Green School News

Congratulations to our Green School Committee!!!  We have officially achieved Partner level in the TP3 program. This is the 3rd level with the 4th level being Performer. We won't get the green flag until we are a Performer. Your Green School committee is working hard to make Performer happen soon. In the meantime we do get a white banner and a certificate for being Partner. Jan Crompoton from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is coming on Friday May 23rd to present our school with our banner & certificate. We are going to make an announcement at 2:10 on that day for faculty & students to come to the front lawn. It will be a short presentation that will begin at 2:15. Great effort, University School!!!
 

Policy Statement:

University School is committed to the advancement of natural resource conservation and environmental stewardship in both our school and global communities.

What’s Going On?

University School is proud to announce that we have begun composting our cafeteria waste.  The elementary composting exploratory class has set up a school system that began on April 24^th. Compostable materials are one of the most common recyclable materials that is sent to the landfill instead.  A lot of people think this doesn’t matter because these things will decompose no matter where it happens.  While it is true that compost happens most anywhere, the landfill is not one of those places.  At the landfill items are sealed in.  According to the website www.digitalseed.com/composter fifty year old organics excavated from landfills were still readily identifiable.  So we encourage you to consider composting at home.  We recommend digitalseed as a good resource to get you started.  Composting can be easy and can save you money, produce healthier plants, improve soil, save water and will divert waste from the landfill.

What Can You Do To Help?

We are still looking for donations in the form of gardening supplies (rakes, shovels, gloves), wading boots and pants (for future stream clean-up), eventually plants for our garden, ideas for improvements throughout the school, support for our projects, and of course monetary donations to help fund some of the ideas we are developing. You can also help by purchasing University School water bottles. They hold 13.5 ounces of water and cost $8. You can also order them by contacting Christy Lawrence at school through email or by returning the order form to her mailbox in the office.

BATTERY and CELLPHONE DRIVE

Start saving those recyclable batteries and cell phones. We will be holding a battery and cell phone recycling drive toward the end of this school year. We will continue in this effort over the following school year as well. More information to come.

Previously...........What’s Going On?

We are working on several projects in the building at all levels. It has been very fun and interesting to watch how involved our students have been on the various projects and how much they want to help our school.

Elementary – continues to work on the recycling campaign. Discussions are happening all the time getting our students thinking about what we can do as a school and community to help our environment. Composting experiments have also begun as we build our outside stations.

Middle School – conducted a letter writing campaign to send to local municipalities to encourage recycling at their locations. The students had to research the locations and develop the letters to write, encouraging recycling efforts.

High School – conducting a clean air survey of the building and developing ideas to implement air quality control and safe practices.

Efforts throughout the whole school include project ideas surrounding composting, gardening, window tinting, turning off vending machine lights, hand blowers in the bathrooms, a lesson on batteries, and changing exit signs to more efficient LED lights. 

What Can You Do To Help?

We are looking for donations in the form of gardening supplies (rakes, shovels, gloves), wading boots and pants (for future stream clean-up), eventually plants for our garden, ideas for improvements throughout the school, support for our projects, and of course monetary donations to help fund some of the ideas we are developing. You can also help by purchasing University School water bottles. They hold 13.5 ounces of water and cost $8. You can also order them by contacting Christy Lawrence at school through email or by returning the order form below to her mailbox in the office.

Tips for at Home:

Steps you can do at home to live a more energy efficient lifestyle:

·         Faucets – a faucet that drips once per second can waste more than 3000 gallons of water. Replace the washer or o-ring as one step or replace the entire faucet. Faucets purchased before 1994 can have a flow rate of 3-7 gallons per minute. The current federal law says faucets can have a maximum flow of 2.2 gallons per minute.

·         Toilets – toilets can use as much as 7 gallons per flush. 1994 also brought changes for toilets. New toilets may use only 1.6 gallons and some more energy efficient dual systems can use as low as .9 gallons per minute.

Better Homes and Gardens April 2008

The following article reprinted from:

Will You Go Dark?
Earth Hour 2008

What are you doing on Saturday, March 29?

We've got an invite for you: Take an hour to power down.

On March 29, Chicago will lead the U.S. in Earth Hour. The global event encourages governments, businesses and residents in major cities worldwide to turn off lights and unplug unnecessary appliances for 60 minutes between 8 and 9 p.m. Organized by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour is meant to show solidarity in the fight against climate change.
 
In Chicago, which was chosen as the U.S. flagship city, officials and businesses will dim city buildings and major landmarks like the Navy Pier ferris wheel, downtown skyscrapers and shops along the Magnificent Mile. (Streetlights, hospital lights and other necessary lights will remain lit.)
 
According to the Earth Hour website, the city of Sydney, Australia recorded a 10.2% drop in energy use during the debut Earth Hour event on March 31 last year. The energy savings were equivalent to "taking over 48,000 cars off the road for an hour." This time around, ComEd will help measure how much energy Chicago saves during the demonstration.

The goal of Earth Hour, however, isn't really to promote coordinated hours of darkness as a long-term strategy to stave off climate change. It's to get people thinking--and to let them know they're not alone. So we like their suggestion to use that hour to reduce your footprint in a more lasting way.

If you buy the supplies ahead of time, you can use Earth Hour as a time to replace all your incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving CFL bulbs and plug your small appliances into power strips for easy turn-off when not in use. And, in the true spirit of solidarity, sit down with family and friends to discuss the importance of responding to climate change...then make your own plan of action.

Watch EarthHour's cool video, and sign yourself up, here. Want more suggestions for reducing your impact on global warming? Check out the A Fresh Squeeze archive for more down-to-earth green news, food tips, shopping info and more.

 
Like this article? More to try:
Toilet Talk: Eco-Friendlier Flushing
Heat Smart: Efficient Temperature Control Tips
Compact Your Energy Bill: Compact Fluorescent Lighting

 

What’s Going On?

University School is leading the way on campus in plastic water bottle recycling. But have you ever thought about where all those bottles come from?

Did you know?

• -Seventy-four percent of Americans drink bottled water, and one in five drinks only bottled water. Worldwide, consumers spent $100 billion on bottled water in 2005.

• -Each year more than 4 billion pounds of PET plastic bottles end up in landfills or as roadside litter. Nine out of ten bottles end up as garbage or litter.

• -Making bottles to meet Americans’ demand for bottled water required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil last year – enough fuel for more than 1 million U.S. cars for a year – and generated more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide.

Bottled water is healthier, right?

• -In 2002, 1.5 million tons of plastic was used to package 6 billion gallons of bottled water. The production of this plastic leads to the release of a variety of chemicals.  Most smaller bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which, according to the Berkeley Ecology Center, generates more than 100 times more toxic emissions than an equivalent amount of glass.

• -Bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, which has weaker regulations than the EPA regulations for tap water.

• "Single use" plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate [#1 PET or PETE] are not recommended for repeat use because of the risk of bacterial contamination from infrequent and insufficient washing.

Do you know about the impact on Water Supply?

• The withdrawal of large quantities of water from springs and aquifers for bottling has depleted household wells in rural areas, damaged wetlands, and degraded aquifers.

What about the price?

• 1 bottle/day x 5 days/ week = $260/year

• Comparison:

  • Tap water = $.0015/gallon

  • Filtered water = $.13/gallon

  • Bottled water = $1.27/gallon

What can you do to help University School and the environment?

The Green School Committee is selling reusable plastic water bottles. They hold 13.5 ounces of water and cost $8. Each bottle has University School printed on it. You can write your child’s name on the bottle and they can use it at school. The bottles will be on sale outside the office during lunch. You can also order them by contacting Christy Lawrence at school through email or by returning the order form to her mailbox in the office.

More news about what we are doing school wide in the next newsletter.

                Green Schools is part of the Tennessee Pollution Prevention Partnership (TP3), an initiative of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Office of Environmental Assistance. TP3 is a statewide network of households, schools, government agencies, organizations, businesses, and industries, working together to protect our shared environment through pollution prevention. Our schools can help our children become stewards of the Earth by increasing their awareness of environmental problems and solutions. 

(Retrieved from http://state.tn.us/environment/ea/tp3/tp3_grschools.shtml)

University School goals for the 2007-2008 school year:

• Look for opportunities within our school and community to raise environmental awareness and lower our environmental impact
• Lead the faculty and students’ effort in obtaining TP3 Green School status

We have met to discuss these goals and what we are going to do to work toward becoming a partner and eventually gaining TP3 status.

Any ideas that you may have are welcome.

Contact: Ms. Keli Barnett or Ms. Christy Lawrence  

Check out this web site for more information about the Tennessee Pollution Prevention Partnership.

                http://state.tn.us/environment/ea/tp3

Also, Ms. Brickell and Ms. Goehring are working with a team of students to create a University School Green School Web Page.  Check it out!!!

TIPS FOR AT HOME

A Green Cleaning Basket –

1. Polish wood – Choose a vegetable based soap to polish wood floors and furniture to add glow. Suggestion: Murphy’s Oil Soap

2.  Wash dishes – Choose detergents free of chlorine, phosphates, and synthetic chemicals. Suggestion: Ecover Automatic Dishwasher Powder or Mr. Meyer’s Clean Day Dish Soap

3.  All-Purpose Cleaner – a plant-based cleaner will remove stains from almost anywhere – walls, windows, countertops, and appliances. Suggestion: Shaklee Basic H2O Organic Super Cleaner Concentrate

4.  Scour Grime – Biodegradable scouring powder with mineral abrasives cleans countertops, grout, outdoor furniture, grills, ovens, showers, sinks, and stoves. Suggestion: Bon Ami

5. Whiten Surfaces – a non-chlorine oxygen bleach cleanser tackles stains on grout, sinks, bath tubs, and toilets. Suggestion: Jason Heather’s Oxygen Bleach Cleanser

Better Homes and Gardens, August 2007, page 88.

What’s going on throughout the school?

Elementary: The elementary has been having multi-age exploratory classes centered  around environmental themes that integrate science and math.  We have a recycling exploratory, composting exploratory, reduce & reuse exploratory and a reporting exploratory.  The recycling exploratory has visited a recycling center and looked into a variety of ways we can recycle more and why.  The composting exploratory has visited a composting garden, experimented with small composting bins and is meeting with the physical plant soon to plan a school composting bin for our cafeteria waste.  The reduce and reuse exploratory has visited the landfill and created model landfills.  The reporting exploratory has visited the East Tennessean, completed the school environmental survey and is setting up a green school web site.  We are excited about the many projects we have going!

Middle: The Middle School has constructed composting piles (small ones).  They will soon do a waste audit of the school (trash from lunch) to get an idea of what we throw away and what we should recycle.

High: Finishing the green school audit

Whole School: There are paper recycling boxes in every classroom. We have both can and bottle recycling bins throughout the school. 

The committee is continuing to meet to develop our plans for gaining partnership with this project. Everyone throughout the school is working hard in the effort to make University School become a Green School. Check out the bulletin board across from Ms. Kelli’s room for more Green School news.

Tips for at home

·         Fix any leaky faucet, toilets, or water pipes – a small leak can add up to a lot of water over time

·         Conserve fuel by turning down the heat at night and while you are away from home – or install programmable thermostat

·         Use non-toxic cleaning alternatives like the ones mentioned in previous newsletters

·         Compost your food waste and use as a nutrient rich soil for your lawn. Leaves make an excellent source of material for this too.

*Retrieved from www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/take-action/greentips

The Green School Committee is moving right along to develop and implement our plans throughout the school. It is a huge endeavor but one that will be well worth it. Talk to your kids at home about what it means to be green at school, at home, and in the community.

Do-It-Yourself Cleaners

The Basic Ingredients:

• Baking Soda – works best on proteins, grease, and animal messes. Because it is slightly abrasive, it can be used for scouring – and of course, it’s a natural deodorizer.
• Distilled White Vinegar – This mild acid works on alkaline substances, dissolving scale, inhibiting mold, and cutting soap scum. It’s terrific for stains such as coffee, rust, and tea.
• Simple Soap – Try castle soap, made with olive oil or a vegetable-based soap. Both attach to soil at the molecular level, so you can rinse dirt away with water.

The Recipes:

• Soft Scrub – Add enough soap to 1/8 cup baking soda to make a creamy mixture. Apply with sponge to clean, rinse the surface well. Use and discard.
• Appliance Cleaner – Dry baking soda shines up small appliances and even removes bread wrappers burned to the toaster. Try rubbing a teaspoon on to your grubby blender or food processor with a clean flannel cloth.
• Toilet Cleaner/Deodorizer – Sprinkle toilet bowl with ¼ cup baking soda. Drizzle with ¼ cup vinegar, then scour with a toilet brush.
• Oven Cleaner – Sprinkle oven with ¼ cup baking soda (more if needed) and spray with water. Let it sit for several hours or overnight before scraping up stains and spills. Rinse thoroughly with water.
• Harwood Floor Cleaner – In a pail or bucket, mix ¼ cup distilled white vinegar in one gallon warm water. Mop wood or linoleum floors, then rinse with water, making sure not to leave large pools to dry.

*Better Homes and Gardens, August 2007, page 90

What’s going on throughout the school?

The second grade class and the middle school exploratory class completed a stream clean-up project together on Thursday, November 29.

The Physical Plant is donating a small compost bin for us to use for the elementary composting exploratory groups to begin to set up our cafeteria compost system.  We will be adding more bins that are of the hand crank variety as we can.  These will be easiest for little hands to turn.  We will let you know how and what to compost once the system is set up.  They have also agreed to supply all materials and to actually construct a series of raised garden beds for us this winter.  They will be ready to go this spring and we will be able to put our compost to good use.

We have put in place a system for recycling the cardboard waste we have here at school.

The high school is conducting a Clean Air survey that will get them ready to begin a project with the Clean Air Tools for Schools.

There are several other projects in the works so look for how you can help University School in our efforts to be a Green School. We will be selling environmental safe bottles and eventually cloth bags for you to use at the grocery stores to cut down on plastic and paper bag waste.

The committee will be meeting again in January. A date will be set soon. If you are interested in being a part of this, please come to the meeting. Contact Kelli Barnett for information. Email her through the University School web site.

Tips for at home

·         Do not throw out your toxic household wastes, such as paint, paint thinner, and car fluids, in the garbage or down the drain. Check with local facilities for proper disposal.

·         If you have a furnace, fireplace or gas heater, have them serviced regularly to prevent deadly fumes and install a carbon monoxide detector.

·         With Christmas coming, you may need batteries for all those toys and gadgets. Remember to buy rechargeable batteries.

·         Conserve energy by using timers on Christmas lights inside and out.

·         Check out this web site for “Green” Christmas ideas: http://www.greenandeasy.co.uk/Product/ViewSubCategories.aspx?categorykey=516