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Green School Initiatives

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Green School Initiatives
Introduction – Kate
The idea of “Green Initiatives” in schools at any age level is a positive step towards installing sustainability in the minds of future generations. To reduce the amount of energy needed, recycle rain water, lessen landfill space and cut the barrels of oil used by Americans daily; can insure that our natural resource will be intact for many years to come. However, obstacles to Green Initiatives are costs, program management and proper data collection. Is it possible to initiate Green Methods in schools and really save cash as a result? It is possible. Let us examine which eco-friendly ideas work for institutions and which do not.

Relevant Facts – Mandy, Miranda, Kate, Tomika & Alicia
Why should schools “go green?” When a school “goes green,” that school is making the choice and the commitment to make their school more environmentally friendly. This includes doing things “to reduce carbon footprint, or the amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced” (Whelan, 2007). More and more, taking care of the environment is becoming an issue among people. They all want to know what they can do to make their environment safer and cleaner. Schools are becoming no exception to this endeavor. It does not take much for a school to make a difference. It can be something as simple as recycling plastic water bottles or something more complex such as installing energy-efficient solar panels in the roofing.
Today’s schools have become more environmentally aware and many would like to incorporate green learning and living into their school systems.
The definition of a green school is “a school building or facility that creates a healthy environment that is conducive to learning while saving energy, resources, and money” (www.greenschool-buildings.org). A school can be green in many ways; primarily this paper focuses on how a school can best go green. Much of what is discussed is school construction and renovation; however we also highlight



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