PDF of 2011 Sustainability Symposium
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SUSTAINABILITY AT UT AUSTIN BUILDING A EQUITY, SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABLE ETHICS, CURRICULA CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABILITY FLOWS RESEARCH IN ACTION HOSTED BY PRESIDENT’S SUSTAINABILITY STEERING COMMITEE THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN SPONSORS csd Center for Sustainable Development Sustainability on the UT Campus A Symposium Editors: Barbara Brown Wilson, PhD Elizabeth A. Walsh Copy Editor: Talitha May Layout: Jeffrey McCord Cover: Conner Bryan Sponsored by: President’s Sustainability Steering Committee Office of Sustainability Center for Sustainable Development Campus Environmental Center UT Energy Institute Environmental Science Institute Table of Contents on the UT Campus: A Symposium Sustainability Editor’s Note 5 Essays LEED for UT Austin’s Main Campus: An AGMBC Pilot Project 7 Lisa Storer Potential of Solar Power on the University of Texas Campus 9 Moulay Anwar Sounny-Slitine Clean and Green: Custodial Services’s Sustainable Cleaning Processes 17 Robert Moddrell and Corey Wright Game Day and Everyday: University of Texas Athletics Sustainability Program 21 Merrick MyCue Energy User Engagement on Campus 24 Riley Triggs Bringing Food Waste Composting to UT Austin 28 Meagan Jones (Re)Framing Recycling 32 Gloria Lee A Sustainable Mobility Space: A Theory and Principles to Guide Stewardship of the UT Campus 38 of Contents Table Alan Bush Improving Transportation Efficiency for Sustainable Society by Autonomous Traffic Management 43 Tsz-Chiu Au, Neda Shahidi, and Peter Stone Home Ecology: Renewing a Science for Environmental Justice 46 Elizabeth A. Walsh The Ethics of Systematic Conservation Planning: Trade-offs and Cooperation 52 David M. Frank Residential Sustainability: Constructing Design-Build, Sustainable, Student Housing Cooperatives for Education, Research, Service Learning, and Community Engagement 55 Christopher G. Rosales Economic and Environmental Sustainability Through Community Development in Rancho Vista 61 Elizabeth Fenner UT as an Ecosystem 66 Introduction Julia Raish and Emily Manderson Irrigation System Improvements: UT Facilities Services 70 Laura Illanes How Algal Biofertilizers Can Accelerate Sustainable Agriculture 74 Rhykka Connelly Sustainable Places Project 81 Robert Paterson and Sarah Wu The University of Texas at Austin Solar Decathlon Houses 85 Michael Garrison Science and Sustainability in Practice: The EVS Program at UT Austin 91 on the UT Campus: A Symposium Sustainability Jay Banner and Deborah Salzberg Public Interest Design: Summer Course Series 94 Conner Bryan and Lauren Bennett Maximizing Social Impact: Where Social Innovation Meets Sustainability 100 Sachin D. Shah Additional Resources 104 Sponsors 104 Co-sponsors 107 Sustainability Related Programs, Centers, and Initiatives 108 Table of Contents Table Introduction Editor’s Note There is a certain responsibility that innovation, and action on sustainability on the UT Campus: A Symposium Sustainability comes with donning The University of at many scales—the campus itself, Barbara Brown Wilson Texas (UT) moniker. An internationally neighborhood, city, region, and planet. respected public university and the The essays also reflect diverse flagship institution of The University disciplinary perspectives on the of Texas system, its bold motto—what complex challenges of sustainability, starts here changes the world— with an array of contributions from serves as a reminder to the entire the Cockrell School of Engineering, campus community of the significant the School of Architecture, the Law responsibility to pursue excellence School, the LBJ School of Public and innovation in all aspects of Affairs, Departments of Geography, institutional life that we all bear. Philosophy, Arts and Art History, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, As climate events become more and the Environmental Science prevalent and resources more scarce, Institute. The 2011 Symposium also influential institutions, like our great showcases some of the campus’ University, will play an increasingly most innovative educational critical role in the search for innovative initiatives, as well as a collection of solutions to these global challenges. projects that grapple with the equity In an effort to advance our collective challenges of sustainability that are knowledge about the role of the built all too often ignored in mainstream world in these global challenges, in sustainability conversations. With 2009 the UT Center for Sustainable over 65,000 members of the UT Development convened a symposium campus community, it is impossible on “Zero Carbon Communities” in the to fully represent the rich tapestry Note Editor’s School of Architecture. During the of initiatives contributing to the event, the University’s new Director of University’s collective stewardship. Sustainability Jim Walker challenged However, the essays in this us to expand the conversation about compilation were selected through sustainability past our departmental a competitive peer review process boundaries and make it campus- to represent the array of important wide. We accepted his insightful perspectives contributing to our challenge, and, with guidance community’s dialogue on expanding from the President’s Sustainability and shaping UT’s commitment to Steering Committee (PSSC), the 2010 sustainability. event became a showcase for the outstanding efforts of faculty, staff, Thanks to the efforts of the Office and students to advance sustainability of Sustainability, the President’s and contribute to the continued Sustainability Steering Committee, excellence of this great University. and the Campus Environmental Introduction Center, this event has become a Now hosted by the PSSC and in dynamic, interactive, campus-wide its second year, the UT Campus celebration of who we are as a Sustainability Symposium again sustainable campus community. Each celebrates the spectrum of year the body of contributing authors sustainability champions in the UT and sponsoring departments grows community. Not only are students, richer. I challenge all members of the staff, and faculty all well-represented, UT community to find ways to become the essays reflect their research, involved in the efforts of one of these 5 inspiring programs—or to begin on the UT Campus: A Symposium Sustainability something so spectacular and original that it warrants presentation at next year’s event. What will your contribution be? Barbara Brown Wilson, PhD Center for Sustainable Development School of Architecture The University of Texas at Austin Editor’s Note Editor’s Introduction 6 LEED for UT Austin’s Main Campus: on the UT Campus: A Symposium Sustainability An AGMBC Pilot Project Lisa Storer, M.Arch, LEED AP BD+C Staff Office of Campus Planning & Facilities Management [email protected] LEED for UT Austin’s Main Campus: UT Austin’s LEED for In October 2010, the United States February 2011. Because of the nature Green Building Council (USGBC) of UT’s campus— with its centralized Project Pilot An AGMBC released an Application Guide for District Energy System and chilled Multiple Buildings and On-Campus water supply, as well as its unified Projects (AGMBC), intended to help Facilities Services branch, which project teams use LEED-2009, the essentially serves as a steward of the latest version of the Leadership in built environment— UT Austin’s Main Energy and Environmental Design Campus appeared to be a perfect (LEED) green building standards, fit, and the Sustainable Facilities to certify buildings on an existing Committee decided to participate in campus where there is one owner the LEED-AGMBC program as a pilot or common property management project. and control. The AGMBC allows for campuses to earn LEED credits for The UT Austin Sustainable Facilities New Construction or for Operations Committee (SFC) is a collaborative and Management through campus- effort begun in 2010 by various wide sustainability policies and organizations at UT Austin and procedures. Credits earned through UT System’s Office of Facilities this program are cached and applied Planning and Construction (OFPC), Essays to any future project applying for jointly chaired by Bethany Trombley, LEED certification within the campus Senior Project Manager for Project boundaries. Management and Construction Services (PMCS), and John Mouritsen, The UT Austin Sustainable Facilities Senior Resident Construction Committee began investigating the Manager for OFPC. The committee feasibility of attempting campus- was formed to develop deliverables wide LEED credits to be applied to and processes needed to facilitate all future projects on campus in the design and construction of high 7 performance sustainable buildings takes advantage of the same density, facilitates the long-term stewardship on the UT Campus: A Symposium Sustainability while considering methods to reduce transportation systems, and open of UT Austin’s built environment. the total cost of ownership for the spaces, and those which pertain to University. campus-wide policies, like recycling, The LEED-AGMBC effort for UT non-smoking, and green cleaning. Austin’s main campus represents the Since 2007, all new buildings at UT University’s attempt at streamlining Austin are required to be designed The Sustainable Sites credits, which a somewhat unfamiliar and to meet a LEED Silver rating at will account for thirteen LEED points cumbersome process involved with minimum. Because of this obligation, already achieved for any future construction on campus, allowing many project teams undertake