Transcript Document 458452

BLS YouthCAN: Guardians of the Greenosphere!
•
•
•
Julia Holtzman, Alexxa Robinson, Annalise Van Even, Victoria
Tran, Marrisa Springle, Jeremiah Link, Carol Bowe, Maddie
Higgins, Ian Hay, Molly Flanagan
Boston Latin School - YouthCAN
Boston, Massachusetts
PART 1: Our Environmental Issue
Global Warming & Climate Change: Educating The Community & Inspiring Action
Currently, the earth as at risk due to detrimental changes in the climate. This is caused by the frequent
over-use of the planet's resources, often faster than the earth can replenish them, as well as the misuse of
our resources in ways that are simply not sustainable. Educating the community and inspiring them to
change is key to reducing human impact. The more the community is aware of how their actions contribute
to global climate change, the more effectively we can enlist one another in changing our everyday
behaviors in ways that become part of the solution.
We Need Less Dependence on Fossil Fuels, More Conservation & Renewable Energies
Pollution caused by fossil fuels is known to deplete the ozone layer as well as increase the Green House
Gas Emissions that are helping to drive global warming. Fossil fuels are not limitless, and our dependency
on them must be addressed. One way to become less dependent on fossil fuels is to increase renewable
energy sources, such as solar, wind, and hydro-electric.
Why We Selected Our Topic:
We chose this topic because climate change and its impacts are things that are effecting everyone. From
changing weather patterns, to coming water and food shortages, to world health and economic crises,
global climate change and GHG emissions are things we all need to care about. We believe educating
people in our own community about the things they can do to address climate change is really the best way
to make a difference. It's where real change always begins. In this project we targeted a whole series of
actions aimed at raising awareness and changing the behaviors of people in our school with regard to
emissions, energy, renewables and youth-led climate activism.
Our action plan Addresses:
Engagement: Initiatives That Engage Our School Community in Making Specific Changes to Benefit
the Air and Climate
Education: Events & Activities Designed to Educate Our School Community, Reduce Energy
Consumption and Shift Towards Smarter, More Efficient Practices
•
•
PART 2: Our Action Plan
Air
Curbing Our Dependence on Fossil Fuels
"Plastic Planet" - Screening and Sculpture
Renewables - SmartPower Speaker Event- Brian Keene, President of
Smart Power
Solarize Boston Event - With Solar City & Mayor's Energy Chief
Carbon Carpoolooza
Wind Feasibility Study & School Wide Contest
BLS Update of Energy Action Plan & GHG Reduction Calculations
Youth Green Jobs - 2012 Energy Audit Presentations & Constellation
Energy To Educate Grants to Implement Energy Saving Measures
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
E2 Energy To Educate Grants
We partnered with: SmartPower; Solar City, Jacob Glickel Chief of Staff in the Office of Energy &
Environment for the City of Boston; Members of our Science Faculty; Constellation Energy; BPS Facilities
Department; Boston Youth Environmental Network, Mass Energy Consumer's Alliance; The Clean Energy
Center
PART 2: Our Action Plan (continued)
Climate
Educating to Promoting School-Wide & Community-Wide Change
Speaking at a Climate Vigil on City Hall Plaza
Collecting & Delivering a GHG Reduction Petition to MassDEP
Holding an ACE Climate Assembly at our School for 800 Students (7th & 8th
Grade)
Holding a Goods Drive for Green Team Families In NY & NJ who were
affected by Superstorm Sandy to teach about Climate Change
Advancing Our Shared Green Roof Proposal with Presentations at City Hall &
to School Superintendent
Introducing Random Acts of Green Initiative
Launching A School-wide "Get Informed" Speaker Series
Installing Giant Globe Representing School Wide Sustainability (in the BLS
We partnered with: The Alliance for Climate Education, Kids Vs Global Warming, Our Children's Trust,
Library)
Witness.org, BU Law Students, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, The
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Superintendent of Boston Public Schools, BLS School Administrators, our Science and Art Departments, a
history teacher, and 15+ area non-profits who will be speakers in our Get Informed Speaker Series.
PART 3: Implementing Our Ideas:
Promoted Use of Solar Power: Solarize Boston
1. Hosted Brian Keene, President of Smart Power in Washington
D.C., who talked to 4 sections of environmental science students
about solar power, and even distributed 300 copies of his new
book "Green Is Good".
2. Hosted a Solarize Boston event to promote solar panel
installation program available to Boston residents.
Educated About & Reducing GHG Emissions & Toxins
1. Organized a "Plastic Planet" Movie Screening for students
- Building of plastic art sculpture to promote reusing materials and
not wasting plastic.
-Collected plastic materials and designed abstract sculpture
with it. We are still in the process of construction
2. Organized and funded Carbon Carpoolooza - An initiative to
promote carpooling and reduce emissions of greenhouse
gasses
- Designed a Giant T Sandwich Board (our public
Transportation in Boston) & a Wearable Greenline T Car for to
entertain the student body
- Handing out raffle tickets to students getting out of full cars
or off public transportation every morning.
-Applied for grant to fund prizes
PART 3: Implementing Our Ideas (continued)
General Climate Education To Inspire Change
1. Hosted Alliance For Climate Education (ACE)
Assembly
-Contacted ACE & Set up date for assemblies;
Reached out to 800 7th and 8th graders to
promote Assembly
-Asked 8th Grade to Challenge 7th Grade to
Goods Drive for ACE Green Team Families in
NY & NJ impacted by Hurricane Sandy
- Presented at ACE Assembly about BLS
School Wide Sustainability Activities
Students with Goods Drive
http://www.blsyouthc
an.org/BLS_Youth_C
.A.N./Sandy_Goods_
Drive.html
A design from our
Logo Contest!
2. Launched Random Acts of Green Initiative
- Held School Wide Sustainability Logo Design
Contest
- Selected Winning design for reproduction on
T-shirts, waterbottles, and buttons to be
distributed by administration and participating
teachers to students "caught" doing random
acts of green!
Link to Random Acts of Green Proposal:
http://www.blsyouthcan.org/BLS_Youth_C.A.
N./Random_Acts_of_Green.html
ACE
Assembly
PART 3: Implementing Our Ideas (continued)
General Climate Education To Inspire
Change - Continued
1. Get Informed Series
- Got permission to use cafeteria during
study hall periods
- Contacted and confirmed a list of
speakers, one per week
- Created a sign up form online, enabling
students to sign out of their study hall,
get a snack, and get informed about
various climate & sustainability issues.
2. School-Wide Sustainability Globe
- Was offered museum sized
globe
- Created banner to go
-Installed globe & banner in library
Get Informed Series Link:
http://www.blsyouthcan.org/BLS_Youth_C.A.N./G
et_Informed_Series_Signup.html
School Wide Sustainability Link:
http://blsyouthcan.org/BLS_Youth_C.A.
N./School-Wide_Sustainability.html
PART 3: Implementing Our Ideas (continued)
Renewables
1. Wind Feasibility Study
-Connected with BLS science teachers
-Applied for mini-grant for anemometers
-Created contest to track the data from rooftop
anemometers and predict turbine location for a
chance to win tickets to sky venture
2. Calculated GHG Savings at BLS
-We decided to calculate the reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions since 2008 (when we
started implementing energy saving measures)
3. Youth Green Jobs Energy Audit Training
Program Presentations
-Participants of Youth CAN's summer energy
audit training program presented their findings
and proposals at an event on 12/12/12, after
which Youth CAN presented each group with
Constellation Energy 2 Educate Grant funds to
implement energy saving measures in their
schools
Wind Study Link:
http://blsyouthcan.org/BLS_Youth_C.A.N./Wind_S
tudy_Proposal.html
Constellation
Energy 2 Educate
Link:
http://www.blsyouthc
an.org/BLS_Youth_C
.A.N./Green_Jobs_fil
es/Constellation%20
Release.pdf
PART 3: Implementing Our Ideas (continued)
Renewables Cont.
1. Attended Climate Vigil at City Hall
-Delivered a speech to inform the
government officials of our desire
for stricter climate related
legislation
2. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Youth
Petition
- Gathered 389 signatures
for petition
- Brought petition to
Massachusetts DEP (Dept. of
Environmental Protection)
- Advocated for lowering
greenhouse gas emissions by 6%
per year until 2050
3. Shared Green Roof Presentations
- Presentation at Boston City Hall,
speaking to Brian Swett, Chief of
Environment and Energy for
Mayor Menino
Mass DEP Link:
http://www.blsyouthcan.org/BLS_
Youth_C.A.N./Mass_DEP_Petitio
n.html
Climate Vigil Link:
http://www.blsyouthcan.org/BLS_Youth_C.A
.N./Climate_Vigil_Photos.html#1
PART 4: Evaluation & Results
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Youth CAN got approval for the shared green roof from the superintendent.
4 Environmental Science sections attended Brian Keane's smart power lecture.
300 copies of Green is Good were issued to students.
55 adults attended Solarize Boston Event.
18 Boston Latin School families pursued solar panels on their roofs.
School-wide community was engaged in Carpoolooza (2,400 students)
School-wide community was engaged in school logo contest for random acts of
green (2,400 students)
• More than 15 community organizations were engaged as speakers for the "Get
Informed Speaker Series"
• 800 7th and 8th graders attended the ACE climate assemblies
• 2 car loads full of goods donated to NY & NJ green teams for Hurricane Sandy
relief.
We encountered a few minor challenges working with our school
• 389 signatures were collected & 66 students delivered them to Mass DEP
administration in the sense that coordinating with them sometimes slowed us
down a bit, but gaining their buy-in was crucial for our ultimate success
because it really helped engage the faculty in supporting our initiatives in
important ways for our school wide sustainability push. We were helped by
the entire science department as well as art and history teachers!
PART 4: Evaluation & Results (continued)
Calculating our Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions
Since December of 2008, we have been implementing energy saving
measures at BLS. Because our Lexus 2 application is about air and
climate, we wanted to calculate the progress we have made. We
reached out to students in the science department asking them to
compare 2008 utility bills with current utility bills and calculate our
greenhouse gas savings. We were delighted to find:
• Over a four year period we have reduced our Green House Gas
emissions by 32%
• Our EPA ENERGY STAR rating has improved from a 72 in 2008 to
a 92 in 2012
• Our water consumption has decreased 12.2% and our nontransportation energy use has decreased 35.6%
• We have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 31%
Our Lexus II Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e2X7HPHitY&list=UU5Et1D3QWW3dEj6rLm
HeeLQ&index=2
We Have Plans...
Earnings
($10,000)
Use of Earnings
$7,000
Will be distributed among the ten
students team members for college
scholarships so we can pursue green
careers and save the world!
$1,000
Will be donated by the teacher to
YouthCAN in support of developing the
Shared Green Roof Task Force. (see
below)
$2,000
Will be used to further develop Shared
Green Roof Youth Task Force, by
paying Studio G Architects to have a
series of design charrettes for students
at other schools to explore their
Project Gallery
Advertising
Wind Study
Solarize Boston Link:
Michael Jackson says
Solar Power is a Thriller
and Green is Good!
http://blsyouthcan.org/BLS_Youth_
C.A.N./Solarize_Boston.html
Solarize Boston Event
Project Gallery
Green is Good!!
In the
Superintendent's
Office!!
Responding to Climate
Change effects with
Sandy Goods Drive
Project Gallery
Brian's car loaded to the
ceiling with goods for NY & NJ
Proposed Speakers for
Get Informed Series
Topic
History School Food
Food Miles
Toxic Tours Dudley
Climate Change
Composting, Worms
Energy Conservation
Renewable Energy
School Gardens
Water Conservation
Environmentalism
Youth Networking
Youth Networking
Think Outside Bottle
Composting
Composting
Community Service
Conservation
Toxic Cleaning
Green Roof
Environmental Justice
Smoothie Biking
Legal Activism
Fair Trade
Futuristic Energy Tech
Art & Sustainability
Program
Farm To School Program Boston
The Food Project
ACE REEP
The Alliance for Climate Education
ReVision Urban Farm Dorchester
Cape Light Compact
Mass Energy Consumer’s Alliance
Green City Growers
Go Ground Water in MA
EPA
BYEN
BYEN
Corporate Accountability International
Hands to Earth Composting
City Soil and Greenhouse
City Soil and Greenhouse
BLS
BLS
BLS
Emerald Necklace Conservancy
Green Schools
Studio G Architects
The City School
Bikes Not Bombs
Environmental League of MA
Equal Exchange
MIT Grad Students Contact
Mass ART Carolyn
Speaker
Kim Zeto
John Wang
Dave Jenkins
Brian Stillwell
Shani Fletcher
Debbie Fitton
Erin Taylor
Jessie Banhazl
Kelli Loilira
Kristen Conroy
Helen Christou
Dawn Chavez
Karen DiFranza
Everett Hoffman
Bruce Fulford
Zach Smith
Angela Jamal
Tim Gay
Brittany Dunn
Robin Organ
Gail Sullivan
Seth Hirschbaum
Arik Grier
Kaelin Holland
Kayleigh DeMello
Trish Weinmann
Lewenberg