Green Schools 101

Green schools are inarguably the right decision for our children and the environment. Though up-front costs are higher, green buildings http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/ save enough in operation and maintenance expenses to pay for their original construction in a matter of months. The money saved on energy bills (the annual energy savings from a single green school is generally in the 6-digit range) can be reallocated to pay for important school initiatives, additional teachers, better computers, or thousands of textbooks. Green schools also prevent the unnecessary production of millions of tons of CO2. Overall, buildings are the largest contributors to US CO2 production. Renovations and new school construction represent the largest construction sector in the U.S.--$80 billion in 2006-2008, about 27% of the US construction market (source: McGraw-Hill).

Given the enormous financial and environmental benefits, green schools seem an obvious choice, but red tape, laws and up-front costs often prevent their construction. The highly localized nature of school budgets creates a bureaucratic disconnect between capital funds (used for construction) and operating funds (used for utility bills). The difference in funding sources makes it difficult for schools to realize the potential operating-cost savings of a green building investment.

To help school boards realize the financial and environmental benefits of green building, The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has launched the "Green Schools Advocate" Program. The program will select and train national volunteers to advocate green schools to local school boards and state boards of education.

About 75 advocates will be chosen and will be invited to attend a two-day training camp at the USGBC's headquarters in Washington, DC. Training camp will cover the benefits of green schools, LEED for Schools certification, and tactics to propel the decision-making process of building, renovating, and maintaining green schools. Advocates will learn to present the case for green schools to district governments, the local media, and other stakeholders including PTA groups.

The "Green Schools Advocate" program is a rare opportunity to make an impact in a range of causes. Green schools provide healthier learning environments for our children and reallocate money squandered on energy bills for better educational initiatives. To boot, green schools act as community exemplars, teaching tools and levers for mainstreaming green building practices into homes and offices around the US. Most of all, green schools would save millions of unnecessary tons of CO2.

If you want to get involved or think you might make a stellar "Green Schools Advocate" email The United States Green Building Council at [e-mail]. Or visit the USGBC's Green Schools website for more information.

Comments

[Lesscancer]

Green Schools are a smart step for the raising the bar on the environment and human health.

Especially for children who are likely to be exposed to toxins in their environment at higher levels than adults.

The work to prevent cancer-causing exposures is gaining interest because cancer has reached unprecedented numbers, particularly for children.

Never before have there been so many incidences of cancer in children.

Every school day in the United States 46 children (or two classrooms) will be diagnosed with cancer.

And while the cure for cancer can never be over- looked we must expand our view of cancer to include prevention.

Scientist will tell you that 70-80% of cancer comes from outside of the body.

If there is an opportunity to reduce the unnecessary and preventable environmental exposures that may be suspected of doing harm to human health to include cancer, as parents we should take precautionary steps if we can and especially when it comes to children.

However in places like my home state of Virginia there is nothing in place to protect children during school hours from application processes to include the application of harmful pesticides, paint and cleaning solvents.

Virginia allows large-scale pesticide application sites to move into next to schools where children may be at play just a matter of feet away.

It can be different.

Bill Couzens, Founder Lesscancer.org

[enilorac]

Green schools. Yes hurrah, if they can be newly built with upfront higher costs, but with later cost savings in Energy and maintenance. But what this piece should also have covered is Green rehabilitation or adaptive re-use of existing schools. Perfectly good and architecturally significant buildings all over the country get knocked down and replaced at enormous cost to the environment, let alone neighborhood character and a sense of place. As Olivia points out therer is a disconnect between capital funds and operating budgets, but there also is a wide disconnect between those who say teardown and start again and let's keep what we have and make it better. Historic preservation of buildings is usally the greener way to go. What's needed is the preservation mindset. The Italians do it best, with modern interventions into buildings, some as old as the Renaissance and there preservation is thought of as forward and glorious and modern.

[mlaiuppa]

Our local schools installed photovoltaic panels and had to shut the project down because costs went UP. Why? Local utilities charged a "rental fee" for the net metering, et al. that undermined the project. So much for trying to go green.