Despite the cold and the wind, last week members of the UNT Geography Club put their coats on and went outside to take a tour of UNT's sustainability efforts. Led by Cody Knaupp, an undergraduate student in geography, the group started their tour at the Zero Energy Research Laboratory located in Discovery Park (Photo 1). The goal of this state-of-the-art facility is to produce an annual balance of zero emissions. Equipped with solar panels, a windmill, water collection system, geothermal heating and cooling system and more, the net-zero building (Photo 2) is an example of the kind of environmental sustainability that many geography majors are interested in learning about and promoting.

Next stop: UNT's Apogee Stadium (Photo 3). There, students and faculty checked out the facilities (Photo 4) and learned that Apogee earned a LEED Platinum certification in 2011. How did it achieve that certification? The stadium was built with locally-produced materials, coal fly ash was added to the cement mix (cement contributes ~7% of global CO2 emissions), facilities were equipped with low flow plumbing fixtures, the turf was made out of recycled tires (Photo 5), and that's only part of it (http://sustainable.unt.edu/node/203). As the group left the stadium, it was all Spiriki and smiles (Photo 6).

Next stop: Business Leadership Building (BLB). Following in the tradition of the Environmental Education Science and Technology Building, UNT's new BLB has a bright open interior space designed to facilitate exchange among students and faculty. In addition, the BLB has native landscaping, a green roof, and is built from locally produced and environmentally friendly materials.

Overall, it was a good day (Photo 7). If you'd like to join the Geography Club and be part of the action, check out UNT Geography Club on Facebook. Or just stop in and see us Tuesday afternoons at 3:30 in ENV 209. We're prepared for anything!

Photo 1 - Geography Club members ask questions about the inner and outer workings of the Zero Energy Research Laboratory located in Discovery Park.

Photo 2 - UNT's Zero Energy Research Laboratory located in Discovery Park, Denton, TX. For more information, visit http://engineering.unt.edu/mechanicalandenergy/lab-designed-study-green-energy-technologies-completed-unt

Photo 3 - The tour heads to Apogee Stadium (http://sustainable.unt.edu/node/203).

Photo 4 - Geography Club heads into Apogee stadium.

Photo 5 - Angie Holliday touches the turf. Is that really recycled tire? YES!

Photo 6 - Clyde Elliott smiles after passing UNT's eagle Spiriki at Apogee Stadium.

Photo 7 - Group photo at Apogee Stadium, Denton, TX.