The GLRPPR Blog

Cheers to the folks at Green Guardian for using the upcoming holiday to promote container recycling. GreenGuardian.com is a web site created to promote environmentally responsible purchasing and disposal choices among the citizens of Minnesota’s Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The site is sponsored by the region’s Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), and is organized into sections geared specifically toward residents, businesses and children.

I receive their electronic Green Tips newsletter, and was pleased to see them taking the opportunity to tie St. Patrick’s Day to raising environmental awareness. The lead story in the latest newsletter was entitled “Kiss Me, I Recycle” and is an obvious play on the “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” slogan you’re likely to see emblazoned on t-shirts, buttons and hats starting this weekend. (Incidentally, the SWMCB web site provides a handy “Kiss Me, I Recycle” St. Patrick’s Day button template for anyone interested in wearing green and simultaneously promoting green activities.) As eluded to in my previous post, there are likely to be lots of bottles and cans associated with St. Patrick’s Day festivities, and the SWMCB and MPCA are trying to ensure that folks consider recycling and are aware of how to properly recycle as well as what can be recycled. The “Kiss Me, I Recycle” story links to a helpful can and bottle recycling guide on GreenGuardian.com. The guide not only tells you what and how to recycle (which is strictly speaking, not pollution prevention since it’s an “end of the pipe” sort of activity) but also highlights the energy savings associated with recycling, as well as the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, and water consumption that result from recycling containers as opposed to throwing them in the trash–all of which are important environmental benefits that are certainly complimentary to P2 activities.

This sort of campaign got me thinking about opportunities for similar outreach activities on college campuses. For example, I’ve heard that Mather House at Harvard University has a “green happy hour” for St. Patrick’s Day that involves the promotion of recycling, sustainability and waste reduction. I’m curious to know if other campuses have been involved in similar activities, perhaps on a wider scale. If you know of a “Green St. Patrick’s Day” event or promotion at a college or university, or if your organization, like SWMCB and MPCA, is tying environmental awareness campaigns to St. Patrick’s Day, please take a minute to share what you’ve done in the “Comments” section for this post.

GLRPPR has developed two new school-related Topic Hubs as part of the P2Rx Topic Hub project. Before any Topic Hub is published, topical experts review its narrative portions for accuracy and completeness.

“Energy Efficient Schools and Students” describes energy efficient practices and research available to schools and introduces resources that support changes in operations, maintenance, and behavior. Numerous ways exist to reduce escalating energy costs and this Topic Hub assembles guidelines and comprehensive energy programs, identifies educational efforts and case studies, and provides examples of best practices for schools.

“Sustainable School Design” addresses many areas, including: indoor air quality; energy consumption and options; construction materials; education materials; water use; waste management; transportation; community interaction; landscaping and the building envelope. It draws upon the myriad resources available to school administrators, school boards, and community planners with the hope that these tools will guide the design of more optimally sustainable schools. The Topic Hub deals with the big issues of construction and retrofitting, siting and commissioning, and actual design of new and remodeled schools. Pollution prevention opportunities and alternative technologies that include lighting, acoustics, air quality, and well-being needs for students and school staff for a healthy and safe learning environment, are presented.

If you’re interested in reading the narrative portions of these hubs and providing some voluntary feedback, please contact Joy Scrogum or Bob Iverson. We’re looking for 2-4 experts to evaluate each of these new hubs; one person may evaluate both hubs if they desire. If you are selected to review the hubs, we’ll contact you with a link to the information you’ll need to read and further instructions. Your name will be included in the “Acknowledgments” section of the final published Topic Hub as a “Technical Reviewer.” See the Acknowledgments section of the Pollution Prevention for Arts Education Topic Hub for an example.

Our greatest asset is the technical expertise of our members and their willingness to share their knowledge with colleagues throughout the region. We appreciate your input and look forward to working with those selected to review these new resources.

The State Education Department (SED) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) have announced new guidelines to encourage the use of energy efficient design when building and renovating schools. These voluntary guidelines, known as the “Collaborative for High Performance Schools” (NY-CHPS), were created through a joint effort of SED and NYSERDA. NY-CHPS will help schools develop and maintain learning environments that contribute to improved academic achievement while reducing operating costs and protecting and conserving our natural resources. Read the full NYSERDA press release here.

The guidelines are available online to download in PDF format.

Note that NYSERDA, in cooperation with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), will be hosting a Green Schools Summit on October 15, 2007 at Farmingdale State University of New York. Visit the summit web site to register and view the agenda. Sessions will cover the NY-CHPS, as well as reducing exposures to toxic substances/green cleaning, working with LIPA to green your school, alternative fuels and emission reduction efforts for school buses, and teacher/student energy and environmental initiatives from NYSERDA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration announces a sixty day public comment period for a Draft Great Lakes Mercury in Products Phase-Down Strategy. In fulfillment of a Collaboration Strategy recommendation, in April 2006, State, Tribal, and City staff commenced development of a basin-wide Strategy for the phase-down of mercury in products and waste.

A draft Strategy is now available for public comment at http://glrc.us/initiatives/toxics/drafthgphasedownstrategy.html, through October 27, 2007. We invite comments on the Strategy itself and on how best to move forward with implementation, as well as commitments from stakeholders to implement components of the Strategy.

A copy of the draft document was first distributed to government agency experts for technical review, then revised and distributed to a limited group of industry and environmental group stakeholders. A summary of comments that were received and incorporated can also be found at the above web link.

Please send comments electronically to Debra Jacobson at djacobso@wmrc.uiuc.edu. When sending comments by e-mail be sure to put the words “Great Lakes Mercury Strategy Comments” in the subject line.

If you have questions please contact Debra Jacobson at djacobso@wmrc.uiuc.edu or (630) 472 – 5019 (Phone).

Thanks to Deb Jacobson for submitting this information.

The Illinois EPA Office of Pollution Prevention is once again holding Safe Chemicals in Education workshops this fall. The workshops are geared for science teachers who are interested in learning ways to teach using less hazardous and non-toxic materials, and safely storing and disposing hazardous materials.

The dates and locations are:

• Sept. 20 in Quincy
• Sept. 21 in Springfield
• Sept. 25 in Charleston
• Sept. 26 in Greenville
• Oct. 4 in Bloomington
• Oct. 10 in Loves Park
• Nov. 14 in Rock Island

Schools that send a teacher to a workshop are eligible for a free pickup of hazardous educational wastes through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. See http://www.epa.state.il.us/p2/calendar.html for details and registration information. Contact Becky Lockart at IEPA, 217-524-9642 for more information.

Thanks to Michael Murray, Ph.D., National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Staff Scientist for the Great Lakes Natural Resource Center, for providing three new NWF documents for access on the GLRPPR web site:

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing in the Great Lakes Region: A Survey of State, Municipal and Institutional Programs assesses EPP programs in the eight Great Lakes states, eight municipalities and three universities, with an emphasis on policies addressing PBT chemicals. Researched and written by Cameron S. Lory and Amy E. Scott-Runnels of INFORM, Inc., and Michael W. Murray, Ph.D. of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).

Recycling Mercury Thermostats in Ohio outlines the problem of mercury in the environment, and provides information on mercury in thermostats and alternatives and recycling mercury containing thermostats in Ohio. It also includes a comparison of collection of mercury containing thermostats via the Thermostat Recycling Corporation voluntary program for both the U.S. as a whole and Ohio.

Putting the Brakes on Quicksilver: Removing Mercury From Vehicles in Ohio addresses the removal of mercury switches from automobiles in Ohio. This report was written by Michael W. Murray, Ph.D. with research assistance by Knoll Larkin and Liz Szaluta of the University of Michigan.

The Healthy Schools Campaign has introduced House Bill 895 (Green Cleaning Schools Act) to the Illinois legislature. This bill would require the creation and regular ammendment of guidelines and specifications for environmentally friendly cleaning and maintenance products for school facilities, and would also require the establishment of green cleaning policies at both public and private schools in Illinois following implementation of the guidelines. See the Healthy Schools Campaign Blog entry related to this action, and continue to monitor their blog for updates.

The Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) recently launched a new blog to help disseminate information on its activities, as well as regional and national stories related to its initiatives. The blog will feature posts from HSC staff members and invited guest bloggers.

HSC has also launched a new website, GreenCleanSchools.org, which features online access to portions of the free HSC publication, The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools. The site also features related news, events and educational opportunities; success stories; regulatory and market updates; featured green cleaning products and equipment; and a question-and-answer style column called Ask Steve, written by Steve Ashkin, president of the Ashkin Group, nationally renowned green cleaning expert and author of The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools.

The Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) has released The Quick and Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools. The Guide highlights five simple steps for establishing a green cleaning program in your school. It comes with an easy-to-use CD-Rom filled with practical advice, information, resources and tools. It also provides information about dozens of products consistent with HSC Green Clean recommendations. Visit the HSC web site to reserve a copy of the guide (up to 15 copies per order). Corporations and professional associations interested in partnership opportunities to promote green cleaning in schools should click here.

In addition to Energy Awareness Month, Children’s Health Month is observed each October. This year’s theme is “Promoting Healthy School Environments.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is offering webcasts throughout October to raise awareness of protecting children from environmental risks, such as poor indoor air quality, while they are at school. These webcasts begin tomorrow (October 5) with an overview of safe and healthy school environments. Topics of subsequent webcasts include high performance schools, chemical management in schools, and Healthy SEAT, an EPA software tool to help school districts evaluate and manage their facilities for key environmental, safety and health issues.

GLRPPR currently maintains three Topic Hubs related to pollution prevention for schools: Pollution Prevention for Arts Education, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Schools, and Mercury–Schools. “P2 for Arts Education” describes the health and environmental hazards found in art education, including the theatrical arts. Ideas for pollution prevention in the art classroom, including suggestions for alternative, more environmentally-friendly materials and products, are provided. The contents of this Topic Hub are applicable to all educational institutions, including K-12, colleges and universities, and informal education programs. Theater groups may also benefit from the information provided in the Topic Hub. “IPM for Schools” describes the hazards and disadvantages associated with traditional pest management practices, and introduces the concept of IPM as a means to improve the health and safety of all school facilities while preventing waste and pollution. The IPM for Schools Topic Hub is useful for K-12 schools, colleges, universities and day-care facilities. “Mercury–Schools” provides information about the key locations in school facilities where mercury may be found, health hazards associated with mercury exposure, and opportunities to reduce or eliminate mercury in school facilities.

There are several green/sustainable school programs at the state level in our region. In Illinois, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Waste Management and Research Center collaborate on the Greening Schools project, and the project’s web site is a rich resource for those interested in more environmentally-friendly school buildings as well as incorporating pollution prevention concepts into curricula. Wisconsin has a Green and Healthy Schools Program that includes a recognition program. Michigan Healthy Schools, the Pennsylvania Green Government Council’s Green Schools program, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Green Schools! program are other examples. Resources for green school buildings are available in Minnesota and Ohio. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management educates teachers about environmental issues and potential hazards in school buildings through its e-newsletter, The Notepad.

For our colleagues north of the border, the Canadian Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse (CPPIC) provides pollution prevention lesson plans, tools and pollution prevention plan for the classroom. Look under “Education Programs” on the CPPIC web page for information on other Canadian green/sustainable school programs, including Ontario EcoSchools and the SEEDS Green Schools program.

Continue monitoring this blog for information on other programs and links related to green schools in the U.S. and Canada.