Ask Your Community September 28, 2008

Things You can Ask Your School and Community to Do to Go Green:

1. Install solar panels
2. Use earth friendly cleaning supplies
3. When building [or re-building], consider using green architectural ideas and materials
4. Buy local and organic produce for in the cafeteria
5. Use recycled materials [paper, pencils, etc.]
6. Begin a recycling and composting project
7. Plant trees [and other plants] in and around your community
8. Serve less meat in the cafeteria [4 days a week instead of 5]
   WHY? “Because a kilogram of beef makes more greenhouse gas than driving for three hours and leaving on all the lights on in your house. In other words, the equivalent of the amount of CO2emitted by the average European car every 250 kilometers, and burns enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for nearly 20 days,” says environment.newscientist.com.
9. Get an FREE energy audit and go carbon-neutral [This may take a lot of time,  fundraising, and research]
10. Influence local farmers to go organic
11. Have your representative bring up the environment in Congress
12. Use www.house.gov www.senate.gov to find your representatives and senators to tell them that you care, and they should too!

Top Ten Things Teens Can Do

Top Ten Things Teens Can do to Go Green

 

10- Pick up litter

9- Use CFL lighbulbs [available in the school store]

8- Use public transportation/carpool

7- Recycle and compost

6- Turn the lights off when you exit a room

5- Join an in-school environmental club [ETAF!]

4- Use natural lighting instead of indoor lighting [ie-windows]

3- Use recycled materials [like paper, pencils, binders, etc.] and buy local and organic food

2- Petition your local officials and tell them the environment is important to you

1- TELL YOUR FRIENDS!

[Recycled school supplies can be found here: http://www.redapplesupply.com/sitepages/index.asp?section=2&page=1  http://www.ecopaper.com/ http://www.ecopapers.com/]

What We’re About September 26, 2008

ETAF is a group of eco-friendly students and faculty at Oakwood Friends School in Poughkeepsie, NY. We love our earth, and believe it’s important to give back to the planet as well as reducing the amount of harm we do. Earth Team Action Force does many things on campus-you may have seen our signs telling you to turn off the water in the bathrooms or the “Turn off the lights” signs by every switch-or perhaps you’ve spotted our recycling bins or attended Earth-Share Day last year. Whatever you’ve seen or heard, our influence is felt all over campus, and through the world as well, as we are impacting the environment, after all.

If you’re visiting this site-congratulations! You’ve come one step forward to helping us survive another day, this first step called curiosity. Now once you read our “About” page, you’ll have taken the second step-being informed. If what you hear makes you want to join ETAF, we’ll gladly take you in and feed you: in the upstairs dining hall every Tuesday during lunch [food provided downstairs, courtesy of our marvelous dining hall staff]. Thanks, and keep watching our blog!