Ways to Make a School More Eco-Friendly
Around the world, there are millions of schools and millions of students. Many difficulties confront schools and, unfortunately, the environment is not always at the top of the priority list. This must change, as authorities, teachers, students, and parents must appreciate the link between environmental sustainability and good health. This entails the physical well-being of both the students and the environment.
Energy Meters
Installing energy meters in the school allows pupils to better understand how energy is used and how to save it. Water meters can be installed at the school to aid with water conservation. Many schools have reduced their water and energy use by keeping track of their usage.
Monitoring saves money on heat, electricity, and water bills, as well as reinforcing the vital lesson of not wasting resources and using them wisely. Meters should be installed in an environmentally friendly school to save money and resources while also teaching pupils a valuable life lesson.
Solar Power
Some of the most effective climate solutions do not necessitate individual sacrifice. Schools must identifyall available possibilities to reduce carbon emissions and save money. One of these ways is to make use of solar power at the school. Investigate service providers in the area who offer these sustainable amenities. (Wind or geothermal energy can be used if this is more viable in your area).
Students, parents, teachers, and the school board can join forces to raise money for solar panels to be installed on the roofs of the buildings.An ecologically friendly school should install some type of renewable energy source to limit the usage of fossil fuels and to show students how renewable energy is used in real life rather than merely reading about it in textbooks. It would encourage individuals to invest in alternative energy at home and later in life. Energy-saving solutions need to become a way of life rather than an alternative.
Heat Pumps
Switching to a heat pump to heat and cool a building is one of the most efficient approaches to save energy. What better way to teach the students about how to be carbon smart. Heat pumps can reduce the average homeowner’s carbon footprint by four tons per year, in addition to saving money. Carbon Switch provides a service whereby they publish guides, reviews, and recommendations with simple instructions and suggestions to assist you and your community in living more sustainably in a carbon smart way. They can guide you to cut your carbon footprint by at least twenty-five percent in less than a month.
While heat pumps are more expensive upfront than less efficient alternatives, companies/schools can take advantage of federal, state, and utility rebates and incentives. Heat pumps function best in warm weather with moderate temperatures, however, there are now heat pump versions that work in any climate.
LED Lighting
LED lights are an excellent solution for schools to easily undertake. They are long-lasting and utilize a fraction of the energy that traditional bulbs do. They are a little pricey but they pay for themselves many times over due to reduced energy consumption and lower electricity bills.
Recycling Bins and Systems
Our children cannot all be the next Greta Thunberg, but if children are taught the importance of preserving the planet, we can be encouraged by the fact that it will still be around for generations to come.
If your school does not currently have three garbage bins, you should advocate for the addition of waste bins for hazardous, recyclable, and biodegradable materials. Workshops on various sorts of waste should be held so that kids can learn how to sort their trash. It is now important to teach the five Rs: refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle.
Children are the future and if we provide them with have enough knowledge to educate their parents and other adults in their community, they can become advocates and leaders of the fight to be carbon smart.
Digital Forms and Paper-free Environments
Schools can make use of the widespread availability of technology.
Instead of printing notes, most schools can send them by email. Printed notes and other study materials can be shared. It is possible to conserve more paper by using online tests rather than paper tests. An ecologically friendly school can go as far as it wants to go virtual. You can organize study groups and assist those pupils who do not have access to computers or laptops at home. Alternatively, ask the school to provide tablets, computers, and other technology to its students. Make the most of technology to become more environmentally friendly.
Green Cleaning Solutions
Cleaning products, paints, pesticides, chemical fertilizers used in the school garden, and furnishing finishes all emit fumes that are harmful to the health of students and staff. These hazardous compounds have the potential to damage nearby rivers.
Organic or herbal cleaning solutions are just as effective. Plants can be fertilized using organic manure or fertilizer, which is beneficial to the soil. Chemical weed killers should be replaced with natural alternatives. Concerned children can even develop herbal cleaning solutions at school as part of an ongoing project using essential oils and other ingredients.
There are so many ways that we can influence our communities and leaders to become more sustainable. Our children’s children are depending on us to save the planet.