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Energy, Water & Recycling
The
Nebraska Department of Education says our state has about 1,250 public and
private schools. According to the US Department of Energy, the Nation's K-12
schools spend more than $6 billion per year on energy -- more than they spend on
computers and textbooks combined. The Department of Energy also says that as
much as 30% of the energy used in many schools is wasted because of insufficient
insulation, outdated equipment or poor operating practices. The Department of
Energy's EnergyStar website has
resources that can help schools track, understand, and better manage energy
costs.
Schools can also use large amounts of water. Bathrooms, kitchens, and locker
rooms are places to look for potential savings, which can come from more
efficient plumbing equipment as well as more careful use. At some schools, a
substantial amount of water is used to water grass, trees, and sports fields.
Use of native plant species can reduce watering needs because native plants are
better adapted to Nebraska soils and rainfall. The
Alliance for Water
Efficiency has an online resource library that could prove helpful.
If you
don't think schools throw away large amounts of materials, take a look at the
trash bins out behind your school. Paper, metal, plastic, and food waste can all
make up large parts of the waste stream. Waste reduction and recycling programs
can be a great way to involve students, staff and the community, but they can
also be a challenge. Laws and policies designed for health and safety purposes
can sometimes make it difficult to store cans, bottles, and papers destined for
recycling. A website that might be helpful is
RecycleNowSchools.
The
National Wildlife Federation's Eco-Schools
program includes energy use, water use, waste reduction and recycling in its
holistic approach to greening our schools. The program provides assistance to
schools looking to address these and other parts of a whole-school approach to
involving students, teachers, administrators and the community in improving our
schools.
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