Students can now vote on solar panels, covered bicycle parking and other ideas to make UF more sustainable.
From now through April 20, students can pick one of five ideas for the annual Gators Give Back sustainability competition. This year, the $10,000 grant aims to improve Library West. The winner will be chosen by May 1, and the winning person or group will receive $500 in Pepsi products.
Last year, the focus was the Reitz Union food court, said David Looney, the associate director for the Business Services Division.
Other ideas for Library West include installing automatic sinks, adding recycling bins that show students what can be made from materials they’re recycling and having a Green Hour, where escalators and some lights are turned off.
“The ideas differ because of the space and the area that we’re talking about, but also because they’re different students with different thoughts and different ideas,” Looney said.
Courtney Chinn, a UF sustainability studies senior, came up with the Green Hour idea.
The 21-year-old said the library can turn off escalators and artificial lights when less people are there. Her classmates said reflective paint added to the roof will decrease the amount of heat absorbed by the building.
“I came up with it because West is no longer a 24-hour library and Marston has become a little more popular, so there are certain times that there are very few people in there,” she said.
