A display board on "Tips to be eco-friendly in school" was established in the campus . It saw enthusiastic participation from students, who designed the notices on the blank sides of old circulars given in school. A banner made out of newspaper titled the exhibit.
Newspaper clippings, roses made out of old ribbons, streamers and other extras were attached to catch the attention of students.
Snapshots:
Hopefully, this initiative will go a long way in making students more conscious about saving the earth and becoming environmentally friendly citizens of the planet!
The tips were also read out in the school assembly. Excerpts:
1. ENERGY
Green fact: One tubelight consumes 40 watts and one fan consumes 60 watts of power every hour.
Every classroom has 2-3 tubelights and 3-4 fans. Do the math: Forgetting to switch off fans and lights before you leave the your classroom means you have wasted around 173 watts in one period!
Green fact: Research shows that at the global level, gadgets on standby power are roughly responsible for 1% of global carbon dioxide emissions!
Switch off the plasma screens in your classroom when they’re not in use. Don’t leave them on standby- it directly leads to global warming!
2. PAPER
Green fact: Nearly 4 billion trees or 35% of the total trees cut around the world are used in paper industries in every continent.
Unused pages from old school notebooks amount to atleast two new notebooks per year. That would mean buying two notebooks less the next year, saving paper in the process.
Use the blank side of circulars given in school. Don’t throw them away in class, as this adds to the litter in the classroom. In case you haven’t noticed, the paper these tips are written on is the blankside of old circulars!
3. TRAVEL
Green fact: In most developed cities, vehicular emissions are the biggest contributors to air pollution.
If you live near school, use eco-friendly transport to commute. Walk or cycle- that way, you also get exercise!
If you come by car, carpool. It’s fun to travel to school with friends, and at the same time, you’re doing your bit to save the planet.
4. FOOD AND DRINK
Green fact: Organic food is food grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides
Buy organically grown groceries. They are far healthier than pesticide-sprayed foodstuffs, and besides, they don’t harm the natural ecosystem.
Finish your lunch everyday. And don’t waste potable water! Drink the unfinished water in your school water bottle once you get home. If you think it’s stale, then use it for watering plants or cleaning.
5. WATER
Green fact: 10 litres of water are wasted in one day by one leaky tap (at 30 drips per minute, i.e., 1 drip every 2 seconds)! Now that’s a lot of water!
If you find a leaky tap or flush in the bathroom, inform an ayah or attender at once. Till something gets done about it, place a bucket under the tap so that the water doesn’t go waste.
6. PLASTIC
Green fact: Studies show that one plastic bag takes 1000 years or more to degrade. That’s ten times a human’s lifetime!
Look around your classroom. And in your desk. There are so many items made out of plastic that you bring to school everyday- your pencilbox, waterbottle, snackbox and even polythene bags! There are eco-friendly substitutes for all these articles in the market. Go in for cloth pouches, metallic bottles, steel boxes and jute bags. You owe it to the Earth!
7. WASTE MANAGEMENT
Green fact: Countries worldwide are seeking to boost recycling levels. The significance of effective sorting technologies is becoming increasingly apparent.
Sort out the garbage in your classroom. Put recyclable waste in a separate bin- your class can get creative at the end of every month and think of ways to recycle the trash!
Don’t throw garbage on the floor. If there isn’t a bin around, then pocket your waste and put into a bin when you find one.
Try winning the Clean Class Award!
8. READING UP
Green fact: Sustainable development depends upon people’s awareness of the environmental effects of their actions.
There are so many complex terms like global warming, climate change and greenhouse effect that environmentalists use all the time. But what are they? Do they matter to you? Should you be bothered?
Awareness is the key to empowerment. You access the internet everyday- spend just ten minutes looking up these green words. Watch movies like ‘An Inconvinient Truth’, ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ and ‘2012’. Then you’ll get an idea as to what this all means.
9. VOLUNTEERING AND PROJECTS
Green fact: There’s no use blaming governments and corporations for our polluted planet. They can’t bring about a change. But YOU can!
Have you ever been involved in an environmental project? Even if you haven’t, don’t worry; there are plenty of opportunities coming up! Keep your eyes and ears open about green initiatives in school. A talk about eco-friendly lifestyles, a presentation on recycling, a green poster competition- it could be anything!
Participate and take action. If you don’t, then who will?
10. SPREADING THE MESSAGE
Green fact: Earmark April 22nd (Earth Day) and June 5th (World Environment Day) on your calendar. They are celebrated to remind you to give back to Mother Nature.
Amidst all the pleasantries, news and gossip that you exchange in class, why not slip in some green talk? The people you can influence the most are your own peers. Tell them what you know about being eco-friendly. Lead by example.
Initiate a classroom discussion about human-induced environmental problems and think about how you can solve them at a micro level. Don’t be inhibited to voice your views.
No one can laugh at you for being eco-friendly: it’s the coolest trend ever if you want a place on the planet!
Go green!
