A Green'er Education for Kids

Now that summer is here, and kids are out of school, parents, school administrators and kids all need to think about our environment and keeping it a safe and beautiful place to enjoy summer after summer in the future.

According to a recent article in THE Journal by Chris Riedel entitled, "Green Schools : The Color of Money" school districts have finally discovered the abundant financial gains of going green.

"Something all schools are doing is consuming energy," says Arthur Stellar of the Massachusetts Taunton Public Schools. With energy costs on the rise, "we needed to find a way to better use our resources."

Energy efficiency isn't just about turning off lights and shutting down idle computers -- it is about rethinking the way things are done at every level of an organization. Schools need to take everything in to account, from natural gas and electricity use to HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) systems, grounds maintenance, as well as construction procedures. Schools really need to develop long-term plans for maximizing savings. This is something most schools have no idea about. That's why the Taunton Public Schools contacted a group known as Energy Education, who is in the business of developing energy conservation programs for school districts around the U.S.

Energy Education's goal is to take dollars needlessly spent on energy and convert them to dollars spent on education. The group was retained to help Taunton find ways to decrease its energy consumption in order to increase its bottom line. "

Once example mentioned in the article, is that a typical school vending machine costs up to $450 a year to run, but by using a motion sensor that shuts down the machine's compressor when there is no activity, schools like those in the Taunton district can save up to two-thirds with each of the 40 to 50 vending machines. In fact, over the last two years, the Energy Education program alone helped Taunton save more than $660,000 in energy costs. That figure includes costs on electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, and water. Everything from disabling vending machine lights to managing irrigation has played a role in the savings.

Students everywhere in schools across the country are also beginning to get the message about taking responsibility on their own. Parents teachers, anyone who can help educate them, will make formidable changes in the future. It's why, in fact, that I have a website devoted to educational issues - http://www.roccobasile.com/. One of the most rewarding experiences is working with charities like Children of the City to try to make a difference.

Here's a list of environmentally inspired websites for kids to take a look at this summer:
Environmental Education for Kids - An online magazine for grades four to eight created by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which has short articles and activities about animals, plants and environmental issues.
EPA Student Center - This Environmental Protection Agency site includes information on a wide range of environmental issues. Kids can click on "Fun Activities" to play environmental games.
The Green Squad - An NRDC website that's also available in Spanish shows you how to identify and solve environmental problems. You can can explore a colorful virtual school room by room, and use the mouse to locate potential hazards. Parents and teachers will find the site useful as it offers a wide range of resources on the environment.
The Greens - Izz and Dex are green animated characters that not only have green skin, but they have lots of great ideas about protecting the planet. Visit this site to watch short cartoons about environmental issues
Nature Challenge for Kids - This David Suzuki Foundation website place for all kinds of fun activities starting with ten simple ways you can protect nature, followed by four challenge activities that offer first-hand experience with the natural world.
Planet Slayer - "Greena, the Worrier Princess" is an animated Australian teenager who is going to save the earth. This website provides lots of fun facts and a greenhouse Q & A.
Tunza - This U.N. Environment Programme magazine is especially for young people and it focuses on a specific topic related to sustainable living. Read articles written by and for teens around the world.
Be, Live, Buy Different -- A project of the World Wildlife Fund and the Center for a New American Dream, the site was created to inform young people about how everything we buy and use affects biodiversity. Take the Buy-O-Diversity Quiz!