Good Greens - North Texas Daily Special Issue

North Texas Daily Advertorial Suppliment

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CAN RENEWABLE ENERGY COMBAT DENTON AIR PROBLEM? AN INSIDE LOOK INTO UNT’S NEW COMMUNITY GARDEN

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North Texas Daily Advertorial Feature

NORTH TEXAS DAILY

NORTH TEXAS DAILY

North Texas Daily ADVERTISING & PUBLISHING PRINT • DIGITAL • TV • RADIO NTDAILY.COM

Director Adam R. Reese

Contributing Writer

Advertising Director Adela Francis

Contributing Writer Shain Thomas

Advertorial Editor-in-Chief Harrison Long

Ad Executive Dane Fuentes

Art Direction/Design Jared Peers

Ad Executive David Tuck

Marisol Cabrera

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Table of Contents

UNT commitment to sustainability a time-tested tradition

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Renewable energy a proposed fix to Denton air quality problem

A sneak peak of UNTs Community Garden Upcoming Events

City Nature Challenge comes to UNT From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 14 Meet at soaring eagle statue by Hurley Admininistration Building. Be sure to download iNaturalist app prior to event.

Help table for Bee Campus USA/ SEEDS From 4-7 p.m. on Thurs. Apr. 20 Email Daniel Witt at DanielWitt@unt.edu for more information on how to get involved.

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North Texas Daily Advertorial Feature

UNT commitment to sustainability a time-tested tradition Shain Thomas | Contributing Writer

farming, there will be an When it comes to impleinteractive and informative Design Editor Hannah menting innovative susprograming.

Lauritzen wrote a substan- opportunity to speak with local farmers, vendors, and tainability ideas, University tial piece about the pronon-profits. of North Texas is at the “This past Spring I was able posed community garden. forefront of the Texas acato attend an Alternative Now Editor-in-Chief, it Everyone knows Jostens is demic community. While Spring break where we was through Lauritzen’s where graduating students spent the week restoring walking around the Denton March 2016 article the campus, it would be imwetlands in New Orleans. I student body was informed and alumni obtain the must-have a class ring but possible to not notice how have a deep intrinsic value the proposed community committed the academic for the Environment and garden had been given the what a lot of people might not know is that it is this institution is to sustainabil- green light of approval.

I work every day to chalfirm which has endowed a ity. lenge myself to do what I “Numerous proposals for a UNT scholarship in recog- can to make a difference.” nition of students pursuing The soon-to-be-opened campus community garstudies and activities as UNT Community Garden With an estimated den have fallen flat in the a firm groundwork for a “encourage wise resource 36,000-person student past, but a new proposal career in sustainability. In implementation, gaining body, “We Mean Green” is made by a group of seven recognizing the potential community support, and here to stay. students has just been apstudents have, Jostens promoting multicultural proved,” Lauritzen wrote. has shown a deep-rooted interaction with a comBe under no illusion the sustainable commitment mon goal of benefiting the “The $153,498 project will university’s commitment to to the university. For the Denton region, and her environmentally friendly be located in the space academic year 2016-17, unique, and diverse popuactivity is a recent occurbetween Legends Hall and the Jostens Global Citizen lation.” The mission of the rence. It is not.

North Texas Lofts. The Sustainability Scholar is garden is straightforward: We Mean Green Fund will Nicole Constantine.

“To provide volunteers & With the opening of UNT’s put $81,498.91 toward the food pantries of Denton Apogee Stadium in 2011, community garden and with a renewable source of the UNT administration is “I would like to give my the university was on a ethically produced vegefirm footing to attaincontributing the remaining sincere appreciation to Josten’s Global Citizenship ing the environmentally for awarding me with a friendly face the academic scholarship that I was able institution was looking to receive through [the] to acquire. In the same expression of my greatest year, the stadium became passions,” Constantine the first to achieve LEED said. “I am currently a Platinum certification. This junior majoring in Ecology is by no means a small hoping to seek a career to- achievement. Relative to wards Wetland Restoration awards bestowed by the or Conservation efforts.

U.S. Green Building Council, LEED Platinum certi“Attending the University fication is the highest level of North Texas has offered tables and fruits, while pro- $70,000.” awarded attainable. me several opportunities moting sustainability and The UNT Community Gar- to experience and engage ecological well- being.”

The points-based rating den will be holding a ribin Sustainable programs system the U.S. Green bon cutting ceremony and around campus. This past “In 2016,” Biology major Building Council utilizes in earth fest on April 20, 2017. Fall I lead the Tailgate Thomas Mendez said, “a determining which award The event, scheduled to be- Recycling Program to edhandful of students suclevel is appropriate for any cessfully gave a proposal to gin at 2:00 pm, will include ucate and engage students given structure measures a T-shirt giveaway, live in recycling in a fun and start a community garden various environmental music, a wildflower seed competitive way. I work under the guidance of aspects. The environmenplanting station and meet with Eco Reps to educate sustainability coordinator tal aspects of the building the gardeners. For anyone about Sustainable actions Gary Cocke.” which concern the couninterested in furthering the and habits to implement cil revolve around water knowledge of sustainable in the Resident halls with Then-North Texas Daily efficiency, energy conser-

“Attending the University of North Texas has offered me several opportunities to experience and engage in Sustainable programs around campus.”

vation, indoor air quality, and of course sustainability.

Fortune favors the bold.

With the way in which the Apogee Stadium was constructed, it is self-evident the university went that extra mile to achieve the highest award level possible.

More than noteworthy is the reaction the media had to the stadium. In a 2012 Dallas Business Journal article penned by Bill Hethcock, the staff writer wrote the stadium had been recognized as the “Green Project Deal of the Year.” In addition, the Engineering News-Record named the stadium that year’s “Best Green Project.”

Interestingly, Apogee Stadium was one of four finalists vying for the honor of being recognized as the “most sustainable stadium design concept.” With the highest possible attainable standards, globally speaking, UNT’s stadium is second only to London Olympic Stadium. This achievement is commendable, there is no doubt.

Headshot of Shain Thomas, courtesy of Twitter AVI.

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North Texas Daily Advertorial Feature

Renewable energy a proposed fix to Denton air quality problem Marisol Cabrera | Contributing Writer

DENTON- For three According to Downwindstraight years, the air in ers at Risk, an activist North Texas – specifigroup committed to cally Denton- has been cleaner air in the State considered unsafe, and is of Texas, high degrees of among the worst in the smog often contributes state. With the recomto serious respiratory mended ozone levels sit- problems communities ting around 65 parts per they affect. billion, or ppb, Denton “Texas has been in conhas the unique pleasure tinual violation of the of reaching levels above Clean Air Act every year 80 ppb. since 1991,” said the director of the group, Ozone is formed when Jim Schermbeck. “It is a emissions from powmystery everyone wants er plants, factories and to get to the bottom of.” exhaust from vehicles coalesce in sunlight. The Natural gas in Denton common term for this Sitting in the midst of phenomenon is smog. the Barnett Shale, Den-

The epidemic regarding ozone levels in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area is demonstrated through the dip of this line graph. | TCEQ

ton County is a network national headlines for of over 14,000 gas wells being the among the and 15,000 oil wells first cities in the United that are being actively States to actively oppose purposed in the region, measures creating such according to the Texas environmental realities Commission on Environ- in banning fracking. mental Quality.

The process of hydraulic fracturing, knowing In Nov. 2014 the city colloquially as “fracking” of Denton made interis simple: it is the pro-

es”, according to the Denton city website.

cess of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc., so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas.

It is not the act of fracking alone which allows the system of natural gas extraction to run, as it is accompanied by compression stations, processing plants and trucks transporting the extracted gas- all of which are contributors to the aforementioned factors that create smog.

While other industries are expected to comply with standards set by the EPA and detailed under the Clean Air Act, the natural gas industry is largely non-compliant or exempt from measures that are meant to safeguard the environment.

On November 27, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested information related to hazardous air pollutant emissions from sources in the oil and natural gas production and natural gas transmission and storage segments of the oil and natural gas sector, according to a section of the Federal Register. The information was meant to provide context on how to better fight the problem of the air quality problem in Texas.

The deadline for TCEQ to submit information to the EPA on the 2016 ozone year, which has been extended multiple times, is May 1.

A map of the Barnett Shale deposit that sits under the State of Texas. Courtesy | Google Images.

Denton post-fracking ban.

The Nov. 2014 ban came about in regards to concerns that the environmental off-put of fracturing land underneath residential areas was adversely affecting the environment, leading to earthquakes, and possibly contaminating the drinking water.

The city of Denton was quickly sued by the Texas General Land Office and the ban overturned. In the time since the city of Denton has sought new alternatives to address the issues contributing to their position as the worst city in Texas in terms of air quality.

The energy plan “Renewable Denton” was the answer and is expected to “provide 70% renewable energy to residents by generating the on-demand power necessary to sustain production gaps that naturally occur with renewable energy sourc-

The plan essentially calls for a review of the TMPA, or Texas Municipal Power Agency, a partnership between the cities of Denton, Bryan, Garland and Greenville that allows for the joint ownership and operation of a coal plant located in Bryan. The original agreement, which has taken place since 1975, is going to end in 2018, a year before the 70% of renewable energy detailed in the plan is supposed to be achieved.

Phil Williams, the General Manager of DME, told the Denton Record-Chronicle in Nov. 2016 that he was unsure where the talks would lead, but expected to independent of the TMPA by Sep. 2018. As of Sep. 2015, according to the DME website, the city owes just over $141 million to the agency.

In addition to slowly removing the city of Denton from its reliance on coal-generated power, Renewable Denton is expected to allow for the slow liquidation of assets at the Bryan plant, and the paying off of debts leftover from the 1975 deal.

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION 4/22/17 SEE FACEBOOK FOR DETAILS 1701 BRINKER ROAD–NEXT TO WALMART MON–SAT 9AM-8PM | SUN 11AM–7PM

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North Texas Daily Advertorial Feature

A sneak peak of UNTs Community Garden

By Nina Quatrino

About a year ago, plans to build a community garden on campus were approved and actions were in full gear. As we are nearing the beginning of March, planters are in place, plot ownerships are being decided and the garden is almost ready for action.

“It has been a long process,” sustainability coordinator Gary Cocke said, who has been working in the Office of Student Sustainability since the fall 2015.

sustainable.

The plans for a community garden skyrocketed from there.

of tuition costs. Students “[I wanted to see] what has pay into this as a part of been successful for them “Everything grown within our environmental science [and] areas that they would the planters belongs to the fee, which is dedicated to have done differently, all so plot owners,” Fraizer said. improving UNT’s impact on that we could come up with For plot owners, that “The idea was already there, sustainability and increase a plan that would work best means organic vegetables we just needed the right environmental improvehere.” and fruits at their fingerpeople,” Wolverton said. ments.

Fraizer said the plot owntips. Donations are always At the time, Wolverton was “I’m really excited they’ve erships, free supplies and encouraged, and plans to the president of UNT’s susfinally broken ground on it,” access to professionals are make donations easier are tainability club, where she said Fraizer. what make UNT’s commustill in the works. teamed up with the community garden stand out from Cocke said he plans on letnity garden club president The official name of the the rest. ting the community garden Elaine Ballard, after realspace is “The UNT Comclub take the lead on future izing that UNT had no com- munity Garden,” but the “Everything is free, the supactivities and events that munity garden of its own. garden is far from simplicplies, the seeds and fertilwill be held in the garden.

The two girls, along with ity. izers, which are all organic, Prior to UNT, Cocke had the help of five other stuFraizer said. “Everyone is “In the future, we see live worked in the Plano Susdents, Arun Surujpaul, There are 20 raised garden already paying for it, so we acoustic performances, pottainability Program with a Thomas Mendez, Leonardo beds included in the garwant it to be accessible.” luck dinners and any other community garden, so he Acosta, Darby McMakin, den with two of the garden Each garden bed will be student suggestions for the was familiar with how the and Kayla Lopez, put tobeds being ADA approved, deemed an owner, ranging garden,” Cocke said. process worked. gether the proposal. meaning they are handicap from clubs, organizations, The grand opening and accessible and “U” shaped faculties, departments and ribbon cutting ceremony Cocke recalls his first day “It just kind of came togeth- for wheelchairs. groups of five or more stuwill be from 11 am to 2 on the job back in 2015, er,” Cocke said. dents. Applications for plot pm on April 20 in front of when then senior integraThe project was turned over The garden will also be ownership are still open, Legends Hall, just hours tive studies student Alyssa to geography senior Kristin teaming up with Denton and will be closed Feb 24. before UNTs EarthFest in Wolverton approached him Fraizer, who is the commuMaster Naturalists, part If selected, plot ownership the Library Mall and days with ideas and suggestions nity garden facilitator with of the Texas A&M AgriLlasts for an entire year. before Earth Day. for the community garden. the office of sustainability. ife extension, to provide “This isn’t an immediate After being hired last June, education opportunities Plot owners will be required process,” Fraizer said. “It Now a public education Fraizer has been deterfor the students and plot for regular maintenance and takes time, labor, attention master’s student, Wolverton mined to make sure this owners. With a gazebo, upkeep with the planters. In and love.” said she’s been a student garden is everything the picnic benches and a path addition, there will be deson campus since 2012 and students want. that leads right through ignated work days during Editor’s Note: This article ideas for a community “I came on board after the campus, the garden will be every other Saturday of the originally ran online in the garden had been around for project had been approved a new place for students to month, where all the plot Editorial Section of North about four years prior to her by the ‘We Mean Green hang out. owners will show up and Texas Daily on 4/7. becoming a student. When fund,’” said Fraizer. work together to improve the Office of Sustainability “I did some research on the garden. On work days, reopened in 2015, after it The “We Mean Green” fund best practices and contactthere will be professionals closed in 2011, she said she is a pool of money collected ed other universities that to help. went right to Cocke’s office from all students. The fee is have community gardens Though it is a lot of work, with ideas and questions five dollars a semester and [to get] a feel for what they Fraizer said it will be exon how to make UNT more is included within the midst were doing,” Fraizer said. tremely rewarding.

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North Texas Daily Advertorial Feature

A Note From Our Editor

by Harrison Long | Editor

April is a sign for the weary student, a signal that not only is summer close, but the end of classes are near. As the weather warms, and these monthly showers turn to May flowers, the average person is likely to spend more time outside than in the preceding months.

As this pleasant seasonal change surfaces, and the migration to beach and lake and surf and sun becomes commonplace, we take notice of the shape of our environment. We begin to notice if we’ve been taking care of the area we inhabit, or neglecting it, at our own peril.

UNT is a standard for the idea behind students maintaining a commitment to their campus, their community, and the surrounding environment at large. What it means to be a member of the Mean Green

is to understand that improvement in sustainable practices is always preferable to maintaining a comfortable position for the sake of rebelling against change alone. It is understanding that frontiers exist beyond the obvious, and many are left to be discovered in the field of environmental science.

What you’ll find in this issue are students who embody this ideal of excellence. Those who are not beholden to old ideas, who understand that our generation has more to offer than duck-faces and mumble rap, but in fact will be the pioneers that shape the world for generations to come.

We will not be put down by adversity, we will only be emboldened by it.

“A single idea lights a thousand candles,” -Ralph Waldo Emerson.

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