Page 9 - AYLEEE White Paper test

Proper funding for green upgrades could greatly help to improve school environmental impacts, setting a good example for students, teachers, and the community. This will benefit student health, education, and community. Along with encouraging schools to focus on green builds, implementing these suggestions would provide a healthier, greener space for students to learn and thrive. Without the essential funding from the provincial government, schools will be unable to follow through with their green initiatives which will not only damage our climate, but also, the little climate education Albertan students receive.
“Environmentally friendly infrastructure is an essential part of schools that must be upgraded in order for a greener future to become a reality.”
- Scott Mitchell, Rundle College Junior High
There are two major causes of energy inefficiency in schools: heat loss and lighting. By implementing triple pane windows, replacing old heating systems with new, efficient ones and complementing traditional furnaces with greener systems, such as passive or active solar heating, we can significantly improve heating efficiency. As for lighting, incandescent and fluorescent lights can be replaced with more efficient LED lights, and some light fixtures can be replaced entirely with natural light from skylights and windows. New school buildings can be designed to take advantage of natural lighting. In older buildings, we can complement existing systems with the infrastructure outlined above to create more environmentally friendly and aesthetically appealing schools. As these changes occur, students should be involved in the process as a
learning opportunity and should be taught the benefits of the infrastructure. Not only can natural lighting increase student well-being, complementing existing heating systems can stabilize temperatures, which has been proven to aid concentration. In addition, increasing the efficiency of both heating and lighting in schools does not only have an environmental benefit, but it can also reduce the cost of utility bills. Proper funding for green upgrades could help greatly to improve school environmental impacts, setting a good example for students, teachers and the community.
“When schools want to add green infrastructure to their existing school, there are many advantages to having the upgrade
engage students”
- Dalton Bonerts, Matthew Halton High School
2020 Recommendations by Students
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