Living Green
At School
At many schools today, students are learning about their environment. They conduct energy audits that measure how much energy their school uses, and how much money it could save and how much greenhouse gas emissions would be lowered by making small changes.
For example, turning off the lights in empty classrooms (or installing sensors to do so), saves a lot of electricity, and money. So does making sure all computers are connected to power strips, and that these are shut off at the end of the school day. An audit can determine if switching to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) is cost-effective. It most likely is.
Many school buildings are decades old, with single-pane windows, and original furnaces. Upgrading to double-paned windows and an efficient Energy Star furnace will likely pay off rapidly. Installing automatic thermostats will make the students and teachers more comfortable, and save both energy and money. In classrooms throughout the school, reuse and recycle paper.
If your school has a cafeteria, you'll have many opportunities to discover what changes in materials and practices save money and energy. Is it better to reuse or recycle trays, plates and utensils? Can uneaten food be recycled for biofuel? What happens to bottles, cans, and the rest of the trash?
A final payoff is that better lighting, air quality and acoustics at schools can raise test scores by as much as 5 percent!