If you are a student, walk or ride your bicycle to school whenever possible. You could then go a step further by inviting other students to join a group in school. You could also ask your teacher if they would spread the word and maybe even let you use the classroom for meetings. If you are a teacher, you could recruit students and help them by giving them ideas for how to save energy at school. One other great way to get students organized is to start an official school club. Check the student handbook or talk to an administrator at the school about how to get started.
If you are a student, you could create some signs on your own or with a few friends who are also interested in helping your school save energy. Make sure to get permission to hang the signs first. If you are a teacher, you could have your students create signs for a class project or homework assignment, and then go around posting the signs together. For example, you might hang up signs next to light switches around the school with reminders, like “Remember to turn off the lights when you leave!”
Your school’s garbage company may offer recycling services. Check with them first to see if they can provide receptacles, and then ask them to place these in designated areas throughout the school. You can also set up a composting program at your school. Even better, start a school garden and use the composting program to help support it. [1] X Expert Source Kathryn KelloggEco-friendly Living Expert Expert Interview. 28 June 2019.
If you’re a student, circulate a petition among your fellow students or organize a meeting between the administrators and your student energy-saving club. It can also help to get teachers involved. Support your case by doing some research and writing up a formal report. Include statistics to demonstrate how much money and energy the school would save by making the changes you’re suggesting. You can also recommend using real lunch trays instead of disposable ones, incorporating more plant-based meals into the menu since they’re better for the environment, and starting programs that teach students about climate change and reducing waste. [2] X Expert Source Kathryn KelloggEco-friendly Living Expert Expert Interview. 28 June 2019.
Try organizing a student “light patrol” to check empty classrooms, labs, and other spaces to make sure the lights are off when they’re not in use. If you are a teacher, remind your students by saying, “Did you know that 90% of the energy that lightbulbs use is expended as heat? If we turn off lights when we don’t need them, we can save energy and keep rooms cooler. ”[3] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Department of Energy Official site for the U. S. Department of Energy, which provides resources related to energy safety, conservation, and efficiency Go to source Try doing this at a time when the students will remember it, like just before leaving the classroom or as you are turning off some lights.
If you are a student, ask your teacher if it is okay to work with fewer lights on. For example, you could approach your teacher and say something like, “The sun is so bright today. Would it be okay if we opened the blinds and turned off some or all of the lights to save energy?” If you are a teacher, try asking your students, “Can everyone see okay?”
CFLs consume a little more energy than incandescent bulbs when you first turn them on, but after the bulb is on, they use 70% less energy than an incandescent bulb. [4] X Trustworthy Source Energy Star Program run by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy focused on educating consumers about energy efficiency Go to source Make sure that you do not switch CFL bulbs off and on too much. It is best to leave them on for 15 minutes or longer to save more energy.
If you are a student, check with your teacher before you close any doors. Your teacher might be leaving the door open for a good reason. Try saying something like, “I read that closing doors can help us save energy. Would it be okay if I close our classroom door?”
If you are a student, try saying, “Before we turn up the air conditioning, could we try using the fans? They can cool the room while using less energy than air conditioning. ” If you are a teacher, check with your students to see if they are cool enough with just the fans.
If you are a student, try saying to your teacher, “I read that we could save energy by making some minor adjustments to the thermostat in our classroom. Would it be okay if we tried that?” If you are a teacher, try saying to your students, “I am adjusting the thermostat to help us save some energy, but let me know if you start to feel too hot/cold. ”
If you are a student, you might want to let your teacher know first. However, you could offer to tell the maintenance staff for them. Try saying something like, “I noticed that there is a draft near the windows in our classroom. Is it okay if I tell the maintenance staff, or would you rather let them know yourself?”
If you are a student, be sure to check with your teacher first. Try saying something like, “I noticed that the area rug is covering a heating vent, and we could save energy if we moved it slightly. Would it be okay if we did that?”
Turning off screens and monitors when you’re done using them. Checking to see if computers are set to “sleep” when not in use. Making sure that computers shut down completely at the end of the day. If you’re a student, talk to your teachers about putting rules in place about turning off electronics when they aren’t in use.
If you are a student, try saying something like, “Surge strips can save energy because they make it easy to switch the power off and on for multiple electronic items. Would it be possible to get some for our classroom?”
If you are a student, then you might ask your teacher if this is something the school already does. Do a little research on how much your school can save by using Energy Star appliances, and write up a report to present to your teacher or the administration. If you are a teacher, then you could talk with your school’s principal about it. You can find out more about the Energy Star program here: https://www. energystar. gov/.
If you are a student, you could talk to your teacher or school principal about this idea. Try saying something like, “Can we get a compressor remote to turn off the vending machines and save energy when school is not in session?”
