SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE USE

PILLAR 2: SPECIFIC STEPS FORWARD

In moving toward a proactive, precautionary approach to resource use, the following pragmatic steps would make an excellent start:69

1. PARENTS, STUDENTS AND SCHOOL STAFF SHOULD:

  • Organize to make sure each school develops and implements a sustainable resource use policy, including a recycling program, and a recycled products purchasing policy.
  • Organize to make each school as energy efficient, and energy independent as possible.
  • Demand a high performance learning environment for every child. Insist on ending the deficiencies and inequities in the conditions of public school buildings.
  • Pressure school districts, along with local, state and federal governments, to do the following:

2. SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SHOULD:

  • Mandate the creation of district–wide recycling programs, along with the procurement of recycled office and classroom supplies.
  • Assure that new schools are built or refurbished following Healthy, High Performance school building criteria.
  • Develop a district–wide plan to make schools more energy efficient and to transform schools into independent power producers by investing in clean renewable technologies such as solar and wind.

3. STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS AND GOVERNMENTS SHOULD:

  • Mandate the creation of state–wide school recycling programs and curricula, along with the procurement of recycled office and classroom supplies.
  • Require that all new school design, construction and renovation, undertaken with state funds, adhere to the highest High Performance School Building standards.
  • Provide a regulatory climate and financial flexibility that foster high performance schools.
  • Create a state–wide efficiency and renewable energy plan, that invests significant resources and provides subsidies to make schools energy independent.

4. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD:

  • Congress should appropriate the money to fund the Healthy, High Performance School Act, which is part of No Child Left Behind.
  • Set and enforce standards, provide technical assistance, and earmark funding to support the creation of healthy, high performance schools.
  • Invest significant resources in making the US energy independent, and, as a component of this, support a nation–wide effort to make our schools energy independent.