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Newsletters 2008 2007 2006
Newsletter > October 2007

October 2007 Newsletter

In this Issue:

Think Green

A Gators Guide to Sustainable Living

Think Green 2007 <image>Do you ever wish you had a handbook for sustainable living at UF? Well wish no longer. The Office of Sustainability has produced Think Green, an inclusive booklet aimed at introducing UF’s students to the principles of sustainability. The office will be distributing 3,000 copies of the guide to students this fall. An inspiringly diverse group contributed to its production - everyone from office interns and the residence hall association to local restaurants and local non-profits pitched in to create the guide.

The guide attempts to appeal to various aspects of a student’s life. Going beyond the usual lifestyle tips section, the guide offers everything from an overview of what’s going on at UF to university classes, movie suggestions, student clubs, and local restaurant listings that will help students learn more about and become part of the sustainability movement at UF. And don’t miss the Green Goodies section, a handful of coupons for local businesses added to sweeten the deal. Think Green can also be found online at: http://www.sustainable.ufl.edu/reports.html

Contributed by: Danielle Emenhiser

 

UF recognized as a Green College

UF Listed in the KIWI Magazine 2007 ‘Green College Report’
Kiwi Green College Report <image>


KIWI Magazine, dedicated to helping families pursue natural and organic lifestyles, has released it’s first ‘Green College Report’, highlighting 50 colleges around the country with eco-friendly campuses and programs. The University of Florida was included in this year’s list. The current generation of college students is taking an active role in protecting the environment and living out “green” lifestyles—so finding a college that will help them help the planet is imperative.

“Academia is such a powerful force in setting the trends for future generations,” commented KIWI Magazine Editorial Director, Sara Gragnolati, “It’s uplifting to know that institutes of higher learning are becoming champions of the planet and using their influence to instigate change.”

When evaluating campuses, KIWI took in to consideration various aspects including degree programs, building functions, operations, and food options.

The report includes an alphabetical listing of schools, including information on tuition, student population (for both undergraduates and graduates), and campus setting. While it is not a comprehensive guide to what colleges are doing for sustainability, it does allow parents and students to begin thinking about their choices.

To download the full ‘Green College Report’ from KIWI Magazine, go to http://www.kiwimagonline.com.

 

Florida Institute for Sustainable Energy (FISE)

UF’s newest research institute tackles hot topics

FISE GraphicSustainable, affordable energy is crucial to every aspect of the U.S. economy and way of life. Worldwide we are rapidly approaching a situation where available energy resources cannot meet growing demand. Unless technology is developed, from research through commercialization, to increase our energy resources (preferably domestic) and energy efficiency, Florida and the U.S. will face dire consequences. In order to address this urgent need, the Florida Institute for Sustainable Energy (FISE) was established at UF to develop new domestic energy resources and leading edge energy efficiency technologies.

FISE brings together the broad research capabilities of UF to address societal needs for a sustainable energy future. The Institute’s structure covers numerous units within the Colleges of Engineering, Business, Law, Building Construction, Liberal Arts and Sciences, SNRE, IFAS, and the UF Office of Sustainability, and provides the necessary umbrella organization to promote interdisciplinary research and education.
Dr. Eric Wachsman is the interim director of FISE. The Directors Office coordinates and integrates research across campus, and across the state, in consultation with an Advisory Board made up of representatives from Florida utilities, national energy industries, Florida Public Service Commission, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
FISE’s facilities include a recently awarded Florida Center of Excellence, the FISE Energy Technology Incubator, to accelerate commercialization of energy technologies.
The FISE Energy Technology Incubator includes a Prototype Development & Demonstration Laboratory, led by Dr. Eric Wachsman, and a Biofuel Pilot Plant, led by Dr. Lonnie Ingram. The goal is to facilitate commercialization of UF derived energy technology as well as technology developed throughout the SUS system to stimulate Florida's economy and help address its energy needs.

The Prototype Development & Demonstration Laboratory, to be located in Rhines Hall (MSE), will be used to advance energy technology research into commercial prototypes. Energy conversion and energy efficiency technologies involve the creation of engineered devices. The leading edge research at UF results in significantly improved materials and designs for these devices, but rarely results in the fabrication of the entire integrated device or a commercial prototype. This inability to take the next step, due to the lack of necessary prototype fabrication facilities and multidisciplinary expertise, will be addressed by this Lab. In so doing, the Lab will accelerate commercialization of energy technology.

The Biofuel Pilot Plant, to be located in Rogers Hall (Ag. Bio. Engineering) will serve as a platform to accelerate successful commercialization of bioethanol. The pilot plant will be used to develop and improve production processes, test production feasibility from various plant substrates and residues available in Florida, and demonstrate all unit operations needed for commercialization.

Contributed by Dr. Canan Balaban

Finding Sustainability at UF

The UF Campus Map adds new features

UF pictureMost visitors to the University of Florida website are familiar with the interactive campus map as a useful tool to find classes and building locations, but if you haven’t surfed there lately then you are missing some cool new tools. Over the last 6 months new features have been added that highlight different university locations and routes with a particular emphasis on sustainability.

These new features include the locations of and information on: flex car parking, sustainable dining, LEED green building facilities, urban parks and gardens, conservation areas, lakes and ponds, tree walk, recycling opportunities for paper plastic, cans & bottles. Additionally, the map displays information on transportation related facilities such as bus routes, stops, and intervals, as well as bike routes and parking locations. Other features that can be found on the map include the locations of theaters, museums, historic buildings and prominent art exhibits. Under the Sports and Recreation Directory the locations of various facilities can be found along with the Healthy Gators walking routes. Finally, the map is a great tool for measuring the distance between various facilities on UF’s 2,000 acre campus, and to determine the distance of walking, biking or jogging routes.

The campus map is a web based tool that resides on the right hand side of the university’s home page. Using Google maps as a backdrop, various campus layers can be added by clicking check boxes, found on the left side of the map interface, to illustrate the location of specific areas of interest. Once clicked, an info bubble appears on the map over the checked location. The campus map was developed and is hosted by Facilities, Planning and Construction under the Division of Business Affairs. Suggestions and feedback are welcomed, and the map provides a form for this as well.

Contributed by: Erik Lewis


UF Sustainability Highlights

Office of Sustainability website updates
Highlights <image>

If you haven’t had the chance already, check out the UF Office of Sustainability's updated webpage. In addition to all the great information and resources that have always been there, you will find a new Highlights section that focuses on all the hard work UF faculty, staff, and students are doing to make UF a sustainable place.

 

 

 

 

Announcements

Important Date <image>News, events, and opportunities

 

 

 

Green Building in the Heart of Florida

U.S. Green Building Council opens new chapter

U.S. Green Building Council<image>

The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Heart of Florida chapter held its first meeting in September 2005. It grew out of a desire not to drive to Orlando each month (5 hours round trip) for a 1-2 hour meeting. Plus, the USGBC says each chapter should be within an hours drive. The paperwork is nearly complete for setting up this not-for-profit corporation. This organization will be a source of programs and information for the community in how and why to build green.

The Heart of Florida group has participation from the city, county, builders in Gainesville and Ocala, architects, small businesses, landscape architects, and the University. The leaders are planning for several programs and events this fall to take place in Gainesville and Ocala. The chapter would like to grow and encourage anyone interested in learning more about the benefits of building green to visit the website or come to the meetings.

Contributed by: Chris Eastman

Tree <image>Buying a Holiday Tree

Consider buying a fresh, organic tree from Alachua Audubon Society. Orders must be in by November 1st. For more information, contact gatorbob23@yahoo.com or 352-281-3616.

Sustainability Forum

Question <image>Send us your questions about campus sustainability

Q: I have been replacing incandescent light bulbs with the more efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) ones. I know they use less energy and have a longer life span, but I was disappointed when found out I should dispose of burned out compact fluorescent bulbs as hazardous waste, due to the fact they contain some mercury. Have I been wrong all this time by going for the more efficient bulbs? Tell me which is the lesser evil?

A :According to calculations, a U.S. kilowatt-hour generates .012 milligrams of mercury, through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal. So, a 20-watt CFL running for a lifetime of 10,000 hours would generate ~2.4 mg of mercury, while comparable 75-watt incandescent bulbs running collectively for 10,000 hours (one would not “live” this long), would generate 9.0 mg. Add in the 5 mg of mercury that might reside in a CFL bulb (a high average) and you get a total of 7.4 mg -- still less than the incandescent. Therefore, the cost benefit seems to be in favor of the more efficient bulb. An added benefit for the efficient CFL’s is that in Gainesville, they can be recycled (the mercury is reclaimed and the ballast is recycled) by taking them to Georges Hardware, Zells Ace Hardware, or Indigo.