University of Florida Office of Sustainability

Link to article HERE

UF commits to fight global warming

By ALICE WALLACE
Sun staff writer

In an effort to curb global warming and arouse interest in the subject, University of Florida President Bernie Machen has joined a dozen other college and university presidents in signing a pledge to reduce emissions at their institutions.

"Global warming is one of the great challenges of our time, and UF needs to do everything it can to help address the problem before it seriously impacts the lives of future generations," Machen said in a news release Wednesday.

Machen was one of the first presidents to sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which requires colleges and universities to develop a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve climate neutrality.

Other universities whose representatives have signed the commitment include Arizona State University and Ball State University, along with several community colleges and smaller institutions.

"Basically, it's not a legally binding contract," said Dedee DeLongpré, director of UF's Office of Sustainability. "But like a lot of these kinds of commitments, everyone comes together and says, 'This is a goal we all share.'ʦquot;

Organizers of the Presidents Climate Commitment which include the nonprofit groups Second Nature, ecoAmerica and the Association of Sustainability in Higher Education hope another 380 college and university presidents will sign the commitment by June.

UF has already begun developing emission-control programs.

DeLongpré said UF is working on a program to reduce the number of students and staff who commute to campus.

Some campus vehicles use ethanol-based fuels, which release less greenhouse gases into the environment than gasoline. And all campus vehicles purchased in the past year are fuel-efficient or run on alternative fuels.

Some of the food served on campus comes from local growers to reduce pollution.

"The closer our food comes from, the fewer miles it has to travel to get here, the fewer carbon emissions," DeLongpré said.

The goal of the Presidents Climate Commitment, however, is to get excess emissions to zero as soon as possible.

"It's doing more of what we're already doing and tightens the commitment up," she said.

The university is working with a local company, International Carbon Bank and Exchange, to create software to track how much carbon UF produces, by taking into account the size of buildings, how much electricity and water UF uses and even how many air miles faculty and staff travel.

The software will calculate how much of that carbon is able to be reabsorbed, rather than being left in the atmosphere.

"For all the carbon we release we hope there are sinks that take that carbon back," she said.

DeLongpré said bringing the university up to the standards of the Presidents Climate Commitment will take time, but she said she hopes UF's commitment will influence other colleges and universities to take similar actions.

"It's just about good long-range strategic planning for the health of the university," she said. "It's only outrageous in how much common sense it makes."

Alice Wallace can be reached at 374-5036 or alice.wallace@gvillesun.com

Copyright 2006, The Gainesville Sun. The information contained in the Sun Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Gainesville Sun.

Link to editorial HERE.

UF's green pledge

Since his arrival on campus, President Bernie Machen has been clear about his commitment to make the University of Florida "green." The word "sustainable" became coin of the realm, as the university stepped up efforts to be more energy efficient and less wasteful of finite resources.

Given what's already happened on campus ? the purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles, the construction of energy saving buildings, even attempts to buy more food locally to cut down on fuel-consuming transportation costs ? it is no surprise that Machen would now be in the vanguard of presidents who are pledging to pursue the goal of "zero" greenhouse gas emissions on their campuses. Cynics might say such a goal is impossible, so why bother? But universities are the very institutions where ambitious goals ought to routinely exceed immediate grasp. From lofty ambition comes great leaps of progress.

Machen is one of a dozen campus leaders from around the nation to sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. "Global warming is one of the great challenges to our time, and UF needs to help address the problem before it seriously impacts the lives of future generations," Machen said this week.

We are proud that Machen has put UF in the forefront of what we hope will be a national green movement in academia. It isn't enough that higher education produce the research and science necessary to combat global warming. Great universities must also lead by example.

 

Link to article HERE.

UF introduces hybrid cars as part of rental program
THE CARS CAN BE RENTED BY THE HOUR OR DAY.

By JOANNA BLAZ
Alligator Contributing Writer

In an effort to reduce traffic jams and create a more sustainable campus, UF is introducing a car-sharing program for UF students and faculty.

The UF Physical Plant Division has partnered with Flexcar, a company that rents environmentally friendly vehicles by the day or the hour. The program offers an alternative to owning a car, with rates of $5.50 an hour or $55 a day.

"The overarching goal is to provide people with an alternative to driving to work and school and to reduce carbon emissions by doing so," said Dedee DeLongpre, director of the UF Office of Sustainability. She is taking part in implementing the ride-sharing program at UF. The cost of bringing eight cars on campus is $6,500 a month, which is being paid for by the UF Physical Plant Division.

Flexcar offers hybrid vehicles, minivans, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks. The hourly or daily rate of the rental car includes gas, insurance, maintenance and roadside assistance.

"A lot of universities are already using ride-sharing," said DeLongpre." It reduces the amount of cars on campus, which helps the environment."

After offers from many companies, DeLongpre and Allan Preston, coordinator of the UF Physical Plant Division, both decided to do business with Flexcar because the company rents cars to individuals 18 and older, so most students can rent the cars.

Flexcar has parked eight of its vehicles in convenient spots around campus, such as the Reitz Union. In order to rent a car, students will first need to pay an annual membership fee of $35.

Some officials believe that ride-sharing is the next step in UF's sustainability push.

"We cannot continue to operate this way," said Preston. "We have to look at how we can be more sustainable and reduce our dependence on vehicles."

 

Link to article HERE.

Machen signs pledge to make UF more ecofriendly

By JESSICA DaSILVA
Alligator Writer

UF President Bernie Machen, who has made strides to limit his university's environmental footprint, is teaming up with other university presidents to curb global warming and make campuses across the nation more sustainable.


Machen signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, which seeks to move universities toward "climate neutrality," according to a press release.

Machen and the heads of Arizona State and Ball State universities were the first to sign the pledge, which they hope 380 more leaders will join.

Dedee DeLongpre, director of UF's Office of Sustainability, defined climate neutrality as the balance between the amount of carbon dioxide emitted and absorbed.

The presidents' pact calls for their institutions to come up with plans to reduce greenhouse emissions as soon as possible.

A group is already working on UF's plan, DeLongpre said.

"We have a general idea of what it's going to take," she said. "UF has been working toward the goal for some time."

In 2005, Machen announced he wanted to make all of UF's solid waste completely recyclable by 2015.

On Monday, UF announced a new car-sharing program that will allow students and faculty access to low-emission vehicles and parking spaces on campus for a fee.

DeLongpre added that some current practices to reduce consumption - like turning off appliances during university breaks - help, but simply unplugging those appliances would help more.

"Believe it or not, but there's something called 'plug load,'" she said. "If it's still plugged in, it's still drawing energy out of the wall."

Mark van Soestbergen, the coordinator for Climate Neutrality Task Group - which works with UF's sustainability program - said the estimated 10,000 appliances plugged into UF's walls cost about $850,000 each year.

However, van Soestbergen said the 10,000 appliances alone emit 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide - enough to fill the Empire State Building three times.

DeLongpre also said another component in reaching climate neutrality lies in the understanding of faculty and students. If all of the UF community understood the importance of reaching climate neutrality, she said, they would make every decision with it in mind.

"We could do all of those things, but there's a very important human element. It's not just a technological solution," she said. "People need to participate in it and people on campus need to understand the impact on their daily traditions."

Van Soestbergen agrees, but he said UF is on the right path to reaching climate neutrality, which he added would take anywhere between 15 and 25 years to accomplish.

"We're just beginning to articulate all the things we need to do to get there," van Soestbergen said. "The road to climate neutrality needs to be described better," he added. "We understand the outline of it, but we need to get all the details of the plan filled in."

[photo caption] Over long breaks, computers like these in the CIRCA computer lab, along with other appliances, should be turned off and unplugged in order to reduce energy consumption and save the university money.

School's fight song against global warming expands

Link to article HERE

By Kimberly Miller

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Sunday, January 07, 2007

University of Florida President Bernie Machen promised last year to make the Gainesville school the most environmentally friendly campus in the nation by 2015.

Now, he's asking other school leaders to follow suit by signing a national pledge to reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

The "Climate Commitment" basically amounts to a Kyoto treaty for universities and colleges, and it covers everything from tracking emissions on cars and planes used for university travel to buying only energy-efficient appliances.

"Leading society in this effort fits squarely into the educational, research and public service missions of higher education," said Tony Cortese, president of the national environmental group Second Nature, which is one of the sponsors of the commitment.

"No other institution in society has the influence, the critical mass and the diversity of skills needed to successfully reverse global warming."

Machen, whose "zero waste" promise and policies to build only environmentally sound buildings put UF far ahead in the green race, was the first president to sign the commitment. He and 16 other schools outside of Florida are leading the movement.

They have challenged a handful of Florida schools on their way to becoming greener campuses to sign the pledge and be members of a steering committee.

Florida Atlantic University, Palm Beach Community College and Indian River Community College were not on the initial invite list.

That doesn't mean they're not getting greener.

FAU is working toward having 75 percent of its vehicles running on alternative fuels, it uses 100 percent reclaimed water for irrigation on the Boca Raton campus and is designing all of its new buildings to meet requirements of the federal Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

"We have a gamut of energy-saving measures that we do already," said Tom Donaudy, interim vice president for facilities at FAU.

Machen's committee hopes to have 200 more schools nationwide sign the commitment by June.

"It's not just something we need to think about in terms of helping the environment or people," said Dedee DeLongpre, director of UF's sustainability office. We need to think of it as a long-range economic policy."

Because the commitment is not legally binding, agreeing to it may seem like a promise to do more recycling, reusing and reducing.

But the plan has hard goals such as pledging to purchase or produce at least 15 percent of a university's electricity from renewable sources within one year.

Also on the list is setting a date when the school will be "climate neutral."

That means the amount of greenhouse emissions produced by a university is offset by a positive move like planting a tree to absorb carbon or investing in wind or solar energy.

"Global warming is one of the great challenges of our time, and UF needs to do everything it can to help address the problem before it seriously impacts the lives of future generations," Machen said.

Link to article HERE.

Universities and global warming
UK activist calls for emissions reduction

By Erik Reece
Special to The Courier-Journal

For nearly half my life, I have taught writing at the University of Kentucky. The work is demanding and rewarding, and I have never really wanted any other job.

Like many Kentuckians, my allegiance to UK began with my father's love, and consequently my own, of UK basketball. But now I feel a stronger allegiance to my students who struggle to express themselves amidst the din of commercial noise, and I feel a stronger need to enact the mission of a land grant university -- to better the lives of people around the state.

These days when I walk to school, I pass a huge mound of coal piled beside the physical plant, out of most people's sight. Sometimes I teach in the building next to that coal-burning plant, and sometimes I point out to my students -- say on a nice day when they ask to hold class outdoors -- that the air outside that building routinely tests as the worst in Lexington.

One doesn't like to think that the inviting, bucolic campus one sees in recruiting brochures is also the source of asthma, respiratory infections, smog, lung disease and the imminent global climate crisis. And I personally don't like to think that the mound of coal next to the physical plant was harvested by mountaintop removal, the brutal strip mining method that is quickly decimating Eastern Kentucky. But both are true.

Walking around UK's campus at night, one sees empty buildings radiating light. In the office tower where I work, we are given mandatory instruction not to turn off our computers, ever. Many buildings, including most of the classroom buildings, have no recycling bins. And these are simply the obvious examples of a costly and ineffective energy policy.

Not radical enough
There has been much talk of late about how left-wing radicals are taking over public universities. But the truth is, we instructors and administrators have not been nearly radical enough -- that is to say, not conservative enough -- to educate our students and ourselves to live and think in ways that will promote health and sustainability and will stave off environmental catastrophes.

UK president Lee Todd has set for UK the laudable goal of becoming a Top 20 public university. According to a recent New York Times article, the University of Florida has already achieved that status through aggressive recruiting of students and faculty, along with smaller class sizes. And I believe another indicator of Florida's success is the vision of its president, Bernie Machen, to be the most environmentally efficient campus in the country by 2015.

Manchen has pledged to follow the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards for all new campus construction, to buy the most efficient appliances on the market, and to supply 15 percent of U of F's electricity from renewable energy. This last move is especially good news for Eastern Kentucky where, thanks to the mountaintop removal practices of Tampa Energy (TECO), many valley communities have had to endure mudslides, intense flooding, cracked foundations and respiratory problems due to air that is filled with coal dust.

Now Manchen has challenged other universities to sign by June a document called the "Climate Commitment." The overall goal of the "Climate Commitment" is for each school to achieve climate neutrality -- emit no greenhouse gasses -- as soon as possible. It states: "We believe colleges and universities must exercise leadership in their communities and throughout society by modeling ways to minimize global warming emissions, and by providing the knowledge and the educated graduates to achieve climate neutrality."

Specifically, the "Climate Commitment" asks university presidents to complete an inventory of all greenhouse gas emissions on their campus, to develop and institutional action plant to become climate neutral, and to initiate tangible steps such as buying Energy Star appliances, following the U.S. Green Building Council's codes for campus construction and purchasing more renewable energy. Finally, presidents are asked to make public periodical progress reports.

As a member of the UK community, I urge President Todd to sign the "Climate Commitment," and as a Kentuckian, I urge all of the state's university presidents to do the same. A university with an innovative plan to invest in alternative energies will encourage first-class researchers to join its faculty, and it will create better jobs and healthier lives throughout the state, especially in the coalfields.

But I also urge Dr. Todd, Dr. James Ramsey at the University of Louisville, and the other presidents to go one step further. The burning of coal is only half of the problem in Kentucky. The ravages of extraction are the other half. Therefore, it is a moral imperative that UK, along with all state universities, refuse to buy coal that has been mined by mountaintop removal.

With the unfortunate exceptions of a few high-placed politicians, it is beyond doubt that the Earth is heating up dramatically. The college presidents who drafted the "Climate Commitment" are absolutely right that universities -- especially flagship and land-grant universities -- must become models for social change that addresses the climate crisis with boldness and vision.

Few social institutions bear as much responsibility to the future as a university, and now our responsibility is to quickly transform an unsustainable fossil-fuel economy into one that will actually see us through the 21st Century and beyond. This requires more than new technology; it requires knowledge that is grounded in wisdom, humility, ethics and reverence. It requires, in short, a new way of thinking and a new university.

Erik Reece is the author of Lost Mountain: A Year in the Vanishing Wilderness. He is a writer-in-residence at the University of Kentucky.

Link to article HERE.

UF gets mixed review for its energy sustainability

By NATHAN CRABBE
Sun staff writer

A new report gives the University of Florida a "C" grade for sustainability, giving the school high marks for green building and low grades for withholding information on investments.

The Cambridge, Mass.-based Sustainable Endowments Institute issued the report Wednesday. The report grades 100 universities on whether campus policies benefit the environment, and whether the schools reveal enough information to show they follow the same principles with investments.

"Part of sustainability is providing an open flow of information," said Mark Orlowski, executive director of the institute.

UF was one of 54 universities to receive a "C" grade, which was based on seven categories. Four schools earned level "A" grades, 22 earned level "B" grades and 20 earned level "D" grades.

Florida received "A" grades in categories on environmental priorities such as reducing carbon emissions and building campus structures that reduce energy and water use. The university received "F" grades for a lack of transparency on its investment holdings and not disclosing whether it actively engages companies in which it invests.

Dedee DeLongpré, director of UF's Office of Sustainability, said the report assumes the university is investing in companies that aren't sustainable. While she said she has no reason to believe that's the case, the report gives her reason to explore the matter.

"It's certainly an incentive for us to take a look at it," she said.

UF has an endowment valued at about $1.2 billion. The university has created a separate nonprofit that raises money for the endowment, the UF Foundation, and another that invests the money, the UF Investment Corporation.

The nonprofit organizations are not subject to the same public-records laws as the university.

The investment corporation's chief investment officer, Michael D. Smith, couldn't be reached for comment.

University President Bernie Machen has made sustainability a priority of his administration. He said in a 2005 speech on sustainability that the university "should explore options for socially and environmentally responsible investments."

He said in an e-mail that UF trustees would guide any decisions over the transparency of investments. But he said he hasn't had conversations with trustees about improving transparency or linking investment strategies with sustainability.

Machen praised local sustainability efforts.

"From my perspective it's hard to be in Gainesville and not be impressed with sincere, grass-roots efforts at sustainability," he said.

DeLongpré took issue with the university's "C" grade for climate change and energy. The report faulted the university for failing to buy renewable energy credits and not having renewable energy installations on campus.

The university is funding research in renewable energy rather than buying credits, DeLongpré said.

"If this is going to be a living laboratory for sustainability, we need to have the opportunity to implement what we can on campus," she said.

She said the report also failed to acknowledge the university's biodiesel demonstration project on campus and efforts to use locally produced foods in dining halls.

The Sustainable Endowments Institute is a special project fund of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Founded in 2005, the group's focus is researching the sustainability of higher education endowments.

Orlowski said the grades only gauge endowment transparency because of an overall lack of openness among universities.

He hopes the report will cause more universities to be more open, allowing the actual investments to be graded.

"In future years we hope to actually look at that," he said.

Jack Stripling contributed to this report. Nathan Crabbe can be reached at 352-338-3176 or crabben@gvillesun.com.

Copyright 2006, The Gainesville Sun. The information contained in the Sun Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Gainesville Sun.

The Lakes, Vegetation and Landscaping Committee and Student Government are pleased to announce a mini-grant program for the University’s main campus Conservation Areas. These grants are available to students groups, faculty and departments to provide restoration and enhancement projects in the campus Conservation Areas that comprise over 400 acres of the University's significant forests, wetlands and water bodies. This grant will be administered by a subcommittee of the Lakes, Vegetation and Landscaping Committee that will award grants up to $20,000 for projects that benefit the University’s Conservation Areas. The total amount of funding available is $200,000. The subcommittee will begin reviewing and awarding the mini-grants starting after March 1, 2007; however, the grant cycle will remain open until all funds are allocated. For complete information and a grant application, please refer the website http://www.facilities.ufl.edu/cp/grant/index.htm.

Linda B. Dixon, AICP
Assistant Director
Facilities Planning and Construction Division
University of Florida
P. O. Box 115050
Gainesville, FL 32611-5050

352/392-8799 phone, 622-8799 SunCom
352/392-6378 fax

Link to article HERE

Renewable Energy Fee Proposed

SG COURT WILL CHOOSE REFERENDUMS.

By JOANNA BLAZ
Alligator Writer

UF students may have the choice to raise tuition by 50 cents per credit hour to make their campus more environmentally friendly if a referendum shows up on the Spring Student Government elections ballot later this month.

The student organization Gators for a Sustainable Campus is proposing the renewable energy fee go to fund projects such as converting vending machines to solar power and making older dorms more energy efficient.

"Vending machines use a lot more energy than you would think," the organization's president, Brendan Moore said. "They are never turned off."

The SG Supreme Court must decide which referendums will go on the ballot by Feb. 13. The two other referendums the court is considering involve the creation of a student-run homeless shelter and an on-campus, student-run coffee shop.

SG Supervisor of Elections Brian Aungst said a referendum expresses the opinion of the student body.

"Hopefully it'll be a way to further what the students want," Aungst said.

Moore said, "Now that evidence for global warming is getting stronger, I think it's more important to switch to renewable energy."

Moore said that based on the 1,290,896 credit hours UF students took in the 2005-2006 academic year, the program would raise about $645,000 in one academic year.

Dan McKeague, the vice president of Gators for a Sustainable Campus, said group members are working to ensure that students are aware of the fee and its purpose.

McKeague said that more than 600 signatures in support of getting the fee on the ballot were collected. Only 500 were required.

Kelly Moosbrugger, a founding member of the group, said, "We really just want to gain student support."

"If it passes, we'll know that the students care," Moosbrugger added.

 

Link to article HERE

Global Warming Confirmed

By RANDI BERNFELD
Alligator Contributing Writer

See Also
Climate Change 2007:
The Physical Science Basis

Click HERE to view the 21-page report (PDF, 2.2 mb) for yourself, released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

According to a report on climate change released Friday, global warming is true, and human activity, especially the burning of fossil fuels, is very likely the driving force.

The 21-page report, written by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is the first volume of the "Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007."

The panel consists of roughly 1,250 expert researchers who study peer-reviewed and scientific documents to distill the information relevant to understand the causes of global warming, as well as the effects the heat-up is having on that planet and the options for mitigation and adaptation.

The report stated that by the year 2100, temperatures likely will rise 3.5 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit, causing critical water shortages, extreme weather patterns and glacier shrinkage.

UF botany professor Steven Mulkey said the community should regard these findings as facts.

"The issue of global warming is not a balanced argument," said Mulkey. "Our climate is changing at a drastic rate. Global warming is as real as a heart attack."

To add to the credibility of this report, last year was the warmest in the contiguous United States in more than a century, and 11 of the last 12 years rank among the 12 warmest years on record.

The report also stated that by 2075, sea levels could rise from 2 to 7 feet, causing coastal flooding to sweep about 7 million homes.

Mulkey said this will have dire consequences for Floridians because a mere 9-inch sea rise will cause flooding along the coastlines.

He and other experts also predict that more intense hurricanes could strike the state's coasts, where 80 percent of the population resides.

"If we postpone or avoid planning for this," Mulkey said, "then there will be irretrievable losses of our natural resources and a poorer quality of life."

The panel on climate change was created by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program in 1988.

Since its creation, the panel has guided policy-makers globally on the impact of climate change.

In 1995, the panel released its second report stating that humans had an influence in global warming. Following this assessment, the Kyoto Protocol was amended in 1997.

This treaty assigns mandatory targets to reduce members' greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2 percent, compared to the year 1990. Kyoto works like a "cap-and-trade" program that gives companies a cap on the amount of pollution that can be emitted. Those able to beat the limits can sell allowances on the open market to other companies not yet in compliance.

Currently, 169 nations have ratified the treaty. Australia and the United States have signed the treaty but refuse to ratify it.

Although President George W. Bush has been criticized for not ratifying Kyoto and for failing to utter the words "global warming" in his State of the Union address last month, he admitted that warming climates are a fact.

Bush also said that Congress is working on a series of measures to reduce gasoline consumption by 20 percent in 10 years. One of these plans includes a push for the use of alternative fuels like ethanol to reduce a reliance on foreign oil.

Ethanol can be produced in different ways, such as burning sugar cane and switch grass. Thus far, corn has been the most widely used in producing ethanol, at about $2 per gallon.

Lonnie O. Ingram, the director of the Florida Center for Renewable Chemicals and Fuels, said corn ethanol has not had a big impact on the environment. He said that in 2005, corn ethanol use in the United States reduced carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 7.8 million tons, which is equal to removing the annual emissions of more than 1 million cars. That's less than 3 percent of the nation's automobiles, he said.

Ingram said scientists could use other products to make more ethanol, which will also reduce the world's petroleum intake. For example, he invented a bug made from bacteria that eats wood and other plant material to make ethanol.

"Imagine taking this desk," he said, banging his knuckles on the mahogany desktop, "breaking it down and using it to fuel your car."

Assistant professor Ted Schuur said fuel-efficient cars are not enough of a solution.

"Reducing atmospheric carbon is a good idea, but the government needs to consider all the other climate-forcing factors that may be changing at the same time," he said.

Later this year, the panel of climate change will release the full science volume, which will include more detailed information. It will also release a report about how people can adapt to the heat-up and another report on ways to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

"People think they had nothing to do with the drastic change in climate," said UF doctoral student Philip Kauth. "But we will be alive to see the serious consequences we have caused on our planet. Maybe next time we'll think twice about leaving our lights on."

Link to article HERE

Opinion: Clear Path for Pedal Power

Mighk Wilson

During the State of the Union address, President Bush addressed a growing sentiment in this country and our community: Our nation must reduce its dependence on foreign oil and cut greenhouse-gas emissions. One way is to get serious about bicycling.

Let's remember that bicycling is not an all-or-nothing proposition. There are many Americans who want to use bicycles more often. They understandably don't want to give up their cars, but many of their trips can be accomplished by bike. Saying "we can't ask people to give up their cars" is appealing only to people's fears; it won't help us solve our problem.

Our new battle cry should be "Help Americans bike." Here's how: We need high-quality bicycle parking at all commercial locations: racks for short term use, and bike lockers or indoor parking for employees.

Employers who provide showers and changing rooms for their employees are already on to something important; they are critical in Florida's heat and humidity.

It's also time for zero tolerance toward motorists who harass and threaten cyclists. Law-enforcement agencies should encourage cyclists and responsible motorists to get tag numbers and report aggressive motorists so the agencies can send warning letters.

Motorists must learn patience. The bicyclist ahead of you is really not delaying you as much as you think (if at all), and she won't be taking up your favorite parking space.

Bicycle lanes on main roads help cyclists to be more comfortable in traffic. Most of our roads can be restriped to safely accommodate bicyclists. We spend less than 2 percent of our transportation dollars on bicyclist accommodation; that must increase.

Bicyclists have a major responsibility in all this, too. Learn how to drive your vehicle properly. I see how many of you ride out there, and it's discouraging. The safest way to bike is on the roadway (not the sidewalk), on the right side (but not hugging the curb), obeying stop signs and red lights, scanning and signaling your intentions when turning, and using front and rear lights at night.

Cyclists should also outfit their bikes to make them more practical, with racks, bags, baskets or trailers to carry things; fenders to keep road spray off your clothes; a pump and tools in case of a flat.

Foreign oil and global warming aren't the only important issues addressed by bicycling. We also face a healthcare-cost crisis and an obesity crisis. A recent study in Norway found that for every dollar invested in the promotion of cycling and the betterment of cyclists' conditions, the state earns three dollars back in the form of lower health expenses and less employee sick time.

Bicycling is not "The Answer" because there is no single answer. But we should be encouraging every activity that moves us in the right direction, and discouraging those that send us down the wrong path. Bicyclists should be rewarded for supporting America's most important goals.

Mighk Wilson is the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for Metroplan Orlando. For more information, call 407-481-5672 or visit www.metroplanorlando.com.

Link to article HERE

Small Steps Help Slow Global Warming

By TODD PORTNOWITZ
Speaking Out

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports that global warming is real, and that we blue-blooded human beings are 90 percent to 99 percent likely the cause of it.

In a slightly less publicized report, the suspicion that our solar system is heliocentric - rather than geocentric - has, after years of exhaustive research and widespread doubt, also been confirmed. We're in the 21st century, folks.

So what is this global warming thing? Is it dangerous? What does it look like? Does it watch "Grey's Anatomy?" How do we make it go away? It's hot, right?

These are only a few of the questions the world is asking. But those are questions for the scientists. For us proletariat, there are smaller, easier ways to approach the energy crisis.

If UF's Student Government Supreme Court does its job by Feb. 13, a referendum for a renewable energy fee will be on the SG Spring Election ballot. The proposal involves raising tuition by 50 cents per credit hour. If passed, about $645,000 raised in the first year will go toward converting vending machines to solar power and making dorms more energy efficient, among other things.

Let me first say thank you to the Gators for a Sustainable Campus for proposing such a practical and worthwhile referendum. And the student body should support this proposal. We owe it to this campus - and to the entire environment. If you've been scraping for a reason to vote this semester, this is it.

Rigging a few vending machines so they're powered by the sun and making some improvements to energy-challenged dorms doesn't seem like a huge deal. It's not going to stop global warming or make sweeping changes to the face of worldwide energy conservation.

And that's exactly why it's a wonderful proposal.

Energy conservation, like attempting to lose weight, is deceptive. You'd think eating nothing for a week would get you in shape. No food equals no fat. But the simplest equation isn't always the right one.

In reality, if you followed such a diet you'd end up less healthy. Not only that, but the proposal to stop eating is ludicrous. We're hungry by nature. The most proven diet for weight loss is eating less more often - spreading multiple small meals out over the length of a day.

Energy conservation works on the same principles. Making one giant proposal to save the world from its energy crisis is the same as saying you're going to starve yourself to lose weight. We're energy-hungry by nature as well.

President Bush's grandiose proclamations to cure America of its oil addiction and revamp the entire fuel system are just nice rhetorical ways of saying, "Shut up about the environment, America, and let me kill some Iraqis so we can get this oil!"

More practical and effective are small, localized efforts at conserving energy like, for example, shutting the power down in unused campus facilities over the winter, spring and summer breaks.

So, you'll have to pay 50 more cents per credit hour. We don't need MasterCard to tell us that our Earth is priceless.

Todd Portnowitz is a junior majoring in English. His column appears on Thursdays.

Link to article HERE

New Fee and Shelter to go on Ballot

By JOANNA BLAZ
Alligator Writer

Referendum questions on a renewable energy fee and a student-run homeless shelter will be placed on the Spring Student Government elections ballot, the SG Supreme Court announced Tuesday.

A proposed referendum for a student-run coffee shop won't be included because it wasn't worded as a question as the SG statutes require. It was worded as a statement.

"We do not review the merits (of the referendums), just if they're constitutional," Associate Justice John Campbell said.

For a referendum to be on the ballot, it requires signatures from 1 percent of the student body.

This comes out to 507 signatures, which both of the approved referendums surpassed.

Five new SG justices, who were appointed Feb. 6, ruled on the referendums.

Also Tuesday night, the SG Senate approved the 2007-08 budget for student organizations, which allocated more than $560,000 to 63 SG-funded organizations.

At the meeting, Sen. John Clayton Brett resigned from Senate. He expressed that he no longer feels he has enough time to devote to the demands of Senate.

"Over the last two years, you've touched my life," Brett told the senators. "We have made some concrete change for the Student Body.

"Just remember you're here to work for 40,000 kids," he said.

The Senate also passed a resolution supporting the creation of a committee that will be an open forum for UF researchers trying to patent their inventions and spread the word about them.

The University Intellectual Property Advisory Committee will allow students a place to review and recommend changes to patent policies.

"The problem with the process (of commercializing an invention) is that there's no student involvement anywhere in the steps," said Sen. Gavin Baker, author of the resolution. "It would offer students the opportunity to work hands-on with (the Office of Technology Licensing)."

The committee can explore goals such as adopting licensing provisions to increase low-income countries' access to innovative medicines.

It has gained support from researchers and professors in the College of Medicine because of these goals, the bill's presenters said.

Baker said the committee will have no set agenda, but it will aim to make only patent-related recommendations, he said.

Link to article HERE

UF Officials Gather to Seek Solution to Energy Crisis

By LAINEY JOHNSON
Alligator Contributing Writer

Ask Eric Wachsman, director of the UF-U.S. Department of Energy High Temperature Electrochemistry Center, and he will argue the availability of a sustainable energy supply may be the defining issue of the century.

A group of UF faculty, researchers and experts from 40 units on campus met Thursday at the UF Hilton Conference Center to discuss issues like global warming and to develop plans for the new Florida Institute for Sustainable Energy.

"The solution to our energy problem requires we address the entire process with a diversity of people and disciplines in mind, because there is no one solution," Wachsman said.

The institute was established Jan. 22, and its commercial component, the Energy Technology Incubator, was recently awarded $4.5 million as a Florida Center of Excellence by the Board of Governors.

There are 22 energy-related centers, laboratories and institutes at UF, as well as the only nuclear engineering department in the state.

This combination of technology and policy is critical to assist the government, the energy industry and utilities in their decision process in setting priorities for energy resource investment.

Paul Sotkiewicz, the director of energy studies at the UF Public Utility Research Center, believes educated citizens are necessary in order to develop sustainable energy practices.

When working at an institute in Washington, Sotkiewicz found that people had no idea where electricity for their light switches comes from.

"They knew nothing about environmental impact. All they knew was they didn't want a power plant in their backyard," Sotkiewicz said. "We need to start changing mind-sets."

Mary Duryea, associate dean for research and associate director for the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, feels society is energy-illiterate.

"We need college-age young adults to be working on energy issues and become our future scientists," Duryea said.

She hopes that UF can use its campus as a test society by engaging in energy-efficient practices, such as placing solar panels on top of the parking garages.

Sotkiewicz encourages students to educate themselves on energy alternatives and environmental impacts to prepare for when they own their own homes.

"Energy and the environment go hand in hand," Duryea said. "The world is in a crisis and we need to start walking the walk if we are going to talk the talk."

Link to article HERE

Low-emission rental cars get noticed

By JOEY CHINDAMO
Alligator Writer

Nicole Safker / Alligator Staff

UF's new pay-per-drive program, which is intended to cut down on campus traffic and pollution, has had more than 50 people sign up since its inception in January.

The Flexcar program provides UF students, faculty and staff access to eight low-emission vehicles parked on campus.

Allan Preston, coordinator of the Physical Plant Division's Quality Office, wrote in an e-mail that there are currently 56 faculty, students or staff and 10 UF departments registered for the program.

Preston wrote that Flexcar is one of many initiatives at UF geared to limit negative environmental impact on campus.

To limit emissions, UF requested as many hybrid vehicles as possible. Three of the eight cars are Honda Civic Hybrids, Preston wrote.

Preston wrote that the other five vehicles are "high-mileage and rate average or better on (the Environmental Protection Agency)'s air pollution score and greenhouse gas score."

If UF brings more Flexcar vehicles to campus, they will be hybrid or alternative-fuel vehicles where possible.

"We believe that the Flexcar program will have a lasting beneficial impact on campus," Preston wrote. "In the future, we are hoping that more faculty, staff and students will commute to campus and use Flexcar for vehicle transportation rather than bringing cars onto campus."

It costs $5.50 per hour or $55 per day to rent a car, on top of an annual membership fee of $40. A $35 application charge is also required for membership, according to the Flexcar Web site.

Bob Miller, UF's associate vice president for finance and administration, addressed Flexcar's role in the university's push for sustainability, which is as simple as recycling or as complex as constructing a building that uses more natural light and less air conditioning.

"It's really part of a coordinated effort by UF to reduce single-occupancy vehicle traffic, which cuts down on carbon emissions," Miller said.

There are no restrictions for what Flexcar vehicles can be used for because members pay for the vehicles by hourly or daily rates, he said.

Miller explained that Flexcar encourages the use of carpools and public transportation to campus because it eliminates the need to own a vehicle.

"If you caught the bus to work and got a call - 'My son broke his arm' - I can go get a Flexcar and take care of this unexpected occurrence instead of driving a car every day."

Link to website HERE

70 college presidents sign commitment to lower carbon emissions on their campuses

A growing number of college and university presidents are signing on to a pact under which they agree to cut their institutions' carbon emissions to zero over time. Called the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, the agreement is modeled after a similar pact made by mayors across the country.

Each institution will set its own date for reaching campuswide "carbon neutrality" -- the point at which its carbon-dioxide emissions are offset by the use of renewable sources of energy and the oxygen released from trees and other plants on the campus -- and each will determine for itself how that goal will be achieved.

The 70 presidents who have signed the pact on so far represent institutions as diverse as the University of Florida, with more than 50,000 students, and Pennsylvania's Allegheny College, with about 2,000 students.

Colleges that sign the commitment will have two years, starting in June, to catalog their sources of carbon emissions and lay out a timetable for achieving carbon neutrality. In the meantime, they agree to adopt several energy-saving measures -- like requiring the use of appliances that carry the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star symbol for energy efficiency, or obtaining at least 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources.

Carbon-dioxide emissions are among the human-caused pollutants that an international group of scientists recently blamed for a warming trend in the global climate (The Chronicle, February 2).

"It's a crisis in slow motion, but it's one that can be mitigated and reversed with action like the one we're taking," said Amy Gutmann, who is president of the University of Pennsylvania and a recent signer of the pledge. "As educators, universities and all of higher education have a responsibility to enhance environmental literacy."

This June, college presidents who sign the pact will meet to agree on specifics, such as how they will publicize their progress. Each participating college agrees to create a plan and make statements to students and the public on its progress in carrying out that plan.

Kathleen Schatzberg, president of Cape Cod Community College, is a founding member of a leadership circle that promotes the agreement, which means she acts as a recruiter to get other college leaders to commit to the pact.

"Like just about everybody else these days, I am worried about our future," Ms. Schatzberg said. "I am convinced that colleges and universities can make a difference. We each run what amounts to a little city."

As a community college, she said, Cape Cod may not do cutting-edge research, but it offers an environmental-technology program with internships at alternative-energy companies and the Environmental Protection Agency. Already she has experimented with a fuel-cell stack, which powered buildings on the campus for five years using hydrogen from natural gas. Now she is working to set up a windmill to harness the breezy cape weather.

A Broad Stroke

Michael M. Crow, president of Arizona State University and another founding member of the leadership circle, said the commitment focuses on colleges of varying enrollments and endowments in order to brush higher education with a broad stroke. Mr. Crow said widespread problems deserve widespread solutions.

"We are teachers, fundamentally, at the end of the day," he said. "If the Americans can't make their emerging cities work on a sustainable basis, then how can anybody else?"

Arizona State, with more than 63,000 students at three campuses in the Phoenix area, has one of the largest university enrollments in the country. But the population of the metropolitan region, with more than 3.8 million people, dwarfs the university. Phoenix has had the largest annual population growth of any American city for the past two years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and Arizona was the fastest-growing state in the country in 2005.

Mr. Crow said part of his university's commitment is to help its surrounding region become a model for sustainable growth. He said colleges have not done enough and have only themselves to blame for any confusion about climate change. To meet the carbon-neutrality goal, he is hiring economics, engineering, and public-policy faculty members, and offering discounted or free public transit to students.

In Philadelphia, Ms. Gutmann is also encouraging the use of public transportation. But for getting around on Penn's urban campus, she said, other strategies might do more good.

"Our campus is designed to be environmentally friendly because it is designed for walking," she said. "It is far better for people to walk between their meetings and get exercise than to have to scurry to find half an hour on a treadmill."

Penn has also raised thermostats one degree in the summer and lowered them one degree in the winter. The savings allowed the university to buy a third of its energy demands from wind farms. Last summer, Ms. Gutmann said, the university saved $1-million by conserving during peak hours.

The organizers of the commitment for college and university leaders hope it will have 200 signatories by June and 1,000 by 2009. The pact was modeled on the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which was devised in 2005 and now has 402 signers.

Minigrants for the Enhancement of Sustainability in Instruction
Proposals-Due Date: March 19, 2007

The university is asking for proposals for Minigrants for the
Enhancement of Sustainability in Instruction. The Request for Proposals
(RFP) can be found HERE

Also included is a checklist the Sustainability Committee wanted to
include to help your formulate your proposals.
Proposals should be sent on disk or CD in PDF format to Prof. Jeff
Burkhardt at PO Box 110240 or e-mailed to burk@ufl.edu.

University of Florida Soil and Water Science professor, Dr. Ann Wilkie was recently featured on MicrobeWorld Radio to discuss aneroboic digestion and the future of biogas.

MicrobeWorld Radio is an educational outreach initiative that revolves around a daily, 90-second radio series designed to increase public understanding and appreciation of the vital role microbes play on our planet and to promote the science of microbiology.

MicrobeWorld Radio is currently heard on more than 90 public and commercial radio stations in the United States and is also distributed on the Internet as a daily podcast through Apple's iTunes and other podcast software applications.

The audio clips featuring Dr. Wilkie can be found HERE and HERE

Link to article HERE

Going green: UF garden spans entire rooftop

By NATHAN CRABBE
Sun staff writer

The University of Florida has its own version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

The green roof over the Charles R. Perry Construction Yard might fall short of being one of the world's seven wonders. But people involved in the project say it will show how planting a rooftop-spanning garden can provide conservation benefits.

"We want this to be the catalyst for doing more green roofs on the campus," said Glenn Acomb, a landscape architecture lecturer spearheading the project.

Workers finished planting the 2,600-square-foot roof Tuesday with native Florida vegetation, including dune sunflower, tropical sage and gopher apple. The roof covers an amphitheater next to Rinker Hall, home of UF's School of Building Construction.

Babylon might have had the world's first green roof, which legend says the ruler Nebuchadnezzar built to cheer up his homesick wife. But green roofs have recently been used for more than their aesthetic value, as a way to absorb stormwater runoff, reduce energy use and provide wildlife habitat.

Germany started the push for green roofs in the past few decades, Acomb said. Prominent examples in the U.S. include Chicago City Hall and a 10-acre green roof on a Ford plant in Michigan, but Acomb said there are few green roofs in the Southeast.

The Perry yard marks UF's first green roof. The yard - named for the late Rinker alumnus Charles "Chuck" Perry - is actually an amphitheater-like area where craftsmen such as carpenters and masons will demonstrate their work to students.

Because it is over an open amphitheater, the green roof won't have an impact on heating and cooling. But green roofs typically absorb enough sunlight to substantially reduce the expense of air conditioning in buildings below them, said Bahar Armaghani, project manager and the university's assistant director for facilities planning and construction.

She said the roof will be a model for future building projects on the campus and beyond.

The Perry roof's main environmental benefits will be reducing stormwater runoff, Acomb said. Water that isn't absorbed by the vegetation will drain into cisterns, where it will be stored to irrigate the roof during dry periods.

"It allows you to collect a resource as opposed to wasting it," Acomb said.

The roof includes a dozen species of native plants. The roof is covered with just a 5-inch layer of soil, so mainly ground-covering species with shallow root systems were chosen.

The roof will be studied to determine its benefit in reducing pollution in runoff. Sylvia Lang, a UF soil and water science doctoral student, and Mark Clark, a water-quality specialist with the UF extension, will be studying those effects alongside Acomb.

A $22,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation is helping fund the project. Acomb said the department might one day put green roofs on its toll booths or other structures.

The Perry roof will show how green roofs can be done and what benefits they provide, he said.

"If we encourage people to do it we'll be reducing the load on energy and water," he said.

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

Link to Article HERE

Singer lends celebrity voice to global warming crusade

NATHAN CRABBE
Sun staff writer

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist did everything but sing a duet with Sheryl Crow to support the singer's crusade against climate change.

Crist joined Crow during the Stop Global Warming College Tour's visit Monday to the University of Florida. The 11-campus tour is intended to rally students to join the fight against global warming.

"No other issue is going to impact your life or your plans more than global warming," said Laurie David, the producer of "An Inconvenient Truth," whose speech kicked off the event.

Crist sat among the O'Connell Center crowd of about 1,500, but also took the mike. He declared his support for alternative energy, saying he would lead the way by driving an ethanol-fueled car and putting solar panels on the governor's mansion.

"We're trying to lead by example," he said.

The event was part Crow concert and part global warming lecture, complete with animated slides illustrating the issue. Crow played four acoustic songs, including her hit "A Change Would Do You Good" and the Beatles' song "We Can Work It Out."

She said her family's place in Panama City helped convince her about the seriousness of climate change and its possible effect on fires and hurricanes.

"We've watched the wildfires and suffered though Opal and Ivan," she said.

Crow and David have been traveling on a bus fueled with biodiesel for the tour, which will end in Washington, D.C., on Earth Day. David is the wife of Larry David, co-creator of the NBC show "Seinfeld" and star of the HBO show "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Crow said organizers picked the Southeast for the tour because they wanted crowds that weren't convinced about climate change. But the UF crowd clearly didn't fit the bill, cheering everything from using canvas shopping bags to recycled paper products as ways to reduce warming.

David's speech illustrated some of the grim possibilities of uncontrolled climate change: Polar bears drowning because of melting ice. Increased heat waves that spread disease. Intense hurricanes devastating coastal cities.

But she said her message was that it's not too late to take action. She asked students to take measures such as switching to energy-efficient light bulbs and driving hybrid vehicles.

"Imagine the impact of small changes done by millions of people," he said.

She singled out Crist for signing an Internet pledge to fight global warming, though she flubbed her praise by initially calling him the governor of California. She later explaining her mistake by saying that like California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Crist has put himself out front on the issue.

"This governor (Crist) has talked more about global warming in just 100 days in office than other governors have in their whole terms," David said.

The crowd included clean-air advocates fighting coal-fired power plants in Taylor County and near the Everglades. While the crowd couldn't get Crist to take a pledge against all new coal-fired power plants, the governor said he believed global warming was a reality and supports reducing emissions.

"Life is short and we all have a duty to make a difference," he said.

Stephen Mulkey, a UF botany professor and climate-change expert, said he was impressed by the governor's words. He said he hoped the statements and event would be part of a shift away from a debate on the reality of climate change to a search for solutions.

"Our best understanding tells us we're in serious trouble and need to take action," he said.

Some students at the event said they were receptive to the event's message. Jenni Snyder, a 19-year-old Santa Fe Community College student, said she came to hear Crow but was also there to learn about the climate-change issue.

"She drew me to it - if it was just random people talking about it, it wouldn't be as interesting," she said.

David said students are key in getting lawmakers to act on the issue. She said the next decade is crucial to halting the effects of climate change.

"This is the moment. The moment when the choice is still yours to make," she said.

Nathan Crabbe can be reached at 352-338-3176 or crabben@gville sun.com.
Link to Article HERE

Link to Article HERE

Crist's stance on warming novel in GOP

BY ANNA SCOTT
N.Y. Times Regional Newspaper Group

Analysts say the governor is taking his moderate politics to the national level.

With "Stop global warming'' bracelets dangling from his wrist, Gov. Charlie Crist took his seat at the O'Connell Center between the two women who would soon embrace him in a hug before a row of television cameras: rock star and environmental activist Sheryl Crow and Laurie David, producer of the Al Gore documentary on global warming.

This seat might rank near the bottom on the comfort scale for a Republican governor of Florida - even one who is a fan of Crow's hit song "Soak Up the Sun.''

Crist, however, feels at home.

"It's not a Democrat or Republican issue,'' he told a news conference at the University of Florida for the Stop Global Warming college tour at the Phillips Center. "It's a right or wrong issue and this is what's right to do.''

Crist is the first governor in the South and one of a handful of Republicans nationally to so publicly get behind the issue of global warming - an issue the Republican presidential administration denied existed until recently, and which Crist's predecessor, Jeb Bush, paid little attention to.

In doing so, analysts say, Crist is taking his moderate politics to the national stage and opening the door to environmental issues marginalized under the state's previous administration.

Crist mentioned global warming occasionally on the campaign trail but made a splash when he called it "one of the most important issues that we will face in this century'' in his state-of-the-state speech in March, and then joined in calling for conferences on the issue.

Going against the traditionally Republican grain has become characteristic for Crist, who returned voting rights to felons and supports stem cell research.

But his attention to global warming achieved a new level of publicity on Monday when he appeared at the UF rally and reaffirmed his plans to host an "environmental summit'' this summer.

Scientists and activists from around the world will be invited to plan future legislation in Florida relating to greenhouse gases, alternative fuel sources and emissions standards, Crist said.

The invitation list is expected to include California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, along with presidential hopeful John McCain, are big-name Republicans in the movement to address global warming.

Crist credits both men, and the Al Gore documentary "An Inconvenient Truth,'' with helping shape his concerns about global climate change.

Bush joked about not seeing the movie and pointed out that "X-men: The Last Stand'' grossed more sales.

"Sen. McCain in a private meeting mentioned it was important for me to pay attention to this issue even more, and I took his heed on it,'' Crist said.

Crist rented Gore's movie, which shows melting icecaps submerging the state of Florida, and watched it after the election.

"You just kind of look and observe and listen and pay attention and you can see that there's climate change. I think if you're aware and willing to listen to science you come to that conclusion pretty quickly.''

Crow, who owns a home in Okaloosa County, said it felt "fantastic'' to perform with a Republican.

"It's awesome,'' Crow laughed. "We're just following him around worshipping him.'' Crist's passion for protecting the environment is personal and dates to 1971, when he was president of the student council at Riviera Middle School in St. Petersburg. He said he led his class to donate $100 to the city council to start the city's first recycling program.

As a state senator, he was an avid proponent for the state's net ban, something he felt strongly about because as a boy he remembered fishing with his father and, as he grew older, noticed there were fewer fish.

Crist hopes to lead the state to conserve energy by example. Earlier this month he volunteered the governor's mansion for an energy audit and decided to outfit the 50-year-old Greek Revival with high-efficiency fluorescent light bulbs and solar panels, including a set to heat his pool. The upfront cost is expected to be recouped in five to seven years.

His car is an ethanol-fueled Chevy Tahoe, which his aides dutifully drive past regular gas stations to Tallahassee's single ethanol station.

Environmentalists feel they've found a friend in Crist. But they're cautious.

"The early signs are very good but the rubber is going to meet the road very quickly here,'' said Stephan Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. "We need very specific state-level policies.''

Pressed by environmental groups, Crist stopped short of pledging to block new coal-fired power plants, saying he would rather explore other forms of energy such as solar and wind. Coal produces carbon dioxide, the primary heat-trapping contributor to global warming.

Because scientists say global warming results in extreme weather, such as hurricanes, droughts and sea-level rises, Florida is considered particularly prone to the negative effects because it is surrounded by water.

But, like other southern states, Florida does not cap carbon emissions the way some western and New England states do. California became the first state last year to put a cap on emissions.

Crist proposed $68 million in funding to reduce global warming, just a fraction of the state's $71 billion budget.

Yet, as he demonstrated at the rally in Gainesville, Crist is reaching out to environmentalists.

Before the show started, the governor chatted backstage with David and invited her to the mansion the next time she comes to Florida. She recommended that he read this month's Vanity Fair magazine.

"The second annual Green issue,'' Crist interrupted. "I know it.''

"The more awareness you create, the easier it gets,'' he said later. "People see what's happening with Gov. Schwarzenegger. Hopefully they'll see what we're doing in Florida. We've flipped the switch.'' "It certainly positions him well in the mainstream of American politics but it could hurt him in the short run,'' said Lance DeHaven Smith, a political scientist at Florida State University. "We have a very conservative right wing of the Republican Party in Florida and, up until now, that's really dominated policies.''

Others disagree. J.M. "Mac'' Stipanovich, a longtime Republican adviser for Bush and Crist, and, at one time, Katherine Harris, said Crist's position on global warming will resonate with an important group. But it isn't the sort of thing that will decide votes.

"Global warming is an inside the beltway, professional politicians, press kind of issue,'' Stipanovich said. "In that relatively small constituency in the state and in the country who are the opinion leaders, he's probably made a pretty favorable impression. He's demonstrating that he's not a knee-jerk conservative of the old school.''

Conservative Republicans such as Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, the House speaker pro tempore, do not share Crist's position on global warming.

"We would be better off approaching world hunger or bringing peace to the Middle East,'' Baxley said. "I'm not going to spend the state budget on global warming.''

Other Republicans, such as Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, seem more supportive and have faith Crist could galvanize moderate Republicans.

"There are some hidden moderates who, when they have a leader willing to go up the hill in front of them, they'll fall in line and try to do it, too.''

Several Republican lawmakers this year are pursuing laws to encourage study of alternative fuel sources.

"It brings bipartisan credibility to a problem a lot of people think is an issue stirred up by a few leftists,'' said Brian Ballard, a Tallahassee lobbyist who raised money for Crist's campaign.

"As far as it being a safe place for a Republican to be, that's not here yet,'' the lobbyist said. "A lot of folks in our party are wondering, 'Is this what conservative Republicans do?'''

Link to Article HERE

Link to Article HERE

Art for Earth's sake

STEPHANIE RODRIGUEZ
Special to The Sun

This year, the 28th annual Fifth Avenue Arts Festival came almost a month early.

Typically an annual Gainesville tradition in mid to late May, this year's festival was moved to April - in part for cooler weather, in part for a cause.

"The goal of (this year's) festival is to help people of color understand that it's all of our responsibility as a community to take care of the Earth," said Nkwanda Jah, director of the Cultural Arts Coalition and one of the key organizers of the Fifth Avenue Festival.

This year's festival, which continues today from noon to 7 p.m. in the vicinity of NW 5th Avenue and 6th Street, is giving festival-goers the chance to enjoy all sorts of arts, crafts, foods and entertainment - but also the chance to become better acquainted with various issues that Jah says matter to the community.

In particular, Jah said global warming was an issue that festival organizers wanted to address, so the weekend of Earth Day 2007 was chosen.

On Saturday as hundreds of people meandered through the festival, Gainesville Regional Utilities handed out energy-saving light bulbs, while the Gators for a Sustainable Campus worked on educating the public about what you can and cannot recycle.

"I saw cornbread made from a solar-powered stove," Jah said. "It was amazing."

"We want to stress that people can at an individual level affect the global world," said UF volunteer Zachary Keith.

National Organization for Women activists P.J. Clayton and Connie Amidei were informing women about abortion rights.

"We're going to start losing more rights," Amidei said. "I saw a lot of people in the festival who want to get active."

Food, music and art surrounded the various causes. Sounds of African drums could be heard from a distance and hip-hop was blarring through the speakers of the main stage. Other types of music such as jazz, R&B and gospel were evident.

Dancers dazzled the audience with moves that looked like they had been practiced for months. Art ranging from drawings and paintings to other cultural art forms was plentiful. In addition, the festival offered a variety of fun designed for children.

"The food is great and we have a good variety," Jah said. "This festival is unique from any other festival, and it is better than last year."

Link to Article HERE

Link to Article HERE

Bicycle wins in biker vs. car errand race

By ANDREW TAN
Special to The Sun

Brent Christensen was stopped at a light at rush hour on NW 13th Street and NW 5th Avenue when he saw him.

Ed Poppell, vice president of business affairs at the University of Florida, was leaving Mr. Goodbike on his Kona mountain bike, meaning he was ahead of Christensen, president of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce.

The two were involved in an "errand" race that pitted car against bike.

The car took 20 minutes to run a set of prescribed errands, while the bike took 10 minutes.

The race began at Tigert Hall on the UF campus and involved stops at Mr. Goodbike, Deja Brew, FIA Clothing and the Wine & Cheese Gallery.

Christensen said he wanted the light to change, but it didn't.

"It was maddening watching him leave," he said.

The errand race was part of "Walking the Talk/Closing the Gap: Transforming Environmental Values into Sustainable Practices," a series of events held by the UF office of sustainability, department of religion and department of political science.

Dedee DeLongpré, director of the office of sustainability, said the goal is to make people with environmental values begin acting environmentally. DeLongpré said the errand race tied together three important ideas: alternative transportation, shopping locally and supporting local agriculture.

DeLongpré said the importance of shopping locally and supporting local agriculture is helping reduce the amount of shipping in the United States.

"Everything is interconnected," she said.

Poppell said he was helped in the race because he didn't have to worry about parking, like Christensen did, and he was able to use more roads that didn't have traffic lights or stop signs.

Christensen said the little things hurt. The time it takes to leave the car, lock the car, put on the seat belt, they all added up, he said.

Christensen, who used a Flexcar Civic hybrid, said he knew it would be a challenge trying to beat a bicycle during rush hour.

"It was fun to try anyway," he said.

Link to Article HERE

Link to Article HERE

Area chefs race to cook cuisine with local flair
Sun staff report

They called it the Fresh Food Challenge, but it looked like a scene straight from the set of the popular Food Network show "Iron Chef."

Two teams of two chefs each, all four from a different Gainesville area restaurant, created three dishes in an hour, using locally grown or produced ingredients.

Saturday's cookoff, hosted by the Fresh Food Company, a restaurant on the University of Florida campus, was part of a four-day series of events related to sustainability. The intent of the cookoff: to highlight locally produced food and to bring attention to the choices we make as consumers.

Just like on the show "Iron Chef," a secret ingredient that had to be used in each of the dishes was not revealed to the chefs until right before the cooking showdown began.

The two secret ingredients: beef from UF herds and Florida pompano.

Bert Gill of Mildred's Big City Food and Carol Deneno of Ristorante Deneno challenged Israel Karasik of Dinner and Frank Ruffino of Blue Highway.

Also similar to "Iron Chef," four judges - UF first lady Chris Machen and executive chef Christian Drouin among them - rated the food based on taste, presentation and originality.

Before a packed audience, the chefs prepared such dishes as a mixed-greens salad with sirloin strips and goat cheese; and risotto with wild mushrooms.

Finally, the judges pronounced the team of Karasik and Ruffino the winner.

The Fresh Food Company, located near Broward Hall on the east side of UF, is one of two dining facilities on campus where Gator Dining Services has made a commitment to obtain as much of its food locally and regionally as possible. Gator Corner Dining Center also has made a switch to locally produced food.

Link to Article HERE
Link to PHOTO GALLERY

Link to Article HERE

Sustainability must be an academic priority

The University of Florida has a long tradition of resource conservation and environmental protection what we call sustainability. I like this definition: the philosophy and practice of good living without jeopardizing the future. There are three aspects of sustainability: environmental protection, reasonable economic growth and social justice. For UF to become a global leader, sustainability must be an academic priority.

UF’s Sustainability Committee – a 16-member panel of faculty, staff, students and administrators – has noted dozens of courses that focus on sustainability principles. But as yet, we have no academic concentration in sustainability. Arizona State University’s Institute of Sustainability, which opened in October 2006 to offer master’s and doctoral degrees, suggests a comprehensive approach. The committee’s Research and Education Task Force proposes to create a sustainability program at UF. We’ve requested money from the Legislature to fund this effort, which would:

Start with six colleges where sustainability theory and practice will be advanced through the undergraduate and graduate curriculum.

Integrate academic, operational and extension aspects of sustainability.

Promote undergraduate and graduate education in sustainability through interdisciplinary, applied research.

Provide professional credentials, such as certificates, minors, master’s degrees and doctorates.

Emphasize service learning.

Support existing courses and develop new ones, such as "Facets of Sustainability."

Many benefits will come from this program, but these are most compelling:

A generation of leaders familiar with sustainability.

New knowledge.

Ph.D.’s with cutting-edge credentials for the 21st century.

UF faculty, personnel and students engaged in the mission to save our planet.

Reports on UF’s sustainability efforts may be found HERE
Eva Czarnecka-Verner
Associate professor
Microbiology and cell science

Link to Article HERE

Florida university students push for 'green' fees

Orlando Business Journal - Monday, May 14, 2007

Students from the University of Central Florida, New College, Florida Atlantic University and the University of Florida are working to kick-start a funding source to apply environmentally friendly practices on campuses.

The first phase of the plan is to incorporate a proposed 50- to 75-cent "green fee" into tuition to finance projects that would campus energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The proposals are asking for a campus sustainability committee made up of students, faculty and staff to oversee those funds.

UCF's green fee campaign is expected to be voted on by students during the student government elections in the fall. It follows the national campaign Campus Climate Challenge, under which similar proposals have been made at southeastern colleges, such as the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and the University of Tennessee.

"Campuses use a large portion of the nations energy from non-renewable resources like coal which contribute to global warming pollution," says Stephen Mortellaro, UCF student senator and green fee campaign coordinator, in a prepared statement. "We've got to do something and the [green] fee seems like a great first step."

UF's Gators for Sustainable Campus group recently passed a student vote with 78 percent approval. The issue is awaiting review by the board of trustees this summer.

Link to Article HERE

Link to Article HERE

Cents and Sustainability

Inside Higher Ed News

As the green campus movement continues to sprout, it’s not just administrators who are pledging to spend bucks on energy-efficient buildings and renewable resources.

Students at a growing number of colleges are voting to increase their own fees to start environmental sustainability funds. It’s a notable change from the usual student fee hikes that pay for the likes of gym memberships and social clubs.

At least 14 campuses in the United States and four in Canada have passed "green fee" votes during their spring terms, according to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The list includes some of the usual suspects Cornell University and the University of California at Berkeley as well as some smaller colleges.

Most plans call for students to put an extra $10 to $25 a year apiece into a fund managed by a committee of students, faculty and staff that supports purchasing renewable energy or decreasing carbon emissions.

Julian Dautremont-Smith, associate director of the sustainability association, said the votes are a popular way for students to demonstrate widespread support for green investments without having to beg and plead for support. Often times, he said, administrators have already told student leaders that the university funds aren’t there.

"People have seen that it’s a pretty effective way for students to make a huge difference in the reduction of a college’s environmental impact," Dautremont-Smith said. "It’s easy in some ways, but not an insignificant pledge. Every school we’ve seen hold the vote, it passes, usually by a significant amount."

At Oregon State University, for instance, 7 in 10 students voted earlier this month to up to an $8.50 fee hike that would probably generate enough revenue to offset all electricity consumed by the university through the purchase renewable energy credits. The university is powered primarily by coal, and the fee would allow Oregon State to begin soliciting bids from renewable energy providers most likely leading to wind power purchases.

The Oregon State Board of Higher Education still must approve the fee increase, which would begin this fall. Brandon Trelstad, Oregon State’s campus sustainability coordinator, who was an adviser on the student-run green free campaign, said he expects little resistance from the governing board.

He and others raised the concern that some students will view the relatively small green fee with indifference or a sense of mission completed.

"There’s the risk that they will say, ‘Well, we’re funding this, so we can do whatever now,’ " Trelstad said. "The beauty of the fee is if campus energy consumption goes up dramatically, so will the fee the next year if we want to continue to offset 100 percent of Oregon State’s consumption."

In Tennessee, students at a majority of public universities have voted in favor of the green fees. Austin Peay State University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga passed $10 per student per semester hikes, and the University of Memphis passed a plan that would likely lead to the same fee increase.

The blueprint in the recently passed votes is for half of the money to go toward purchasing renewable energy and half to support energy sustainability projects, said Brandon Armstrong, a former Tennessee student who helped organize the campaigns through a group that advocates clean energy choices. Armstrong said that because the funds are managed in part by students, there’s a greater feeling of control by those who helped set up the votes.

The same applies in Florida, said Jason Misner, a professional campus organizer. Students at the University of Florida, who passed a 50- to 75-cent per credit hour fee hike (which means about $14 per year), would be able to give spending suggestions to student representatives on the fund management committee. The proposal says the money would go strictly toward financial projects that would reduce campus energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. If approved by Florida’s Board of Trustees, the fee is expected to raise roughly $645,000 a year.

Misner said several other universities in the system are interested in adopting their own fee increases.

Some campuses also offer optional student fees so that students, as an example, can buy renewable energy credits for their residence halls, Dautremont-Smith said.

The passage of student fee increases often dovetails with a college’s pledge to go green. Oregon State’s president signed the American Colleges and University President Climate Commitment calling for the campus to create a plan to offset all carbon use with renewable energy purchases around the same time that the student vote took place. The university is also pushing alumni, faculty and staff to donate to the student fund.

Dautremont-Smith said in a few cases colleges are matching some the funds raised by students. But he’d like to see that as a more common arrangement.

Elia Powers

Link to Article HERE

 

Council for Sustainable Florida Presents Awards for Protecting Florida’s Economy and Environment

Tallahassee, FL– Renowned nature photographer John Moran joined the Council for Sustainable Florida today in Tallahassee to honor business, non-profit, education and individual leaders committed to preserving the environment and creating a healthy economy for Florida.

The Council presented awards in several categories including Leadership, Small Business, Large Business, Government, Non-Profit, Business Partnership, a Green Building Award and the Legacy Award. Award winners will also receive a resolution from the Governor and Cabinet at a ceremony on Tuesday morning.
Honored at the Best Practices Awards program in Tallahassee were:

Non-Profit Award: A Gift for Teaching, Inc.
Using the old adage "Waste Not, Want Not" as a guide, A Gift for Teaching recycles surplus goods that would normally be discarded by local businesses and puts them in the hands of deserving children. The Orlando-based non-profit has opened two free stores where teachers can shop for essential school supplies such as books, backpacks, paper, crayons and glue. A Gift for Teaching has gathered donations from more than 4,600 businesses and individuals and distributed more than $27 million worth of educational supplies.

Legacy Award: Babcock Ranch
The Conservation and Community initiative represents the first partnership between Florida’s conservation land acquisition program and the private sector. This success pairing resulted in a planned community with a town center, high school and shopping center, while also including 9,000 acres of green space, recreation trails and restored wetlands.

Business Partnership Award: myregion.org - How Shall We Grow?
Central Florida’s How Shall We Grow? Initiative is an example of many parties coming togethercitizens, community leaders and elected officialsto find a common vision for their region. The project goal is to create a 50 year vision for the growth of the 93 jurisdictions that are included in the area and has become one of the most successful regional visioning projects in the nation.

Sustainable Government Award: Pinellas County
With a burgeoning population and little land for continued growth, Pinellas county commissioners began to understand the importance of urban sustainability. Commissioners completed a Blueprint and Strategic Plan in partnership with the University of Florida and created the Bushnell Office of Sustainability. In addition to addressing problems associated with the county’s growth, the roof of the Bushnell Office was converted to a "cool roof" which now saves the county money, reduces its environmental impact and serves as an example to the community.

Large Business Award: Florida Power and Light
The Florida Power and Light Green Fleet Program is an initiative to reduce fuel consumption in utilities’ fleets. George Survant, director of fleet services for FPL, led a group of utilities from across the nation to develop a pilot hybrid utility truck program. In the three hybrids used by FPL, the vehicles have reduced fuel consumption by 53 percent as well as reducing petroleum use.

Large Business Award: Publix Super Markets, Inc.
The Publix Get into a Green Routine initiative is designed to eliminate excess costs and promote environmental stewardship. The company has begun the use of reusable crates for shipping and donates surplus food to local food banks. Results show a 7 percent reduction in electricity consumption overall with 23 percent reduction in new stores.

Leadership Award: The Honorable Michael S. Bennett, Florida Senate
Senator Michael Bennett’s commitment to preserving Florida goes well beyond sponsoring and advocating legislation. When his bill creating the Century Commission for Sustainable Florida was passed, he remained actively involved by serving on its board. His efforts have helped the commission respond to critical issues throughout Florida such as transportation, water quality, housing, health care, education and growth.

Small Business Award: Trifecta Construction Solutions
Founded to facilitate environmentally sustainable construction practices, this growing organization has certified approximately 80 percent of the green homes in the state using the Green Building Coalition standards. By educating construction industry stakeholders, they are establishing the environment as a valued and quantifiable factor in construction.

Green Building Award: Verandah by Bonita Bay Group
Recognized by the Green Building Coalition as Florida’s first green land development, the Verandah located along the Orange River, re-established wildlife habitat and protected the site’s ecosystems. The Bonita Bay Group partnered with the Florida Energy Extension Services Build Green and Profit program to develop green guidelines for Verandah’s amenity buildings and single-family homes, resulting in a new community that minimizes its impact on the environment, conserves energy and water usage and protects and enhances natural habitat.

Winners of the best practices award were selected by an independent panel including government and corporate representatives involved in the sustainability movement. The panel reviewed projects to determine if they were environmentally friendly, provided a strong business model and could be replicated.

"The work of each of these groups and individuals demonstrates that a healthy economy and a healthy environment are mutually supportive," said Karen Childress, Council chair. "These programs and initiatives are truly best practices that can teach us all how to protect Florida’s vital natural resources while promoting strong economic growthboth of which are necessary for Florida’s future generations."
The Council also identified nominees that received a Promising Practices certificate for their outstanding efforts to promote sustainability in Florida.

Promising Practice certificates went to:
Arthur R. Marshall Foundation and Florida Environmental Institute, Inc. - It Does Take a Village!
West Palm Beach

Centerville Conservation Community
Tallahassee

City of Dunedin - Community Center
Dunedin

City of Gainesville - Regional Transit Employee Pass Program
St. Augustine

City of Tallahassee - Solid Waste Administrative Building
Tallahassee

City of Tallahassee Commission - Energy Efficiency Initiative
Tallahassee

City of Winter Park - Swoope Water Plant and Railroad Avenue Initiative
Winter Park

Collier County Stormwater Management Department
Naples

Drew Smith, Two Trails, Inc.
Sarasota

Florida A & M University - - Green Coalition
Tallahassee

1415 E. Piedmont Drive, Suite One 􀂏 Tallahassee, Florida 􀂏 850/219.0082 ext. 104
www.sustainableflorida.org 􀂙 www.collinscenter.org

Florida Biomass Energy Group, LLC
Gulf Breeze

Florida Keys Green Living & Energy Education (GLEE)
Key West

Gainesville Regional Utilities
Gainesville

Green Real Estate Education
Tampa

Indian River Habitat for Humanity
Vero Beach

Manatee Technical Institute - Photovoltaic Learning Lavatories
Bradenton

Massey Services, Inc.
Maitland

Nestle Waters North America
Lee

Plum Creek - Swallow-tailed Kite Initiative
Gulf Hammock

Program for Resource Efficient Communities, University of Florida - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension
Gainesville

Progress Energy Florida - Energy Education Program for Students
Lake Mary

Progress Energy Florida - Renewable Energy Program
Lake Mary

Rayonier Biomass Boiler Team
Fernandina Beach

Safety-Kleen
Plano

Solar Direct
Bradenton

T.K. Wetherell, Florida State University – Utility Conservation Program Tallahassee
The Original Florida Tourism Task Force
Gainesville

The St. Joe Company - Bay County Sector Plan
Jacksonville

Titan America Medley Plant
Deerfield Beach

Walt Disney World - Strive for Five
Lake Buena Vista

WORKFORCE plus

The Council is an independent, non-partisan program of the Collins Center for Public Policy and has been defining excellence in sustainability practices sine 1990. Since initiating the Best Practices Awards program in 1998, the Council has recognized and honored more than 100 businesses, non-profit organizations, governmental groups and individuals whose work is committed to the future success of Florida.

Best and Promising Practice Award winners will participate in future events promoted by the Council for Sustainable Florida. The Council will work with Florida colleges and universities to create case studies of the winners for use in business programs statewide.

No coal for power plant

By JEFF ADELSON
Sun staff writer
June 19, 2007

Five years of discussions of a new coal-fueled power plant for Gainesville were laid to rest Monday as Gainesville city commissioners voted to seek bids on a power plant fueled by wood or municipal waste.

Commissioners specifically prohibited coal or "pet coke," another fossil fuel, from consideration for the generator, which will burn organic material known as biomass. The plan ends years of debate over whether the city should burn coal, considered a factor in global climate change, or seek other means of ensuring its residents had energy.

"I think in that period of time it's gone from being what seems like a reasonable option to what appears to be obsolete," Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan said.

Commissioners voted 6-1 in favor of the measure, with Commissioner Jack Donovan dissenting. Donovan has argued the commission has not studied the issue enough and suggested GRU's projection that its customers' demand for energy would exceed supply in 2017 could be flawed.

Donovan also accused Gainesville Regional Utilities General Manager Karen Johnson of trying to shut down debate on the issue as a discussion began Monday night.

But several other commissioners came to her defense and said it was time to bring the debate to its final phase by asking for actual power plant proposals.

"There has been a great deal of debate, review and discussion," Hanrahan said.

"At some point its time to move to the next stage, and that's where I think we are," Hanrahan added later.

In May, the commission voted 6-1 to ask GRU to draft a request, with Donovan dissenting.

On Monday, Donovan was sharply critical of Johnson as she finished an opening presentation on the history and status of the discussion over Gainesville's future energy supply, which has been under way since 2002. Donovan charged that Johnson was trying to "steamroll" opposition to the plant.

Donovan particularly was critical of Johnson as she countered claims from GRU's critics that argued in favor of conservation efforts instead of a new power plant.

"It has a certain characteristic that has been seen in earlier presentations," Donovan said. "It almost has a quality of steamrolling. It sort of challenges you to challenge it and almost states if you challenge it you're out to lunch."

He also was critical of Johnson's rebuttal of claims by some of the utility's critics that the J.R. Kelly Generating Station, an efficient natural-gas-fueled plant, was down an excessive amount and that contracts between GRU and other utilities were losing the utility money. Johnson said these claims were completely false and based on incorrect information.

Hanrahan took responsibility for the presentation and said she asked Johnson address specific claims being made by opponents of the biomass plant.

"This is not mysterious stuff and I really do feel that there are persistent, incorrect statements being made in this process and I asked that they be corrected," Hanrahan said.

Ed Braddy went further, saying Donovan's statements were designed to prevent GRU from refuting its critics.

Donovan had previously leveled a similar charge, along with other commissioners, against former GRU General Manager Mike Kurtz, who resigned last year in the midst of a contract dispute with the commission. Donovan and other commissioners said at the time they were willing to force Kurtz out because of his advocacy in favor of a 220-megawatt coal-fired power plant even after commissioners indicated they sought alternatives.

Some in the environmental community have supported biomass as a good alternative to fossil fuels. But others have argued the utility should focus on conservation and energy-efficiency instead of building a new power plant.

Jeff Adelson can be reached at 352-374-5095 or adelsoj@gvillesun.com

Morning Edition, June 15, 2007 · Drought has hit many parts of the country, including Florida, where the giant Lake Okeechobee became so dry and so low, dry grasses on the lake floor caught fire. But the weather isn't the only reason for the state's water woes, the author of a new book says.

"Florida's groundwater has been overallocated not just in South Florida, but all over the state," says Cynthia Barnett, author of Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern United States. "In addition, we just haven't taken conservation as seriously as other parts of the country."

Much like Las Vegas in the early 1990s, Florida seems to be in denial about the need to conserve water, she tells Renee Montagne.

"Many homeowners associations in Florida not only require sod, but they have guys in golf carts driving around measuring the shade of green," Barnett says. And if you don't have the right shade, you get a nasty letter from the homeowners association and a fine."

Farmers are also big water consumers, using nearly half of Florida's public supply, Barnett says.

In some parts of the state, city wells have been closed because of saltwater intrusion sea water creeps in when freshwater aquifers drop too low.

That problem isn't limited to Florida. Several cities along the East Coast are struggling with it, too.

"Water-rich states are beginning to really worry about water supply and water conflict," Barnett says. "Several of these conflicts are headed for the Supreme Court."

 

Energy Department Selects Three Bioenergy Research Centers for $375 Million in Federal Funding

Basic Genomics Research Furthers President Bush’s Plan to Reduce Gasoline Usage 20 Percent in Ten Year

WASHINGTON, DC – U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman today announced that DOE will invest up to $375 million in three new Bioenergy Research Centers that will be located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Madison, Wisconsin; and near Berkeley, California. The Centers are intended to accelerate basic research in the development of cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels, advancing President Bush’s Twenty in Ten Initiative, which seeks to reduce U.S. gasoline consumption by 20 percent within ten years through increased efficiency and diversification of clean energy sources. The Department plans to fund the Centers for the first five years of operation (Fiscal Years 2008-2013).

"These Centers will provide the transformational science needed for bioenergy breakthroughs to advance President Bush’s goal of making cellulosic ethanol cost-competitive with gasoline by 2012, and assist in reducing America’s gasoline consumption by 20 percent in ten years," Secretary Bodman said. "The collaborations of academic, corporate, and national laboratory researchers represented by these centers are truly impressive and I am very encouraged by the potential they hold for advancing America’s energy security."

To bring the latest tools of the biotechnology revolution to bear to advance clean energy production, the Centers will be supported by multidisciplinary teams of top scientists. A major focus will be on understanding how to reengineer biological processes to develop new, more efficient methods for converting the cellulose in plant material into ethanol or other biofuels that serve as a substitute for gasoline. This research is critical because future biofuels production will require the use of feedstocks more diverse than corn, including cellulosic material like agricultural residues, grasses, poplar trees, inedible plants, and non-edible portions of crops.

The Centers will bring together diverse teams of researchers from 18 of the nation’s leading universities, seven DOE national laboratories, at least one nonprofit organization, and a range of private companies. All three Centers are located in geographically distinct areas and will use different plants both for laboratory research and for improving feedstock crops.

The mission of the Bioenergy Research Centers will lie at the frontier between basic and applied science, and will maintain a focus on bioenergy applications. These Centers aim to identify real steps toward practical solutions regarding to the challenge of producing renewable, carbon-neutral energy. At the same time, the Centers will be grounded in basic research, pursuing alternative avenues and a range of high-risk, high-return approaches to finding solutions. To some degree, one key to the Centers’ success will be their ability to develop the more basic dimensions of their research to a point that can easily transition to applied research.

The Department’s three Bioenergy Research Centers will include:

The DOE BioEnergy Science Center led by the DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Center Director will be Martin Keller, and collaborators include: Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia; DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado; University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia; Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire; and the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center will be led by the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin, in close collaboration with Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. The Center Director will be Timothy Donohue, and other collaborators include: DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington; Lucigen Corporation in Middleton, Wisconsin; University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida; DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois; and Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
The DOE Joint BioEnergy Institute will be led by DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The Institute Director will be Jay Keasling, and collaborators include: Sandia National Laboratories; DOE’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; University of California - Berkeley; University of California - Davis; and Stanford University in Stanford, California.

Subject to the finalization of contract terms and congressional appropriations, the Centers are expected to begin work in 2008, consistent with President Bush’s Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Request, and would be fully operational by 2009. DOE’s Office of Science issued a competitive Funding Opportunity Announcement in August 2006 to solicit applications. The three Centers were chosen following a merit-based, competitive review process that included external scientific peer review of the applications.

The establishment of the bioenergy research centers culminates a six-year effort by DOE’s Office of Science to lay the foundation for breakthroughs in systems biology for the cost-effective production of renewable energy. In July 2006, DOE’s Office of Science issued a joint biofuels research agenda with the Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy titled "Breaking the Biological Barriers to Cellulosic Ethanol." The report provides a detailed roadmap for cellulosic ethanol research, identifying key roadblocks and areas where scientific breakthroughs are needed.

Today’s announcement follows other key funding announcements this year to advance President Bush’s Twenty in Ten Initiative, and to make cellulosic ethanol cost competitive with gasoline by 2012. On February 28, 2007, DOE announced up to $385 million for six biorefinery projects that when fully operational are expected to produce more than 130 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year. On May 1, 2007, DOE announced a funding opportunity for $200 million over five years (FY’07-FY’11) to support the development of small scale bio-refineries that produce liquid transportation fuels such as ethanol. Read additional information on DOE’s biofuels initiatives.

Additional information is available on the Department’s three Bioenergy Research Centers and the Department’s Genomics Research Programs.

DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the nation and helps ensure U.S. world leadership across a broad range of scientific disciplines. The Office of Science supports a diverse portfolio of research at more than 300 colleges and universities nationwide, manages ten world-class national laboratories with unmatched capabilities for solving complex interdisciplinary scientific problems, and builds and operates the world’s finest suite of scientific facilities and instruments used annually by more than 19,000 researchers to extend the frontiers of all areas of science.

Media contact(s):
Megan Barnett, (202) 586-4940

To read the article online, click HERE

Summertime. Fish Jumping. That’s Trouble.

By ABBY GOODNOUGH

NY Times- July 4, 2007

BRANFORD, Fla. "Lots of artillery out there," an old man hollered from the safety of the Suwannee River’s edge, and he was right. The sturgeon were jumping high and fast, twisting their armored girth in midair and returning to the depths with a stunning splash.
On the water, there was reason to be anxious. Florida’s season of "sturgeon strikes" law enforcement’s term for collisions between the state’s largest freshwater fish and hapless boaters was already well under way.

It may seem bizarre, but it is no joke. Leaping sturgeon have injured three people on the Suwannee this year, including a woman on a Jet Ski and a girl whose leg was shattered when one of the giant fish jumped aboard her boat. Eight others were hit last year, and with traffic growing on the storied river, sturgeon are joining alligators and hurricanes on the list of things to dread in Florida.

"These injuries are very impressive," said Dr. Lawrence Lottenberg, director of trauma surgery at the University of Florida College of Medicine in nearby Gainesville. "You’ve got people sitting on the front of an open boat, and the boat is going 20, 30, 40 miles per hour. The fish jumps up and usually slaps these people right across their face and upper chest. Almost every one of them universally has been knocked unconscious. If you’re not wearing a life jacket, you’re going to fall in the water and potentially drown."

Fortunately, most sturgeon in Florida stick to the Suwannee, which winds 265 miles from southern Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico. Known as gulf sturgeon, they migrate between the river, where they spawn in spring and relax in summer, and the gulf, where they return in the fall to feed. They have no teeth or temper, only a pressing, mysterious urge to jump all summer long.

"You’ll be sitting out there," said Melanie Carter, who boats on the river with her husband, "and then all the sudden, 5, 10 feet away from you, a big one will jump up and scare you half to death."

Sturgeon have been around since the dinosaur age, and they look it. They have long, flat snouts and hefty bodies covered in sharp, bony plates. Gulf sturgeon can grow up to eight feet long and weigh 200 pounds, but even the smaller ones can inflict serious harm. In recent years, injuries have included a broken pelvis, a fractured arm and a slashed throat.

Brian Clemens was motoring down the Choctawhatchee River in the Panhandle in 2002 when a sturgeon "jumped up and hit him dead center in the chest," said his wife, Joy. It broke his ribs and sternum, caused one of his lungs to collapse and put him in intensive care for three days, she said, adding, "There’s a permanent dent in his chest where that fish hit him."

Wildlife officials have posted signs warning boaters to slow down. Leah Daniel, a friend of Ms. Carter, said there was only one other precaution to take: "Pray."

Fear is not rampant on the gentle river, lined with ancient cypress trees and moss-draped live oaks, but curiosity is. No one knows for sure why sturgeon jump.

"We say, ‘Pretty much because they can,’ " said Karen Parker, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. She said the jumping seemed more frequent this year and last, maybe because sturgeon favor deeper water and are feeling cramped with the river unusually low.

Ken Sulak, a biologist with the United States Geological Survey, has ruled out several theories. Since sturgeon do not jump in spawning season, Dr. Sulak said, the jumping must not be for reproductive reasons. And since they have no freshwater predators but occasional alligators, it is probably not an escape response.

Might they jump for joy?

Doubtful, Dr. Sulak said.

His guess is that sturgeon jump to let other sturgeon know they have found a good spot to hang out. They seem to gather mainly within six short, narrow stretches of the Suwannee where there are deep holes, so they do not have to waste energy fighting the current. They fast and relax all summer, basically "just going to the spa for several months," Dr. Sulak said.

They can use the rest. The federal government has listed gulf sturgeon as threatened since 1991, and for nearly a quarter-century Florida has outlawed catching them. Ms. Parker said there were now 3,000 to 5,000 of them in the Suwannee; Dr. Sulak puts the number closer to 7,000.

But with more people using the Suwannee, more farm waste flowing into it and urban regions eyeing it as a source of water, the sturgeon’s future is uncertain, said Bill Pine, a fisheries professor at the University of Florida.

Dr. Pine would like to see speed limits on sections of river where sturgeon congregate. The state has imposed such limits along miles of "manatee protection zones," but with fierce objections from boaters who say the restriction spoils their fun.

Some irate boaters have called the wildlife commission and railed against sturgeon, Ms. Parker said, even asking the state to "kill all of them so people can enjoy the river."

Others think the fish are purposely attacking boaters who invade their turf, but Dr. Sulak said sturgeon were as docile as lambs. He sometimes acts as their public relations agent, encouraging curious boaters to watch as he nets sturgeon for population counts. They lie quietly on a scale in his boat, their rough, cold bodies looking bronze one second, greenish gold the next.

Some onlookers melt. "Once they see they’re not monstrous, they don’t have big teeth, they’re not mean they’re kind of lovable, in a way," he said, "that kind of defuses things."

Jim Tomey, sitting by the riverbank, said watching for sturgeon was his summer ritual. As he spoke, one burst out of the water and returned with a mighty smack.

"I love to come down here," Mr. Tomey said, "and sit and watch them fish jump."

To Read the article online, and view a slideshow of the Sturgeon, click HERE

 

UF relies on auctions, donations to dispose of surplus inventory

By JACK STRIPLING
Sun staff writer

July 5, 2007

On a muggy Tuesday afternoon, Amanda Jobes looks through a chain-link fence that guards about a dozen old cars.

A green Ford F-150 sits alongside a red Jeep Wrangler, and a smattering of small sedans fill the rest of the space. Months earlier, these vehicles were parked on the University of Florida campus, but today they're just a few of the items in UF's surplus warehouse.

"It shocks everybody that students could leave something of this nature," says Jobes, shaking her head.

But since they do, UF has created its own eBay-style industry, using online auctions to sell cars and bicycles abandoned by students. UF sells these items only after attempts have been made to contact the owners either by phone or - in the case of vehicles - by certified mail, Jobes said. Once sold, the proceeds go toward scholarships, she said.

"We can't sit on (this stuff) forever," said Jobes, UF's assistant controller in finance and accounting.

Abandoned bicycles and vehicles are just a small piece of UF's "inventory," which includes computers, furniture and other equipment no longer used by faculty and staff. The university sold, donated or recycled more than 6,500 items last year, according to Jobes, who oversees the great discarded treasures that accumulate each day on a campus of 50,000 students.

David Dykes, property manager for the surplus site, said it's gotten difficult to keep the auction Web site updated with photos because so much stuff comes in each week.

"As long as I keep working at (it), hacking away, I can do it," says Dykes, whose office backs up to rows upon rows of towering shelves full of shrink-wrapped computer monitors and terminals. "Otherwise, it's overwhelming."

UF's junk sale brings in all sorts. Dykes recalls a man from Tennessee who rode down to Gainesville by bus recently to buy a large bundle of bicycles he planned to repair and resell. And even though UF often sells bikes in bulk quantities, there seems little danger of running out.

"As soon as these are gone, they'll bring me another batch," said Dykes, looking over a fleet of about 300 abandoned bikes behind his office.

Protecting privacy

Not everything abandoned at UF is for sale. The university allows nonprofit groups to claim items that have languished in the warehouse for weeks. As for the outdated computers no one wants, UF sends those off to be recycled.

The recycling operation is an undertaking in and of itself. In addition to dealing with privacy concerns - UF wipes clean about 85 hard drives every month - there are disposal concerns. Some computer parts contain toxins like lead and mercury, so state regulations regarding the disposal of hazardous waste apply to computers.

Up until a couple of years ago, UF was dealing with several different recycling vendors and lacked a centralized system to handle the process, according to Bill Coughlin, hazardous waste manager for UF. The lack of centralization didn't lead to violations, but it did provide greater opportunity for some of UF's waste to be improperly dealt with by a second or third party, Coughlin said.

"It was not as controlled as it should be," he said.

UF's recycling is now handled by Unicor, a government-owned corporation that relies upon prison labor. Jobes conceded that some at the university have expressed concern about the prison population handling UF's recycled computers, but she said she had confidence in the group's recycling standards.

"We have concerns with using a prison system," she said. "There's labor issues with that, but we want to keep all our doors open. Right now they are the best vendor."

One way UF guards against its computers being improperly disposed of is by limiting the population that has access to the equipment, Coughlin said. UF only allows individuals to purchase five items from its auctions in a 90-day period. The intent of the policy is to prevent individuals from buying large inventories of UF electronics, stripping them for parts and then disposing of them improperly, Coughlin said.

UF's more stringent policies regarding the purchase of equipment are directly tied to the university's sustainability effort, which aims in part to make UF more environmentally friendly, Jobes said.

"I have always been a lover of nature and I didn't realize when I took this position that I could have a positive impact in helping the environment," she said. "And it's really rewarding to me to be able help the environment."

Jack Stripling can be reached at 352-374-5064 or Jack.Stripling@gvillesun.com.

To view the article online, click HERE
For more info on UF Surplus, click HERE

Manatees, boaters still at odds, study shows

By LISE FISHER
Sun staff writer

July 5, 2007

Boaters remain the greatest threat to Florida's manatees, even those who claim to support the endangered animals, according to a new University of Florida study.

"Although boaters across the board had strong conservation attitudes and thought manatees were worth saving, they created one of the biggest threats to manatees by not following the speed limit," said John Jett, who conducted the study for his doctoral dissertation in UF's department of tourism, recreation and sports management. UF released information about the study on Tuesday.

Jett used a stopwatch and laser range finder to determine the speeds of 1,669 boats traveling between two points in Volusia County along the St. Johns River near Blue Springs State Park near DeLand, according to the university. The area is a warm water refuge for manatees. Research was conducted last year in August, September and October.

Using boat registration numbers, Jett then sent surveys to the boaters asking them about their boating speeds and attitudes toward manatee conservation.

Eighty-four percent of the 236 people who responded said they had fully complied with speed limits in manatee zones during their last boating experience. But Jett's research showed only 45 percent had. Still 71 percent agreed manatees were worth saving in spite of the need for regulations and 81 percent expressed support for the state's boating rules and regulations.

Among those who admitted speeding, most said they could not read signs about manatee zone requirements clearly. The next most common explanation was they were trying to get out of the rain, the study showed.

Longer boats were more likely to speed than smaller boats, according to the study. Rental boat operators also tended to follow the speed limit more than those who owned their boats.

To view the article online, click HERE

Hippodrome announces lineup for its 35th season

By ASHLEY HOFFMAN
Special to The Sun

July 5, 2007

On April 18, 1973, University of Florida roommates Mary Hausch and Marylin A. Wall, along with four others, founded the Hippodrome in a convenience store on Hawthorne Road.

"In the beginning we just had a passion to do theater and a willingness to do anything to do it," said Wall, now the company's resident costume designer.

In 1979, the company relocated to the Federal Building, restoring it to a 266-seat thrust stage theater.

After the restoration, the company swung open its doors in 1981 and the inauguration was met by acclaim from audiences.

More than three decades and hundreds of shows later, The Hippodrome State Theater will celebrate its 35th anniversary this season.

In the theater world, Hippodrome has an approach rare to many.

Everything brought to life on the stage is strictly an in-house creation.

"Thirty-five years ago we decided that since there wasn't a professional theatre in town we would create one," Artistic Director Lauren Caldwell said. "Everything is made directly for the show inside our own walls. The Hippodrome is developed from a seed that grows."

Grow it did, as the company's reputation has scored them the rights to more than 100 playwriting premieres during its 35 years.

The 2007-2008 season will offer a selection that runs the gamut of human emotion.

"I think this season is diverse with wonderful drama, contemporary and a bit of the classic," said Hausch, the Hippodrome's Producing Director.

The Hippodrome will open its 35th season with the New York smash hit "Doubt" Sept. 7-30. Set in a Bronx Catholic school in the 1960s, John Patrick Shanley's play about a woman who wrestles with uncertainty about concerns over a male colleague, collected rave reviews in its 10 years on stage.

In celebration of the Halloween season, the Hipp will deliver "Night of the Living Dead," a satirical take on zombies by Lori Allen Ohm, inspired by George Romero's 1968 film, on Oct. 19-Nov. 11.

From Nov. 24-Dec. 23, the Hippodrome brings Dickens' classic tale "A Christmas Carol" to the stage for the 30th year.

This stage version turns the dial of perspective to Jacob Marley's scope of experience as he recalls the story of his own metamorphosis.

For all the schedule highlights and pricing info, see tomorrow's Weekend Daybreak section.

To view the article online, click HERE

Crist conference to focus on state's environmental future

By JOE FOLLICK
Sun Tallahassee Bureau

TALLAHASSEE - Florida could become the first state in the Southeast to target greenhouse gas emissions when Gov. Charlie Crist signs a series of executive orders later this week to cap off his "global climate change'' conference in Miami.

Having opposed new coal plants and embraced the promise of sun and wind-generated energy, Crist said he is using the energy initiative to dramatically shift the state's future toward a greener path.

"We are home to national treasures like the Everglades and coral reefs. Global change can threaten these precious natural resources,'' Crist said. "In terms of Southeastern states, there hasn't been a whole lot of leadership. This summit gives us a good opportunity to set that example.''

For the two-day conference, which begins Thursday, the governor's office has prepared drafts of three pending executive orders that would target reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the state by 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050 with intermediary targets. California motor vehicle emission standards would be enacted and utilities would have to produce 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources.

The governor has also discussed creating a system that would allow companies to agree to caps on their greenhouse gases but also have the ability to trade for emission credits from other companies with cleaner energy sources.

Although the executive orders do not have the force of a state law, environmentalists said the measure would be a significant advance for the state's ecology. Crist's aides said the orders will establish state goals and allow agencies to develop rules to move Florida's energy policies in that direction. Florida would join 15 other states that have targeted greenhouse gas emissions and it has become the first in the Southeast to do so, according to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change.

"I'm ecstatic,'' said Susie Caplowe of the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club. "He's really taking it seriously.''

Crist has already successfully ended plans to build coal plants in Glades and Taylor counties. Last week Crist said the state should prepare for a future with no coal plants.

"I can't imagine that 12 months ago we would be talking about maximizing Florida's potential for clean energy,'' said Holly Binns, the field director for Environment Florida. "Certainly I would have expected that under Gov. (Jeb) Bush, all of these coal-fired plans would be flying through the permitting process without a hitch. It's like we've moved forward 10 years in less than 12 months.''

For Crist, this week's conference in Miami is yet another bold step into territory where most Republicans never entered.

Bush said last year he had no interest in seeing Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth'' about the dangers of global warming. Crist not only said he was influenced by the movie, he met with the producers at a "Stop Global Warming'' rally in Gainesville this year.

Scheduled speakers at the summit include California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger who has set a goal for his state of reducing carbon emissions by 25 percent by 2020 and pushing for 1 million solar-powered rooftop units by 2018.

But in contrast to Crist's efforts, Schwarzenegger signed a law - passed by the California Legislature last year - that created the nation's first cap on greenhouse gas emissions.

Also scheduled to speak is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who called President George W. Bush "America's worst environmental president'' in a magazine article.

Beyond the star power, scientists and alternative energy advocates will speak during the two-day meeting.

Crist has marketed the conference zealously, with news conferences and a Web site - www.myfloridaclimate.com - touting his efforts. More than 130 journalists are expected to attend.

The conference will cost more than $360,000, with no planned state expenditures beyond costs for travel and preparation by staff. The costs are being picked up by registration fees and a diverse group of donors including Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, The Nature Conservancy, Starbucks and the United Kingdom Consulate.

Crist offers hope for the untapped resources of sun and wind.

"It's free, they're just there,'' he said last week. "It's not cheap, but I think it's better in the long run for Florida's future. I mean, how much does a windmill cost?''

More than is economically feasible, according to Florida Power & Light, the state's largest utility. For large fields of windmills to be effective, the wind must blow steadily at nearly 20 miles per hour between 20 percent and 40 percent of the time. That doesn't occur in Florida and prime real estate along the coast isn't likely to be turned over to windmills.

"In order to have a comparison of what we call a large generating facility, it would take far more real estate than would ever be feasible in the state of Florida,'' said Sharon Bennett, an FP&L spokeswoman.

FP&L is planning a small windmill project in St. Lucie County, but it may be limited to two windmills for a period of study.

The utility is also working on the largest array of solar panels in the state at Rothenbach Park in Sarasota. Again, real estate and cost are proving to be problems. Taking up the size of half of a football field, the panels will generate enough power for 55 homes.

With coal plants apparently eliminated as an option, FP&L says that 70 percent of the state's energy will come from natural gas by 2016, a troublesome imbalance given the volatile price and availability fluctuations due to the markets and hurricanes.

Eternally upbeat, Crist says technological and cost issues for wind, solar and nuclear power can be overcome.

"I'm optimistic because at certain points with any discussion or any debate or any issue, you reach a point where change occurs,'' Crist said Tuesday. "It's fairly obvious to me that's what's happening.''

At the least, Crist has shifted the political dynamic. Stalwart Republican groups like the Associated Industries of Florida said they were "shocked and disappointed'' when state regulators shot down plans for the Glades County coal plant. Bush was rarely if ever criticized by business groups.

"You hate to do a pun here, but the climate has changed in Tallahassee,'' said Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey. "I think the governor is going in the right direction.''

To read the article online, click HERE

Fla. faces long path to a greener future

By NATHAN CRABBE
Sun staff writer

The obituary for coal-fired power plants in Florida is being written this week.

Gov. Charlie Crist is holding a summit on global warming today and Friday in Miami. He's closing the event by signing an executive order to cap greenhouse gas emissions, making it harder to build emission-spewing plants.

Just last year, it seemed possible two coal-fired plants would be built in North Central Florida. Gainesville Regional Utilities and a Taylor County group have since been forced to scuttle those plans, decisions that now seem fortuitous.

"I feel emboldened by the fact that we made the right decision to look at other options," said Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan, who is attending the summit.

Instead, GRU is now pursuing a wood-fueled biomass power plant.

This week, Levy County started the process that would allow Progress Energy to build a nuclear plant near Inglis.

Next week, Seminole Electric Cooperative is expected to present Bradford County commissioners with a plan to build a natural gas plant there.

All three technologies mean lower levels of greenhouse gases than traditional coal-fired plants.

But experts say the region will need to do much more to reduce emissions - including improving building construction, expanding public transportation and putting more money into solar and other renewable energy projects.

"Just about every sector of the economy needs to participate," said Mark van Soestbergen of the Gainesville-based International Carbon Bank and Exchange.

The International Carbon Bank helps companies calculate their emissions and certify reductions. Crist is considering a system allowing entities emitting greenhouse gases to buy credits from entities that are reducing emissions.

Van Soestbergen used the Alachua County jail's inefficient air-conditioning system as an example of how the process would work. The jail could install an energy-efficient system, saving money on utility bills as well as providing credits that could be sold.

"There's an added value to it," he said.

Van Soestbergen is among at least a dozen local residents attending the summit.

Alachua County Environmental Protection Director Chris Bird and University of Florida Sustainability Director Dedee Delongpre are also attending. UF microbiology professor Lonnie Ingram will be part of a panel on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Most scientists believe man-made emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases have likely increased global temperatures in recent decades. The changing climate could cause rising sea levels, extreme weather and have other potentially catastrophic consequences.

Crist's office released drafts of three executive orders he plans to use to deal with the problem. One order would direct utilities to reduce emissions, requiring utilities to produce 20 percent of their energy through renewable energy.

GRU this week released a budget that includes $4.1 million for energy saving measures, nearly doubling conservation spending for the second straight year.

Such programs are the most cost-effective way to reduce energy use, said David Barclay, an analyst for GRU.

The budget sets aside about $2.7 million for a 250-kilowatt solar-power project. The project is small - GRU's coal-fired Deerhaven plant produces about 900 times as much energy - but officials believe it will help encourage customers to install solar panels, Barclay said.

Customers can take advantage of GRU, state and federal rebates that dramatically reduce the cost of such panels, he said.

Hanrahan testified before Congress last month about the difficulties in meeting targeted reductions of greenhouse gases.

She said the state should provide financial assistance to local governments, cutting the risk of building a biomass plant or other new technology.

"We're a little bit out there on the cutting edge and that's always a nervous place for a governmental organization to be," she said.

Hanrahan said she'd also like to see increased standards for energy efficiency in building construction. Bird agreed, saying he thinks such standards could forestall the need for more power plants.

"There's a lot more than can be done just on the construction side before you have to start talking about producing more energy," he said.

No matter what comes out of the summit, local participants agree that it marks a new direction for the state. Delongpre said she hopes the summit means a shift from debating about whether global warming is happening to dealing with the effects.

"I think we're reached a tipping point," she said.

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

To read the article online, click HERE

In my opinion, Sustainability Communities must urge their Congressmen and Senators to create, sponsor Legislation, which establish Legislative measures to begin limiting green house gas emissions from commercial transportation vehicles and obvious production technology, which may be improved without exorbitant expense. For example, in the commercial trucking industry, in my opinion, by 2009 all Commercial Trucks must, "must" be required to install auxiliary power units on all commercial trucks in order to enable the prohibition of idling of commercial vehicles while the commercial truck is stopped and Driver resting or in a temporary pause for map evaluation or other temp stops. The idling is costing large commercial trucking companies at a 1 million dollars per day and more in fuel costs just for truck idling. How much green house gasses are created by commercial truck idling?

I strongly believe that Truckers have the right to keep themselves cool in summer months and warm in winter months, however, idling a large diesel engine in order to keep the small cab and sleeper-birth of a commercial truck cool or warm is very irresponsibly-extravagant. In my opinion, strict measures must be established as soon as possible of with regards to commercial truck idling! I support Al Gore's efforts 100% to build awareness regarding pollution and green house gas problems, however, next step plans must be realistically established and set in motion of the establishment of production systems upgrade goals and new Legislation, which enable and facilitate immediate next step efforts to revitalize, modernize, Greenizate the Traditional Industrial Complex.

If responsibilities continue on the behalf of the Industrial Complex to allow old production technologies to continue to pollute and emit high levels of green house gasses, in my opinion, the Industrial Complex, at some point in time, in the near future will be negligent of Genocide.

Sincerely,
Ross McClelland

Crist: State should lead clean-energy push

By JOE FOLLICK
AND LLOYD DUNKELBERGER
Sun Tallahassee Bureau

MIAMI - Gov. Charlie Crist said environmental gain can be had with little pain Wednesday as he prepared for this week's massive meeting on global climate change.

As he has with other issues, Crist has staked out a nonpartisan position by saying his revolutionary push for the greening of Florida is simply fulfilling the will of voters.

The two-day conference on global warming set to begin today in Miami features scientists and politicians of all political stripes. Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who created a blueprint for Crist with strict energy saving goals, is the headliner. Also scheduled to speak is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has called President George W. Bush the worst environmental president in the nation's history.

Crist is expected to sign executive orders Friday that will adopt California's strict vehicle emission standards, require utilities to reduce greenhouse gases by 20 percent of 1990s levels by 2050 and order utilities to have at least 20 percent of their energy derive from renewable sources like wind and solar power. Crist said there was no conflict between his party's long-standing promise to limit government and his new push for energy savings mandates, adding that he is merely giving voice to the feelings of most Floridians.

"I think there is this national movement and consensus around this issue that is rapidly accelerating. It's like a juggernaut,'' he said. "We have a duty to lead. It means a partnership (for government) with the people. We have a duty to serve them and part of that service is to protect Florida. I doubt that very many object to the fact that we're going to keep Florida clean.''

Crist shared the message with a group sure to be affected by his push - the Florida Home Builders Association at a meeting in Orlando.

On one hand, Crist invoked former GOP President Calvin Coolidge's words that "the business of America is business'' in Orlando.

"It is for Florida, too,'' he said. "It's important that we support you, to do everything we can to stay out of your hair and let you do what you do best.''

But Crist's executive orders include new mandates to increase the energy efficiency of new construction by 15 percent.

"You don't want to do things that are so onerous to people that they can't afford to have a new house,'' said John Wiseman, FHBA president, saying he hadn't studied the details of Crist's proposals. "A lot of the strict (guidelines) green building advocates put out there, when you start to really put numbers to it, you just can't afford to do it.''

Crist has always ardently fought to protect the environment, but the talk of reducing greenhouse gases and tightening vehicle emissions was missing during last year's campaign.

Crist said that watching Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth'' affected him, especially the scene that showed much of Florida being forced underwater.

Crist said he hopes to emulate Schwarzenegger, calling him an "enormous influence.'' Crist also pointed to a meeting he had earlier this year with Terry Tamminen, the former head of the California Environmental Protection Agency.

He said Tamminen showed him a United States map highlighting what states were doing to reduce pollution and greenhouse gases.

"We looked at the Southeast and there was this void,'' Crist said. "Florida can be a significant leader.''

Crist echoed, albeit mildly, Schwarzenegger's feelings that the states must act as the federal government does not.

"I think there's a duty and an obligation the states have,'' Crist said. "California has been a great leader.''

Environmentalists said Crist is following a national trend.

"Up to this point, states have led the way on climate change,'' said Susan Glickman, a lobbyist for the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

She said Crist's efforts to move Florida into the group of states pushing for greenhouse gas limits is "hugely significant.''

"Florida will be very likely to influence the whole Southeast and that is the one area of the country that has been conspicuously absent from these kinds of actions.''

Crist acknowledged that his party has not been at the forefront of the issue, saying "traditionally, Democrats have led in this area.

"We're all in the same planet. We need to work together to make sure the environment is an issue at the forefront,'' he said. "It shouldn't be a political issue. It's a global issue. It's not bipartisan. It's nonpartisan.''

One of Crist's executive orders outlines a process for creating a state climate action plan. It would create a panel - called the Governor's Action Team on Energy and Climate Change - that will come up with a series of recommendations, which could result in more orders or proposed laws. It will issue its first report on Nov. 1, followed by another in October 2008.

Among other issues, the panel will look at creating a system where companies that can't meet the emission caps can trade for credits from other companies that are more energy efficient.

House Democratic leader Dan Gelber of Miami Beach said lawmakers will have to follow up the governor's executive orders with legislation to complete the effort to limit greenhouse gases.

"He's certainly trying to do all that's within his power,'' Gelber said. "I think it's up to the Legislature to follow his leadership, and it's my hope that we do.''

Although some of Crist's moves may be controversial, Gelber said the governor's strong backing of the initiative will provide a lot of political momentum.

"There will be some push back from some of the larger industries that have a good amount of sway in Tallahassee,'' Gelber said. "But I think the governor's megaphone is a lot louder than anyone else's.''

To read the article online, click HERE

Florida Plan Will Focus on Emissions and Climate

FELICITY BARRINGER
Published: July 12, 2007

Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida has drafted a series of executive orders to slow climate change and cut the state’s emission of heat-trapping gases by more than 25 percent, to 1990 levels, over the next 18 years. By 2050, the goal is to cut emissions to one-fifth of those levels.

One order would require state officials to find ways to cut emissions from tailpipes and smokestacks. Another would set new energy-efficiency standards for state buildings and cars and require that 20 percent of the state’s electric power eventually came from renewable sources "with a strong focus on solar and wind energy." Current federal calculations show that Florida gets 2 percent of its electricity from such sources, down from 2.9 percent in 1990.

Whether Mr. Crist, a popular Republican, can single-handedly mandate strict new controls on electric utilities and other industries remains to be seen.

At least one major initiative on Mr. Crist’s agenda copying California’s requirements for reducing vehicle emissions could not take effect under current federal regulations because Florida is not eligible to adopt such strict rules. Also, the orders of one governor can be nullified by a successor and may provide problematic underpinnings for policies reaching four decades into the future.

Mr. Crist’s moves are intended to put him and his state in the company of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, Gov. Jon S. Corzine of New Jersey, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York and other state and local officials who have taken steps to slow climate change and moved into a regulatory arena the Bush administration has largely shunned.

Congress is considering a variety of climate-change measures, but none have the support to be enacted.

Florida, with 18 million people, is the country’s fourth-most-populous state. Its low landscape makes it particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and dangerous storms that might result from warmer air and oceans. Many homeowners already face difficulties getting insurance.

Legal experts for the Legislature, which is out of session until next year, have begun examining Mr. Crist’s proposals.

The governor’s office has released drafts of three executive orders, to be signed this week at the end of a state-sponsored climate-change conference. They rely on the authority of the state’s environmental laws and expand the reach of these laws.

Nonetheless, Mr. Crist made it clear in an interview yesterday that he was an enthusiastic recruit to the state-by-state push on climate issues that has been midwifed by major environmental groups like Environmental Defense and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Mr. Crist said he did not expect serious opposition from utilities in Florida, where 28 percent of the electricity is produced by coal, a fuel that produces high levels of heat-trapping gases. Florida regulators have recently rejected two proposals for coal-fired plants.

"I’ve been pleasantly surprised by people in the utility industry wanting to explore wind and solar and nuclear," Mr. Crist said in a telephone interview. "That’s very encouraging to me. They see what’s happening and the momentum and energy behind this issue" which, he said, is "moving like a juggernaut."

Environmental officials embraced Mr. Crist’s actions. Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense, said, "With Governor Crist saying he’s in favor of real caps that guarantee emissions go down, it adds momentum to the effort to get Congress to get off the dime and catch up with the states."

Mayco Villafana, a spokesman for Florida Power & Light, the state’s biggest utility and a unit of a business that is one of the country’s main wind-power developers said "we applaud the governor" and added, "It appears right now that coal is not the energy source that regulators or the governor are looking at."

But the enthusiasm of a major business lobbyist was muted.

"We want to support the governor as much as we can," said Barney Bishop, chief executive of the Associated Industries of Florida. "But what will it cost? Are citizens and businesses willing to pay for that? Is it going to make us uncompetitive?"

To read the article online, click HERE

Call to action kicks off climate change summit

By BY JOE FOLLICK
Sun Tallahassee Bureau

MIAMI - With repeated examples of just how far he's distanced himself from his party's past and present, Republican Gov. Charlie Crist opened up a two-day conference Thursday on global warming with warnings that the cost of inaction was too great to ignore any longer.

"Drought, endangered agriculture, violent storms and changing sea levels - and their impact on Florida's economy - these are just a few of the reasons why we must take action,'' Crist said. "We cannot be so foolish to think that our natural resources are inexhaustible - or that the exhaust from our energy plants and vehicles has no impact on our environment.''

Crist is expected to sign executive orders today enacting tougher vehicle emissions standards, requiring utilities to use more renewable energy sources like wind and solar power and targeting overall reduction of greenhouse gases in the state.

While representatives of Germany and the United Kingdom stood with Crist to support his efforts at a news conference, no official from the federal government appeared with him or is scheduled to speak this week. Crist is expected to sign a pact with the United Kingdom today vowing cooperation to combat global warming.

"I wasn't particularly surprised'' to see no federal government representatives, said John Ashton, the special representative for climate change from the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office. "What I see is an awful lot of energy from Florida itself and that's what I'm here to support.''

Crist credited a visit earlier this year from Terry Tamminen, the former environmental leader under California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, for sparking the executive orders and this week's meeting. Tamminen said he doesn't expect the federal government to battle global warming until President George W. Bush leaves office in 2009. "I have no faith the feds will act any time soon. In fact, the feds are in our way,'' he said, referring to the Bush administration's insistence that California's emissions law requires federal approval.

Robert Kennedy Jr., an environmental author and attorney, was invited to speak Thursday afternoon by Crist. The son and nephew of two Democratic political icons devoted most of his 50-minute speech to blasting Bush.

Kennedy blamed the costly war in Iraq on the need for oil and said Congress and Bush were "indentured servants'' of the oil and coal industries, saying the nation's reputation in the world had been "drained dry from monumental arrogance and incompetence.''

He accused the Bush administration of a "concerted effort to eviscerate 30 years of environmental laws'' and said it "used all kinds of ingenious machinations to conceal its radical agenda from the American people.''

Crist, who occasionally clapped mildly when the audience of more than 500 applauded parts of Kennedy's speech, declined to comment on the rough critique of the GOP president.

"He has the right to say what he wants,'' Crist said.

Kennedy had strong praise for Schwarzenegger and Crist.

"We need leaders like Charlie Crist, who is willing to look beyond ideology and say, 'I have a larger responsibility to this state, to my nation,' '' Kennedy said.

Schwarzenegger is scheduled to speak today as the meeting wraps up.

Crist's actions may get a mixed reception in the Legislature. While Crist said lawmakers don't have to change laws to enact his executive orders, some legislators said they do.

Opinions were varied on whether Crist went too far in enacting sweeping changes that could cost taxpayers in the coming years with higher utility rates and/or state spending.

Crist upset some lawmakers in January when he appointed a member of the state's utility commission before senators reminded him that they had that authority.

He also bypassed the Legislature by pushing changes through the Florida Cabinet to allow felons released from prison to automatically regain civil rights.

"I think there's a feeling among some legislators that the governor is overreaching again,'' said Rep. Dave Murzin, R-Pensacola. "I don't think the Florida House would approve the executive orders. . . . It will cost hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars to the citizens of the state of Florida. Once they get wind of that, they're going to call their state (representative) and say, 'What are you doing to me?' ''

Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, said there is a limit to how much lawmakers will give a popular, new governor.

"Everybody gets their honeymoon year,'' he said. "After that, you've got problems."

"I think it's very courageous,'' Bennett said of the goals for greenhouse gas reductions. "I question how attainable it is with the current technology we have.''

Rep. J.C. Planas, R-Miami, said he agreed with "most of what's in the executive orders'' and said Crist had to act when lawmakers didn't. "There is sentiment among the public that wants this,'' he said of Crist's orders. "That's what lawmakers' primary concern should be.''

Again, as they have with a number of Crist's actions this year, it was Democrats who provided the most solid support.

"There is some powerful pushback this effort will receive,'' said House Minority Leader Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach. "He's gone a little bit out on a limb on this. But I also think he's got an incredible amount of political capital. I'm very happy he's spending it here.''

Sarasota Herald-Tribune reporter Anna Scott contributed to this story.

To read the article online, click HERE

In my opinion, Sustainability Communities must urge their Congressmen and Senators to create, sponsor Legislation, which establish Legislative measures to begin limiting green house gas emmissions from commercial transportation vehicles and obvious production technology, which may be improved without exorbitant expense. For example, in the commercial trucking industry, in my opinion, by 2009 all Commercial Trucks must, "must" be required to install auxiliary power units on all commercial trucks in order to enable the prohibition of idling of commercial vehicles while the commercial truck is stopped and Driver resting or in a temporary pause for map evaluation or other temp stops. The idling is costing large commercial trucking companies at a 1 million dollars per day and more in fuel costs just for truck idling. How much green house gasses are created by commercial truck idling?

I strongly believe that Truckers have the right to keep themselves cool in summer months and warm in winter months, however, idling a large diesel engine in order to keep the small cab and sleeper-birth of a commercial truck cool or warm is very irresponsibly-extravagant. In my opinion, strick measures must be established as soon as possible of with regards to commercial truck idling! I support Al Gore's efforts 100% to build awareness regarding pollution and green house gas problems, however, next step plans must be realistically established and set in motion of the establishment of production systems upgrade goals and new Legislation, which enable and facilitate immediate next step efforts to revitalize, modernize, Greenizate the Traditional Industrial Complex.

If responsibilities continue on the behalf of the Industrial Complex to allow old production technologies to continue to pollute and emit high levels of green house gasses, in my opinion, the Industrial Complex, at some point in time, in the near future will be negligent of Genocide.

Sincerely,
Ross McClelland

Schwarzenegger: States need to push Washington on climate change

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON
Associated Press Writer

States can push Washington to do more to prevent climate change and critics who argue that protecting the environment hurts the economy are "bogus," California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Friday.

Speaking at a summit organized by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Schwarzenegger also said the climate change issue shouldn't be political and is one Republicans can embrace.

"There is no Democratic planet Earth. There is no Republican planet Earth. There's just a planet Earth and we all have a responsibility to take care of it," Schwarzenegger told the crowd of 600.

Crist called the two-day summit to look at the effects of climate change and what can be done to reduce greenhouse gases. He ended the summit by signing orders that will require state agencies to conserve energy and power companies to use more renewable energy.

During his speech, Schwarzenegger acknowledged the perception that Republicans haven't been as strong on environmental issues.

"For me to be in the middle of all this is really wild, because three-and-a-half years ago when I ran for governor, I had environmental protesters following me around saying 'He's a Republican! Please stop! Don't vote for him! He's going to destroy the environment!" Schwarzenegger said.

But now, California is a leader on efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which are blamed for causing the earth's temperatures to rise. He noted the state's use of solar energy and hydrogen fuel and its push for more stringent emissions standards for vehicles.

"We have proven that Republicans can, in fact protect the environment," he said.

Crist ordered the state's Department of Environmental Protection to adopt California's auto emissions standards as soon as the federal Environmental Protection Agency grants California permission to impose them.

California has been battling the EPA for two years to get permission to implement a state law that would require automakers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mainly carbon dioxide, by 25 percent from cars and 18 percent from sport utility vehicles by the 2009 model year. Crist said he is willing to join California if it sues the EPA.

"I'm very proud to see another governor wanting to join the growing number of states that are not looking to Washington for leadership anymore," Schwarzenegger said.

He said that auto makers and others who say guarding the environment is bad for the economy are just wrong.

"This is all bogus, because we won't have an economy if we destroy our environment," Schwarzenegger said. "We can grow the economy and still simultaneously protect the environment. It's not a choice, it's not either or; the two go hand in hand."

He capped his remarks with one of the catch phrases from his acting days.

"We have to say 'Hasta la vista, baby' to greenhouse gasses," he said.

Earlier, Theodore Roosevelt IV told attendees that addressing climate change will create economic opportunities.

"We all need to recognize the linkage between sound financial decisions and better environmental and social performance," said Roosevelt, great-grandson of the former president and managing director of the investment bank Lehman Brothers.

"The future is bright. We can create jobs. America can regain the leadership in the world on this incredibly important issue," Roosevelt said.

Later, as Crist prepared to sign his executive orders, Schwarzenegger said, "In this case actions speak louder than words" and that Crist "is another great action hero."

Crist also signed agreements with the United Kingdom and Germany to cooperate on efforts to stop climate change, including sharing technology and information.

Meanwhile in Washington, Democratic Sens. Bill Nelson of Florida and Barbara Boxer of California said they would sponsor legislation to try to force federal environmental officials to rule on California's new stricter auto emissions standards.

Crist wants Florida to match California's limits, but Nelson said in a statement that Florida can't move forward until the federal Environmental Protection Agency approves the California plan. Nelson also said 11 other states are waiting on the EPA to approve the California rules.

To read this article online, click HERE

Radio Program Blossoms, Wins Awards
"Gardening in a Minute" recognized for communication excellence

Submitted by Tom Wichman, Florida Master Gardener Coordinator

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- University of Florida Extension’s newest radio program, "Gardening in a Minute," and its companion Web site have been educating and entertaining Floridians only since October 2006, but have already racked up five prestigious national communication awards.

"We’ve heard from our listeners that they get a lot out of the show, but it’s also nice to be recognized by our peers," said host Tom Wichman.

The program is written in a friendly and fun style that appeals to both amateur and experienced gardeners, covering such topics as lawn care, flower planting, watering, and fertilizing. There are also shows about outdoor living, garden-related crafts, hurricane preparation and recovery, and coping with drought.

"Americans love to garden," said Wichman, who is also the primary content reviewer for the program and the state Master Gardener coordinator. "And we think this format is a great way to get people interested in the latest University of Florida research information."

Three out of four American households own some kind of yard or garden, according to the Garden Writers Association. In fact, Florida’s green industrywhich encompasses all lawn– and gardening–related businesscontributed $15.2 billion to the state economy in 2006. And research shows that gardeners are not only willing to spend to get the landscapes they want, they are also voracious seekers of gardening-related information.

Each "Gardening in a Minute" show refers the audience to county Extension offices and the "Gardening in a Minute" Web site, www.gardeninginaminute.com. Both and the program and the Web site emphasize "Florida-friendly" gardening practices, which impact the unique Florida environment as little as possible.

The radio program and its Web site have been recognized for providing quality information in a user-friendly format by the American Society for Horticultural Science; the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association; the National Association for County Agricultural Agents; and the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences.

"Gardening in a Minute" airs every weekday on NPR stations in nineteen counties in North Central Florida, and will be expanding to other stations in the near future.

Produced by WUFT-FM in Gainesville, it can be heard on that station and WJUF-FM in Inverness during the 2 o’clock hour and again at 6:18 p.m. It’s sponsored by the University of Florida Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology.

For more information about "Gardening in a Minute," contact Sarah Graddy, Sr. Information Specialist: sgraddy@ufl.edu / (352) 392-1831 x218.

 

UF's Cooperative Garden has grown over 35 years

By DAVID HACKETT
Campus correspondent

An Asian woman wearing a coolie walks down the path, straw basket clutched in her arms. A few feet away, an Indian man leans against a post, his cultured voice relating a story to an elderly American couple in the late-afternoon heat. Butterflies flitter and bugs abound in this little outdoor United Nations that is the University of Florida's Cooperative Garden.

For more than 35 years, students, professors, graduates and local residents have been gathering around these 10-by-25-foot plots to discuss the secrets of squash and the lore of lima beans. No one uses titles, or even last names; it's not about who you are or what you do, but what you grow.

The rules are simple: no pesticides or synthetic fertilizer. Everything must be grown using organic methods. While that may seem daunting to some, there is plenty of help on hand.

"When you join the co-op garden, you get more than the plot, you join a community of gardeners," said the garden's secretary, Julie Garrett.

And a most diverse community it is. Asians, Africans, Europeans, Latin Americans and U.S. citizens all work shoulder to shoulder to maintain the gardens. Unlike the actual U.N., there is little bickering, said garden plot coordinator Ginny Campbell. There are no political agendas, cultural rivalries or oil embargoes. The only competition is for a fair share of the compost and the black gold of fertilizers, manure.

The gardeners regularly trade techniques, recipes and bumper crops of produce.

"When something is in season, it's in season, so you share with your friends and neighbors," Campbell said.

With gardeners from so many different cultures present, there is a lot more than your usual tomatoes and cucumbers on the vine. Campbell has learned about six vegetables she'd never heard of since joining the co-op 17 years ago. The only verboten crops are the illegal ones - marijuana, for instance - as well as Chinese water spinach, which is invasive.

Members come before or after work to weed, water and just wind down. That is the true allure for many, the chance to downshift and get back in touch with the soil.

Mengde Cao has been coming to the gardens with his wife and 14-year-old daughter for three years for just that reason. Cao, who does lab work in gastroenterology for UF, will spend two to three hours on weekends working with the soil.

"It's a good activity to relax," Cao said.

Some members turn gardening into a family event. There is one plot set aside as a children's garden, complete with tables, child-size tools and sunflowers.

"It's great to see the kids playing together," Garrett said. "Kids from all different countries running through the sprinklers together."

The high season is spring. when plots usually sell out. Membership is semi-annual and tied to the school year. Ten dollars gets you a plot, loan of tools and materials, and access to a wealth of agricultural knowledge.

"Usually, right there in the garden, sometime during the week, there will be somebody who is an expert at almost anything that grows here," said retired UF botany professor David Anthony, 86.

Anthony is considered the patriarch of the gardens. He's been part of the co-op for more the 25 years.

"I'm almost older than the dirt," Anthony joked.

Like many other gardeners, he likes to mix vegetables and flowers in his beds. Flowers are his specialty. Anthony keeps up the community flowerbeds as well as his own two plots.

Pitching in is part of the price of joining the co-op. Every member is expected to join three work crews each semester. Grass needs to be cut, ditches cleaned, compost turned and structures maintained on the 100-plot, two-acre site.

Another group benefit is the semi-annual potluck dinner. when members come to share the fruits of their labors. Often, more than 50 members are in attendance.

The original garden was built in 1972 to honor Earth Day. This is its second incarnation. It was first located on Radio Road, but moved eight years ago to its present location on SW 23rd Terrace when UF converted the property on Radio Road to housing.

To read the article at The Gainesville Sun online, click HERE

State has long way to go to meet Crist's green goals

By BY LLOYD DUNKELBERGER
Sun Tallahassee Bureau

TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday proudly announced plans for the nation's largest waste-wood biomass power plant, which will be built in rural Liberty County.

The biomass project is an example of one of the key elements in the governor's far-reaching energy initiative. As a means of reducing greenhouse gases in Florida, Crist wants the state's utility companies to generate 20 percent of their power from renewable energy sources, like biomass or wind or solar power.

The project also underscores the gap between the governor's ambitious goal and what exists today in Florida.

With the Liberty County power plant, which should begin operating in 2011, Progress Energy Florida president Jeff Lyash said his company will have added the potential for 200 megawatts of renewable energy to its system in the last year alone. He also said Progress Energy only generates about 5 percent of its power from renewable sources.

The lack of renewable energy was highlighted in testimony before the Florida Public Service Commission on Thursday, where experts said Florida currently only has about 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy generation.

To reach the governor's goal, the state would have to increase renewable sources tenfold to account for 20 percent of the roughly 50,000 megawatts of power generated in Florida. In contrast, California, which has set a similar 20 percent goal, already generates about 11 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.

Nonetheless, Crist said the new biomass plant represents the "tremendous opportunities in going green.''

Progress Energy, the state's second-largest private utility company, will buy enough electricity from the 75-megawatt plant in Liberty County to power 46,000 homes. The plant, which will burn waste wood, yard trimmings and paper mill byproducts, will be built by Biomass Gas & Electric, an Atlanta-based company.

The plant's construction will avoid the need to burn 5 million tons of coal over a 20-year period.

"Government can't do it alone,'' Crist said at a press conference with Lyash. "These companies have stepped up to the plate. They're doing the right thing.''

But later in the day at the PSC, utility representatives were raising some cautions about the governor's sweeping energy plans.

Bob McGee, a representative for the Gulf Power Corp., said the state has to set realistic goals and timetables for renewable energy.

"I encourage us to be careful about how ambitious we are in setting that goal,'' he said. "It would certainly be a disincentive to set it too strongly.''

The utility representatives also urged the PSC to consider nuclear power as a "carbon free'' renewable energy source.

Progress Energy and Florida Power & Light, the state's largest utility, have advanced plans to build more nuclear plants in the state.

And Crist has said he sees nuclear power as a "clean'' energy source.

Tom Hartman, an FP&L representative, said wind, solar and energy efficiency initiatives should "play prominent roles'' in meeting the governor's goal of reducing greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide. But he said nuclear power may be the key.

"Our analysis showed that only by including large amounts of carbon-free electric generation made possible by nuclear energy does Florida have a realistic prospect of achieving the greenhouse gas emissions targets that we all want to achieve,'' he told the PSC.

In addition to nuclear, utility officials said the state should also consider energy-efficiency programs as another factor in meeting the greenhouse gas reductions.

Over the last 25 years, Lyash said Progress Energy has initiated energy savings programs - such as encouraging the use of more energy-efficient appliances - that have saved consumers $825 million and eliminated the potential for 7 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

"None of these solutions by themselves are adequate,'' Lyash said about the renewable energy options. "But a combination of those solutions will get us where we need to be.''

Barry Moline, representing the 34 public power companies in the state, said programs that save a kilowatt of electricity should be considered as valuable as a kilowatt generated by wind or solar energy.

"Why not go after both?'' he asked. "Why not go after every tool in the box?''

Under the governor's executive order, the PSC must begin developing a rule on renewable energy sources by Sept. 1. And highlighting the governor's keen interest in the issue, Chris Kise, one of Crist's top aides, appeared before the PSC.

Offering a rebuttal to criticism launched earlier this week by House Speaker Marco Rubio, who asserted Crist's energy initiatives could be bad for consumers and businesses, Kise cited the newly announced biomass plant in Liberty County.

Kise said it represents "an extraordinary opportunity economically and environmentally'' for the state. Kise also said Crist believes the goals outlined in his executive orders earlier this month are achievable.

"It can be done,'' Kise said. "All of it can be done.''

And some PSC members appear ready to act. Commissioner Nathan Skop dismissed a suggestion that a study should be conducted on the renewable energy issue.

"Let's stop the excuses and start putting some stuff in the ground,'' he said.

To read article online, click HERE

Just go green- it's cool and clean

By Danny Beaulieu
The Independant Florida Alligator- August 7, 2007

A couple days ago, I was roaming the aisles of Blockbuster searching for the perfect movie for the evening. As I scanned up and down the shelves of new releases, my inner dialogue sounded like, "Seen it. Seen it. I cannot believe they made a movie about gangsters and street dancing. Seen it." Then, on the bottom shelf I saw Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth."

Needless to say, about two hours later I had a "fix global warming" high. I began to wonder what I could do to help save the earth. I wondered, "What would Captain Planet do?" After all, he's my hero and is going to take pollution down to zero.

In all seriousness, as students we really can unite and take hold of the issue of global warming. UF researchers are already pioneering new technologies to cut down on energy consumption and promote sustainability. Gov. Charlie Crist recently approved $20 million for a sugar-cane biomass plant that will allow UF to develop new, renewable fuel resources. UF President Bernie Machen has done a remarkable job serving as an advocate for a green, sustainable campus. Our library won an award for being environmentally friendly.

How cool would it be if our student body adopted this cause as our own? What if we were known around the college world not only for our outstanding academics and athletics, but also for our dedication to keeping our campus lawns green and our air pure?

Our special circumstances as a college town allowed us to develop efficient mass transit systems. Because most students live within a couple miles of campus, we can ride our bikes or walk to class. We have the privilege to sit on the grass of the Plaza of the Americas and soak up the sun or rest in the shade of a nice tree. When I leave Gainesville in a couple years, I would like to move someplace where I can do the same thing. Our generation can use our buying power to enable future developments following the model set forth by our university.

Let's make our generation the one to use technology and better our culture. Let's be like Spiderman and use a scooter to get around when we can't use the bus or a bike. If you think your new Porsche is cool, ask Mary Jane about the down to earth sexiness exhibited by Peter Parker's scooter. You'll be trading in your shiny 911 Turbo that accelerates to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds for a hip, compact Vespa, knowing you will never accelerate from zero to 60 again. Mary Jane wouldn't find it particularly impressive if you finished in 3.6 seconds anyway.

Ultimately, we can find ways to cut down on our energy consumption. I think UF is doing a remarkable job in this aspect, and I am proud to attend such a progressively eco-friendly university. As students, we should speak up, show our support and make everyone so jealous of our campus's beauty they will adopt our policies of sustainability and conservation. I see green in our future, and, for once, it's not related to money. In the hallowed words of Dr. Seuss, "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

Danny Beaulieu is a junior majoring in philosophy. His column appears on Tuesdays.
To read the article online,

click HERE

 

Trash disposal rules go unheeded during moving time
THE CITY WILL PICK UP LARGE ITEMS IF NOTIFIED.

By THOMAS STEWART
Alligator Contributing Writer

With final exams looming and abbreviated leases leaving students homeless for days or even weeks, proper trash management is probably not high on students' lists of priorities.

The resulting situation is a collection of cluttered curbs and distended Dumpsters, mainly in student neighborhoods and apartment complexes.

During the three-week period going on now when students are moving in and out, about one and a half times the usual amount of trash is collected, said Steve Joplin, interim director of Gainesville's Solid Waste Division.

"Most of that extra bulk is from the student areas right around campus," he said.

The extra junk is not the only issue, though. Many students put trash in boxes and place them next to their garbage cans, Joplin said. Because it is not in the can, this garbage will not get picked up.

Then there are the larger items, such as desks and couches. These are eligible for free pickup by the city, but students should call ahead to make arrangements, he said. If they do not, the trash will not be collected.

If students are unsure about what to do with certain items, they should call the Solid Waste Division, Joplin said.

Throwing away unwanted household items is not the only option, though.

Dedee DeLongpre, director of UF's Office of Sustainability, recommended students consider selling or donating their old stuff.

"If it's something usable that you just can't take with you and it doesn't fit in your car, try to make the effort to get it to a thrift store so that somebody who needs it can actually use it," she said.

Places that take donations of usable household items include Haven Hospice Attic, The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Outreach Center, Goodwill Industries and Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network. Some of these places also offer free pickup services.

If students are looking for some extra cash, DeLongpre said, having a garage sale or listing the items on Craigslist.org or Facebook Marketplace are good options.

If something does end up in the trash, she said, students should pay attention to the city's rules. If they are disposing of something hazardous, such as a computer monitor or cell phone charger, they should bring it to the Alachua County Hazardous Waste Collection Center, 5125 NE 63rd Ave.

"The three R's are kind of tired," DeLongpre said, "but they really ring true when it comes to move-out: reduce, reuse, recycle. Try to think about, when you move in to a new place, what's going to happen with all the stuff that you're getting."

To read the article online, click HERE

Artists transform junk into artwork for local festival

By NOEL SANCHEZ
Alligator Contributing Writer

Kim Taylor approaches a pile of junk as though it's an arts-and-crafts project.

"I say, 'Hey, look at all these eggbeaters. I wonder what I could make with these,'" the Gainesville resident said.

The eggbeaters became a 1950s-inspired atomic clock. An old waffle iron became a jewelry box, and figurines that were once atop trophies are now hooks on a coat rack.

"I try to make an old thing even better than it ever was," she said.

Taylor gathered with other local artists to sell hand-made jewelry, clothing, paintings and other crafts Saturday at the Mamaw Menagerie festival at the Second Street Bakery.

The free event featured about 30 vendors, live music and activities such as face painting, a bounce house and a dunking booth.

Taylor, 32, sells her pieces at local stores and was excited that someone put together a local festival for artists to display their work, she said.

She writes a column for The Satellite Magazine called "The Sassy Crafter," in which she encourages people to think of interesting ways to reuse old materials and create art, she said.

"I try to have a recycling element drive the creations," she said.

Taylor, who also works as a writer for UF, thinks Gainesville has the capacity to have a strong artistic community like those found in bigger cities but said it would be on "a cozier scale."

Organizer Vanessa Crook, 20, said she and her friends planned Mamaw Menagerie after visiting a festival called the Grandma Party in Orlando, and it was designed to be an extension of that event.

"We felt there was a gap in Gainesville's artistic scene," she said.

Crook, who sold dresses and bottle-cap pins she made, said local art festivals are usually very exclusive and are geared toward fine arts students at the university or older, established artists.

Exhibitions charge a lot for booths, and participants must have an extensive portfolio to be included. At Mamaw, vendors were charged $30, she said.

"People our age don't always have the money or portfolio, but their art is still valid," she said.

Crook said about 1,000 people attended the festival throughout the day, and she was impressed by the participants' enthusiasm and by the dedication vendors and musicians put into the event.

Crook, who is from Gainesville but will be attending the University of Texas soon, said she plans to continue the event in the future, whenever she and her friends can get together again.

"We wanted a place where people can be silly about what they do," she said.

To read the article online, click HERE

Cost-cutting team formed

By KIM WILMATH
Alligator Writer

The force is with us.

And after the Cost Reduction and Efficiency Task Force meets for the first time this month, students might begin to feel the strain of UF's $20 million to $30 million debt.

In a memo sent to UF deans, directors and department chairs Wednesday, UF President Bernie Machen announced the members of a task force that will find places to cut from UF's budget.

After the startup date for a program that would have raised tuition by a maximum 15 percent was pushed to fall 2008, UF lost out on about $2.7 million, which it was hoping to use to provide better resources for students.

At the June meeting of the Board of Trustees, UF's highest governing body, Machen announced UF was in the red.

The Cost Reduction and Efficiency Task Force will look for ways to trim UF's expenditures, increase revenue and find new revenue opportunities.

The group includes William A. McCullough, senior associate dean in the Warrington College of Business; Joe Glover, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Ed Poppell, vice president for UF business affairs; Student Body President Ryan Moseley and five other faculty members.

The memo also named Kyle Cavanaugh, the senior vice president for UF administration, as chairman.

A July memo from Machen mentioned a list of penny-pinching ideas for the task force to discuss.

The list included reducing energy and utility expenses, implementing more energy conservation, "outsourcing specific functions and activities" of UF and using electronic delivery for some previously printed and mailed publications.

A report from the Physical Plant Division stated UF is also cutting energy expenditures to save extra money.

UF spokesman Steve Orlando said reducing energy costs is nothing new for UF.

Though the debt will soon cause cuts all over campus, he said working toward more efficient energy use has been an ongoing effort.

In a July interview, UF Provost Janie Fouke said another possibility could be implementing an incentive program to encourage students to take more credit hours.

Each credit hour costs $112.33.

The requirement for 12 credit hours would not change, but UF might offer rewards to students who take more hours, such as better chances at football tickets or priority course registration, she said.

To read the article online, click HERE

Library becomes second to get gold in 'green' rating

By THOMAS STEWART
Alligator Contributing Writer

Light-years away from its days of asbestos and lead-based paint, Library West is now officially recognized as one of the most environmentally progressive buildings on campus.

Bahar Armaghani, assistant director of UF's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, said last month the library became the second building on campus to attain the gold certification level, which is the second-highest level, in the LEED Green Building Rating System.

The first UF building to receive gold certification was Rinker Hall.

The LEED Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, is a credit-based system that evaluates the environmental sustainability of a building. It rates buildings on a 69-credit scale.

Buildings need 39 points to attain gold certification, and Library West and Rinker Hall got 40 credits each. To reach the highest level of certification, platinum, each building would need to accumulate at least 52 credits.

All the materials used inside the library, including the paint, carpet, sealant and adhesive, contain little or no volatile organic compounds, which emit toxic fumes, Armaghani said in a phone interview.

"That's the main thing about green building - it focuses, really, on indoor air quality," she said.

Even so, the library racked up $435,411.20 worth of electricity, water and wastewater charges last year, according to records provided by John Lawson, coordinator at the Physical Plant Division. That works out to about $36,000 per month.

The building, Armaghani said, is about 30 percent more energy efficient than it would be if it were built to Florida Building Code standards.

That is probably not the reason people flock to the library, though. Armaghani has another theory. Seventy-five percent of the occupied space gets daylight, she said, and 90 percent is awarded an outside view.

Studies have proven, she said, that places with natural light and views of the outside increase the occupants' performances.

"That's why Library West is always packed. I guess it's a nice place to go," Armaghani said.

To read the article online, click HERE

Antidiscrimination ad features UF president

By KIM WILMATH
Alligator Writer

UF President Bernie Machen was included in a full-page, antidiscrimination advertisement in The New York Times on Wednesday along with about 400 universities.

The ad, paid for by the American Jewish Committee, stated that Britain's University and College Union's boycott of Israeli academic institutions is wrong.

The union, which represents 120,000 instructors, voted in May to urge members to "consider their future relationships and exchanges with Israeli academics," according to a June article in The Times.

The vote did not impose a direct boycott.

The statement, "Boycott Israeli Universities? Boycott Ours, Too!" was boxed in by the names of hundreds of British, American and Israeli universities.

According to a letter underneath the statement, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger wrote that snubbing Israeli universities would block "enlightenment, empathy, and a much-needed international marketplace of ideas."

UF spokesman Steve Orlando said UF endorsed the ad to take a stand against discrimination. He said it was not meant to antagonize any Israel-opposing groups.

To read this article online, click HERE

Bikes and buses popular ways for getting around town

By HOLLY GIBBS
Alligator Contributing Writer

Charles Roop / Alligator Staff
Buses pass through the Reitz Union bus stop on July 25. Incoming students might find themselves in the midst of some scary new places, but getting around Gainesville shouldn't be scary at all.

The city and UF have developed a number of ways for students to get around town and campus, whether or not you have a car.

Among the easiest and most cost-effective methods of getting around town is taking the Regional Transit System buses.

RTS routes to every major apartment complex in Gainesville are available, and buses go downtown, to the mall and to campus seven days a week. UF students can ride the bus for free with their Gator 1 Card.

RTS also offers the Later Gator service, with four routes that take students downtown and back Thursday through Saturday from 8 p.m. until 2:20 a.m. This free service aims to provide students with a safe, sober ride home.

Gator Aider, another RTS service, provides rides to and from Gators football games. The route drops riders off at the stadium on game days and returns them to one of three Park-n-Ride locations. The charge is $5 per game or $20 for a season pass. Gator Aider is also available for Gator Growl.

UF also offers a service for students who need to get around campus after dark called the Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol, or SNAP. SNAP provides escorts upon request and is staffed by students under the supervision of UPD. Students can call 392-SNAP from 6:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. to get anywhere around campus for free.

Biking is also a popular means of getting around campus. The Transportation and Parking Services Web site recommends either hybrid bicycles, which can be used on paved roads and also for trail riding, or folding bicycles, which can easily be stored in small places.

"I use my bicycle to get around campus because it's the best way to do it," said Richard Drake, WUFT FM's Voice of the Arts. "Parking is so bad, and it's cheaper to ride my bike."

To read this article online, click HERE

University of Florida Turning Green

A building, is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. Green buildings are measured according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™. LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings and gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: site planning, water management, energy management, material use, indoor air quality, and innovation and design process. The University of Florida is one of the few organizations nationwide to take on the challenge of constructing a new breed of buildings, and UF has been leading the way by example to demonstrate its commitment to save andprotect the environment and provide its occupants health and comfort.

UF’s first green building, M.E. Rinker Sr. Hall, serves the students of the School of Building Construction, the nation’s oldest and most recognized program of this type. Accommodating 450 students, the building includes a mix of classrooms, teaching labs, construction labs, faculty and administrative offices, and student facilities. Rinker Hall incorporates a range of green building features and, in 2004, achieved a LEED Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. Rinker was the first LEED Gold certified building in the state of Florida and the 26th overall in the U.S. Since 2001 UF has adopted LEED for all new construction and major renovations. In January 2006 UF renewed its commitment to sustainable construction and delivering greener buildings by raising the bar and making minimum LEED certification level for all its new construction and major renovation to be silver.

To read online, and see the entire article, click HERE

UF to hire 200 faculty, 100 advisers over duration of Tuition Differential Program
By KIM WILMATH, Alligator Writer

The 15 new faculty positions announced by UF President Bernie Machen on Thursday will not affect the hiring of the professors and academic advisers promised by the Tuition Differential Program, said a UF official Sunday.

UF Provost Janie Fouke said administrators cannot begin the search for applicants because UF doesn’t know the exact amount of money that will come from the program.

UF spokesman Steve Orlando said UF would eventually hire 200 faculty members and 100 advisers over the duration of the program.

"That was our goal initially - to hire more faculty and advisers so students could get a better overall experience," Orlando said.

The Tuition Differential Program will allow UF to incrementally raise tuition up to 40 percent over four years, so long as it does not exceed 15 percent, a little more than $500, per year.

The 15 new hires would fill positions for high-demand courses, such as chemistry, botany, physiology and English, Orlando said.

Fouke said after UF analyzes how much money the program will bring in, professors will be hired for the courses with the worst teacher to student ratios.

UF has just recently begun looking at those demands, she said, and it could take six months to a year to fill the positions.

Though Fouke said the promise of more money from the Tuition Differential Program is exciting, it won’t solve all UF’s problems.

She said the program would only replace about half of what UF had to cut from its budget this year.

The Cost Reduction Efficiency Task Force proposed a budget reduction of $30 million to $34 million. Fouke said the Tuition Differential Program would probably only bring in about $17 million.

"We’re not getting ahead here," she said with a laugh. "If we were a high-tuition school, percent would be a way to talk about it. We’re talking about tiny numbers in terms of dollars."

In terms of tuition costs, Florida is at the bottom, Fouke said, and that affects the quality of education.

UF ranked as having the lowest in-state tuition on USA Today’s 2006 College and Tuition Fees Survey.

She said she wants to make sure people realize UF isn’t simply adding 200 new professors. It’s only replacing some who have left or have been cut.

Fouke said the increase is a step in the right direction.

"I don’t want anyone to think we’re not grateful for the Tuition Differential Program," she said. "It begins to recognize that UF is playing in a different league."

To read the article online, click HERE

UF diversity improved slightly
By KIM WILMATH, Alligator Writer

Though the diversity of this year's freshmen class barely tops last year's, UF President Bernie Machen said he's satisfied with the slight improvement.

Out of 6,700 freshmen, 13 percent are black, 15 percent are Hispanic, 10 percent are Asian and 59 percent are white, he told Faculty Senate on Thursday. The final headcount of enrolled students will be taken in three weeks.

"It meets the goal of trying to make our freshmen class as diverse as we can," Machen said at his State of the University Address.

This year's statistics almost match those from the first day of school in fall 2006. Of the 6,760 freshmen that year, 13 percent were black, 14 percent were Hispanic, 8 percent were Asian and 59 percent were white.

In an interview before the meeting, Machen said the success of the Florida Opportunity Scholars Program contributed to UF's diversity the past two years. The program is a scholarship for students who are the first in their families to attend college

The problem accepted 434 students last academic year, most of whom were minorities.

Machen said this year's enrollment freeze, prompted by UF's crippling debt, has hindered efforts to increase diversity.

"Until we solve the problem of having more resources for faculty, I don't think there's much that will change," he said.

There's no "magic number" of minority students UF strives to admit, said Zina Evans, director of admissions.

She said race and gender are not considered during application reviews. UF can only try to diversify the applicant pool, which would increase the chances of admitting a more diverse class.

Diversity is important because students learn better when they're exposed to people from other cultures and backgrounds, Evans said.

Despite the numbers, some students are content with the level of diversity at UF.

"I heard that this might be a snobby school," said Stella Sadiku, a pharmacy sophomore from Nigeria. "But there's a good many black organizations to join."

She said she was surprised at how inclusive UF was, and said she's met many other Nigerian students in clubs.

Sadiku said UF may not be as multicultural as it could be, but it doesn't bother her.

"Everybody's smart here," she said. "No matter what color or what they look like."

To read the article online, click HERE

UF ethanol plant to use sugarcane, storm debris as fuel

By KORI FREDERICK, Alligator Writer

Florida's sweet sugarcane industry will feed UF's newest venture into environmentally safe ethanol production.

UF received $20 million from the Florida Legislature earlier this summer to build the state's first plant that creates ethanol from biomass. It is now negotiating with two companies for the location of the plant's host site: Florida Crystals in South Bay and the Buckeye Corporation in Perry, located in North Florida. The site will be fully operational in February 2009, said Mary Duryea, associate dean for research at UF's Food and Agricultural Sciences. Cellulosic ethanol, which UF plans to produce at its plant, is a better fit for the state of Florida than the more common ethanol made from corn, said Lonnie Ingram, a UF microbiology professor. The ethanol can be made from sugarcane residue, hurricane debris and the inedible portions of plants, such as stems and leaves, Ingram said.

The process, created by Ingram, is different than current methods of producing cellulosic ethanol because it uses genetically altered organisms, such as E. coli, to break down plant matter.

"Sometimes corn gets a bum rap," Ingram said. "That shouldn't be the case. All ethanol is good ethanol. We are just doing something that fits what we can produce in terms of biomass."

The plant will conduct large-scale research on cellulosic ethanol production to test its practical applications, said Eric Wachsman, director for the Florida Institute for Sustainable Energy at UF. Investors will visit the plant to see if they are willing to risk mass-producing the technology, Wachsman said.

The plant is intended to reduce the nation's dependence on corn-based ethanol. Producing the 160 billion gallons of ethanol needed per year would require 472 billion ears of corn and use 37 million acres. If the entire state of Iowa, the nation's leading producer of corn, were converted into one giant cornfield, it would still be more than a thousand miles short of the acreage needed to replace gas with ethanol completely.

The United States produced 4.89 billion gallons of ethanol in 2006, according to ethanol.org, which is run by the American Coalition for Ethanol. This is equivalent to about 3 percent of the country's total gasoline consumption. The United States uses 140 billion gallons of gas per year.

UF has been in the process of going green with ethanol use for several years. On Aug. 31, the university opened its first ethanol fuel station. The pump cost UF $34,000, said Jonathan Priest, the motor pool superintendent. It uses E85 ethanol, a blend of 85 percent pure ethanol and 15 percent unleaded gasoline. E85 is the most commonly used form of ethanol.

Ethanol is currently produced in three forms: E10, E85 and ethanol. The latter is 100 percent pure

The university has two electric-powered cars, 12 hybrids, 50 ethanol vehicles and 36 biodiesel vehicles, Priest said. UF gets all its fuel from an independent company that supplies gas to the Gainesville area, but it often uses the biodiesel produced on campus.

UF used 7,815 gallons of ethanol on campus this year.

"Hopefully the use and production of ethanol will continue to go up on campus," Priest said.

Sara Hutton, a wildlife ecology and conservation junior, said she was excited that the university had found a way to produce ethanol in a more environmentally safe manner. Ethanol production using corn has a more severe effect on the environment and the state’s limited resources.

"UF has a great plan," she said. "They are trying to improve technology."

To read the article online, click HERE

New RTS bus stop offers amenities, controversy
By APRIL DUDASH, Alligator Writer

The new Regional Transit System bus station on Southeast Third Street offers new amenities for its passengers, including public restrooms, a covered waiting area and an information booth.

However, some view the new station, which opened Monday, as a way for RTS to distance itself from the growing homelessness issue in downtown Gainesville.

Homeless advocate and former City Commission candidate Pat Fitzpatrick said the property used for the new station should have been preserved for the downtrodden.

"They should have taken that land down there and built a safe space for the homeless," he said.

However, Jon DeCarmine, director of the Alachua County / City of Gainesville Office on Homelessness, said he used to believe there was a link between the new station and the homeless issue, but said the plan to move that station had been in the works for many years.

He said the new station would help clear up any lingering notions about people around the station.

"People automatically assumed anyone hanging around the old station was homeless," he said. "Moving the station would clear some of that up."

RTS Director Jesus Gomez said the new station has nothing to do with the homeless.

He said the new downtown station is safer and has a better atmosphere, whereas the old downtown station presented safety hazards when buses double-parked due to lack of space. The station cost about $1.8 million and took about ten years to complete.

Gomez said the project was funded by $800,000 from the Federal Transit Administration, $500,000 from the city and $500,000 from the Florida Department of Transportation.

All the routes have been tweaked because of the location change. Many of the buses no longer go by the old station. RTS Marketing and Communications Specialist Theresa Harrison said Routes 5 and 15 still drop off passengers at the eastbound side of Downtown Plaza.

According to the RTS Web site, there were about 353,000 city bus passengers in June.

RTS is experiencing a full load of passengers now that fall semester has started, Gomez said.

RTS hopes to meet its long-term goal of providing 230 in-service buses to the city. Right now, there are about 100 in service, he said.

Even with the new station, RTS wants to expand. An increasing number of universities have campus bus stations, he said.

"We're working with UF to have a transfer station on campus," Gomez said about their future plans.

To read the article online, click HERE

Gainesville more than bars, ball games and Butler Plaza

By ALISON POSEY, Speaking Out

For many, Gainesville is just a temporary home while these individuals seek their degree -- a town just small enough so you still have that "down home feel," yet big enough so Saturday nights aren't spent glued in front of a television watching reruns of "Law and Order." However, you can always hear the constant grumblings of students who are sick of the club scene and have walked through the Oaks Mall one too many times.

To me, Gainesville is home. Being raised in The Gator Nation grants me constant bragging rights. Not only am I a student here and therefore a Gator, but I am also a Gainesvillian. I am proud to be a local, and I am proud to represent the 352. I am honored to be called an ACR - Alachua County Resident, for all who are clueless on the local lingo.

When you pack up your bags and go home for the summer, I am still here, basking in The Gator Nation's glory. So when you hear the jeers about what a "lame" town this is and how no student cares about the local flavor of Gainesville, take a step back and see the bigger picture.

Although nearly 50,000 of the 108,655 people, according to the U.S. Census 2006 population estimate, who inhabit this city are students, others live here as well -- from children to the elderly, and even families.

You see, Gainesville isn't that much different from any other town, except that we have a top-notch university and community college that are academic and athletic forces to be reckoned with.

I bet if you would stop whining about how bored you are and step outside of your apartment - other than to go to class and to get your groove on at clubs and parties - you would see that Gainesville really isn't any different than where you are from. We have high schools just like you that win state championships in numerous sports. We have local restaurants with amazing menus ranging from Southern cooking to high-end fondue. Award-winning doctors work at Shands at UF. Visit one of our state parks, where any nature lover's fantasy will be satisfied.

Deep down, Gainesville isn't just any college town. Take a look around and venture in to what this city has to offer. Take a bite out of a Belgian waffle at locally-owned 43rd Street Deli. Stand under the lights at Citizens Field and reminisce about your high school days as local football teams battle it out to see which team will reign as city champ. Float down an icy, spring-water river at Ichetucknee Springs and witness the beauty of nature. Ride go-karts, rollerskate and play minigolf at Skate Station. College life is supposed to have a dab of fun thrown in, so don't waste every penny on nightlife when this city has so much more to offer.

Go explore. Venture into the unknown and appreciate the next few years of your life here in Gainesville. Although we "locals" could do without the hoards of students clogging the roadways, we have come to appreciate the diversity students bring to town. Realize that Gainesville is so much more than bars, Gators games and classes. Although we all appreciate these things, I challenge you to find something else to fall in love with in this wonderful city. Trust me, it's easy. I've been living here and surviving (imagine that!) for 20 years. I'm sure you can too.

Alison Posey is a junior majoring in telecommunications.
To read this article online, click HERE

Students for a Democratic Society protest UF's secrecy

By KIM WILMATH, Alligator Writer

Under the blazing midday sun Wednesday, about 50 members of Students for a Democratic Society marched from Turlington Plaza to Tigert Hall to give a letter to UF President Bernie Machen. It urged him to publicize UF's investment details.

SDS, a protest group known for activism during the 1960s, wants proof UF isn't investing in companies that fund the Iraq war, members said.

Steve Orlando, UF spokesman, said UF is already trying to give the group what it wants (transparency) when it wants it (now).

The UF Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for UF, collects money from private donors and invests it to earn more. The UF Investment Corporation oversees the investments, which increased from $585.7 million to $1.2 billion in the past four years, UF records show.

Orlando said both organizations financially support UF and are exempt from public records, which are mandated by Florida's Government in the Sunshine Law.

"In Florida, under sunshine laws, all public finance should be open to scrutiny," said Richard Gutierrez, UF English and history senior and organizer of the protest. "It's our money. This is a public university."

But no tuition money or regular state allocation funds could be invested, Orlando said. Only state grant money or private donations can be used.

UF bigwigs are working to prioritize socially responsible investments, he said.

Orlando said total openness could be problematic.

Money is moved to and from stocks every day, and it would be difficult to constantly update an investment list, Orlando said. Also, if UF listed its investments, many people might invest the same way, and UF's profits could go down.

The issue was discussed at the June meeting of the UF Board of Trustees, and is already on the agenda for September's meeting.

It's not soon enough for the protesters, who said they would give Machen and UF administrators two weeks to respond to their demands.

"We want to put a fire under them," said Gutierrez, adding that there's no reason to believe UF doesn't invest in war-supporting companies.

Gutierrez, who wore a shirt with "BERNIE, SHOW US THE LIGHT" stenciled on the front, said students have a right to see where their university's money is going.

"Each one of us is blind," he said, as protesters tied cloths over their eyes, symbolizing his point.

Protesters shuffled from Turlington past smirking spectators at the Plaza of the Americas, chanting, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, obscurity has got to go."

Many carried cardboard signs with "SHOW US THE CASH, B!" or "SHOW US THE NAKED TRUTH!" in bold letters. Others carried half-eaten Krishna lunches or flags of red and black - the traditional colors of anarchy, protesters said.

"Where is my money?" screamed one protester.

They marched up the steps of Tigert Hall, where Eugene Zdziarski, UF's dean of students; Brian Beach, Machen's assistant; and Jane Adams, vice president for UF relations, waited.

Machen was out for the day, they said.

As the protesters gathered on the steps, one asked, "How long will we stay here?" A few in the crowd laughed, answering, "One hour."

Wednesday's protest was a second attempt at urging Machen not to support the war. The SDS staged an anti-war protest in March, but Gutierrez said their goals were too ambiguous then.

"We want something concrete," he said.

Four protesters were escorted to Machen's reception area and gave the letter to Beach. He took it, thanked them and sent them on their way.
To read the article online, click HERE

 

Speakers to discuss business sustainability

By AMELIA BECK, Alligator Writer

UF will host two experts on environmentally friendly business strategies for The Business Case for Sustainability and UF Sustainability Showcase on Monday and Tuesday. L. Hunter Lovins and Bob Willard will address the ways in which businesses can benefit from eco-friendly practices. Doors will open for the first speech at 6 p.m., and speeches will begin at 7 p.m. in the Reitz Union Ballroom on Monday. As part of the showcase, nearly 30 student groups are registered to table at the Reitz Union before and after the presentation.

"Hunter and Bob are probably in the top 10 in the world on demonstrating the business case for sustainability," said Tim Center, director of the Council for Sustainable Florida. "The opportunity to have these folks available in a manner where they can answer questions from the audience will be instrumental in showing how businesses can implement sustainable practices."

Lovins is the president of Natural Capitalism Solutions, a nonprofit organization working to make global society more environmentally friendly. She is co-author of "Natural Capitalism," and has lectured extensively in over 15 countries and at numerous universities nationwide.

A leading expert on the business value of corporate sustainability strategies, Willard is the author of "The Sustainability Advantage: Seven Business Case Benefits of a Triple Bottom Line" and "The Next Sustainability Wave: Building Boardroom Buy-in." He has given presentations to corporations, governments, academics and national government organizations.

The Business Case for Sustainability is centered on the notion that businesses can profit in the long run from eco-friendly endeavors, said Ted Astleford, assistant director of Experiential Learning Programs in the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Warrington College of Business Administration.

Astleford said the showcase could give students knowledge of environmentally friendly techniques that will help them to be more marketable in the professional world.

"In the upcoming years, nothing is going to be more pressing and in-demand than people who are knowledgeable about turning companies green, about renewable energies and about defending the climate," he said.

The showcase, sponsored by UF's Office of Sustainability, the Warrington College of Business Administration, the Council for Sustainable Florida and Accent Speaker's Bureau, is free and open to the public.

An open-discussion forum for businesses in the private sector with at least one speaker will be held Tuesday at 8 a.m. The location is to be determined.

To read this article online, click HERE

 

Student wants clotheslines on campus; official argues it's a safety issue

By Kori Frederick, Alligator Writer

Some students enjoy the smell of fresh sun-dried laundry. Some students prefer to dry their laundry on a clothesline to protect against the wear and tear of the electric dryer. But, like anyone else who lives on the UF campus, Ricardo Brown-Salazar is unable to use a clothesline to dry his clothes.

According to UF housing regulations, drying clothes on clotheslines, fences, breezeways or on adjacent apartment building areas is not permitted. Brown-Salazar, a graduate student who lives in Tanglewood Village, believes the regulation contradicts the university's attempts to be more environmentally friendly.

Students are not allowed to erect clotheslines or use solar power to dry clothing outside of their own living areas.

"This policy is in place for a couple of reasons," said Rob Holland, graduate and family housing administrative coordinator. "The primary concern is safety. There's just so many different places that someone could set up a clothesline, and given the sheer volume of people living here, some with children, it's better just to ban them outright."

Holland also said the university is concerned that if every student wanted to put up a clothesline, the campus would quickly become cluttered with student laundry.

"The university takes great effort to have the look of its grounds and facilities give off a certain aura," he said. "It gives off a different look than what we're going for if there are clotheslines everywhere."

Brown-Salazar wants UF to change the policy. He said new energy-saving light bulbs had been installed in all the village housing, but residents were being forced to use energy-inefficient electric dryers.

Holland contended safety factors were more pressing than conserving energy.

"We aren't against saving energy," he said. "But if someone wants to save energy by using candles, obviously they can't; there's a safety element there. It's the same for the clotheslines."

Brown-Salazar has started a petition for his community, and he said he plans to submit it in less than one month to UF's housing officials.

He cited examples from Florida statutes that promote the use of solar drying. Those statutes don't apply to condominiums or apartment complexes though.

"The university is not keeping the spirit of that law though," he said.

Brown-Salazar got the go-ahead from the mayor of his village to petition UF housing to set up clotheslines. Not every unit needs a clothesline, but there should be a designated area on campus where students can line-dry their clothing, he said.

Holland said that students can use drying racks in their own apartments to dry their clothes. Additionally, he said that officials would be willing to take suggestions on how to address the issue.

"We always entertain suggestions and ideas from the students," he said. "Would we rule out looking at it again? If the situation was right, we would consider it. But since it is part of the contract, we aren't going to be quick to remove it either."

Brown-Salazar said he hopes the petition will impact housing officials.

"Everybody needs to sacrifice something if we want to do something to save the planet," he said. "This is a way to pay it back to the environment."

Tor read this article online, click HERE

New on-campus laundry machines more efficient, expensive

By MARLY FALCON, Alligator Contributing Writer

UF students who moved back to campus this August returned to a semester of new professors, new classes and a new laundry system.

Students living on campus during the last academic year paid only 75 cents to wash or dry their clothes. This semester, students are paying an extra 50 cents every time they use the machines.

The reason for the increase is new energy-efficient machines placed in 25 laundry rooms throughout campus, according to Sharon Blansett, assistant director of housing for marketing, public relations and research.
The new machines are designed to hold 20 pounds of laundry and use 15 gallons of water per wash, versus the older machines that only held 12 pounds of laundry and used 30 gallons of water per wash.

Even though it costs $1.25 for each cycle, students are only paying more because they are able to wash more with the increase in size of the machines. Students are still being charged 13 cents a pound to do laundry as they were before.

"When we looked around town, the new laundry prices are fairly standard," Blansett said. "There aren't many other places that have cheaper prices."

Another difference students may notice is that the new machines appear to be smaller than the older ones, since they are loaded from the front rather than the top.

Blansett said the key to making water-efficient machines is to compact them in size so that not much water is needed.

So far, the machines are running well throughout campus with the exception of a few glitches.

"We were having some of the dryers not running in the time they were supposed to run," said Heidi Lee, program assistant for maintenance service.

The new dryers should run for about 54 minutes before turning off, but some students have complained that machines have shut off early, Lee said.

Time problems were one of the main reasons for replacing the old dryers in the laundry rooms. Students constantly complained that dryers didn't run long enough and that the heat released by the machines was not always consistent.

To read this article online, click HERE

Geodesic dome nearing completion

By ELIZABETH HERNANDEZ, Alligator Contributing Writer

A environmentally friendly dome-shaped building, which also happens to serve as home for a Gainesville resident, is nearing completion.

Rod Rodriguez, whose lives in the geodesic dome in Southeast Gainesville, said he expects it to be finished by the end of the month. He built his home in the shape of a dome to make it energy-efficient and able to weather natural disasters.

"We decided on the geodome model because it is hurricane- and earthquake-resistant," Rodriguez said.

The building, located on Southeast Seventh Avenue, has been under construction for nine months. The dome is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to anyone who wants to stop by.

"Anyone can come in and take a shower or do laundry here," Rodriguez said. "One of my neighbors was unable to put in a washing machine because of her landlord’s restrictions, so she comes over and gets her laundry done."

When construction began on the dome, Rodriguez worked with a team of 12 people.

"When we first started, I would see those 55 triangle tiles piled by the tree. I couldn’t imagine it being finished, and especially in nine months," he said.

The UF chapter of Engineers Without Borders, which has helped with the project in the past, helped put the finishing touches on the dome on Saturday morning. Members of the group were clearing out an area for a shed, which will be used for storage.

To read this article online, click HERE

Businesses, students show up for sustainability showcase

By ANDREW JOUSTRA, Alligator Contributing Writer

Businesses must adopt environmentally friendly strategies to weather the "perfect storm" of water, energy, climate and pollution crises threatening the earth, an expert in sustainable business methods said.

Bob Willard joined L. Hunter Lovins, who runs a nonprofit organization that advises companies on eco-friendly business strategies, in speaking to guests of The Business Case for Sustainability and UF Sustainability Showcase on Monday evening.

Environmentally friendly businesses can outperform those that are not, said Willard, author of "The Sustainability Advantage: Seven Business Case Benefits of a Triple Bottom Line."

Businesses that are harmful to the environment face public relations crises and a lack of support from consumers, Willard said. In 2006, 20 percent of consumers began to invest in "green" companies, he said.

Lovins, the president of Natural Capitalism Solutions, said more than two-thirds of Earth’s ecosystems have been polluted or overexploited.

She said the companies that adopt environmentally friendly strategies are the "billionaires of tomorrow."

Before Lovins and Willard took the stage, students visited numerous booths with representatives including the Florida Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Peace Corps and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

The American Solar Energy Society showcased the Recumbent Trike, a solar-powered tricycle. Nate Mitten, one of the tricycle’s creators, said it started off as a concept in his business class. Solar panels atop the tricycle collect energy from the sun and power a 48-volt battery. The battery can power the tricycle for about 20 minutes, he said.

Once the tricycle is powered up, the rider will not have to pedal for shorter trips.

The idea for the vehicle is to encourage a method of transportation that isn’t harmful to the environment and can reduce the use of gas-guzzling automobiles.

With its unique design, Mitten saw the need for extra safety precautions. He decided to add turn signals, lights and a seatbelt to the tricycle. Although the final product hasn’t been released yet, there are plans for a covering and windshield to protect riders from weather conditions.

The event was co-sponsored by the UF Office of Sustainability, the Council for Sustainable Florida, the Warrington College of Business Administration and Accent.

The event cost nearly $10,000. About 500 guests attended the event, said Jillian Peters, vice president of Gators for a Sustainable Campus and member of the UF Office of Sustainability.

To read this article online, clcik HERE

UF speaker says businesses already have technology to save energy, money

By KORI FREDERICK, Alligator Writer

Reduce, reuse, recycle. Even though you've probably heard it since third grade, the age-old mantra still holds true for businesses.

That's the message L. Hunter Lovins, a keynote speaker for the Business Case for Sustainability and UF Sustainability Showcase that started Monday, brought to graduate students in the School of Natural Resources and Environment on Tuesday afternoon.

Lovins continually iterated one of the best ways to deal with climate change is to simply reduce carbon emissions.

"There are ways to reduce emissions and to do so profitably," she said to a class of about 30 students and staff.

One such example she cited is DuPont Co., which cut its energy use by 65 percent and essentially saved $3 billion.

"The technology isn't the problem," she said. "We have the technology in place."

The real difficulty will come when businesses attempt to manage the changes the technology will bring, she said.

Lovins, founder and president of the nonprofit Natural Capitalism Solutions, admits she doesn't have the answer to every scenario.

"The answers are going to come from people like you, people who have studied multiple disciplines and can bring ideas together," Lovins said.

The School of Natural Resources and Environment aims to do just that.

"There's a lot of momentum that interdisciplinary studies cross-pollinate," said faculty member Katie Sieving of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. "Through time, solutions will come out of this training. I think UF is doing a pretty good job of that."

In addition to focusing on reducing energy use, Lovins, co-author of the book "Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution" spoke at length about the need for companies to switch to renewable energy. Investing in renewable energy is cheaper than investing in conventional sources, she said.

"We can make the transition away from fossil fuels to a 100 percent renewable society," she said. "We will make that transition. It's just a matter of when and how hard we're going to make it on ourselves."

To read this article online, click HERE

Darts and Laurels

We give a reduce-reuse-recycle LAUREL to the Business Case for Sustainability and the UF Sustainability Showcase, which was held on campus this week. One of its main messages was that businesses can cut costs and carbon emissions at the same time. UF must continue to adopt measures if it hopes to achieve carbon-neutral status by 2030. We hope UF took away a lot from this conference, and we hope it can implement some of the practices emphasized by speakers.

Clotheslines not big safety issue

By JANE NUNNALLY, Archer resident

I am writing in response to Wednesday's letter "Clotheslines a hazard for children." I loved the tongue-in-cheek letter about rogue clotheslines. I could imagine those heinous downed nylon wires lurking in the shadows just waiting to pounce on some unsuspecting victim, the clothespin springs beckoning the innocent, and the ruthless sheets laying in wait to cause those "zooming" children to fall off their trikes.

While reading this, one thought kept recurring in my mind: Where are the parents of these children? Are they turned loose to run wild with no supervision? It would be logical that a concerned parent would repair those downed wires, cull the worn out clothespins and educate their children about the dangers of zooming along without a care. I would be more worried about cars than sheets and more concerned about a possible abduction than a menacing sheet or clothespin spring.

I agree, clotheslines aren't aesthetically pleasing, but they're not villains. Countless thousands of us grew up around clotheslines, and we managed to survive. Why not admit you don't like the look and be done with it? As I said, in the beginning I thought this writing to be intended as a fairy tale of sorts, and then I realized the authors were serious ... how sad.

To read this article online, click HERE

Program aims to interest students in local issues

By SARA RUBIN, Alligator Contributing Writer

Some UF students seem caught in a bubble, often unaware of local political affairs.

Gainesville 101, a class provided by the city's Citizens' Academy, is hoping to change this by getting students involved in local government.

Kate Parmelee, senior marketing and communications specialist for the city, hopes the sessions will get students to call Gainesville home instead of just the place they live for four years.

The meetings will host officials from different departments of the local government to explain how they function, Parmelee said.

Frank Bracco, director of Chomp the Vote, said students enhance their college experience by learning about the local community.

"No matter where you go, government will impact your life," Bracco said. "It's your local government, not the federal government, that picks up your trash and has a daily impact on your life."

The program, which meets at City Hall, begins Oct. 5, and runs from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. every other Friday until Dec. 14. Registration to attend ends Sept. 24.

To read this story online, click HERE

Groups welcome 300 LGBTQ students, allies at assembly

By HEATHER STRANGE, Alligator Contributing Writer

Frances Rivera was afraid to be her true self. Neither her friends nor her sorority sisters knew who she really was, she told a crowd gathered in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom on Friday night.

But one day during her sophomore year, Rivera, now a senior, decided to stand up and let her sorority sisters know.

"I have something important to tell you," she said, reading from a monologue about the day. "I don't know how you're going to take it, but I'm not going to lie to myself or you. I am a bisexual woman, and I hope and pray you will accept me for me because I am still Frances Rivera," said Rivera, who belongs to the UF chapter of Gamma Eta Sorority.
Rivera said the room went silent. All she could think about was the negativity she set herself up for, she said.

She then said that one member stood up and said, "I am an ally. I'm your sister, and I will love you for you no matter what your lifestyle may be."

Now Rivera is proud of who she is and no longer feels scared.

Rivera's monologue was one of several featured at the LGBTQ Welcome Assembly.

The assembly was thrown by a collaboration of student and university organizations, including the Pride Student Union, LGBT Affairs and Student Government's LGBTQ Student Affairs Cabinet.

These departments serve the university's gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning communities, as well as their allies.

The assembly kicked off with members of the organizations and students singing their rendition of ABBA's "Momma Mia" called "Homo Mia." Throughout the event there were video clips, poetry readings and guest speakers.

Gene Zdziarski, assistant vice president for student affairs and dean of students, and Patricia Telles-Irvin, vice president for student affairs, spoke at the event.

"You're not alone here at the University of Florida," Telles-Irvin said. "If you ever find yourself in a particular situation or find obstacles, there's a system, there's support."

Hugh Clarke, a third-year transfer student from Indian River Community College, said he attended the assembly to see what the Pride Student Union had to offer for students.

Clarke said he definitely plans to get involved. The two video clips were the most captivating part for him. They made him feel glad to be a part of UF and the community, he said.

About 300 students attended the assembly, said Nora Spencer, director of LGBT affairs. The event was sponsored by Weeks of Welcome through the Dean of Students Office. It cost about $950 total, Spencer said.

To read this article online, click HERE

Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off festivities on Reitz Union Colonnade

By RACHEL GREENFIELD and BONNIE STROUSE, Alligator Contributing Writers

Among hurried Friday afternoon foot traffic on the Reitz Union Colonnade, a buzz of culture, community and celebration filled the air.

Opening ceremonies for Hispanic Heritage Month, or HHM, at UF kicked off with an outdoor event.

Jesse B. Wright, executive director of the heritage month, said the goal of the opening ceremony was to raise awareness and unite the Hispanic-Latino population on and around campus. Wright said the HHM committee has been planning since January and has an event planned every day until Oct. 14.

About 25 student-run clubs on campus attended the event.There were bounce houses provided by the Inter-Residence Hall Association and performances by Dancing Gators, Sabor Latino and the Hip Hop Collective.Wright said UF's HHM is the largest student-run HHM group in the United States.

Though the team is affiliated with UF's Hispanic Student Association, the event's size allows HHM to function as its own organization, Wright said.

Past opening ceremonies have typically been held on a Sunday, but Wright said opting for a weekday and its throngs of Reitz Union passersby was crucial for reaching this year's goal of maximum exposure.

The HHM team is on a mission to get more involvement from Hispanic and non-Hispanic students alike.

"Whether Hispanic or not, come learn about our culture," said Kathy Valle, Hispanic Student Association president. "We want to educate everyone."

Valle said that over 250 people turned up at the last HSA meeting and that freshman students are especially enthusiastic about getting involved.

UF professor Belio A. Martinez Jr. serves as an adviser to the HHM committee.

He said he had delivered a speech at a conference in spring 2007 about the history of the Dominican Merengue dance when Wright had approached him about becoming involved with HHM."Hispanic Heritage Month is a very special and very dear part of the year for me," Martinez said.

Martinez said he would attend one of the most anticipated events, which is a concert at the Phillips Center on Oct. 5, featuring Fulanito, Los Primeros, Puerto Rican Power and local band Umoja Orchestra.

Music from the artists blared from a boom box on the colonnade, and many students on the colonnade took a time-out to check out the action.

"We're a big open family trying to create a home-away-from-home atmosphere for any UF student," Wright said. "The Hispanic community likes to pride itself on being diverse."

To read this article online, click HERE

SG, PepsiCo Inc., Alligator to split cost of campus recycling-bin project

By DEVIN CULCLASURE, Alligator Writer

Recycling on campus has become a little easier for UF students with the installation of 12 new recycling bins.

Student Body President Ryan Moseley said four sets of three bins were placed on Turlington Plaza and the Reitz Union North Lawn about a month ago, with two sets in each location.

The sets have one bin for cans and bottles, one for paper and another for non-recyclables. Kim Cruts, Student Government spokeswoman, said the project cost a total of $7,740.

SG spent $2,580 on the project, and PepsiCo Inc. and the Alligator will split the remaining cost, Cruts said.

Moseley said the Alligator and PepsiCo Inc. are paying because they provide most of the paper and bottle litter on campus. Moseley said SG has been working on this and other projects with UF's Office of Sustainability since his administration took office.

The current bins are just a pilot program, and the Office of Sustainability will study how effectively the combined-bin setup diverts recyclables from regular trash cans before adding any more.

"Sustainability is a big issue we're pushing this year," Moseley said.

To read this article online, click HERE

Mayor speaks at grand opening for new RTS station

By KATIE EMMETS, Alligator Contributing Writer

She said it was cleaner and neater.

Shanita Ford, an SFCC sophomore, was one of many patrons at the new Regional Transit System bus station Wednesday. While there are improvements, Ford said the location of the new RTS Downtown Station, 700 SE Third St., makes some buses late because of the new routes.

RTS held a grand opening Tuesday for the new 100,000 square foot station, which includes a canopy, public restrooms and an updated ticket booth.

Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan said at the event, "When I was first elected in 1996, there was about 1.5 million people per year using the Gainesville RTS."

Now, RTS has nine million people use its transportation annually, Hanrahan said.

Hanrahan said since the institution of using the Gator 1 card as a bus pass in 1997 and 1998, the vast majority of the RTS riders have been students.

As the demand for transportation and buses increased in the Downtown Plaza, safety became an issue for the RTS riders because double-parked buses blocked traffic.

"We outgrew the Downtown Plaza, and it became necessary to find a new location," said Public Works Director Teresa Scott.

The total cost to create the station was about $1.7 million. It was built by Scherer Construction & Engineering of North Florida.

To read the article online, click HERE

UF group builds solar-powered, eco-friendly tricycle

By KATIE BURNS, Alligator Contributing Writer

If the word "tricycle" conjures up images of the shiny red model from childhood, think again.

A group of UF students is building a new generation of tricycle, powered by the sun, as an environmentally friendly means of transportation. The trike has four 12-volt solar panels, which can collect the sun's rays and filter them into a battery.

Nate Mitten, a mechanical engineering doctoral student, came up with the idea for the solar trike during a project for his engineering entrepreneurship class last spring.

After he and his group designed models of the vehicle for class, Mitten decided to continue the project and actually build the trike.

The group, part of the American Solar Energy Society, or ASES, at UF, planned its project and began building the trike, the "ASES Photon," this summer.

Commuting with cars or public transportation can be frustrating because it is often expensive, slow and wasteful, Mitten said.

However, he added, some people are reluctant to switch to bicycles for four reasons: safety, storage, weather and exertion.

"We can promote a vehicle that's sustainable with a much smaller carbon footprint," Mitten said.

Riders will be able to use battery power at times to reduce exertion. The trike will feature storage, removable side panels and a windshield for weather protection.

Once completed, the solar trike will have headlights, taillights, brake lights and turning signals, as well as a seat belt. A rider can alternate pedaling with using the battery, which can run about 20 miles per hour on its own, or use both simultaneously, Mitten said.

In the future, the group hopes to add luxury features like a cell phone charger, GPS system and speakers.

"We're basically going to pimp it out with fun stuff," Mitten said.

Skip Ingley, the group's adviser, said the trike is a great educational tool that helps demonstrate the use of solar power.

Although people who are unenthusiastic about riding a bicycle will probably be skeptical about the tricycle, it still gives students a solar-powered option for transportation, he said.

"Some people just want to get into their BMWs and drive to school," Ingley said. "But anybody who rides a bike to school is going to be thrilled with this ... and people will love watching you ride the thing."

The trike weighs about 70 pounds and has cost the group, with the help of sponsors, about $3,000, Mitten said. However, he added, both of those numbers will change as more materials and features are figured in.

"We have a vision that we're working towards, but we're certainly only partway there," Mitten said.

There are no plans to commercialize and mass-produce the ASES Photon, though Mitten would love to see it happen. He said manufacturing it is more eco-friendly than manufacturing a car.

After the original model is completed, which Mitten hopes will happen in December, the group will continue to showcase the trike on campus and branch out to local schools.

Driving the tricycle rather than a car, even just to the store and back, would save gasoline and decrease carbon dioxide output every time, Mitten said.

"It's pretty much zero contribution to the environment and global warming, once you manufacture it," he said. "It's a win-win for everyone."

To read this article online, click HERE

Senate passes resolution in appreciation of UF sustainability efforts

By DEVIN CULCLASURE, Alligator Writer

UF's Student Senate shifted its focus from politics to the environment at its Tuesday night meeting.

Senators heard a report from Dedee DeLongpre, director of the UF Office of Sustainability, and passed a resolution expressing their appreciation of sustainability efforts at UF.

DeLongpre said UF and Americans in general need to "shift their fundamental worldview" when it comes to the environment.

Though Americans account for 5 percent of the world's population, they use about 30 percent of the world's resources and create about 25 percent of the world's emissions, she said.

DeLongpre said UF must balance its focus on economic gains with a focus on environmental issues.

"The environment's like this little fuzzy bunny that's cute, and we try to pay attention if we have time," she said. "We as a human species get to survive because of the ecosystem services we rely on for life."

DeLongpre described several projects her office is undertaking and outlined UF's long-term goals to make campus more environmentally friendly.

Current projects include using recycled water for irrigation and constructing facilities that meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, which were developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

UF's Green Team, a group of volunteers who work on football game days to recycle waste, recycled about 17,000 pounds of aluminum and glass last season, she said.

That mark is already being surpassed this year.

UF also has goals for the near future, she said.

Some examples include being carbon neutral by 2020 and not producing any waste by 2015, which would require a reduction of nearly 200 million pounds of waste.

DeLongpre's office is working on a plan aimed at meeting these goals around campus.

The bulk of environmental responsibility rests in the hands of students and young people, she added.

"Whether or not this very young species survives is really a result of what you all are doing right now," DeLongpre said.

After DeLongpre's speech, senators passed a resolution that expressed appreciation of UF's sustainability efforts led by DeLongpre.

In other business, senators also passed a resolution asking the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice to review the "Jena 6" incident. The resolution also wished luck to the citizens of Jena.

To read this article online, click HERE

Gators seeing orange, blue... and green?

By KATIE PACKER
Special to The Sun

12:00 am, October 1, 2007
Before the sun began to rise, at an hour most college students rarely see, Karly Alanis and Brad Bell were at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Sunday morning while dew still covered the field.

Continue to 2nd paragraph enlarge Armed with plastic bags and latex gloves, Alanis, a 2006 University of Florida graduate, and her fiance, Bell, a recently admitted UF transfer student, were ready to tackle the stadium one bottle at a time.

Though Alanis has been cleaning the stadium after games for five years, this football season is different.

Starting this season, the roughly 5 tons of trash left over in the stadium is not just being thrown away - it's being recycled after every game, said Brian Barton, one of the University Athletic Association's coordinators of operations.

At 7 a.m., Alanis and Bell were joined by about 75 other members of the Christian Student Association.

Some members of the Gainesville Christian Church also came to help.

The volunteers collected about 100 bags of recyclable waste from inside the stadium in about three hours.

"If you think about it, this is a huge help," Alanis said. "The majority of the things we pick up, honest to God, can be recycled."

Every weekend the stadium clean-up responsibility goes to different student organizations, which are paid for their efforts, Barton said.

But the stadium clean-up isn't the only addition to UF's recycling initiative.

Clad in a bright green shirt, Angela Petersen, a 21-year-old UF senior, went Dumpster diving outside the stadium during the Tennessee football game.

"We've been digging through trash for hours," she said. "It's been a very productive day."

Petersen and about 25 other volunteers make up the Green Team. The environmentally conscious student group, now in its second official year on campus, passed out blue bags for recyclable waste to tailgaters Saturday in an effort to increase recycling. And they dug through trash bins to recover plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

While the Green Team was successful last year at targeting tailgaters, this year it is stepping up recycling efforts with new cardboard recycling bins, said Dedee DeLongpre, director of UF's Office of Sustainability.

These cardboard boxes, with holes for cans and bottles, are coupled with regular trash receptacles so that football fans can conveniently recycle.

At the game this weekend, about 25 blue, plastic recycling containers replaced some of the cardboard ones inside and outside the stadium to make them more visible, DeLongpre said.

"Access is the No. 1 factor in changing behavior," she said. "When we put trash bins next to recycling bins the rate of recycling goes up."

University leaders also are behind the effort to clean up campus.

UF President Bernie Machen and his wife, Chris, have been strong proponents of the university's push to eliminate solid waste produced on campus by 2015.

"Last year, President Machen actually came out and handed out bags," said Ryan Graunke, a UF environmental science major and the volunteer coordinator for the Green Team. "He doesn't just preach. He walks the walk."

Last season, almost 9 tons of refuse were recycled - 14,577 pounds came from glass bottles, 2,061 pounds came from cans and 682 pounds came from plastic bottles, according to Office of Sustainability figures.

At the Tennessee game this year, volunteers collected about 5,500 pounds of recyclable material - an amount much higher then the 3,200 pounds collected last year at the third game of the season.

And students passed out about 600 bags alone this weekend.

As they walked around campus distributing those bags, volunteers educated tailgaters about the importance of recycling.

Some people even expected the bags because they used them last year.

Beth Wynns, a UF alumna, and her family had their recycling bag filled more than an hour before a game earlier this season.

"In 1972, we had a 'put it in the can' kind of thing," Wynns said. "Recycling wasn't anything back then, so I think this effort is great."

Volunteers sifted through trash containers to recover bottles and cans while many fans watched the game. They also made sure that that the cardboard boxes didn't contain nonrecyclables.

The Green Team is just a part of the effort to reduce waste on game days, DeLongpre said.

Since the 2004 football season, the luxury skyboxes in the stadium have been almost "zero-waste." The cups and other plastic used are made from potato and corn extract, so they are biodegradable, said Bryan Flood, the University Athletic Association's coordinator of operations for the skybox complex.

To read this article online, click HERE

The old slogan "Put it in the can Gator fan" came from a graphic design student, Anna Rojas, that worked for the UF Bookstore and also did the Gator graphics in the mid seventies.

Protest group discusses investment transparency committee with Machen
By KIM WILMATH, Alligator Writer

UF's investments could be made more transparent if UF President Bernie Machen approves the proposals of the Students for a Democratic Society.

In a meeting Friday morning, five members of the student protest group known as SDS urged Machen to disclose UF's investments details to make sure the school does not support companies that profit from the Iraq war.

Richard Gutierrez, a UF English and history senior and SDS member who was at the meeting, said the students gave Machen a three-page recommendation to create a transparency committee at UF.

Gutierrez said if Machen approves, the committee would investigate UF's investments and report its findings to UF's Board of Trustees.

He said Machen said he would give the group an answer by the end of the month.

"It's nice to know that the bureaucracy controlling UF is not so distant," Gutierrez said. "It's becoming a much better working relationship."

The committee would be made of four students, four faculty members and four alumni, he said.

It would make sure UF is not investing in any companies that support the military, animal testing or tobacco and would recommend socially responsible companies for UF to invest in, he said.

Gutierrez said SDS understands full disclosure of UF's investments could be detrimental for the school's earnings.

If UF makes all its investments known, many people might invest the same way, which would cause UF's dividends to decrease, said Steve Orlando, UF spokesman, in an interview in September.

UF's investments increased from $585.7 million to $1.2 billion in the past four years, according to UF documents. These profits are used for UF's resources and are exempt from open public-record laws, Orlando said.

No tuition money is ever invested, he said. UF only uses private donations or state grant money.

Gutierrez said one solution could be that UF would only disclose its investments to the committee and only do so at the end of each year.

SDS would also be satisfied if UF released a list of the companies in which it invests without disclosing the amount it spends on each.

For now, the discussion between SDS and Machen is running smoothly, Gutierrez said.

"We all came in suits," Gutierrez said of the Friday meeting. "We were dressed nicer than him."

To read this article online, click HERE

Gainesville Solar Tour showcases energy-efficient homes
By KATIE BURNS, Alligator Contributing Writer
Along with several local homeowners, Dwight Adams welcomed small groups of strangers into his energy-efficient home Sunday afternoon. Adams showed guests his home's solar water heater and 27 rooftop solar panels, some of which connect to a solar inverter that sends the sun's energy to Gainesville Regional Utilities.

"Even on a cloudy day like today, I'm probably giving GRU more power than I'm taking," Adams said.

A sprinkling of rain and a lot of mosquitoes didn't stop about 90 people from attending the Gainesville Solar Tour.

The tour featured visits to six energy-efficient Gainesville homes and UF's Rinker Hall. The private homes offered different features such as solar water heating, solar electric energy, double-pane windows and heat-reflective metal shingles.

The event, sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society at UF and SolarCity Gainesville, began at UF's Energy Research and Education Park.

Fuel-efficient vehicles, such as a Toyota Prius and a hybrid Honda Civic, sat on exhibit, hoods and doors open, as guests milled around local businesses' tables.

Indigo, a local store that offers "green" household products, showcased countertops made from recycled glass and carpet made from old plastic bottles, along with other building materials. Manager Michael Amish said the store also sells cleaning supplies, paints, compostable utensils and other items.

For example, he said a surface cleaner made from parsley is much better for the environment than other common formulas.

"You can eat it," Amish said, laughing. "You can put it on your salad

To read this article online, click HERE