Newsletters 2008 2007 2006

July 2007 Newsletter

In this Issue:

2007 Florida Sustainable Best Practice Awards

Government Award: Pinellas County
Award Ceremony <image>

Before a crowd of nearly 100 public and private sector leaders from across Florida, the Council for Sustainable Florida presented its 9th annual Best Practice awards on July 11 in Tallahassee.

After a stunning slideshow and keynote address by nature photographer John Moran (http://www.johnmoranphoto.com/), the Council awarded Promising and Best Practice awards in eight categories.

Dedee DeLongpré was pleased to pass the Sustainable Government award, given to UF in 2006 for its campus sustainability efforts, to Pinellas County IFAS/Extension and the Bushnell Center for Urban Sustainability.

Pinellas County is at a crossroads, and its leaders are determined to make sure they follow the path that utilizes sustainable practices to ensure a bright future.

In a little more than 125 years, Pinellas County has been transformed from an isolated, largely undisturbed wilderness into a major urban community. It soon will be the first county in the state to run out of undeveloped vacant land available for growth and development. In land area, the county is small – only 280 square miles – yet its population of approximately 950,000 permanent residents makes it the fifth-most populous county in Florida.

In 2005, its Board of County Commissioners completed a blueprint for urban sustainability following a strategic plan known as Vision Pinellas. The Board made a commitment to fund the first Regional Specialized Agent for Urban Environmental Sustainability in partnership with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Services. As part of that plan, the Bushnell Office for Sustainability was formed at the Pinellas County Extension to help lead the county’s sustainability efforts.

The goal was to create a coordinated, multi-discipline approach to providing programs on urban sustainability to the community and local governments. An application was made to the Florida Green Building Coalition for the Green Local Government certification, which would help measure the county’s efforts and determine where new initiatives could be developed. Pinellas County was awarded the first Green Local Government certification in Florida in December 2006 due to the county’s ongoing and innovative programs in comprehensive planning, waste management, environmental management and community education. In addition, the Board of County Commissioners adopted a Sustainability Resolution that helps to foster a culture of sustainability in county government and enable the adoption of sustainable practices in the community.

Using one of its own facilities as an example of good stewardship, the Board made a mid-course correction in the renovation of the Bushnell Center. In its efforts to upgrade the 26-year-old building, the extension’s engineer and purchasing department requested that they use a “cool roof,” which exhibits a high reflectivity value and is certified as an Energy Star product. The cost was $30,000 over the price of the original new roof, which would have cost $300,000.

The contractor suggested that the cool roof would not be worth the additional cost over time, but the extension engineer was determined to explore the facts for himself. He used industry standards and research-based estimates to put together his own analysis and discovered that the cool roof would pay for itself in just four to five years. In fact, the county would realize a savings of roughly $34,000 over the 12-year period – twice that of the baseline roof. Leading by example, a cool roof on the Pinellas County Extension building provides an additional intangible value to the facility’s educational mission.

Through its efforts at social marketing, county employees and residents are committing to adopt more sustainable behavior, including switching out incandescent bulbs for CFL bulbs, consuming more local and regional food, and changing their AC filters regularly.

The cornerstone of the Pinellas County’s Sustainability Initiative is the focus on fostering a culture of sustainability within county government. For truly long-term sustainability, each of the county’s 3,000+ employees will have to realize what sustainability means to them on a day-to-day basis and what role they play in the larger sustainability focus.

To learn more about the Council for Sustainable Florida – a program of the Collins Center – and receive their free monthly e-newsletter, Envision Florida, visit their website at www.SustainableFlorida.org.

 

Small Country, Big Ideas

Summer study abroad in New Zealand

New Zealand <image>

100% Pure New Zealand. This official tourism slogan for New Zealand conjures up images of the breathtaking landscapes made famous by the Lord of the Rings films. I imagined New Zealand as a pristine paradise where you are more likely to encounter a sheep than a human, and where sustainability isn’t a great idea, but a way of life. On my 4-week journey to New Zealand, I gained an intimate knowledge of the culture and natural history of the country, learned about their sustainability successes and failures, and made my own judgment about the tourism industry’s descriptions.

Humans arrived relatively recently, but nonetheless have had a dramatic impact on the land. New Zealand is composed of three small islands that have been isolated from other land masses for 80 million years. Evolution led to unique wildlife; flightless birds and large insects filled the niches usually occupied by mammals until the Polynesians, now called Maori, came about 1000 years ago. With them they brought rats, dogs, fire and other tools of destruction. They reduced forest cover from 75% to 50%, and hunted the giant moa bird to extinction. Europeans arrived about 150 years ago, reducing forest cover by an additional 25% and causing further extinctions. In addition, they brought a plethora of species that would be detrimental to the endemic species. The once mammal-free country (except for three species of bat) is now overrun with sheep, deer, cattle, rats, rabbits, cats, dogs, stoats, weasels, ferrets, and opossums. Once heavily forested, much of the land is now rolling grassland occupied by sheep. Contrary to the tourism slogan, the current New Zealand is probably, at most, 25% pure.

To be fair, New Zealand is a progressive country trying to live up to its “clean and green” image. It was the first country to give women the right to vote in 1893. New Zealand was declared a nuclear-free zone in 1987. In 2002, New Zealand signed the Kyoto Protocol and declared a national zero waste policy. There is no logging of native forests on public lands. Native trees can be harvested on privately owned land, but even this type of logging is regulated so that it is sustainable. About 60% of New Zealand’s energy comes from hydropower, which is renewable and nonpolluting. Extensive efforts to restore native species and get rid of pests are underway. Many tourism operations are involved with Green Globe, a worldwide benchmarking and certification system for the travel and tourism industry that focuses on the triple bottom line of economic, social and environmental management. Tourism is dependant on the preservation of the country’s natural environment, so there are many stakeholders in sustainability. Helen Clark, the Prime Minister, said earlier this year, “I believe New Zealand can aim to be the first nation to be truly sustainable – across the four pillars of the economy, society, the environment, and nationhood. I believe we can aspire to be carbon neutral in our economy and way of life.”

With its laundry list of initiatives and plans, I expected to see plenty of evidence of sustainability in New Zealand. I did find some. Each power outlet has a switch beside it to turn the energy flow on and off. The toilets have half-flush and full-flush buttons to save water. A few cities and towns take the zero waste policy seriously, with rubbish bins, as they’re called in NZ, which have sectioned units for recyclables and compostables. The best example is Kaikoura, a tourist town where people have recycling pick-up, but are required to haul their own waste to the landfill. While areas like this one were clearly making an effort to be sustainable, I was somewhat disappointed by the disparity between the sustainability I heard about in lectures and what I actually experienced.

Many of New Zealand’s sustainability goals have deadlines in the future, and some are slow to be reached. NZ is far from carbon neutral. In fact, they are unlikely to meet the CO2 levels they pledge to reach in the Kyoto protocol. How they will deal with increasing energy demands is unknown. The country is historically opposed to nuclear, fossil fuels will increase pollution, and damming to harness hydropower damages the unique braided river ecosystems. Other viable renewable energy sources, such as wind and tidal, must overcome resistance due to aesthetic and noise pollution. The country is also far from zero-waste. Some towns don’t even have recycling. In Queenstown- a tourism hot spot and self proclaimed adventure capital of the world- problems of sprawl and unaffordable housing are coming to light. And to top it off, all the environmental agencies dealing with these issues have been combined under the Department of Conservation which has trouble balancing conservation and development. I find myself wondering if a country whose economy is so dependent on tourists that must fly thousands of miles on planes powered by fossil fuels just to get there can ever be sustainable. Admittedly, New Zealand’s sustainability challenges and problems seem insignificant when compared to countries like our own. However, when viewed as a microcosm of the world, its actions regarding sustainability become important.

New Zealand’s sustainability status is worrisome, yet gives me some hope for the future. If this small country, that is already working from the bottom up and top down toward sustainability, is having so much trouble, then the future looks gloomy for larger and less progressive counties working towards the same goal. Like the U.S., some areas are more sustainable than others. However, New Zealand is making progress, and I have faith that the Kiwis will eventually reach a significant level of success. Their sustainability story will, and already does, serve as an example for the rest of the world. As more people understand the importance of living with future generations in mind, changes will be more likely to occur.

Sustainability aside, New Zealand is undeniably beautiful. About the size of Colorado and the shape of California, it incorporates a breathtaking variety of landscapes and unique ecosystems into a small, easy-to-explore area. Because of its youth, progressiveness, and small population size of about 4 million, it lacks many of the social problems that our own country faces. To visualize the lack of crowds, it may be helpful to note that the main highway is a plentiful two lanes. All in all, New Zealand is what the tourism industry markets it as: clean, green, beautiful, safe, with something for everyone. In addition to what I learned in lectures, my month abroad included gorgeous hikes over beaches, around lakes, up mountains, and on a glacier. I bungee jumped 440 feet into a river canyon, swam with dolphins, met and learned from people from other countries, and gained self confidence from traveling alone. Getting to know NZ so intimately put my paltry knowledge of my own country into perspective. I now have a newfound desire to learn about and explore the U.S. and Florida. I feel a glimmer of patriotism because I realize how powerful and influential our country is globally. Many people, myself and Kiwis included, take their home country for granted until they are able to go abroad. The obligation I felt to attempt to better my own country overpowered my desire to stay in New Zealand forever. New Zealand may not literally be 100% pure, but the spectacular natural scenery and healthy ideals give people around the world plenty of reasons to visit.

Contributed by Sara Hutton, UF Class of 2009

 

Climate Change Summit Means Real Change for Florida

Governor Crist sets greenhouse gas reduction targets for the state

Globe <image>In the landmark Climate Change Summit that took place July 12th and 13th, 2007 in Miami, Governor Crist signed three executive orders toward a goal of greenhouse gas emission reductions for Florida.

One of the executive orders is a "lead by example" call to action for state government to reduce emissions to meet a 10 percent reduction from current emission levels by 2012, a 25 percent reduction from current emission levels by 2017, and a 40 percent reduction from current emission levels by 2025.

The others set actions to be taken to help reduce emissions throughout the state and create an Action Team on Energy and Climate Change.

Read more about this landmark event at: http://www.myfloridaclimate.com/.


UF Sustainable Purchasing Policy

The power of procurement

Shopping Bag <image>In an effort to support the University’s commitment to sustainability, UF Purchasing has developed a Sustainable Purchasing Directive. In 2003, UF Purchasing drafted guidelines meant to lessen UF's environmental impact by purchasing environmentally preferable products. This new directive takes it a step closer by creating a holistic purchasing approach, which highlights the social and environmental aspects of sustainable purchasing.

Lisa Deal, Assistant Director, University Purchasing stated that "The policy’s primary purpose is to support campus sustainability at the University of Florida and to provide guidelines, information, and resources in procuring products that will minimize negative impacts on society and the environment to the greatest extent practicable.”

Deal also explained that Purchasing is continuing to work with vendors to identify additional products that are manufactured using recycled materials, are energy-efficient, carry a sustainable certification, and contribute to reduced waste to support UF's goals in Sustainability.
“ We hope the directive will educate students, staff and faculty about sustainable purchasing, and help them re-think the way they buy,” said Anna Prizzia, Outreach Coordinator, UF Office of Sustainability.

“ The directive is about looking at what products are made of, where they have come from and who has made them. It’s even about re-thinking whether the purchase needs to be made at all, ” she said.

To read the directive, and find more information on sustainable purchasing, check out the UF Purchasing website.

 

Earth Friendly Kitchen Store opens in Gainesville

California Cousins offers a new sustainable shopping choice

California Cousins, a diningware boutique featuring designer, eco-friendly and artisan-made wares, is now open in Gainesville. The shop is located in Green Market, 5402 NW 8th Ave., off of Newberry Road, and is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

It was top priority for the owners, mother-daughter team Katharine Burks, Amanda Burks and Ann Chronic, to offer goods that were not only high-quality and unique in design, but also mindfully chosen, taking into account the collection’s impact on both the earth and the global and local community. The long-time Gainesville residents strove to ensure that California Cousins’ wares were made with respect to those who produce them (such as fair labor conditions), produced in environmentally conscious ways and/or made of eco-friendly materials (recycled, sustainable, non-toxic finishes). California Cousins will also support and promote community organizations sharing similar values, such as Habitat for Humanity Women Build. Ultimately, California Cousins’ creators encourage the practice of purposeful dining—an activity that nourishes the soul as well as the body and fundamentally connects individuals to each other and our planet.

For information about Green Market, an organic/gourmet market space, please contact Brent Thomas, 813.810.5183.

 

Greener Choices

Consumer Reports finds products that are better for our planet

GreenerChoices.org, launched on Earth Day 2005 by Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports, is a Web-based initiative to inform, engage, and empower consumers about environmentally-friendly products and practices. GreenerChoices.org offers an accessible, reliable, and practical source of information on buying "greener" products that have minimal environmental impact and meet personal needs.

To find a greener choice, visit: http://www.greenerchoices.org/.

 

Announcements

News, events, and opportunities

 

Natural Resource Leadership Institute Helps Build Consensus

NRLI is currently accepting applications

 

People often disagree over issues such as endangered species, private property rights, wetlands, timber management, and water quality. People with a stake in these issues tend to focus on their disagreements rather than their common interests. What often follows is policy gridlock.

Gridlock is unnecessary. People involved in land, water and other natural resource disputes can reach mutually acceptable solutions. NRLI (The Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute) was create in 1998 to help rising leaders in business, agriculture, government, academia and the environmental community, enhance the skills required to effectively manage conflict over natural resource issues.

NRLI is an outreach program of IFAS Cooperative Extension Service and the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Florida, in partnership with the Florida Conflict Resolution Consortium at FSU. Each NRLI class is composed of approximately 20 participants (“Fellows”) representing a broad array of natural resource interests.

NRLI is a ten-month long program that includes seven three-day seminar and activity sessions, a practicum, and a graduation session, eight sessions in all. In activity sessions, Institute fellows study personal and group leadership skills, communication skills, and conflict management techniques, and learn about environmental issues, concepts and policy. Activity sessions also include tours of key natural resource sites around the state and discussions with managers, leaders, and policy-makers directly involved in natural resource issues.

NRLI is currently accepting applications for Class VIII. See their website for details: http://nrli.ifas.ufl.edu, or call the office at 352-846-1511.

 

 

Sustainability Forum

Send us your questions about campus sustainability

Q: Where is the organic garden, and how can I get a plot?

A: The UF Organic Garden is located on SW 23rd Terrace, about ¼ mile south of Archer Road. The cost of a 12-foot x 25-foot plot is $10 per half year, plus a $5 deposit.

Members of the cooperative plant vegetables and flowers of their choice on their plots, and are responsible for up-keep. They are expected to practice organic gardening methods and to participate in community workdays several times each semester.
Water, manure, and some seeds are provided, and various tools are available onsite.

For more information, and to rent a plot, please call or email Ginny Campbell, the plot coordinator at 378- 6103; epaulc@bellsouth.net.