"Green" School

Report of Green Committee-November 2007

On Monday, November 12th, we will launch UNIS Goes Green, the school’s multi-faceted campaign for sustainability, developed last year in response to our students’ awareness and concerns for the environmental impact of our campus. Based upon the principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink, this campaign focuses on raising awareness and effecting change in many different areas, including energy, water, the environmentally-responsible management of resources such as paper and plastic, and the actual school building and mechanical systems.

As part of the launch, we will be kicking-off a number of key programs. The first, Recycle It!, will expand the long-standing recycling efforts of the Junior School “Green Team” and Middle School Environmental Club, to engage all members of the UNIS community. To help make recycling at the school as easy and effortless as possible, each classroom and work area will have a bin for recycling paper, and bins for recycling cans and bottles will be placed in the cafeteria and other strategic areas, such as teachers’ and student lounges. Clear and prominent signage will accompany each of the bins, and members of the “Green Team” and Environmental Club will monitor designated areas, to help raise awareness and educate others about recycling. To measure performance of the Recycle It! program, a photographic record of the garbage and clear recycling bags in the trash area is being maintained to provide a visual means of tracking the amount of trash vs. recyclables over time.

We will also be flipping the switch – literally – on our second program, Turn It Off!, which involves simply turning off lights and computers when they are not needed, thereby saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Running a screen saver on a computer monitor uses about 100 watts per hour – which is like keeping a 100 watt light bulb turned on constantly. It is estimated that running 100 computers during off hours increases energy costs by nearly $10,000 a year. In addition, computers and lights generate heat, which means that during warmer months it takes more energy than it should to effectively cool the school. Stickers will be placed by light switches in every room as a reminder to turn off lights and computers when they are not needed, and upon leaving the room.

Finally, we will be calling attention to a program that has already been underway for some months – the Global Re-Source Funding recycling program for toner/laser cartridges, inkjet cartridges, and used cell phones. This “Cash for Trash” program helps keep trash out of landfills, prevents cell phone batteries from leaking toxins into the environment, helps decrease the resources and energy used in the manufacture of new products – and, it raises funds for the school! The collection bin for this program has been placed outside the elevators in the lobby, and is clearly marked for the deposit of cartridges and cell phones only. In addition to this bin, there are four collection boxes in the Middle School Lounge for recycling of cell phones, batteries, ink cartridges, and eyeglasses. (Note that cell phones and ink cartridges collected here will be processed with the Global Re-Source Funding program.) So please send in any of these items with your children, as well.

In the coming months, I will be announcing some exciting news about the school’s Master Plan, which is currently being finalized with our architectural firm and the Board of Trustees’ Building and Grounds Committee. The final plans will include the modernization and “greening” of the existing school facility and mechanical systems, which will help reduce energy and water consumption, and associated costs, and provide a healthier indoor environment for all.

Other sustainable solutions have already been put into place at the school, including the installation of energy-efficient lighting in the Middle School and entrance lobby, new toilets that save 2 gallons of water per flush, and electronic faucets for sinks that markedly reduce water consumption. Plans are underway for a number of other items, such as a wireless clock system that will be installed through the building to reduce energy consumption, energy-efficient lighting for the theatre and throughout the building, installation of waterless urinals, increased reliance on web-based teaching tools and communication methods to reduce paper consumption, and the proposed use of solar-powered fixtures for exterior lighting.

All of these solutions were developed in reaction to the findings of an appraisal performed last year to assess ecological habits school-wide, and to measure the efficiency of the systems we rely upon daily – such as heating and cooling, water, and electrical. The results of this analysis were truly astounding, with findings such as:
 

• Our energy costs reach over $100,000 per month during peak usage.
• 3,530,000 pieces of paper are used in copy machines annually, at a cost of $155,000, and none of the copiers accept recycled paper.
• Until recently, the Department of Sanitation accepted only paper products for recycling in our area, so we never recycled bottles or cans.
• Out of 350 employees, an average of 75 cars a day are driven to school, where there are only 60 parking spots.

Findings such as these clearly called for immediate action, so a UNIS Goes Green committee was formed this September to work on a series of initiatives aimed at “greening” our campus. I am proud to chair this committee – comprised of faculty, administration, Tut House students, and parents – which has met regularly since the start of the school year. Ultimately, we are seeking to create a school that is better engineered to protect the environment, and to nurture a community that generates less waste, yet more ideas, excitement, and opportunities for learning and service.

In an exciting development this fall, UNIS was invited to become one of the 11 founding members of the New York City Green Schools Alliance, after our attendance at a roundtable series for independent schools held last month. The roundtable included over 40 schools from the NYC area, as well as 14 participating organizations, including the Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability, the U.S. Green Building Council, and NYS Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA). As part of the NYC GSA, UNIS has taken a pledge to reduce the school’s carbon footprint over the next 5 years, and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2020. There are a number of steps involved in this pledge, which can be found at www.greenschoolsalliance.org.

The UNIS Goes Green committee will continue to meet regularly, and we encourage you all to get involved. There are many exciting things on the horizon, and many ways in which we can all help Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink at UNIS – and there are many things you can do at home, as well, including:

• Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which use at least 2/3 less energy, and last up to 10 times longer.
• Switch to an electricity provider that offers “green” power, and support the development of renewable energy sources. You can find a list of NY green power providers at www.poweryourway.com.
• Buy only ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances and electronics, which save energy, save money, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Stop by one of the UNIS Goes Green tables that will be set up on November 8th and 9th during Parent-Teacher conferences, and find out how you can help!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink!