Green5
Thank you Culver City News for covering Linwood E. Howe Elementary School student leaders’ Green5 presentation to CCUSD staff in your March 28 edition.
My colleagues and I on CCUSD’s Environmental Sustainability Committee (ESC) are heartened by the students’ enthusiasm for the Green5 campaign.
At Lin Howe, where it was piloted last school year, each classroom has an elected “Green Seat” whose job it is to inspire their fellow students to follow “the three Rs” (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in that order) and help others recycle carefully.
Our pre and post-waste audits revealed Lin Howe increased their recycling rates by 500 percent over the four-month pilot period, which translated into savings for the City (trash costs much more than recycling) and less going to the landfill where green house gases (GHGs) are created.
Additionally, by pledging to follow through on their Green5 and other environmentally friendly commitments, Lin Howe students removed an estimated 3.6 billion (yes billion) pounds of GHGs from the Earth’s atmosphere during that same four-month period.
That is the equivalent of taking more than 300 cars off the road for a year.
By just modifying our habits a little bit, we can collectively make big meaningful impacts on the environment, and save money in the process.
Did you know a daily purchase of four disposable petroleum-based plastic water bottles at $1/each adds up to nearly $1,500 annually?
So doesn’t it just make good economic sense to go with reusable water bottles? Waste-free lunches are another great way to both reduce costs and environmental impacts.
El Rincon Elementary is currently participating in the Grades of Green “Trash-Free Tuesdays” challenge, and Lin Howe is preparing to launch a similar effort at their April 22 Earth Day assembly.
Please join us in our efforts to create a culture of sustainability within CCUSD for our children’s future.
For more information check out: http://cccusd.org/sustainability or find us on Facebook at “Culver City Sustainable Schools” where you can also view videos of our Green5 presentations. For information on how to pack a waste-free lunch check out: http://www.wastefreelunches.org.
Shea Cunningham
Co-Chair, Environmental Sustainability Committee, CCUSD
