The first Earth Hour was held in 2007 as a way of drawing attention to the environmental impact we are having on our planet. Turning lights off is an easy action that we can all do to reduce our carbon footprint, but what other simple actions can we take to minimise our energy consumption?
I've been doing some research into schools and they are some of the most energy inefficient places you can find! From leaving lights on all day, to leaky taps, to wasting reams of paper... the wastage in some schools can be seriously high and this is sending a worrying message to young people. However, schools are also an ideal place to highlight the inefficiencies that exist in all areas of our lives and show children easy steps to reduce our levels of waste and carbon emissions. This will help teach them a valuable lesson and hopefully make them more environmentally responsible citizens in the future.
Here are some of my favourite easy steps you can take:
💚 Keep scrap paper to use for quick and simple activities that don't need to be kept
💚 Assign children to be classroom eco-monitors who can turn off lights and close windows
💚 Teach children the importance of looking after their belongings and not throwing them away as soon as they are damaged or broken
💚 Install recycling bins in all parts of the school and encourage children to bring in snacks in plastic-free packaging or reusable containers
💚 Have times where you turn off the lights and use natural light instead
💚 Invest in some low maintenance indoor plants to bring greenery into school and clean the air
💚 Install smart meters that help visualise the amount of energy being used
💚 Incorporate some outdoor learning activities into your curriculum to help bring awareness to the importance of the environment and how much we are connected to it
To find out more about Earth Hour, visit earthhour.org and learn more about their mission
To learn about making your school more environmentally friendly, visit eco-schools.org.uk
