SUSTAINABLE GREEN SCHOOLS

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SUSTAINABLE GREEN SCHOOLS
by JANE BOGNER
SUNDAY, October 19, 2003

Around the nation, school districts are taking innovative steps to become sustainable. In Massachusetts, a fourth "R" is added to the school vocabulary: renewable. The state is concerned about rising energy costs and student health and is offering financial incentives to districts to build environmentally friendly, health-conscious green schools.

Through a partnership with the Renewable Energy Trust, districts are being encouraged to make use of technologies, such as solar heating and natural lighting. Retrofitting older buildings will simultaneously save on energy bills and create a better environment in which to teach and learn. The move is part of a national trend to improve energy efficiency in public buildings. The Massachusetts Department of Education is onboard with this concept to lower dependency on oil-produced energy. The money saved on energy costs can now be spent on the education of their students.

I love this story that was reported in the Daily Grist, an environmental e-newsletter, last spring:

Raj Pandian, an engineering professor at the University of Michigan, has proposed harnessing the energy from playground equipment such as teeter-totters, merry-go-rounds, and swing sets. Energy generated by the repetitive motion of the playground equipment can be stored in batteries. This local energy can be used to power light bulbs, radios, sewing machines, telephones, and other useful electronics. The professor's idea is one of a series of projects seeking to tap into "people power" to provide electricity to the 40 percent of the global population that lacks reliable energy sources.

College campuses are also coming onboard. Many are becoming promoters of sustainable development. Oberlin College (Ohio) completed a comprehensive study of how to reduce pollution from its operations. The State University of New York at Buffalo spent $17 million to retrofit buildings with energy-efficient technology that will save it $9 million per year in utility bills. Stanford University is spending $3.2 million on an entirely off-the-grid new building.

Meanwhile, 275 universities worldwide have signed the Talloires Declaration, which commits its parties to incorporate sustainability and environmental literacy into teaching, research, operations, and outreach. The Talloires Declaration was composed in 1990 at an international conference in Talloires, France. It is the first official statement made by university administrators of a commitment to environmental sustainability in higher education. That's good news because, in many communities, universities are the biggest developers.

It will be interesting to see how energy efficient the renovation on our Vallejo schools is and what sustainable innovations are incorporated in the proposed new Solano Community College campus in sunny and windy north Vallejo.

Free Composting and Less-toxic Pest Control Class:
There will be a combination composting and less-toxic pest control class sponsored by Vallejo Sanitation and Flood Control District on Saturday, October 25 at YardBirds in Vallejo. This class runs from 10 am to noon and one BioStack bin will be given away. Participants who come at 9:30 will be treated to coffee and coffeecake donated by the Dillion Bread Company.

VALCORE Recycling Vice President Jane Bogner's "A Sorted Affair" is published every other week in the Times-Herald, Community Outlook Section. For recycling information call Genie Kaggerud, VALCORE Recycling manager at 645-8258 or visit www.VALCORErecycling.org.