School board endorses environmentally sound schools

At the regular meeting of the Near North District School Board Tuesday, School Board Trustee David Thompson put forth a motion that focuses on energy conservation for the entire board.

The Blueprint for Healthy, Environmentally Sound Schools below received full support.

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Whereas — Near North Schools have the potential to make positive, tangible environmental sustainable change in the world while teaching students to be stewards of their schools, communities, the earth and its resources;

Whereas — Near North Schools are important consumers of natural resources, including energy, water, food, and paper, and generators of waste materials, including garbage, runoff, and air emissions, which contribute to the world’s larger environmental problems like global warming, water and air pollution, and habitat destruction;

Whereas — Many options and choices exist for schools to use natural resources more efficiently; to reduce, reuse, and recycle; to encourage healthy lunches through local farm to school partnerships; to reduce and eliminate toxic chemicals; and to purchase or produce clean energy and recycled paper to protect our global environment.

Whereas — There is a tremendous opportunity to teach children about ecological sustainability, environmental health and nutrition; meet math, science and social studies standards; integrate environmental education into Provincial curricula; and support students to become leaders in making their own school a healthier and more ecologically friendly place;

Be it resolved that to promote healthier, more environmentally sustainable schools and teach environmental leadership, the Near North District School

Board hereby:

Calls on all Near North District School Board stakeholders to develop an action plan to implement a proactive environmental policy based on the precautionary principle that includes the following to be prioritized and implemented step by step:

1. The development and adoption of a program and other policies to minimize or eliminate the use of hazardous pesticides and herbicides in schools.

2. A Near North District School wide plan to improve the energy efficiency of schools, to increasingly rely on clean, renewable energy sources to power the district’s facilities, and to ultimately transform schools, wherever possible, into independent power producers by investing in clean renewable technologies such as solar and wind.

3. The creation of Near North District School Board recycling and composting programs, along with the procurement of recycled office and classroom supplies.

4. Encourage the development of school garden clubs and green schoolyards as hands on learning tools that promote good nutrition, stewardship of the land, and that teach to standards.

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