Three years ago, it was just a few Knights looking to make a difference - not sit around and talk about it, but actually get up, get dirty and make one.

Today those five UCF students have spread their bright idea to ten different campuses in the United States, they’ve cleaned lakes and even built playgrounds. They’ve taken T-shirts and turned them into tote bags. They’ve even built shacks out of aluminum cans.

Intellectual Decisions on Environmental Awareness Solutions, or IDEAS, is a platform for environmentally conscientious people to grow in awareness, learn from research and act to benefit the environment in their community.

Co-founder and executive director of the group, Chris Castro, 22, says the group was an idea he and his good friend Hank Harding had a few years back. “We were both getting into the environmental program at the exact same time and it was great to see another person who was as proactive as I was,” says Castro.

Samantha Ruiz, 20, was also there in the beginning of the group and is now UCF’s chapter president. “When it started, it was really just a group of like minded people,” says Ruiz. “There were about five of us that wanted to do something, but all the outlets on campus didn’t really provide us with how we wanted to get involved. So we just decided to get out there and do things on our own, regardless of whether we were a student organization or not.”

IDEAS has literally built itself up from scratch through its three-tier approach to sustainability - research, action and environmental awareness. It’s a priority of IDEAS to form a partnership with students and to be a vehicle to facilitate their own ideas for projects. For the first year of its existence, IDEAS was not a Registered Student Organization at UCF, and thus received no funding for the projects they performed. Even now, the group operates with a $1,500 budget given to them from the university.

Despite the small amount of funding they operate under, IDEAS is an extremely active organization that has been very successful in its three years. “We can sit down and talk at a picnic table, but we really wanted to do some action whenever we meet up,” says Castro. That attitude has spread to four different states, and the start of 10 different chapters at colleges as big as Penn State to as small as Florida International University. “We can make this a conglomerate of intellectuals who really care about this movement and could potentially, between all their own niches, really make changes together,” says Castro.

Both Castro and Ruiz are intensely passionate about the environmental issues IDEAS tackles. “It’s extremely important for our generation to understand the urgency of the global problems we’re facing,” says Castro. “With any social shift, education is first. And that education spurs people to act and change their behaviors to mitigate those challenges. We hope that in doing that on our campus and in our community we can help spur the sustainability movement.”

IDEAS is extremely community focused, as they have done multiple eco-system clean ups at local beaches, forests, rivers, lakes and roads. “Being an important part of the community is being a part of making a difference. And that’s exactly what IDEAS does - we can go for the root of the problems and find out how we can make a difference in this community.”

After multiple projects in the greater Orlando area over the past three years, and the gaining of an active base of local volunteers, it’s safe to say that IDEAS has already made this community a little bit brighter.

Article By Katelyn Schmidt

Finding ways to be energy efficient can be tough. Owning a home and trying to make it energy efficient with a limited budget can be even tougher. When funds are tight and costs are high, sometimes it seems like the savings for going green don’t outweigh the costs it takes to get there.

That’s where OCHEEP comes in, offering a new way to help Orange County homeowners save money on electric bills and have fun while doing it.

OCHEEP stands for the Orange County Homeowner Energy Efficiency Program. It’s an educational program that offers a rebate incentive to participants. The program teaches homeowners how to save money on their energy bills; how to experience the most energy savings for the money spent; how using less energy in the home saves tax dollars and combats climate change; and which energy efficiency upgrades might work best for their home.

“The program teaches homeowners about technologies that are available to them by removing some of the mystery about how to be energy efficient in your home in a cost effective manner,” says OCHEEP Coordinator Jane Gregory.

In order to qualify for the workshop and the rebate, participants have to live and own a home in Orange County. For the workshop, each meeting must have at least 10 attendees and a rebate can only be pursued for one home after a homeowner attends the workshop.

There are a few things that happen during the workshops. OCHEEP will explain why the program exists, where the funding comes from and how much money they have. The bulk of the workshop, however, focuses on the information.

“It explains how your house works and where you get the biggest bang for your buck,” Gregory says.

At the end of the workshop, the rebate applications are handed out. Participants will learn how to fill them out properly and how they will use them to get the most money.

The goal of the workshops are to encourage homeowners to hire a rater to come and give their house a “scientific evaluation” and assign a HERS Index score to their home, says Gregory.

Homeowners will take the information they gather from having their house rated and decide - based on their budget and how long they plan to be in their house - what upgrade is best for their particular situation. From there, they will hire a contractor to do make the improvements and then seek the rebate from OCHEEP to help pay for some of the costs for the energy upgrades. Up to $300 of the rebate goes toward the cost of the energy rating and then up to $700 is for energy upgrades.

Orange County has roughly $600,000 to spend on energy efficiency rebates under the OCHEEP program because of the $7.5 million that was awarded to Orange County by the Department of Energy, according to Gregory. She explains that Orange County was awarded $7.5 million in a grant back in September 2009, and then took on 11 different programs. OCHEEP is one of them.

“We want to change people’s knowledge and understand of energy efficiency and actually entice them to change their behaviors in a fun way,” Gregory says.

OCHEEP is focused on getting people to think about what kind of social groups they are a part of so they can host their own workshops. One of the latest workshops was held at Rinaldi’s Air Conditioning on East Colonial Drive.

“It’s another opportunity for our customers to become more energy efficient,” says Scott Hudson, general manager of Rinaldi’s Air Conditioning.

Roughly 30 participants were present at the last OCHEEP meeting inside Rinaldi’s.

“It was very interesting,” says Pat Yanni, an East Orlando homeowner. “We live in an older house, so we’ve been looking for ways to save on energy because energy costs are very high.”

While some homeowners have been searching for a solution to their costly energy bills, others were preparing now to save money down the road.

“We just bought a house seven weeks ago, so this is perfect. We’ll make changes now, so we can see the savings in the future because we plan to live in our house at least 10 to 15 years,” says Rebeca James, an East Orlando resident. “I would definitely recommend this. I will basically be telling everyone I know.”

Learn more about OCHEEP with Coffee Club, Orlando’s Number 1 Rated Networking/Mentoring Group, on July 8 at the Airport Marriott - 7499 Augusta National Drive, 8:30 a.m.

Article by Shayla Silva

For the past 41 years family-owned Rinaldi’s Air Conditioning Service has provided Central Florida with exceptional HVAC service and installation, becoming one of the largest, highest-rated companies in the industry. Eighteen months ago, after noting an increased consumer interest in obtaining a more energy efficient home, Rinaldi’s set out to again establish themselves as a leader in an entirely new industry. Fast forward to today and, thanks in large part to their newly formed Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions Team (REST), they have again succeeded.

The only HVAC company out of more than 400 in Central Florida to have a complete package approach to home energy efficiency, Rinaldi’s and the REST team is capable of executing a unique whole house performance test that identifies areas where energy is being wasted, leaked and over utilized while simultaneously addressing indoor air quality concerns. “Our new services include installation of efficient insulation, clear or tinted window film designed to keep heat out, solar water heaters, home weatherization, appliance repair, attic ventilation, plumbing, lighting and more,” says Scott Hudson, general manager of Rinaldi’s. “You will not find another HVAC company in Central Florida that offers all of the services that we do under one roof, with one team of certified, insured professionals.”

Something else you won’t find at any other area HVAC company is a State Certified Energy Rater and LEED AP on staff like Rinaldi’s has. “Once the necessary services are performed, we can then give them a HERS or Energy Star Rating to prove their house is more efficient,” says Hudson. “Typically people will see utility and energy bills reduced anywhere from 10 to 60 percent after we’re done and the ratings generally help resale value of the home.”

Because of a down economy, many residents are choosing to stay in their homes rather than upgrade or move. With continually rising energy costs, choosing to make a home more energy efficient makes sense, especially when the largest percentage of a utility bill is usually related to an air conditioning unit. “Whether you replace your 10 year old unit with a high efficiency one like the Amana ASZ18 18 SEER or tune a newer one, it makes a huge difference in your bills because your A/C is running most of the time here,” says Hudson.

Coupled with the numerous government tax credits and rebates, manufacturer discounts and utility incentives, the cost to make a home more energy efficient is more affordable than many homeowners initially think, according to Hudson. “Since first introducing the program and beginning to really educate our clients on how much energy they could be saving, the lower costs with incentives and how we can make their carbon footprint smaller, the response for the REST program has been overwhelming,” he says. “The positive feedback from the REST program validates the way we have been doing business for more than 40 years.”

According to Hudson, customers have become especially fond of the ability to create a more energy efficient home as a whole package from a single company. “Time is a valuable commodity to us all; and being able to get a complete energy overhaul without having to sift through various proposals and multiple phone numbers or appointments from several types of contractors is a huge benefit to the busy family,” he says.

But no matter how many features or benefits Rinaldi’s offers to their clients, they know that one thing, above all else, is most important: trust. “Experience is gained, but trust is earned,” says Hudson. “We’ve worked hard, literally for decades, to build that trust and we’re proud to say that 90 percent of our business comes from referrals of existing customers.” Rinaldi’s feels more like a family than a business, partly because many of the employees and service technicians have been with the company for more than six years on average, while some have been around their office for more than 20 years.

“The most important decision a consumer will make revolves around the installing and service contractor,” says Hudson. “We do everything we can to ensure quality is always put first as we continually search for innovative ideas to enhance the comfort and energy savings for our customers in their homes. It’s what we’ve been doing for the past 40 years and it’s what we’ll be doing for the next 40 and beyond.”

A new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation is set to establish numeric limits on the volumes of phosphorus and nitrogen nutrients that would be allowed in lakes, rivers, springs, canals and springs throughout Florida. Why does that matter to you?

According to Congressman Adam Putnam and opponents of the regulation, the average Floridian could be paying as much as $700 a year more in utility fees if the regulation passes, a number they say comes from a survey of nine state water utilities. Advocates of the bill, including environmental conservation groups such as the Florida Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club, say those numbers are incredibly high, unrealistic and a worst case scenario published by special interest groups.

The group most affected by the changes would most likely be agriculture. With more than 40,000 farms across 10 million acres of land throughout the state, Florida agriculture has an estimated impact of more than $100 billion annually while being directly and indirectly responsible for 766,884 jobs according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Rusty Wiygul, director of grower affairs for Florida Citrus Mutual, a stark opponent of the bill, says that the numbers are not only very possible, but the regulations may raise taxes and even price many of Florida’s farmers and growers out of business. “The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has told us that this rule will cost millions of dollars without even yielding any cleaner water,” says Wiygul. “Municipalities are barely scrapping by as it is so one logical alternative for them is to raise taxes. “For farmers, the main problem is that we don’t know what it’s going to take for us to comply and unless they can come out and tell us, it’s a scary thing when it’s unknown,” he says. “Right now, the regulation is littered with potholes.”

Those in favor of the numerical standards, which are being developed by the EPA and the state after a 2009 lawsuit consent decree with environmental groups, say that the current system is too broad and that a numerical system must be put in place to act as a system of measurement. “We feel this is a critical need; the current narrative standards in place are an endless loop of debate that’s open to interpretation,” says Manley Fuller, III, president of the Florida Wildlife Federation.

The regulation currently reads that nutrients can’t cause a biological imbalance, but doesn’t identify what that imbalance is. “It’s like posting a speed limit sign that reads ‘Drive at a Reasonable Speed Considering Weather, Traffic and Lighting,’ it just doesn’t make much sense,” Fuller says.

The proposed regulation is set to correct this, but at an unknown cost in terms of dollars and time spent to comply with the regulations. “It’s not like we’re wasting water or not taking care of our land,” says Wiygul. “Our land is all we have. We’ve been working for years on cleaning up our water, setting new standards as research supports them, which was working well; for these regulations, the science just isn’t there yet to support possibly changing everything about the way an industry works.”

Most phosphorus and nitrogen pollution comes from storm water runoff, municipal wastewater treatment, crop fertilization and livestock manure. Too much of the elements can damage drinking water sources, increase algal blooms and form byproducts in drinking water from disinfection chemicals.

“To our opposition who say we can’t afford to do this, we say we can’t afford not to do this,” says Fuller. “Florida’s future depends on clean water here, from our beaches to our canals; it’s a big draw for the tourism economy.” At the end of the day, the Fuller says the group just wants to see all parties using more care and focus.

Wiygul says that Florida growers have already done so, in fact, he says they have been doing so for years. “Farmers are the original conversationalists and we have been cleaning up our waters and using less harmful methods for years,” he says. “Believe me, I’m not saying that we don’t have to take care of our land and our water, what I’m saying is there has to be a way to do it without imposing tougher restrictions and more cost on people.”

There have been numerous public hearings on the matter, with as many as 700 people reported at one of the hearings in Tallahassee. A recent hearing in Orlando drew more than 350, many of which, according to Wiygul, were opposed to the bill.

“We recognize someone will have to pay for this, it’s not cost-free,” says Fuller. “But we also recognize that the cost of not doing this as problems worsen is larger. What we’re advocating, we feel, is ultimately good for Florida.”

Article by Corey Gehrold

Estimates say that by 2013 we no longer will be able to pump out of Orange County’s main source of drinking water, the Floridian Aquifer. Utility corporations and county governments have been planning for viable, long-term alternatives for years; but the key, they say, rests in hands of the end-users and their individual conservation efforts.

Thanks in part to the economic downturn, the rapid growth experienced in Orange County has slowed, and with it, the demand for water. “A few years ago utilities were very concerned about rapid growth and demand, but now that is not nearly as critical of an issue anymore,” says Debbie Bradshaw, director of water engineering for OUC. Approximately 50 percent of the water OUC pumps every day goes to residents of unincorporated Orange County. The rest is spread throughout the city of Orlando and several surrounding areas.

Right now utilities across the board are pumping less water than they have been in years past, including Orange County.

“Future demand for water is a complex situation but a lot of people think our population is going to be pretty flat for several years to come so the amount of people, or customers, we’re going to have is tough to predict,” says Bill Segal, current District 5 Orange County Commissioner and former member and chairman of the St. Johns River Water Management District.

Moving forward, OUC is following a plan outlined in their Integrated Resource Planning Document that focuses on reclaimed water and conservation to meet long term demands.

Reclaimed water is wastewater that has been treated for use in nonpotable situations, such as lawn irrigation, which is what roughly 40-50 percent of household water is used for. “The nice thing about reclaimed water is that it’s the right water for the right use,” says Bradshaw. The move will allow drinking water to be used for just that, conserving large amounts of our remaining supply. If you’ve experienced the recent construction on Woodbury Road and Lake Underhill, you have seen the progress of the Eastern Regional Reclamation Project. When completed in 2012, this project will deliver reclaimed water throughout the Southeast Orlando region.

Even with the new delivery system, the key element of future water delivery still centers on conservation. In fact, some estimates say that we may be able to gain upwards of 30 percent more capacity from the aquifer by conservation efforts alone.

The county has taken a three-pronged approach to conserve water. First, they have began installing and recommending various conservation measures. Secondly, they have created tiered water rates. The system consists of five tiers separated by use with rates for usage increasing with each tier. “About 85 percent of the population falls into the third tier of 8,000 to 12,000 gallons per month,” says Segal. “The two rates above that, which are reserved for very large water consumers, are where we will continue to raise rates; we’re really trying to sock it to them in the pocketbook.”

The third aspect of the county’s position is landscaping ordinances. This includes water restrictions as well as a new ordinance stating no more than 40 percent of a yard can be turf grass on new construction. “For new homes this is a quantum leap forward in the right direction,” says Segal. Builders and buyers should expect to see the ordinance go into effect within the next nine months.

The other two options the county is looking at are far more expensive. “The next viable source looks like it’s going to be surface water from the St. Johns River,” says Segal. This water requires far more treatment than aquifer water and some environmental groups are opposed to the idea entirely. “I understand protecting the environment, but if the alternative is no water, then it’s got to come out of the river,” says Waterford Lakes resident Matt Morrisen.

As a last resort, referred to as a worst case scenario by Segal, the county is looking into desalinization of water. This process involves an advanced procedure to remove access salt and minerals  before use. “It’s practically 10 times more expensive than using aquifer water to get it ready for use and it leaves a relatively large carbon footprint because of the electricity required,” says Segal. Water for this project would have to be piped in from the ocean or filtered from a different level of the Floridian Aquifer.

“The low hanging fruit is conservation, so that’s the one that’s really in the best interest of everyone involved,” Segal says.

Article by Corey Gehrold