for UF's Office of Sustainability.

Erlenbach said that RecycleMania will run through April 5.

Almost 400 colleges and universities are participating in RecycleMania this year, according to RecycleMania's Web site.

"Over a 10-week period, campuses compete in different contests to see which institution can collect the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita, or have the highest recycling rate," the Web site states.

Recycling Day, one of RecycleMania's first events, takes place today on the Reitz Union North Lawn from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"We're going to have a bunch of tables and displays to teach people about recycling, waste management and to raise awareness," Erlenbach said.

Erlenbach said filled trash bags at the event will symbolize how much recyclable material students throw away on a daily basis.

Today, volunteers will rummage through the trash cans on UF's campus to pick out all recyclable products that students have thrown away.

Erlenbach said the campus is home to about 1,000 bins for recycling paper and hundreds of blue bins for recycling cans and bottles.

In its first year of competition last year, UF came in third place for overall tonnage of recyclables collected. Rutgers University came in first and Stanford University came in second, Erlenbach said.

UF recycled 1,301,537 pounds last year, with a grand total of 41.3 million pounds being recycled across the country, according to RecycleMania's Web site.

UF's Physical Plant Division, paired with local businesses, will be collecting the recycled material from the bins around campus, weighing the tonnage and then reporting those figures to RecycleMania, Erlenbach said.

All measurements are required to be reported on a weekly basis in pounds, according to RecycleMania's Web site.

"Students should participate in RecycleMania because it's a fun competition," Keely O'Malley, a RecycleMania volunteer, said. "It's also a good way for students to learn about what they can and can't recycle."

O'Malley said that RecycleMania is still looking for volunteers and certainly wouldn't turn anyone away who was interested in helping.

Other aspects of this year's campaign include promoting RecycleMania in Gator Dining facilities, residence halls and at home basketball games.

The ultimate goal of RecycleMania is to increase student awareness of campus recycling and waste minimization, according to RecycleMania's Web site.

Every state in the U.S., except Montana, Nebraska, Kansas and Alaska, has at least one institution participating in RecycleMania, according to the Web site.

"I'm surprised and overwhelmed by the number of volunteers so far," Erlenbach said.

Students interested in getting involved with the campaign should send an e-mail to recyclemaniaUF@gmail.com.

"Every student who recycles affects our scores," Erlenbach said. "Moreover, anyone who throws away recyclable materials detracts from our scores."

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Gainesville grocery stores add choice to 'paper or plastic'
By MICHAEL BLACK and ERIN WHITE, Alligator Contributing Writers

Paper or plastic - or cloth?

Alternative shopping bags are becoming more popular with local grocery shoppers and environmental enthusiasts. Instead of the traditional paper or plastic bags, Gainesville supermarkets are now offering reusable or recyclable ones.

At Publix, customers are quickly buying the reusable bags, said Josh Ferris, a Publix assistant manager.

"We can't keep them in the store," Ferris said.

Each bag holds up to two and a half times more than standard plastic bags, Ferris said.

A large amount of energy and fossil fuels go into the creation of all disposable goods, including plastic grocery bags, said Anna Prizzia-Taylor, the outreach coordinator at UF's Office of Sustainability.

"All the energy it takes to make, ship and store the bag, and then people use it once and throw it away," Prizzia-Taylor said.

Americans consume 100 billion plastic shopping bags every year, and the majority become litter on the streets or clutter in landfills, according to the Worldwatch Institute, a sustainability research organization.

The problem in landfills is not just the amount of space taken up by bags, said John D. Schert, executive director of the Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management at UF.

"The biggest challenge for the landfill operator is that the bags blow away," Schert said. "It just litters the landscape." In addition, he said, bags don't degrade.

Other grocery stores have already phased out plastic bags entirely. The Whole Foods Market chain announced Jan. 22 that it will stop offering plastic bags in its stores by Earth Day, on April 22.

Chantel Wilson, manager of Sunflower Health Foods on Southwest 34th Street, thinks the transition is the right move.

Wilson said the store does have customers who bring hemp or canvas bags, but most use plastic.

Prizzia-Taylor is hopeful reusable bags will soon be the norm.

"It seems a little funny that rather than carry a bag that is durable and lasts long, we just automatically take a plastic bag," she said. "We throw it away after one use and create a lot of waste."

To read this article online, click HERE.

UF Center offers intensive sustainability course
BY ANDREA ASUAJE, Alligator Contributing Writer

Architects, engineers and building managers are hitting the books in an effort to go green and keep up with new standards in their fields.

On Wednesday and Thursday, UF’s Center for Training, Research and Education for Environmental Occupations hosted an intensive course to prepare participants for a professional accreditation test.

If the 50 participants pass the test, they will be considered LEED Accredited Professionals, named after a national program standing for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Participants were taught how buildings can become LEED certified, a process based on a credit system of sustainable principles, said Jim Sullivan, instructor of the course.

Building construction, engineering and architecture students and specialists are the ones who often attend these courses in order to pass the exam, said Rick Fobair, a sustainable construction graduate student at UF. Fobair said courses like the one offered at the TREEO Center are definitely helpful for those seeking to become LEED-APs.

"It can be real tough to pass (the test)," he said.

The course covered all the material necessary to pass the exam, said Laurel Brown, program coordinator for the LEED program at the TREEO Center. Brown said these courses are offered throughout the state but may not be as available outside of Florida. The course held this week drew at least four out-of-state participants.

"Location doesn’t matter," she said. "People seem to be willing to travel."’

The LEED courses will soon be held in Boston and even Japan, Brown added.

Whereas most participants had to pay $450 for the Gainesville course, UF students, such as senior Kelly Moosbrugger, were given the chance to take the course for free.

Moosbrugger said becoming a LEED-AP has its advantages in today’s career world, especially with students wanting to differentiate themselves at career fairs and on their resumes. She said she was glad students and members of the community were interested in taking the course and the initiative to become more green.

"Just seeing the amount of interest that’s generated through this is really good for the environment," she said. "We’re moving toward a greener way of doing things."

To read this article online, click HERE.

Zipcar gets 400 members in first year
By SARAH KIENY, Alligator Contributing Writer

In one year, the UF Zipcar program has amassed over 400 members and has the capacity to take on at least 300 more.

Started as part of a fleet management initiative developed by UF President Bernie Machen, its aim is to keep people from bringing cars on campus by offering hourly rental cars to UF faculty, staff and students.

The program, which began in January 2007, has a fleet of eight vehicles in four campus locations: Keene-Flint Hall, Inner Road at Southwest 13th Street, across from the Reitz Union and near Shands at UF.

Allan Preston, coordinator and management analyst for the quality control department of the Physical Plant Division, is in charge of supervising the Zipcars, formerly called Flexcars, on campus.

"Zipcars reverse the economics of owning a car," Preston said. "The more you use it, the more cost effective it is."

Funding for the project came from a $3,000 fee that UF charges for each on-campus departmental car, which can be used by faculty and staff for official business.

Since this fee was implemented, the number of the cars has gone down by 10 percent, Preston said.

Currently, students account for 80 percent of Zipcar usage. The goal is to increase usage by faculty and staff in place of departmental cars.

Companies like Zipcar are emerging around the nation and are typically implemented by local transit systems. This is the only program of its kind in Florida, he said.

Preston said Zipcars at UF will start paying for themselves soon, and at a rate of $7 an hour for drivers, they are cheaper than paying for a car’s insurance alone.

A variety of vehicles are available, from vans to trucks.

Unlike rental cars, the driver only has to be 18 years old, and everything is paid for - gas, insurance, maintenance and even carwashes.

Though there are currently no plans for expansion, Preston is ready to add more cars as demand grows. He has, however, petitioned to have a Mini Cooper added to UF’s line because he thinks it would be fun to drive.

To read this article online, click HERE.

Experts say recycling programs not enough
By KATIE GALLAGHER, Alligator Writer

While both UF and the city continue to push recycling services, several experts say those types of programs might not be enough to make the necessary environmental impact.

"Recycling is not bad in itself, but it is a distraction from the consumption of products and containers," said Allan L. Griff, a California-based engineering consultant, in a phone interview.

"If you use nothing, that's the smallest carbon footprint of all," Griff said.


Still, both the university and the city are continuing to expand recycling programs.

On Feb. 1, Gainesville broadened its program to collect office paper and junk mail.

Last December, the city offered tips on how to recycle Christmas trees.

And this Wednesday and Thursday, Alachua County will offer businesses free recycling of electronics waste as the county's Environmental Protection Department and Office of Waste Alternatives kick off a new "e-scrap" program.

Dale Morris, solid waste coordinator of UF's Physical Plant Department, said the university has recently instituted recycling programs at Gator Dining and is working to get more indoor recycling bins.

The university is also competing in Recyclemania, a 10-week recycling contest among colleges. In pounds recycled per person, UF is currently 82nd out of 400 schools.

Dedee DeLongpre, UF's director of sustainability, said recycling is still better than throwing things away.

"If it goes in a landfill, it's not going anywhere," DeLongpre said.

But recycling can't be the only answer, she said.

People should also look for ways to reduce consumption, such as buying durable products that can be reused or boycotting those with excessive packaging, she said.

"If something comes with a whole lot of packaging, I write a letter to the company and say, 'Why does it have to have 92 pieces of plastic for this one little thing?'" she said.

Morris said the university itself is working on using fewer materials.

For example, he said, purchasers are working with textbook companies to use textbook editions for a longer time, reducing wasted paper.

"We still want to recycle what's out there, but we definitely believe in reuse," he said.

Griff said he didn't think people will ever move past recycling and reduce their consumption.

"You're dealing really with religious behavior," he said.

But DeLongpre said she believes people who recycle are willing to do more.

"People understand recycling," she said.

"Oftentimes for us, it's a point of entry for a conversation about something more impactful."

To read this article online, click
HERE.

Progress Energy Commits To Transparency Regarding Greenhouse Gas Emissions

RALEIGH, N.C., Feb. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continuing its leadership in addressing environmental issues, Progress Energy has committed to providing detailed information about greenhouse gas emissions from the company's operations, through its voluntary participation in The Climate Registry.

As a founding reporter, Progress Energy agrees to annually calculate and report both direct and indirect emissions of the six primary greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), from all company power plants, vehicle fleet and other operations. Progress Energy is the first utility to join TCR in Florida and one of the first in the Southeast.

"We are committed to transparency with our customers, shareholders and communities about the environmental impacts of our operations," said Bill Johnson, chairman, president and CEO of Progress Energy. "We must face the challenge of global climate change together, and participating in The Climate Registry will help inform consensus-based strategies to guide our actions. We are proud to be a founding reporter to this registry."

In 2008, Progress Energy will conduct a comprehensive, companywide greenhouse gas emissions inventory using protocols established by TCR. The inventory will include all emissions associated with the company's operations and will be verified by a third party to ensure accuracy.

Progress Energy is already taking action to address climate change while meeting the growing energy demands of its customers. The company is pursuing a balanced strategy that includes aggressive energy-efficiency goals, investments in renewable and alternative energy sources and advancing state- of-the-art power plants, including new nuclear generation. More than 35 percent of the electricity generated by Progress Energy in 2007 came from nuclear power plants, which emit no greenhouse gases.

About The Climate Registry:

The Climate Registry is a collaboration among states, provinces and tribes aimed at developing and managing a common greenhouse gas emissions reporting system with high integrity. It will provide an accurate, complete, consistent, transparent and verified set of greenhouse gas emissions data from reporting entities, supported by a robust accounting and verification infrastructure. Find out more information at http://www.theclimateregistry.org.

About Progress Energy:

Progress Energy, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a Fortune 250 energy company with more than 21,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $10 billion in annual revenues. The company includes two major utilities that serve more than 3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and Florida. Progress Energy is the 2006 recipient of the Edison Electric Institute's Edison Award, the industry's highest honor, in recognition of its operational excellence. The company also is the first utility to receive the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Founder's Award for customer service. Progress Energy serves two fast-growing areas of the country, and the company is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. For more information about Progress Energy, visit the company's Web site at http://www.progress-energy.com.

SOURCE Progress Energy
Copyright 2006 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.

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UF conference guest speaker links a warmer arctic to a world at risk

By NATHAN CRABBE, Sun staff writer

Living near the top of the world, the Inuit in northern Quebec have witnessed firsthand environmental changes such as the loss of the ozone layer and accumulation of airborne pollutants.

Continue to 2nd paragraph Sheila Watt-Cloutier has helped stem these kinds of changes working as a representative of the Inuit for more than a decade. Now she's speaking out about perhaps the greatest threat of all to her people: The emission of greenhouse gases believed to cause global warming.

"Climate change for us isn't just about the depletion of the sea ice . . . It's about our ability to exist as an indigenous people," she said.

Watt-Cloutier, 54, spoke Wednesday night at the University of Florida. The Nobel Peace Prize nominee's speech was part of the Levin College of Law's 14th Annual Public Interest Environmental Conference.

Inuit is the preferred term for the indigenous people formerly known as Eskimos. Watt-Cloutier said she traveled on dogsled for the first decade of her life but has since seen globalization lead to dramatic change that has caused problems for her people.

She said DDT and other organic pollutants persist in high levels in the Arctic, threatening the ability of mothers to breast-feed their children. She helped negotiate an international agreement restricting the use of the chemicals.

In 2005, she and 62 Inuit hunters, elders and women filed a petition with an international commission asserting that U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases violated Inuit human rights. Her work on the issue led to a nomination for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize won by Al Gore.

Watt-Cloutier said climate change is an issue deeply important to people who travel on the ice to hunt. She said the Arctic is seeing its permafrost melt, coastlines erode and communities fall into the sea.

Projections show the region could experience an ice-free summer by 2040, she said, but last summer's dramatic melting of ice suggests it could happen within a decade.

"I'm not an alarmist‚ but we live up there. We see it, we experience it," she said.

The changes also have meant new animal species moving into the colder climate. Watt-Cloutier said some are so unusual the Inuit don't even have names for them, such as barn owls.

"There's no barns in the Arctic for sure," she said.

She has pushed for limits on the emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. She said she is disappointed the U.S. and Canada have rejected a commitment to the Kyoto Protocol to set targets for such reductions.

"In all its weaknesses, Kyoto is the only instrument we have to work with," she said.

Watt-Cloutier said the effect of climate change on the Inuit should matter to the rest of the world. If the world acts to save the ice and snow of the Arctic, she said, it will have prevented the devastation of warming from being felt elsewhere.

"If you protect the Arctic, you are indeed saving the planet," she said.

Nathan Crabbe can be reached at 352-338-3176 or crabben@gvillesun.com

To read this article online, click HERE.

UF groups receive cash for recycling efforts
By KATIE SANDERS

Sometimes it pays to be green.

Ten UF groups that collected recyclables from tailgaters during home football games received a $5,600 award from Anheuser-Busch on Monday.

The recycling program, made of several campus groups collectively known as the "Green Team," gathered about 20,000 pounds of aluminum and plastics last fall. Each club was awarded a percentage of the money based on the number of hours they worked.

The program was sponsored by Burkhardt Distributing Company Inc., Gainesville's Anheuser-Busch distributor. Anheuser-Busch representatives handed an oversized check to the groups outside Tigert Hall.

Steven Burkhardt, one of the company's representatives, said he hopes the students continue to recycle - contest or not.

"It doesn't have to always be about money," Burkhardt said.

Gators for a Sustainable Campus received more than any other group - about $3,000.

Alison Erlenbach, the organization's president, said members contributed nearly 250 volunteer hours during all the 2007 home football games.

Erlenbach said the extra funds would pay for T-shirts, conferences and its new "drink sustainably" campaign, which aims to replace traditional party cups that can't be recycled with reusable containers.

To read this article online, click
HERE.

County recycling targets apartments

By CINDY SWIRKO
Sun staff writer
12:07 am, March 2, 2008

Watch out, businesses of unincorporated Alachua County - the recycling enforcers are watching you.

Continue to 2nd paragraph Alachua County ranks about 12th in Florida for recycling. That is not good enough for county officials, who are training employees to become certified code enforcement officers capable of fining businesses that are not complying.

But their aim is geared more toward encouragement than punishment, said Sally Palmi, county waste alternatives manager.

"We have had mandatory commercial recycling for a couple of years. When it comes to enforcing that, it's pretty challenging," Palmi said. "Most businesses are already doing a pretty good job. Our biggest challenge are apartment complexes, which fall under what we call 'commercially collected residential.' That is our main target with our new codes enforcement officer. We want to really get to these apartment complexes and help them learn how to better manage the resources."

Recycling saves the county money that would otherwise be spent on disposal costs. It's also good for the environment and can lead to the creation of businesses that sort recyclable materials or make goods from them.

The county's mandatory commercial recycling ordinance, which closely mirrors a city of Gainesville ordinance, requires that businesses recycle at least three of eight materials: steel cans, aluminum cans with a volume up to 2.5 gallons, glass containers with a volume up to 2.5 gallons, plastic containers with a volume up to 2.5 gallons, magazines, newspapers, office paper and corrugated cardboard.

Businesses that produce less than four cubic yards of solid waste per week or whose designated recyclables are less than 15 percent of their solid waste can be exempted.

The ordinance requires businesses to contract with a hauler to provide the containers and take away the recyclables.

Palmi said large chain stores with sizable amounts of recyclable materials such as cardboard boxes usually have a corporate recycling system.

That leaves smaller businesses and the apartment complexes as the main recyclers in the county.

Apartment complexes will be a primary target of the program because the county believes big recycling gains can be made at them.

Typically, apartment complexes put out 96-gallon containers around the buildings. All recyclable items can now be put in one container rather than separate containers for different materials.

"These are things that apartment complexes may not know, so these are the things that our guys will be talking to the complexes about, and giving them signage and fliers so they can use to help their residents do a good job," Palmi said. "The big challenge is going to be educating people on the different ways to recycle and the best way to manage it with the haulers."

Patrick Irby, who works for the county recycling program and is certified as a code officer, said he has been developing the educational materials that will be used in the effort to bring businesses into compliance with the law.

Irby said he believes much headway can be made in commercial recycling.

"Absolutely," Irby said. "Everywhere we go we have students coming up to us and saying there is no recycling at their apartment or that there is just one container for hundreds of people. We think apartments are a good place to start."

Fees for violations vary and continue to accrue until they are paid.

Richard Ashbrook, treasurer and legislative liaison of the Gainesville Apartment Association, said that while complexes can put out the recycling containers, they cannot force residents to recycle.

"It's not the responsibility of the apartment community, it's the responsibility of the resident," said Ashbrook, who works for the management firm Collegiate Properties. "Training management is unnecessary. Training the resident is necessary. If you want recycling to be a program, the best thing to do is go through the trash and sort it. The only real solution for our community is sorting it when it gets to the dump."

Recycling is one of several subjects being studied by the Energy Conservation Strategies Commission, a panel formed by the Alachua County Commission to develop recommendations for reducing energy use.

Dwight Adams, chairman of the energy commission's recycling subcommittee, said he is glad the county is starting a recycling enforcement program.

"It's kind of like running red lights or (exceeding) the speed limit - people tend to ignore it unless there is some enforcement," Adams said. "I think moving in that direction is something that needs to be done."

Cindy Swirko can be reached at 352-374-5024 or swirkoc@gvillesun.com

To read this article online, click HERE.

Rising area gas prices fuel concern

By AMY REININK
Sun staff writer

On March 1, the average gas price in Gainesville hit a record high of $3.304 a gallon after weeks of climbing.

Around the same time, Freddie Wehbe, who owns the six Domino's stores in Gainesville, started thinking about raising prices to compensate.

"I've already raised prices twice in the past six months, and I'm on the verge of having to do so again," Wehbe said. "We tell our drivers to carry less weight in their cars, and I'm studying my own routes around town more carefully just to try to get more out of each gallon."

Officials from AAA are forecasting the average price of gas in Florida will rise to $3.75 by the end of the spring, and say that number could get closer to $4 in Gainesville.

Transportation planners say that because of the distance between residential areas and business centers in Gainesville, there are some people for whom driving to work is the only reasonable option. But they also say that the spike in the price of gas over the past two years has already led some area drivers and businesses to make serious changes.

Ron Fuller, assistant director of the University of Florida's Transportation and Parking Services, said participation in UF's carpool program, which offers special parking spots to faculty and staff who commute together, has gone from roughly 200 carpools in January 2007 to roughly 400 carpools now.

"We've found that participation in the carpool program is directly tied to the cost of driving, and this was the case as prices went from $2 a gallon to $3 a gallon last year," Fuller said. "We actually changed the carpool program to require $60 for a decal, which used to be free. That resulted in participation in the program growing, not reducing."

Marlie Sanderson, director of transportation planning for the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, said it's likely that trend will continue and said the $4-a-gallon mark could represent a watershed moment when many drivers may decide it's finally time to change their ways.

"It's fairly clear that as gas prices increase, people are making fewer trips or shifting to using mass transit, walking or bicycling," Sanderson said. "How dramatic is the change? Right now, not very. But as prices continue to increase, I'd expect to see that shift occur more and more."

Randy Bly, a spokesman for AAA South, said springtime generally brings higher gas prices for a variety of reasons, including refineries going offline for routine maintenance and a switch to more expensive summer fuel blends.

Bly said based on last year's gas prices climbing 68 cents between March 1 and June 1, it's not hard to believe that this year's prices in Gainesville could reach $4 by the end of the spring.

Bly said past AAA surveys show that skyrocketing gas prices don't typically lead people to cancel road trips or otherwise change their driving habits.

"Even looking at last year, people still took their summer trips," By said. "They just compensated in other areas, whether it was staying in a hotel with a kitchenette to avoid spending money on eating out or not buying as many trinkets or gifts. But then again, we've never seen gas prices at this level before."

UF economist David Denslow said it's unlikely that $4-per-gallon gas prices would represent a turning point for consumers.

"I can recall in the early '70s people saying that as soon as the price of gas passed a dollar per gallon, everyone would stop buying gas," Denslow said. "They didn't. I don't think the nominal amount per gallon is as important as the total cost at the pump. People notice, 'Wow, I just paid $50 to fill up' more so than they notice $4 a gallon."

Denslow said rather than changing their driving habits, consumers are likely to cut back on discretionary items like dinners out. In Alachua County, where Denslow said sales tax figures show that the average driver uses roughly 500 gallons of gas per year, those small changes could have an effect on the economy.

"If a person is using 500 gallons per year, an extra dollar in the price of gas equals an extra $500 per person that has to be made up for somewhere else," Denslow said. "That's not an overwhelming thing for the Alachua County economy but nonetheless is something that would be noticeable."

Alex Escarzaga, manager of Gainesville's Five Star Pizza, said high fuel prices are already leading the restaurant to consider tough business decisions after raising the mileage compensation for delivery drivers.

"We would prefer not to have to charge our customers a delivery fee, but if this trend continues, we may have to," Escarzaga said. "It's something that we've discussed but that we're trying to avoid at all costs."

Wehbe said the increase in the cost of gas, along with price increases in cheese and flour, has led him to not only add a delivery fee to cover higher mileage compensation rates, but to cut back on marketing, donations and other areas.

"This is affecting the entire restaurant industry," Wehbe said. "For one thing, people don't want to spend the money to go out to eat. For another, things are just costing more. We all see increases in the cost of the supplies we get related to the price of diesel, and that hurts the bottom line."

Wehbe said he's seen an increase in sales even as prices have increased that he can only attribute to one thing.

"Maybe gas prices have gotten high enough that people figure it's cheaper to have food delivered than to drive somewhere to get it," Wehbe said.

RTS Director Jesus Gomez said the city's transit system is also considering changes based on increases in the cost of fuel as it prepares its budget for the next two years.

Gomez said that will likely mean charging UF more for RTS services and said there's a possibility it could include fare increases for individual riders.

"We really don't want to go that route, but it could be one of our options," Gomez said.

Fuller said it's clear that some drivers in Gainesville are changing their habits as the price per gallon approaches $4. But he said his own journey to work is an example of why it's nearly impossible for others to do so.

"I only live three miles off campus, but the bus that goes by my house doesn't come directly to campus," Fuller said. "I have to get on, transfer to another bus on 13th Street, then take that bus into campus. I have to be to work at 8, and the city route doesn't start until then. I've done it before, but it's not ideal."

Sanderson said long-term solutions include building higher-density housing closer to employment and shopping centers. But he said until that happens, many people are "locked in" to driving to work alone.

"For most of us, it's either too far to bike or walk to work, and the bus either doesn't come by, or comes by but doesn't go where we need it to go," Sanderson said. "I'm afraid we don't have many good options other than continuing to drive to work alone, even as gas prices go up and up."

To read online, visit http://www.gainesvillesun.com/...0080308/NEWS/803080329

Staff Reports

GAINESVILLE The University of Florida’s Building Services Department of the Physical Plant Division announced its commitment last month to green cleaning practices throughout the 900-plus buildings maintained by the department.

In a new training program, UF Building Services has implemented "greener" training programs for custodial supervisors and staff. These initiatives will reduce the amount of volatile organic compounds used in cleaning while also eliminating many of the indoor airborne particulates, which are known to create mild to severe respiratory issues and other health problems.

"The University of Florida is a staunch proponent of sustainable practices," said Derrick Bacon, Assistant Director of the Physical Plant Division at the University of Florida. "In the Building Services Department, we recognize that it’s not only important to avoid using products that might negatively affect the environment, but to also educate our employees about the concept of sustainability. By understanding the larger picture, they can discuss and promote the program with our customers."

In order to educate staff and customers about sustainable practices, Bacon has worked with his local JohnsonDiversey sales representative and others to incorporate green cleaning and environmentally friendly initiatives in their training. The new training includes discussion on minimizing energy consumption, recycling, waste reduction, ergonomics, the importance of proper maintenance of entryway matting and other sustainable practices.

The program provides employees with sustainable practices they can use at work and in their personal lives. "Sustainability isn’t something that just happens at work," Bacon said.

The transition to green has been gradual, involving employee training, a green purchasing policy, testing of green products and equipment and developing an effective communications pro-gram to get the word out about green.

By working with the Office of Sustainability, the Building Services Department will continue to roll out additional initiatives to reduce the department’s impact on the health of building inhabitants and the environment. They are currently in the initial phases of deploying a new recycling program on campus.

Additional media coverage attached.

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UF student installs lumber art display near Library West

By STEPHANIE ROSENBERG, Alligator Contributing Writer

Students passing by Library West may find themselves stumped by a new public art display constructed from tree parts and installed Sunday.

With the help of his classmates, UF landscape architecture senior Christopher Buccino created the project, named "Homo Sapien V. Destructis: Controlling Nature."

The design consists of sections of lumber that "slice" through two sycamore tree stumps, which represent a destroyed forest.

Buccino said the lumber symbolizes human intervention and disruption of nature. The display will be in place until Earth Day on April 22.

He said he was inspired after he read the book "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv, who attributed today’s health and social issues to humans’ disconnection with nature.

"This is something I just came up and ran with," Buccino said. "I don’t think something of this scale has ever been done before."

Evan Garfield, a sociology junior, said he was confused by the exhibit.

"It looks really sad like a tree cemetery, like tombstones," Garfield said.

Buccino will hold a question-and-answer session about his project on Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. on the Plaza of the Americas.

To read this article online, click HERE.

Global warming hits home

By NATHAN CRABBE
Sun staff writer
12:12 am, April 5, 2008

INGLIS - The effects of global warming can be seen on one side of U.S. 19 in southern Levy County, while a controversial way to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions might eventually be built on the other.

On the west side, rising sea levels are killing palms and other trees in Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park. University of Florida botany professor Jack Putz has been studying the dying trees, which he said provide a graphic example that climate change is not only real, but already having an impact.

"You can go there and see what's going on - and I think that's what's going to convince people," he said.

On the east side, Progress Energy is proposing to build two nuclear reactors north of its existing nuclear plant. Gainesville Regional Utilities is considering buying into the project, but a utility official said the decision will likely wait until fall as Progress starts wading through the lengthy permitting process.

Some environmental advocates question issues such as the plant's costs and disposal of nuclear waste. Proponents say conservation and renewable energy alone can't meet growing energy demands, and nuclear power could produce large amounts of electricity without the greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

"The need is not going away. It just keeps growing," said Alireza Haghighat, chairman of UF's nuclear and radiological engineering department.

As former Vice President Al Gore embarks on a three-year campaign to convince the public about climate change, some Florida residents aren't waiting around for the results. From UF researchers to utility officials, they're working to study the effects of a warming planet and determine how to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases.

The U.S. is still in "the early stages of climate denial," said Stephen Mulkey, an associate botany professor at UF and former science adviser to a state commission on Florida's future. He said the country needs to understand that the scientific community is largely in agreement that greenhouse emissions are contributing to climate change.

"If the science is wrong on this, it represents the greatest failure of science in the modern era - and possibly ever," he said.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a scientific body evaluating climate change, in its 2007 report found climate change could cause heat waves, heavy rainfall and other effects on weather. The report found sea levels could rise 7 to 23 inches by 2100.

The Miami-Dade County Climate Change Task Force, a committee of scientists, found the melting of ice in Greenland and Iceland could cause sea levels to rise significantly higher than those figures. The task force concluded that South Florida could see barrier islands inundated, freshwater resources ruined and devastating storm surges.

Waccasassa Bay provides a preview of some of the environmental impacts. Since 1992, Putz has studied trees in the preserve to trace the effect of salty seawater encroaching on the land.

Rising sea levels mean trees are exposed to an increasing concentration of salt. Putz has documented how seawater slowly kills species in relation to their ability to tolerate salt, turning forests to small islands of trees and eventually transforming the area into salt marsh.

"We're going to have an underwater preserve," he said.

The climate change panel concluded that sea level rise would continue for centuries, even if greenhouse gas concentrations were stabilized. But the group's report said the level of rise will vary greatly depending on emissions from power plants and other sources.

Progress is proposing the new nuclear plant as a way of meeting the energy needs of an expanding customer base without boosting greenhouse emissions. The utility in May will begin its permitting process with the Florida Public Service Commission before starting a federal permitting process that could take years longer.

GRU will likely wait until the fall before deciding whether to buy into a small portion of the project, said Ed Regan, the utility's chief strategic planner. He said the construction costs of the plant would be a downside, but the upside would be the lack of carbon emissions and stability for fuel costs once the plant is built.

Progress had initially estimated costs of the 2,200-megawatt plant at about $7 billion, but recently revised the figure to $17 billion. The head of the local Sierra Club chapter, Rob Brinkman, said such plants are notorious for exceeding projected schedules and construction costs.

"It's the most expensive way to reduce carbon," he said.

Haghighat said once a plant is built, the costs are less expensive than other ways of producing energy. He said opposition to nuclear energy has been wrapped up in unfounded fears over accidents and that the U.S. should follow the lead of France and other countries in expanding its use.

"We have to be honest and put everything on the table," he said.

Mulkey said he worried that efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions "may be too little, too late." The U.S. needs to start more seriously working on the effort rather than continuing to debate whether climate change is real, he said.

"I still see us as having a discourse that long ago should have been laid to rest," he said.

Nathan Crabbe can be reached at 352-338-3176 or crabben@gvillesun.com

To read this article online, click HERE

UF awarded $20,000 to help improve solar energy
By ILEANA MORALES, Alligator Writer

A UF team "playing catch" with solar energy won a $20,000 grant to help them get it right.

David Micha, an adjunct physics and chemistry professor emeritus, and his undergraduate student team won the grant for their research to improve the capturing of solar energy to translate it into better technology.

Micha received the award from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, an organization trying to advance the chemical sciences by addressing related needs, according to the group's Web site.

With a better understanding of solar energy's scientific aspects, Micha said he hopes to prove that it can compete with, if not surpass, other energy sources.

But his team must first figure out better ways to gather solar energy and make it usable.

He said his research could have "big implications" for the country's energy needs and growing preference for more sustainable alternatives.

"It can make the U.S. less dependent on oil supplies coming from other places," he said.

Though it's difficult to predict breakthroughs, Micha said he expects his team's research to start impacting the economy within the next 10 years.

"We don't have a schedule for breakthroughs," Micha said. "I wish there was such a thing."

He said he's been focusing on this research with a rotating team of undergraduate students for about five years, and he plans to keep it up.

The bulk of the grant will help pay some of students' tuition and travel expenses for solar energy research conferences or competitions, he said.

For Micha, the award is a chance for him to be a mentor to his team, he said.

"It's mostly for the benefit of the students, not for me," he said.

To read this article online, click HERE.

Let’s celebrate Earth Day!

The first Earth Day celebration took place on March 21, 1970. It was the brainchild of Sen. Gaylord Nelson, who proposed the idea at a conference in 1969. He said that we needed "a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment." His call to action was heard, and it was reported that environmental grassroots actions at college campuses across the country began to eclipse protests over the Vietnam War. As I reflect on Earth Day, I realize that similar spirit and dedication keep Earth Day alive today at UF and other universities throughout the United States. I think about the many student organizations and individuals who have worked so hard to further sustainability at UF, and how these people reflect the true spirit of Earth Day. Earth Day has now grown to be Earth Week and Earth Month. I can only hope that in time, we will celebrate the Earth all year long. There are tons of ways to get involved with Earth Day here at UF and in the Gainesville Community. Here are just a few of the many activities planned:

Sustainable Products Trade Show
Tuesday, April 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Reitz Student Union Grand Ballroom.

Cultural Plaza Earth Day Festival and Natural Area Teaching Lab Trail Opening-
April 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., UF Cultural Plaza.

5th Avenue Arts Festival and Earth Day Celebration-
April 19-20, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

UF Earth Day Celebration and Hazardous Waste Roundup -
April 22, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Reitz Student Union north lawn.

Earth Day Dining Hall Party,
April 22, 5-8 p.m., Fresh Food Company.

Anna Prizzia
Outreach Coordinator,
Office of Sustainability

SFCC holds student research symposium
By APRIL DUDASH, Alligator Contributing Writer

Even as nine judges moseyed around with evaluation sheets, SFCC students, some clad in business attire, appeared comfortable standing next to their research posters on campus Monday evening.

SFCC held its first Student Research Symposium to showcase projects in biological sciences, physical sciences, mathematics and social and behavioral sciences.

Twenty-seven students participated in the symposium, and 17-year-old Jeramiah Hocutt won first place for his project titled "Expectations of Wind-Generated Energy as a Renewable Power Source."

"The research was long," Hocutt said. "I've become somewhat of an expert on this."

He said he didn't view the symposium as a competition against some of his classmates who also researched energy.

Instead, Hocutt saw the event as a way to educate others about solutions to a potential energy crisis.

"Let's get together and tell everyone," he said. "Not one will work as a singular alternative."

Hocutt received a $100 Barnes & Noble gift card, a $15 iTunes gift card and passes to Sea World.

"I encourage everyone else to continue on researching," he said.

Other projects focused on statistical research rather than energy sciences.

Public relations student Stephanie Dunne, 33, investigated the number of men versus women who have graduated from SFCC since 1967, which was the only year when more men graduated than women.

Nicki Nidelkoff, a 21-year-old psychology and history student, presented information on sex offenders who live next to Gainesville schools and apartment complexes.

"I was sexually abused when I was growing up, so this is a topic close to my heart," Nidelkoff said.

She said the research process was very therapeutic for her.

"Someone who's actually been there and gone through it, people tend to listen to them," Nidelkoff said.

Mike Patrick, an SFCC geology and physical science professor, served as a judge and has previous experience judging at the Alachua County Science Fair.

"This is just based on some research and not experiments," Patrick said.

Curtis Jefferson, the SFCC associate vice president of academic affairs, said the symposium helps link what students learn to current events.

"I'm very proud of the students' work, extremely proud," Jefferson said.

To read this article online, click HERE.

Researcher receives Distinguished Scientist Award

Last week, the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA) presented Lonnie Ingram, UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences alternative fuels researcher, with the 2008 SURA Distinguished Scientist Award for his work developing ways to turn materials commonly considered trash into fuel that could cut the country’s dependence on oil.

To read this article online, click HERE.

Princeton Review Will Issue 'Green' Ratings in Coming College Guide
By SCOTT CARLSON

You can't learn anything about a college these days without hearing about what that college is doing for the planet, whether it is buying local food, or shrinking its carbon footprint. And, it seems, a number of organizations are eager to evaluate these colleges on their efforts.

Grist, Sierra, and Current magazines have had their lists of top green schools. The Sustainable Endowments Institute, run by a 2004 graduate of Williams College, grades colleges in a report card with plenty of C's, D's, and F's. (Even The Chronicle once published a list of 11 of the greenest colleges, as evaluated by Noel Perrin, a now-deceased professor at Dartmouth College.)

Colleges on such lists have of course cited their high scores in their publicity efforts. But now sustainability may play an even bigger role in the marketing and enrollment game. The Princeton Review plans to announce today that it will issue green ratingsalong with its ratings of student quality of life, campus fire safety, and so onin coming college guides for prospective students. Peterson's is working on a similar effort.

The Princeton Review embarked on the green ratings after it was approached by ecoAmerica, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group that specializes in consumer research and marketing. Lee Bodner, executive director of ecoAmerica, said that he wanted to use the ratings to reach members of an audience "that might not have sustainability on their radar screens" and "show high-school students and their parents how the things that make a school sustainable are also good for them."

Rob Franek, a vice president and publisher at the Princeton Review, said that visiting hundreds of colleges made it clear to him that green issues are a top priority for today's college students and deserve a place in the review's ratings.

Colleges featured in the Princeton Review will get a score of 60 to 99 based on how they responded to almost 30 questions, like "What percentage of your grounds are managed organically?" or "Please list your school's top three undertakings that represent your environmental commitment."

One might think that sustainability advocates would favor such ratings as a way to push colleges to be greener. After all, colleges have an obsession with climbing ladders in rankings, especially those tied to admissions.

But some leaders in the sustainability field were at best ambivalent about yet another ranking system.

Among them were Julian Dautremont-Smith, the associate director of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, or AASHE, who advised Princeton Review on setting up the green evaluations. "I participated because I wanted to learn what they were doing and to help make sure that if they did go ahead, [the evaluation] would be as good as possible," he said. "I have some of my own hesitations about the move toward rankings. I'm not sure that they are the best approach."

Open to Interpretation

Sustainability is hard enough for most people to understand; measuring progress in sustainability is a much tougher job. AASHE has spent years working on the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System, or Stars, which is out in a test version. Many think that will ultimately become the gold standard of sustainability evaluations­a way for colleges to track their progress. Advocates favor it because the process is open; a college knows where it's getting points, and where it's missing them.

That's not necessarily the case with the Princeton Review's ratings, or others. Dedee DeLongpré-Johnston, the sustainability director at the University of Florida, said questions on the self-evaluation were open to interpretation. "You could have just monkeyed with them and interpreted them to your best advantage," she said. (She generally supports the Princeton Review's effort as a way to reach out to prospective students interested in sustainability.)

Fred Volkmann, the vice chancellor for public affairs at Washington University in St. Louis, said he did not fill out the questionnaire. He told the Princeton Review that the university would rather participate in Stars.

"As soon as the Stars thing is under way, we would be glad to respond using that data," he said. "We know that we want every response we give to be apples to apples" compared with the responses of other institutions.

Past rankings performed by other organizations have been confounding in regard to who they include and who they leave outand why.

For example, take Grist's list of the 15 greenest colleges, released last August: The University of Maryland at College Park landed at number 15, in part for its efforts to reduce energy usethis despite the fact that maintenance at the college is so far behind that many buildings are inadequately insulated and heated and cooled with outdated, inefficient equipment. Emory University, the University of Florida, and the University of New Hampshire, all of which have very active and ambitious campus sustainability programs, didn't land anywhere in the top 15.

And such lists hardly ever mention the tiny colleges, those lacking savvy marketing departments, that have quietly and steadfastly pursued sustainabilityplaces like Sterling College in Vermont, where students grow a great deal of what they eat (The Chronicle, November 25, 2005).

Mr. Bodner, of ecoAmerica, said that he understood the "ratings fatigue" among colleges and that he hoped to improve the Princeton Review ratings, perhaps by incorporating metrics from Stars.

Friendly Competition?

But a bigger question among some officials is whether green rankings are a good idea in the first place. Is a focus on reducing carbon emissions at one institution more valuable than an emphasis on preserving land or water, or supporting local agriculture, or paying fair wages at other institutions?

"Rankings are inherently zero sumthere can be only one No. 1," said Mr. Dautremont-Smith. "Campus sustainability includes a really collaborative group of people, and with some of these rankings, there is a concern that could undermine that."

For example, at a conference like Smart and Sustainable Campuses, held recently at the University of Maryland, sustainability directors and facilities managers shared ideas about how to save the planet. Wendell C. Brase, vice chancellor for administrative and business services at the University of California at Irvine, gave a presentation with lots of advice (and some frank confessions) about getting closer to carbon neutrality (The Chronicle, April 2).

He hated to think how the sustainability community would change if, say, strategies in carbon reduction became a competitive advantage.

"Most of our competition in higher education is friendly competition, particularly around green issues," he says. "When it turns into rankings, it adds a more disillusioning element. This isn't about winners and losers. We all will win or lose together."

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