Florida Tech Sustainability

04/23/2024

Did you know Earth Day started with students?

"Senator Nelson wanted to infuse the energy of student anti-war protests with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution.... Senator Ga***rd Nelson recruited Denis Hayes, a young activist, to organize the campus teach-ins and to scale the idea to a broader public, and they chose April 22, a weekday falling between Spring Break and Final Exams, to maximize the greatest student participation."

This spirit persists, not just today, but every day. What does Earth Day mean to you?

https://www.earthday.org/history/

04/21/2024

Are you missing any confetti? These golden foil flakes were excavated in Crawford Greens. There have been multiple reports of balloons and confetti escaping during events. Synthetic confetti can become a troublemaker for wildlife and the environment. If you see any in the grass, please help by picking it up and disposing of it in the trash bin, as it is not recyclable. It is best to keep the confetti inside.

As it turns out, we found another kind of confetti, an eco-friendly alternative! Grass and leaves make the perfect DIY confetti for outside.

04/04/2024

put together this lineup of fun, fashion, and thrift. We can't wait! Come join in the festivities as we celebrate our only home. Here is the schedule:

Craft Day on Monday, April 8th from 4-8pm at the ResQuad

Sustainable Fashion on Tuesday, April 9th all day at Evans Library. A Seminar will be given from 3:30-5pm

Campus Cleanup on Wednesday, April 10th from 5-7pm, meet at Crawford Greens

Sustainable Camping on Thursday, April 11th from 5:30-7pm at Evans Library Link 204

Thrift Shop on Friday, April 12th from 10-3pm at Crawford Greens

Beach Day and Cleanup on Saturday, April 13th from 10-3pm at Paradise Beach

03/31/2024

03/20/2024

Florida Tech has maintained a STARS Silver rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. This recertification was increased from 50.32 points in the 2020 to 51.51 in this year.

STARS is a comprehensive sustainability rating system for colleges and universities that addresses the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability. Universities are rated based on a cumulative score compiled by achievements in academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation.

Certification requires demonstration of rigorous performance across dozens of individual areas within those categories. For example, Academics focuses on curricula and research. Engagement focuses on how sustainability is incorporated into campus life and community partnerships. Operations focuses on campus buildings, energy and transportation.

03/17/2024

Introducing the Brevard Boundless Opportunity Program! Do you meet the requirements in the graphic below? Then you're eligible to receive a scholarship that covers your tuition and fees at Florida Tech.

"With this grant, an eligible Brevard County student who enrolls at Florida Tech will owe the university $0 for tuition and fees," said Brian Ehrlich, Florida Tech's vice president for enrollment management.

Learn more about the program: https://news.fit.edu/academics-research/new-grant-program-intended-to-boost-stem-workforce-with-homegrown-talent/

03/15/2024

If you pass by these colorful grasshoppers- leave them be! These not-so-small critters are juvenile native Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers.

Big broods + big appetites + big personalities = big ouch.

Lubbers emerge from March to June every year. Normally, the adults are the most visible (growing up to three inches long!), but juveniles can be seen, especially during large breeding events. Lubbers have preferred plants but are not picky eaters. Landscapers and gardeners know this latter fact too well, and tend to regard Lubbers as costly pests.

Lubbers are happy to devour the landscaping, but please do yourself a favor and... don't bite back. Predation is low for a reason: clever loggerhead shrikes alone have found a way to neutralize lubber venom. Humans can survive eating their toxins, but lubbers will still hiss and chomp and spray stinky stuff at you if provoked.

03/13/2024

03/12/2024

Let's sneak behind the scenes...

Improperly set up hammocks can injure trees. Fortunately, ResLife set up Hammock Parks in the Brownlie Volleyball Court and Southgate Patio. We encourage you and your friends to live like an Oscar nominee and bask in the sunshine for a while! Hammocks can be borrowed from Evan's Library iDesk for 72 hours. You deserve a break.

Image: Hammock strung between two poles in Southgate Patio. Text at the bottom affirms, "No trees were harmed in the making of this picture."

02/28/2024

In 2019, a greenhouse gas Inventory revealed commuting was our largest source of GHG (15,645 MTCDE*) followed by purchased utilities (13,994) and food (2,548).

Driving habits can make a difference. Tips:

~ Drive responsibly. Aggressive driving can lower fuel efficiency by up to 33%, and speeds greater than 50 mph can significantly decrease gas mileage.

~ Shut down car if idling for more than one minute. Savings of 14% could be realized.

Florida Tech Sources: FYE 2019 GHG Inventory; 2016 Student Sustainability Guide

*MTCDE: Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent