team 3 - usf going green white paper project[1]

8/7/2019 Team 3 - USF Going Green White Paper Project[1]

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University of South Florida

GOES GREEN

March 29, 2011Pro-Writing

ENC3250.797S11Professor Tobienne

TEAM 3: Green Life

Jeffrey DempseyJustin FredericksIrene HernandezDeanna McGarth


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Table of Contents

Executive Summary. Page 1

USF Going Green Efforts Page 3

LEED.. Page 3

College Sustainability Report Card Page 4

Office of Sustainability.... Page 4

School of Global Sustainability.. Page 6

PNC Financial Services Group . Page 6

PNC Financial Services Interview Page 8

Ford Interview. Page 9

Office of Sustainability Page 11

Comparison to University of Florida. Page 14

Works Cited... Page 16


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Executive summary

The University of South Florida has joined the going green movement. Since

its Establishment in 1956 USF has progressed to an environmentally friendly,

green university. For example, USF has a formal sustainability policy andincorporates sustainability in the campus master plan. USF has begun to build

LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified buildings

such as the Patel Building on the Lakeland campus. This will ultimately

change the face of the earth as well as the university itself.

USF not only provides its students with a quality education but the benefit of

being a student reaches far beyond the boundaries of education. As a matter of

fact USF has boosted its College Sustainability Report Card from a grade D in

2009 to an A in 2011. The University offers many programs such as oncampus recycling. The on campus recycling center is for students, faculty as

well as the general public. This benefits the students who dont have the

option to recycle at their apartment complexes or in their neighborhood. The

university also has a Sustainability Initiative Steering Committee in which

drives the school to becoming more environmentally friendly.

USF also provides the students with a bus system, the Bull Runner, in which

the buses operate solely on biodiesel. The Bull Runner also works hand in

hand with the HART, the Hillsborough County bus system by charging a

reduced fair for students and faculty. Instilling the concept of conserving

energy, and not to mentions a few dollars commuting to and from work is a

phenomenal idea.

The University system in the state of Florida has many diverse incredible

programs for educating and maintaining a sustainable world. For example, UF

in Gainesville Florida has created a similar committee called the Office of

Sustainability. UF recently received a Silver STARS rating. This programmeasures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

Throughout the research process there were several different perspectives

analyzed from the University level to the corporate level. From information

USF president Dr. Judy Genshaft provided to Ford employee Michael Cialo.


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During a brief interview a Ford employee there were several issues discussed

such as the government requirements for manufacturing vehicles to the

benefits of creating environmentally friendly vehicles.

Another major corporation analyzed is Pittsburgh National Corporation(PNC). PNC integrates environmentally friendly practices while doing day to

day business. PNC has already constructed more LEED certified green

buildings than any other company in the world.

The damage we as society create on our environment has and will have a

lasting impact on all of our lives, it is essential for the well-being of our earth

to put factors into play now. Education and technology are two ways humans

can legitimately alter the deterioration of our environment.


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As human population continues to

increase globally the need to care

for the Earth and its precious

resources seem more vital now

than ever. People from all over theglobe are doing their part to

preserve our limited resources.

Many institutions, companies,

organizations, businesses are trying

to encourage recycling, educating

people on renewable energy and

promote environmental

conservation. The relatively newphrase Going Green is to describe

ones efforts in conserving.

Recognizing the importance ofenvironmentally friendly initiatives,The University of South Florida hasa formal sustainability policy andincorporates sustainability in the

campus master plan and strategicplan to promote environmentalconservation to its students, faculty,staff and even community. TheSustainability Initiative SteeringCommittee works to improvesustainability with just eight staffmembers. USF is in the process ofimplementing a green purchasingpolicy called Green Building.

Green Building is a policy andpractice of an institutions adoptionand use of high-performance greenbuilding design. This includes theadoption of campus-wide greenbuilding policies or guidelines,integration of green buildingpractices into new constructionprojects, and the incorporation ofgreen building design features intoretrofits of existing buildings. Theleader in determining the trueinfluence that organizations

exemplify by undertaking greenprojects is The Green BuildingCouncils Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design (LEED)rating system. This certificationprovides independent, third-partyverification that a building projectis environmentally responsible,profitable and healthy place to live

and work. USF is adhering to theLEED requirements and hasrequested stat funds to build itsfirst green building on the Lakelandcampus. The LEED certifiedbuildings will have lower operatingcosts, increased asset values,


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reduce wastes sent to landfills,conserve energy and water as wellas the buildings are safer for itsoccupants. This is the first building

of many buildings the school plansto build to help further their imageas a green university.

Abstractly, in addition to GreenBuilding efforts already undertaken

by USF, it also operates the BullRunner, which is a bus service thatuses biodiesel fuel and is free with avalid USF identification card. TheUSF U-Pass, which is a partnershipwith the regional bus service(HART), allows students to ride freeand staff and faculty to ride for 25cents. There are more than 30

HART stops on campus, and all BullRunner and regional buses areequipped with bike racks. USF hasphotovoltaic solar system forcharging electric golf carts. USF hasconducted a greenhouse gasemissions inventory and is working

to reduce emissions with the aid ofcarbon offsets. To decrease energyuse, heat recovery systems, lightingsystems, and energy-efficient

lighting fixtures have been installed.The school conducts audits ofindividual energy use and hasenergy monitoring displays oncampus. The school also generatesrenewable energy through the useof solar panels, and purchaseselectricity from renewable sources.

In line with The Sustainability

Initiative Steering Committee, thecampus master plan includespolicies that support green buildinginitiatives. Two buildings are beingevaluated for LEED Goldcertification, and several othersmeet LEED criteria. The installedwater metering technology, lightingsensors, and LED lighting in all

buildings, as well as low-flowshowerheads and dual-flush toiletsin some buildings, is a small portionof efforts undertaken to promoteGreen Building. Theimplementation of the greenpurchasing policy has madetremendous strides already.

The College Sustainability ReportCard is an example of theextraordinary measures thatinstitutions such as USF, haveundertaken in order to fulfill itscommitment to adopting the mostenvironmentally friendly practices.


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From 2009 to 2011 USF hasboosted its Green Building practicesfrom grade D to grade A. As acommunity leader, outstanding

achievement in the one of the mostexpansive aspects of our economyin terms of awareness andsustainability is a symbol of pride.The adoption of a more aggressiveGreen Building strategic plan wouldboth further USFs aspirations tobecome a more environmentallyand economically friendlyinstitution, as well as set an

example for others to follow. Whilethere are various other areas ofconcentration which help USF toattain some of its green goals, afocus on green building is sure tohave the intended and lasting affectthat USF strives to reach.

As further proof of USFs

commitment to the environmentand its community, the board oftrustees has adopted policies in thecampus master plan to guidecampus development and toaddress the location, design, andconstruction of site developmentand facilities. These policiesincorporate both large scale anddetailed green design principles,including preservation of openspace, infill development, stormwater management, erosioncontrol, and tree protection. USFsinternal recycling program collectsmixed paper, aluminum cans, and

scrap metal. The USF CommunityRecycling Site is open for use tomembers of the general communityas well as students, faculty, and staff

who do not have access to homerecycling pickup. A newly formedsubcommittee that addressesrecycling and waste management isa priority focus for the ClimateCommittee. USF has also installedenergy meters in each building forall utilities, including, electricity,gas, and water, to allow for energyaccounting and measuring the

success of energy efficiencyinitiatives. With the volume ofstudents that attend USF, this is oneof the building practices that havehad the biggest impact on USFsgoal to promote a green society.Blow down discharge from thestorm water and cooling tower iscollected in on-campus ponds.

Some of this storm water is utilizedfor landscape irrigation.

USF continues to make great stridesin efforts to promote a culture ofgoing green within its students,faculty, staff and the community.Another organization to help withtheir initiative that is extendingbeyond the Tampa Bay region is theEngineers of a Sustainable World.Engineers of a Sustainable World isan interdisciplinary education withhands-on research experiences forstudents in the engineeringprofession. They have sincere


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concerns for the earth and itshumanity with focuses onsustainability and renewableenergy sources. Also known as

ESW, they work on not onlyresearch but various other projectsincluding digging wells that provideclean water and improved sanitaryconditions for African villages.

As we see USF has severalorganizations to help with the goinggreen movement, one of the mainorganizations is the Office of

Sustainability that was establishedin 1995. Therefore, going green isnothing new to USF and itsstudents. The Office ofSustainability is the single point ofcontact for all sustainabilityactivities within USF. They havedeveloped an advisory council aswell as an advisory board. USFs

Office of Sustainability primarycommitment is to not only provideeducation, training and resources tothe students but extend wellbeyond into the Tampa Baycommunity. For this reasoncompanies in the Tampa Bay arealike Tampa Electric Company(TECO) have been funding thisorganization because they see theimportance of USFs vision.

A graduate student at USF namedFrank Michael Malatesta, explainssome of his valuable contributionsto USF's Office of Sustainability aswell as his contributions to politics.The student describes his manygrueling hours of hard work tofurther the state of Florida'sunderstanding of the importance ofeducating its college students aboutsustainability.

Mr. Malatesta also explains hisviewpoint on creating a StudentsOffice for Sustainability as well ashow this committee is governed.For example, the Student Office forSustainability and Awareness iscomposed of an advisor andRenewable Energy Initiatives Boardor REIB. This board has five

students and five faculty members.The board is responsible for theallocation of revenue and projectsare proposed by the studentsthemselves. The benefit of usingsuch a model is the fact half of thestaff are students within the


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university. This means instead ofpaying a staff member a salary, thestaff member is actually payingtuition or paying for his or her own

services. This reduces the cost ofrunning the Sustainability program.

There are several different modelsor examples one could look at forguidance when creating a StudentsOffice for Sustainability. Forexample, UC Boulder gives theirstudents the opportunity to createpotential projects such as

incorporating renewable energy,energy efficiency, recycling as wellas waste reduction. These projectshave not only reduced the impactthe campus makes on theenvironment but have also giventhe students the opportunity tocontribute to the well-being ofplanet earth. These worthy

programs have all been fundedthrew a small fee, in UC Boulderscase the fee was $2.80 per studentper semester. This fee is called arenewable energy fee.

Creating a renewable energy feebuilt in to every students tuition isquite controversial because manycollege students dont havesufficient income to support such afee. On the contrary a proposed fee

is only a matter of a few dollars andwill benefit the environment notonly on USFs campus but farbeyond as well. There are alsoseveral different ways a universitycould assess such fees. Forexample, a school could create aCITF or Capital Improvement TrustFund which is a per credit hour fee

created by State legislature.Another prime example is anactivity and service fee, this percredit hour fee usually is applied toimprove campus life, transportationetc. There have been severalattempts to have such a bill passed


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in the state of Florida but they haveall been stopped.

Some of the projects that the Officeof Sustainability has been workingon include planting of 2,000 trees,implementing a free off-campusshuttle that is powered by bio-fueltechnology to reduce the campustraffic congestion, saved over tenmillion with Green lightsreplacement that has resulted in athree percent reduction in electricalconsumption over the past six

years, established a recyclingcommunity on its campus byplacing containers throughout thecampus. USFs Office ofSustainability is also working onprograms such as the SustainabilityScholars program, SustainabilityFellows and Sustainability Mentors.

More recently, in January of 2010USF created a School of GlobalSustainability. The school is aninclusive and holistic academic unit,based on integratedinterdisciplinary research,scholarship and teaching. Itsstrength derives from thecommitted involvement of facultyrepresenting natural and socialsciences, engineering, business, thehumanities, arts and health,according to KalanithyVairavamoorty, SubcommitteeChair. The program primarilyfocuses on water but have

concentrations in food security,health, environments,transportations climate change andmany more. The program is mostly

generated by performances,collaborations, discussions,research and explorations. TheSchool of Global Sustainability isworking with several colleges likethe College of Business, College ofEducation, College of Arts andSciences, College of Engineering andmore.

As stated before, the leader indetermining the true influence thatorganizations exemplify byundertaking green projects is TheGreen Building CouncilsLeadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design (LEED)rating system. A great example forUSF to follow is that of PNC. PNC or

Pittsburg National Corporation is afinancial services firm thatspecializes in banking andinvestment products. PNC hasalready constructed more LEED-certified green buildings than anyother company in the world. PNCofficially received the trademark ofGreen Branch in 2007, and its 43eco-friendly bank buildings helpedthe company to achieve this.

Recognizing the importance ofwise investments, The PNCFinancial Service Group strives tointegrate our day-to-day business


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practices with environmentalresponsibility. Our nationallyrecognized commitment to greenbuilding practices has enabled us to

lower costs, increase efficiency andproductivity as well as enhance thecommunities where people live,work and play.

PNC has more newly constructed"green" buildings certified by theU.S. Green Building Council thanany company on Earth. PNC is alsothe first U.S. bank to apply green

building standards to all newlyconstructed or renovated retailbranch offices. Benefits includecleaner indoor air and improvedhealth and well-being of employees.At Firstside Center, for example, astudy found employee retentionand satisfaction was 50 percentbetter compared to a traditional

facility.

Green roofs are a growing trend inthe U.S., with many differentbuildings adopting roofs toppedwith dirt and living plants. PNCFinancial Services Group is taking

the lead on green walls, with thelargest Green Living Wall in NorthAmerica which was constructed onthe south side of the bank's

Pittsburgh headquarters.

When completed in September of2009, the 2,380-square-foot wall--outfitted with 602 panels of soilwill look much like a paintingconstructed out of regional plants.The wall will do more than just addaesthetically to the PNC building--itwill also provide shade to

surrounding sidewalks, absorbsound, and cool the surface of thesouth wall by 70 to 80 degrees.

Some of the notableenvironmentally friendly thingsthat PNC does is its ability as a largecorporations, to cut 35% of itsoperating cost with the adoption of

its' green building standards.Leading the industry withenvironmentally friendly standards,PNC has also taken an active role ininfluencing other companies tomake commitments that willinevitably make them functionbetter as a company. As members ofthe Environmental BankersAssociation and the U.S GreenBuilding Council, PNC leads by agreat example.

As USF continues on its trek to have

a great impact on the going green

initiatives that they have had great


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success in, they should look further

into green building standards that

originated from PNC. It is my belief

that USF has an endowment, close

to three hundred million, largeenough to create buildings that

would be completely green. As

stated before, USF has two

buildings that are going to be

recognized by the Green Building

Council, for their awareness on

matters of lighting efficiency,

recycling, disposal, and waterpractices.

By implementing some of PNC

business practices, I think that USF

can in fact benefit from an

investment sooner rather than

later. Some of the new technology

aside from green building is the use

of different energy sources. The

technology that PNC uses takes

advantage of seasonal pricing by

using natural gas in the summer

and electricity in winter in select

buildings. USF is in a geographic

region in which cooling costs can be

astronomical. By taking small steps

like this, the school will be able to

handle many more projects with

the money that it would save. In

addition to the heating and cooling

system innovation that would

further USF green building

standards, it would have less of an

impact on the atmosphere. CFCs

are the chemical compound that is

released as a result of machineryand chemicals used to keep

buildings cool. While USF is only

responsible for a minuscule portion,

there is no reason not to take those

steps if we are willing and able.

Over the next few years I think

that a viable option for USF toundergo would be to bring forth an

idea to the USF Office of

Sustainability and use available

research tools to weigh the

cost/benefit of taking the steps that

PNC deemed viable and undertook.

PNCs example is such a good one to

follow because other institutions

have already begun to follow their

lead. One of the most astonishing

things that I found in record of PNC

green building practices is the fact

that fresh air is used as much as

possible. During moderate weather

seasons, some buildings can be

cooled and ventilated with 100

percent outside air. By adopting

this technology, its as though their

intent is to bring their buildings to

life.


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USF has also taken many steps toreduce the amount of pollution andgreenhouse gases it produces. USFpresident, Dr. Judy Genshaft, wrote

an article describing some of herpersonal contributions as well assome of the contributions USF hascontributed. Since her promotionto president of USF Dr. Genshaft hassigned onto the American Collegeand Universitys Presidents ClimateControl Commitment.

This exclusive group of university

presidents is committed toeliminate greenhouse gas emissionsfrom specified campus operationsand to promote the research andeducate society to stabilize theearths climate. In doing this shehas developed and promotedleadership among not only studentsbut faculty and staff within USF.

Dr. Genshaft discusses thesimilarities between governing USFand a city itself. There are manysimilarities, for example, there areresidential areas, restaurants, a bussystem, police force and health carefacilities. While governing a schoolthere are many environmentalissues in which students willdisagree upon. Her primaryobjective in making USF a greencampus is to reduce the carbonfootprint that USF leaves behindwhile educating the benefits ofdoing this.

Some of the researchers at USFhave pioneered solar andrenewable energy technology, aswell as environmentally conscious

manufacturing. Another greatattribute on USFs resume is theenvironmentally friendlyarchitecture USF is implementingon their campus. One particularbuilding for example is, the PatelCenter for Global Solutions. This isUSFs first green building on USFsTampa Campus. This building isdesignated to identify world

challenges and pin pointing asolution for these issues.

These are just a few of the ways Dr.Genshaft and USF have assisted theenvironment. There are manystrides USF will still have to take tocontinue to educate its students thebenefits of living in a sustainable

world. Right here on USFs campuswe have buses that run onbiodiesel, and we have constructedbike lanes on campus. There is alsoa recycling program in place aswell. USF has even encouragedsome students to grow their ownvegetables at the universitiesbotanical gardens. In one of USFsresidential halls they have created afriendly competition. A small groupof students are living the idealgreen life while volunteeringaround campus. This has alsoencouraged students in other


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residential halls to participate inthe green movement.

Although the university has putmany hours of hard work and effortinto living sustainable lifestylethere are still defaults in the greenmovement. For example 30% of thegreenhouse gases produced by ouruniversity are from students andemployees commuting to and fromcampus. Ultimately this isoverturning all of the efforts theuniversity has put forward.

Ford has put forth a lot of hardwork and effort to change the faceof the company from the vehiclesthey produce to the facilities inwhich their employees work. As acurrent employer of FORDCompany, I myself have noticed afew changes made. For example, the

manual paper towel dispenserswere changed to automaticdispensers to conserve paper.When an account shifts from onedepartment to another we usedto create large paper packets andwalk them to the specificdepartment. Now we utilize ourimaging system to put together an"e-packet" and email thepaperwork. This in turn helps theenvironment while conservingpaper.

During a brief sit down with centeroperations manager Michael Cialo

there were several issues discussed,from the benefits of improving fuelmileage to improving the publicimage of the company. Mr. Cialo

was asked what actions Ford hastaken to have less impact on ourenvironment. Mr. Cialo gave an indepth analysis of some of the effortFord has put forth as well as someof the government requirements onnew vehicles.

His response was quite informative:Ford has taken steps to improve

fuel economy on all of their newvehicles. The company has alsobegun engineering biodiesel andelectric vehicles. Although electriccars are not highly popular in theUnited States yet other countriessuch as Brazil have taken toelectrical vehicles. Not only doesthis save the customer money on

gas mileage but this also keeps thecompany competitive in a cut throatmarket.


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Another excellent example Fordtaking strides to improve theimpact it makes on the environmentis the new Ford explorers have

been designed and built with 85%recycled materials. Thisenvironmentally friendly way toconstruct vehicles will ultimatelycreate less impact on ourenvironment than many automakers.

Although it is important to have fuelefficient vehicles there are also

government standards in place tofor each type of vehicle. Forexample all new compactsedans built during or after2011 are required by law to meet aminimum of 30 mpg. Trucks andSUV's are required to meet 24 mpg.This is the result of environmentalgroups voicing their opinions on

such issues.

Yes, the government has stringentguidelines for fuel economyhowever from time to time thegovernment will offer incentivessuch as the cash for clunkersprogram in 2009. This programwas intended to spur the economyby enticing customers to trade intheir older model vehicles for amore fuel efficient car. Thisprogram was also intended to helpboost sales for auto dealers acrossthe states. The program lasted onlya few months however sales

skyrocketed throughout the UnitedStates. Shortly after thisgovernment program ended manyauto dealers across the nation

offered their own cash forclunkers program to continue toboost sales.

Another great example of Fordjoining the going green movementis the production of electricvehicles. Ford has begun to massproduce electric vehicles in theUnited States. Some of these

vehicles are powered by anadvanced lithium ion batterysystem. The new Ford FocusHatchback is a 100% electricvehicle. This car will not only savethe consumer a considerableamount on gas it does not createany emissions as well.

Another incredible fact about thenew Ford Focus is it produced withsustainable and renewablematerials similar to the new FordExplorer. For example, the seatsare engineered from recycleddenim jeans. Another interestingpiece of information is the plant inwhich these vehicles are producedis powered by one of the largestsolar energy systems in the state ofMichigan. Ford is not stopping withthe Ford Focus there are five moreelectric vehicles scheduled for massproduction in the United States andEurope by 2013.


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As we see universities like USF,several banks like PNC, businesseslike FORD are helping in the greenmovement. However, USF is not the

only university to participate. Otherinstitutions like the University ofFlorida are also doing lots within itscommunity to promote going green.Similarly to USF, UF also has anorganization called The Office ofSustainability. The Office ofSustainability is an organizationabout training and educating peopleon how to conserve the earths

precious resources. However, theOffice of Sustainability is made upof smaller groups including focuseson agriculture; energy conservationand climate changeimplementation; equity, health andwellbeing; land and resourcemanagement as well as stewardshipimplementation.

The Office of Sustainability holdannual Earth Days to informstudents on campus the importanceof conserving the earth and its

precious resources. The also holdEnergy Summits encouraging thepublic to chump down on energy.

In addition, there are various greenteams throughout the campus forstudents to get involved andpromote the going greenmovement. UF has partnered withvarious sustainable groups that

include the Forest Stewardshipcouncil that is responsible forpromoting responsible treemanagement. Sustainable ForestryInitiative that participate in theplanting of trees at UF.Environmental Protection AgencyComprehensive ProcurementGuidelines to promote the use of

materials recovered from solidwaste.

Green-e logo is the nationallyrecognized symbol for certifiedrenewable energy. Green-eprovides an easy way forconsumers to quickly identifyenvironmentally superior productsmade from renewable sources ofelectricity such as wind.

Recently in the month of FebruaryUF received a Silver STARS rating.STARS, Sustainability Tracking,Assessment & Rating System, is a


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program that measures andencourages sustainability in allaspects of higher education. Thisshows that the efforts at the

University of Florida are not donein vain.

In conclusion, the going greenmovement is critical for vastreasons including our health,animals existence and to continueto have limited resources accessiblefor a longer time by conservingthem now. USF has made great

strides as well as other businesseslike PNC, companies like FORD andsimilar institutions like UF.


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Works Cited

Schwartz, Ariel. "PNC Bank Building Largest Green Living Wall in U.S. ." FastComapny(2009): 1. Web. 25 Mar 2011. .

Cash, Jacqui. "USF One of Nation." University of South Florida News (2010): 1. Web.17 Mar 2011. .

Admin,. "PNC Bank Expands Green Initiatives." Green Student U(2008): 1. Web. 25Mar 2011..

"Green Report Card." The College Sustainability Report card. SustainabilityEndowments Institute, 2011. Web. 25 Mar 2011..

Percio, Stephen. "PNC Registers "Green Branch" with Trademark Office." GB:NYCMagazine (2007): n. pag. Web. 25 Mar 2011. .

"The PNC Financial Services group." PNC Environmental Responsibility. PNC, n.d.Web. 17 Mar 2011.

.

Sustainability at USF Thurs. 10 March 2011..

Turn Over A New Leaf. Sustainable UF. Fri. 11 March 2011..

Office of Sustainability Fri 11 March 2011.

Renewable Energy Sunday. April 3 2011.

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