Greening Schools

If you've got kids in school, you have an ideal place to combat climate change and the harsh effects it has on the developing world.

According to Statistics Canada, nearly 5.3 million children spend a good chunk of each weekday in public schools across Canada. Imagine the positive environmental impact if students and staff decided to go as green as possible in their schools.

Climate change has a disastrous effect on poor families around the world. For example, children and their parents in Africa who can least afford to cope with natural disasters are facing increased flooding and droughts. And scientists predict that this will only worsen unless steps are taken to stop global warming.

Fortunately, many Canadian schools are embracing the challenge to go green, knowing that the future of children here and around the world depends on it. The British Columbia Ministry of Education, for example, now offers guidelines and resources to help schools become eco-friendly.
Here are some simple ways to go green at your school. (These suggestions can also be used in community centres, arenas or any public gathering place.)

1. Start or join a committee comprised of students, parents and teachers. Begin by contacting your school board or checking its website for information. Think of ways you can motivate the entire student body to join in. Kids embrace causes-especially ones where they can see their immediate impact.
2. Contact a community service club that has conservation as its goal. Ontario, for example, has the Ontario Environmental Network that lists 500 environmental organizations across the province. When starting a movement at your school, you can benefit a great deal from an established organization's know-how.
3. Try to go “carbon neutral.” This simply involves estimating the green-house-gas emissions the school is responsible for (check out DavidSuzuki.org for online carbon calculators) and finding ways to compensate through projects like wind farms or reforestation projects. Organizing fundraisers will help you invest in these green projects.
4. Ban idling. Walk through any school parking lot and you will likely find an idling vehicle. According to Friends of the Earth, Canadians idle away $1.3 million in greenhouse-gas-producing fuel each year. Create a policy that urges parents, school-bus drivers and anyone else who visits your school to turn their vehicles off while waiting.
5. Do what you already know. Many steps that energy-efficient families use in their homes can translate into a school setting. Something as simple as switching off computer monitors when they are not in use can have a significant impact. The average desktop computer is estimated to consume 420 kilowatts of power each year. When you are talking about more than 1 million computers being used in Canadian schools, the energy savings add up.