air quality

There's news about environmentally friendly cars, homes, and workplaces, but rarely do I hear any good changes happening in schools. Well, that's changed, thanks to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification program. Schools that intend to make their buildings more water and energy efficient can register for this program.

There are many wonderful benefits to these changes, including a better air quality for students. Now, when people think of air pollution, they mostly think of outdoor pollution. However, I recently learned in my AP environmental science class that indoor air pollution can be more harmful, because we spend the majority of our time indoors, and because pollutants can build up in enclosed spaces. Polluted air leads to respiratory problems, and bad health can cause poor concentration and overall learning.

Additionally, many LEED schools lower energy usage by 40%. This not only helps the environment by reducing the amount of fossil fuels used, but also saves taxpayers a lot of money. The savings could be used to buy more supplies for students or to upgrade and repair old facilities.

These develops are great, but I believe there are still many areas in which schools can improve. For example, my high school in Virginia keeps the AC on all year round. Now, I can understand this practice on the hot 90 degree August days, but in the middle of February? Most students complain about the freezing indoor temperatures and teachers urge them to wear layers. It is silly and a total waste of money and fuel.

Anyways, I think this program is heading the educational sector in the right direction. Hopefully, if inner city schools are given the initial cost of revamping their systems, they will be able to save enough money in the long run. Also, the students themselves in all schools can learn from the changes and start thinking in an eco-friendly manner.

If you're interested, the article is from LOHAS online.

The image above is from Inhabitat.com.