Prowler Staff Editorial
Remember those “three R’s”? We’re talking about them – reduce, reuse, and recycle. Those are three tactics that are the basis for going green.
Right now, Somerset is taking those words to heart as administrators are going towards environmentally friendly methods to help make the world – and our school – a better place.
Reduce
Reducing the amount of waste we make (called reducing our carbon footprint) is probably the most important “R” to us. For example, reducing the amount of electricity we use can benefit Mother Earth and Somerset’s electricity bill. With the new Promethean boards, teachers are turning off their lights more often as they teach on the interactive screen.
Using lamps with high-efficiency bulbs instead of turning on the fluorescent tube lights would also be beneficial. Somerset could also make another earth-friendly step by placing solar panels on the roof or even black piping to heat water. Solar panels may be a costly addition, but in the long run, the savings add up.
Water consumption is also another thing that we could reduce. We need it every day, but we might be using more than necessary. We could use low-flow toilets and place low-flow parts on sinks. That way, they both use a smaller amount of water at a time.
Other ways to reduce resources would be to maintain the temperature in classrooms, purchase more online textbooks instead of print editions (which would save money), and open windows more to conserve air when the temperature outside is pleasant.
Reuse
This is relatively simple – you can reuse water bottles, pencils, boxes, and more. Somerset has begun to donate old backpacks and jackets to charities that can reuse the donations, and they ask former students to donate their uniforms for other students who need them.
Recycle
Recycling is easy to do as long as you have recycling bins. More bins could be placed around school and in the cafeteria. White paper recycling bins could be placed in classrooms and offices to encourage everyone to recycle their white paper. These could be collected and placed with other recyclable materials to save landfill space.
Going green doesn’t have to cost a lot of money; in fact, going green can save money and the environment at the same time. Somerset is going in the right direction – green.
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