Environmental Educational Resource & Curriculum Guide
Energy costs are an enormous expense for our nation's schools. To help free up more resources for education while strengthening academic learning, the Alliance's Green Schools Program engages students in creating energy-saving activities in their schools, using hands-on, real-world projects. Through basic changes in the operations, maintenance, and individual behavior, Green Schools has achieved reductions in energy use of 5 to 15 percent among participating schools. In addition, Green Schools encourages students to apply the lessons of energy-efficiency message in their homes and communities.
Take Action – Calculate Your Carbon and Cash Savings!
1. Replace 3 frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $60 per year.
If every household in the United States did it, we would save a trillion pounds of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere!
2. Keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them monthly. Save 250 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $840 per year.
If everyone in the United States did it, gasoline use nationwide would come down by 2 percent.
3. Check your car's air filter monthly. Save 800 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $130 per year.
4. Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save 200 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year.
Use the energy-saving setting to dry dishes and don't use heat when drying.
5. Make sure your printer paper is 100% post consumer recycled paper. Save 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.
The paper industry is the third greatest contributor to global warming emissions.
6. Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer. Save 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide and $98 per year.
7. Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Save 500 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $30 per year.
8. Air conditioner check. Save 175 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150 per year.
Clean or replace dirty air conditioner filters as recommended.
9. Take shorter showers. Save 350 lbs. of Carbon Dioxide and $99 per year.
Showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs! Using less water in your shower means using less energy to heat the water which means less pollution.
10. Install a low-flow showerhead to use less hot water. Save 300 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $150.