WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. Special to WPCNR from Paula Piekos. February 27, 2008: A CitizeNetReporter attended the County Global Warming Conference Tuesday, and attended the Education K-12 Panel in which advantages of Westchester County Schools switching to green, environmentally friendly practices were discussed. Here is her report:
The Education Panel for Grades K-12 holds forth at Manhattanville College Tuesday: Left to right: Jeff Perlman, Bright Power, Inc.; Dr Steven Frantz Sustainablity Coordinator for Scarsdale Schools (Retired principal);Dr Frances Wills, Superintendent of Briarcliff Schools; Ellen Weininger, Grassroots Environmental Education; Katie Ginsberg, Exec Director, CELF (Moderator of panel)
The Benefits of Green Schools
The session started with Jeff Perlman clarifying that this isn't the same thing as "Environmental Education" because it also has to do with economic systems and social justice.
He said that the additional cost to build a green school is about 3% more, but the net financial benefit over time is 15 - 30% more, although whatever the profit, it is just something that we have to do.
He said you pay more for insulation, better windows, and the usage of more natural materials, but it's better in the long run.
The benefits include:
Enhanced Air Quality
Increased Learning , Productivity and Performance 3%
Increased future earning of students 1.4%
Reduced Asthma 25%
Reduced cold & flu 15%
Reduced teacher turnover 3%
He then added that the exact percentage might not be right, but the important thing is that it's not zero.
I can personally attest to this because I have had very long-term substitute gigs twice, with the reason for the teacher's absence being due to illnesses related to air quality.
There was a $ per square foot chart that I didn't have time to copy, but supposedly all of the information from the sessions offered on Tuesday are available online.
Mr Perlman then spoke about the greening of existing school buildings.
He spoke about benchmarking energy performance through energy star benchmarking tools and other metrics, auditing energy hogs, using lighting retrofits, and updating heating systems and controls. He spoke of the the importance of using low VOC paints, carpets and finishes.
SCHOOL AS LABORATORY
He said it was good for the students to be involved and talked about the "Transparent Boiler Room" where you could see it and the pipes throughout the school were color-coded. The pipes and ductwork were``roof and water management
Dr Wells of Briarcliff Schools reported they have a "No Waste Day." They come to school and think about how they can make no waste. And she quoted a line from Dr Seuss' book, The Lorax, "Unless someone like you cares an awful lot, nothing's going to get better, it's not!"
Dr Frantz and Ms Weininger had limited time due to the impending break, but Dr Frantz spoke about Scarsdale's "No idling" policy, and attempt to purchase clean buses. He also spoke about the organic gardens on the grounds of the schools and week-long Sustainability Education courses given by the Scarsdale Teacher's Institute. They also make a course available to the teachers on water education, given at the middle school, and run by Cornell University's "Project Wet" group.
Ms Weininger was running out of time, and gave a rushed talk about environmental education.
I would have liked it if someone from the planning committee, WP Board of Ed, or the architects had been there to speak about the plans for the New Post Road School, as I understand that it will be a totally green school. and it would have fit in well with this program.
