THE ENVIRONMENT

Can BPS go green?

Have you ever felt like the air in your school is too stuffy? Ever get headaches sitting under your school’s lights for hours? Well, the Nexus Green Building Resource Center in Downtown Crossing, an office dedicated to making every building in Boston green, may be able to help you out. This is good news for most Bostonians. “We spend almost 90 percent of our lives indoors,” says Andrea Atkinson, who works at the Nexus resource office.

For most BPS students, a majority of the day is spent indoors in a classroom and leaving class when they don’t like the atmosphere is not an option.

While it may sound unbelievable, there are simple things schools can do, not only to improve their overall environments, but also to simultaneously cut costs and help the earth. Having more windows and less electric lighting is the easiest way any school can help make itself greener. Not only does this save energy, money, and improve the environment, but according to an article in the Washington Post by reporter Kenneth J. Cooper, students who have more light in their classrooms score up to 25 percent better on standardized tests than students who don’t.

According to the US Green Building Council (USGBC), not only would greener schools increase student performance in class, but they would also improve air quality, reduce spread of colds and the flu, help teachers teach better, and save money. One way to make greener schools is to build them according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards (see sidebar). Even though it would be impossible to instantly rebuild every city school according to these standards, changes can be made that would make a difference.

In 2006, BPS won the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Environmental Purchasing and Sustainability Award for their transition to green cleaning products in all schools throughout the district, their anti-idling policy for school buses, their use of natural gas for heat and cooking, and the installation of solar panels in three schools. Earlier this year, a proposal was submitted to put wind turbines in six of BPS’s windiest schools to reduce CO2 emissions as well as teach students about alternative energy.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for students to see up close on a daily basis the power of new technology in creating a cleaner, greener environment,” Carol Johnson, BPS superintendent, said in a press release. “These turbines will serve as outdoor classrooms for students and help prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow in the fast-growing field of renewable energy.”

While using natural light, wind energy and other green fixes alone won’t save the world, the little pieces add up, and eventually BPS could make a big difference. Considering the positives, going green has many educational and health-related advantages for both the students and staff of Boston Public Schools. So while building new schools along LEED standards and making schools greener can’t make school any less boring, it can make school more bearable, and this makes it worth pursuing.

—Monika Derrien contributed to this story.
photo by Artists for Humanity

Buildings that meet LEED standards...
* Are built with materials that are sustainable (made from recycled materials, for example, or renewable resources like bamboo).
* Send less garbage to landfills.
* Conserve energy and water.
* Use lots of natural lighting.
* Have windows that open for good ventilation.
* Are healthy and safe for everyone inside them.
* Don’t put out greenhouse gases.
* Demonstrate concern for the environment and social responsibility.

Go to the US Green Building Council website for more information at www.usgbc.org