What are some easy free or realively low cost changes an average school can make to become a greener place?

Question

For Earth Day, my chemistry class had to present ideas on alternative energy sources, ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the effects of global warming, etc. I researched wind energy with some of my friends. Then my teacher said that any ideas we had about using our topic to impove our school we could present to the principal one day during study hall. I asked her if I could propose other ideas besides wind energy, since there's no way in h*** that we're building a wind farm on school grounds when the voters won't even approve to fix our condemed turf so the athletes can play on it instead of on a field at another high school 20 minutes away. She said sure, but he just warned my partner and I that anything we proposed should probably be of no cost to the school distric, or else it wouldn't be approved. Here are some of our ideas so far:

-encourage people to turn off computers when they're not using them

-impove the recycling methods at the school

-build a compost pile

Answer 1

Trash free lunches are a great idea. Bring a lunch to school with- out using paper bags and instead of a napkin, use a washcloth.

I also think that you should find out where you & your classmates might be able to plant small trees (on Earth Day perhaps? )  It would be a fun field trip and we could always use more trees being that we use so many for paper products.

Whether it could be near forest or on the side of a road...you'll be giving back to the Earth.

Answer 2

You can have a wind generator at your school, check out the wind for schools site.

http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/...

Answer 3

Compact flourescent lightbulbs - They use approx 1/4 of the elctricity of a regular bulb for the same light output. They also last much longer.

Answer 4

At my childs school, they get free breakfast, but are required to take everything on the menu. Many times these extra items are thrown away. Encourage the school to only give what the children want, or recollect the unused cereal and juice cartons for use the next day or donate to the homeless.

Answer 5

Have detention be a janitorial duty. It'll cut costs and the kids in trouble will do something productive other than stare at a wall for 30 minutes like at the public school I went to.

Answer 6

Thre are many ways you can be greener at school.  The easiest is to start collecting and recycling paper, which is the number one commodity used in a school. If you collect white copy paper separately, you should also be able to sell this and make some money.  All printed matter is recycleable, and perhaps also buyable; do a little research under paper recyclers in your yellow pages.  Collect and recycle cans, and plastic bottles as well.  Depending on your state, some if not all of these can also be worth money to you.  Start a campaign to get everyone to turn off unnecessary lights and powerstrips, especially when everyone goes home for the day.  Computers should be turned off when not in use-- they use electricity and also make the rooms hotter, forcing the air conditioning systems to work harder.  I don't know where your school is located, but encourage your school to go to low water-use planets and landscaping. CFLs are a good idea, but virtually every school already uses florescent lighting. Get the library to cancel subscriptions to magazines no one reads. Encourage people and your cafeteria to not use plastic ware, glasses and plates.  Get your friends to quit using straws-- they don't biodegrade, hurt wildlife, and are unnecessary. Use the water fountain instead of bottled water-- this is the biggest consumer scam in the history of the world!!!  Good Luck with your project!

Answer 7

First, schools should not be huge, monstrous buildings! In Germany and Switzerland, one can still see building with grass and trees growing on them; the more modern buildings have decks/balconies with plants growing on them.  Solar panels and wind generators would help; keeping the building cool in winter, warm in summer; use skylights to light the hallways (no lights at all, except for nightuse).  I have noticed that many schools nowadays have class rooms with no windows.  Not only is this emotionally oppressive for students, but deprives them of natural light and air.  Open the windows for fresh air!

Get rid of school buses; in Europe the students avail themselves of public transportation. When I was growing up, I walked as far as 7 1/2 miles to school, 7 1/2 miles home.

The biggest thing would be small schools, as big buildings really contribute to global warming.

Answer 8

Have all the students take a vow to limit their home size (when they go out on their own) to that of Al Gore's twenty room plus eight bath mansion in Nashville, Tennessee.   Check for yourself and type in "Al Gore's House" in any search engine.

Answer 9

have at least one day a week as a 'litter-less lunch"....meaning only reusable containers for food on Wednesdays (for example)