The University of South Alabama is Going Green By: Tyler Brantley The University of South Alabama has a new

green initiative. USA is going full-force with its new environmentally-friendly policies. The university adopted policies that call for green building and construction practices, energy conservation and a bigger emphasis on recycling. The green building practices are in compliance with Alabama public building regulations for energy efficiency. The USA Dining Facility, which opened in 2011, is the universitys first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design building. The university has also committed to reducing hard surface parking to limit surface runoff of storm water. Light-emitting diode and fluorescent lights replaced incandescent lighting to cut down on energy consumption. The university is also lessening the use of central heating and cooling plants. The Jag Bike program has been implemented to reduce the amount of unhealthy gasses that are emitted into the air. University staff placed recycling bins in buildings throughout campus. Plastic, cardboard and paper are among the things that are being recycled. Students are noticing the changes. Dakin Watson, a sophomore majoring in English, likes the changes. There are all these recycling bins everywhere, and theres the new Jag Bike thing, said Watson, I just think its really cool.