What Schools can do
Sign up to a travel plan. A School Travel Plan is a document produced by pupils, parents, school staff and governors, in partnership with the community and Sheffield City Council, to manage its methods and resources for getting children to and from school safely. Travel plans benefit the local environment by reducing car use for the school run. All schools must have a plan by 2010.
Reduce the Schools energy use
- Conduct an Energy audit - contact the city council for a thorough, quantitative audit although this can just as easily be done by pupils and an ‘energy team’ within the school
- Develop an energy action plan. Set targets for reducing energy use
- Monitor energy use
- Publicise successes after implementing energy efficiency
- Measures
Tips to get a school started;
- A dirty light fitting can cut light output by 20%
- Desktop monitors on computers use 60% of the energy needed so switching these off can save a great deal - just remember to switch the computer off at the end of the day
- One PC left on all the time would produce 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per year
- A photocopier left switched on overnight uses enough energy to make 5300 photocopies
- If a room is going to be unoccupied during breaks then switch all lights off
Sign up your school to be an eco-school, The Government in England wants every school to be a sustainable school by 2020. Eco-Schools is an international award programme that guides schools on their sustainable journey, providing a framework to help embed these principles into the heart of school life. There has been a pilot Eco-Schools project taking place in the South East of Sheffield for the past three years.
Food Choices
Buy fresh and locally in season food, choosing food that has travelled a shorter distance could help to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change. However, the distance the produce had travelled, or food miles, shouldn’t be your only consideration.
Buy less processed food, as processing inevitably involves energy consumption and therefore carbon emissions.
Organic food is much more widely available, organic agriculture can bring environmental benefits by increasing farmland wildlife and soil quality while reducing energy use, carbon emissions, pesticide and nitrate pollution.
If possible grow your own fruit and vegetables.
Buy fairtrade produce, most fairly traded food and drink are also produced organically or use fewer chemicals in their production.
Try using less meat and dairy products in your diet. Foods such as beef and dairy make a far deeper impression on a consumer’s carbon footprint.
Low Carbon Shopping
Buy less! Ask yourself is it really necessary to buy that brand new whilst the old one I have is perfectly fine? Buying second hand doesn’t need to be second best. Charity shops and e-bay can bring some great bargains that don’t cost the earth
Use labels to choose products that have a lower impact on the environment. For example, energy efficient appliances and cars, and sustainable fish. Using labels to buy sustainable wood and peat free compost will protect important natural habitats that help balance climate change effects.
Case Study
Foxhill, Meynell, Monteney, Chaucer and Yewlands schools’ have shown their commitment to reducing Sheffield’s carbon footprint after they took part in the Sheffield Hallam University project - ‘We Love Planet Earth’. For the project, which combines science and art and involves children, professional scientists and artists, the children looked at environment issues such as climate change, flooding, habitats, energy conservation and recycling and used this information to create an eco-friendly performance. They worked with professional dancers, actors, musicians, visual artists, comedians, performance poets and stage writers to make sure their show was perfect for their performance at the Sheffield’s Children Festival.
The project was seen, by all involved, as a great way to make children aware of environmental issues in a fun and interesting way.
A Partnership between
