1st Annual Green Schools Conference
October 28, 2010
I just returned from the 1st Annual Green Schools Conference in Minneapolis. With over 900 educators, students, administrators and parents, as well all the exhibitors of green products and services, it was an inspiring event. The conference title, Growing Green Schools, was a good analogy for the conference – growth is an organic process, which requires the right conditions, time, and in the case of a good gardener, thoughtful and constant attention.
At our booth, AusPen eco-friendly markers were so well received. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and shared your excitement over this innovative product, and for sharing your green experiences. We were happy, but not surprised, when several educators said they already use AusPens in their schools! It was our greatest pleasure to meet with the student representatives from local Green Charter Schools whose enthusiasm and commitment to environmental action was inspiring. My favourite quote of the conference came from a young man in high school who madly took notes on the environmental, health and cost benefits of AusPen markers. According to him, and now according to me, “This is so hot!”
Take the ‘How Green is your school?’ Quiz
October 19, 2010
According to the US Green Building Council, a green school creates a healthy environment that is conducive to learning while saving energy, resources and money.
So how green is your school? Take our greeness quiz. Give yourself a point for each characteristic that you see in your school.
Our school:
- Conserves energy and natural resources
- Saves taxpayer money
- Improves indoor air quality
- Removes toxic materials from places where children learn and play
- Employs daylighting strategies and improves classroom acoustics
- Employs sustainable purchasing and green cleaning practices
- Improves environmental literacy in students
- Decreases the burden on municipal water and wastewater treatment
- Encourages waste management efforts to benefit the local community and region
- Conserves fresh drinking water and helps manage stormwater runoff
- Encourages recycling
- Promotes habitat protection
If you scored 10-12 points, you are the gold standard of green. Your school is a green giant.
If you scored 7-9 points, you’re well on your way. Don’t lose momentum now! Your school is a green warrior.
If you scored 4-6 points, you’ve made a good start, now you need a few more champions. Your school is a green sapling.
If you scored 0-3 points, it looks like you’re beginning your march. Your school is an acorn, with all the potential of a mighty oak tree!
The Poor Man’s Drug
October 13, 2010
This old news headline caught my attention: TOXIC MARKERS CALLED ‘POOR MAN’S DRUG’. The California article reported that 13 youths were sent to hospitals due to inhaling fumes from the Sharpie Magnum 44 marker – the favourite marker of graffiti artists.
“The Magnum 44 marker contains high levels of xylene, which can cause heart rhythm problems that can lead to sudden death,” said Cynthia Johnson, a California Poison Control system toxicology case manager. “This is not something you want to play around with,” Johnson said. “Repeated abuse can slow reaction time, irritate eyes and cause lung and kidney damage, dizziness, memory loss and tremors.”
It reminded me of a haunting image I used to see regularly from my downtown apartment in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Kids would hide a glue bottle under the collar of their shirts and walk around with their heads hung low, just to catch a whiff of the pungent solvent.
Acute exposure to solvents is well tested, but what is less understood is the low-level, long term exposure to these chemicals. The normal and intended use of markers will certainly not cause the effects described above, but there seems to be an increasing number of people who get headaches, asthma, or other chemical sensitivities just by being in a room with regular smelly markers. They call us at EcoSmart Products everyday.
AusPen eco-friendly markers are made with a certified non-toxic ink that is composed of an organic vegetable dye and denatured alcohol. If you use dry-erase markers regularly, why not protect your health?
Campus Initiatives for Sustainable Schools – AASHE Conference for Sustainability in Higher Education
October 7, 2010
Sustainability professionals and educators gather at North America’s largest campus sustainability conference to exchange ideas and explore tools to create a more sustainable campus. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is the host of the conference in Denver, Colorado October 10-12, 2010, offering plenary talks, workshops and a green exhibitor hall. AusPen eco-friendly markers is a proud member of AASHE and is pleased to exhibit at the conference, displaying one way in which educators across North America are drastically reducing waste and classroom toxicity.
The topic on the minds of the 2,000 sustainability professionals and educators gathering at the annual campus sustainability conference, hosted by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), is how to accelerate sustainability on campus. As North America’s largest campus sustainability conference, the 3-day event in Denver, Colorado October 10 – 12, 2010 will gather its diverse members to look at practical initiatives, ideas and tools to advance the process of sustainability at colleges and universities.
The title of this year’s AASHE conference is: Campus Initiatives to Catalyze a Just and Sustainable World and will focus on real-world activities that increase sustainability. Some themes that characterize the talks and workshops are that of behavioural change, moving from commitment to action, and strategies for communicating sustainability. In addition to the keynote addresses, approximately 500 papers, posters, field reports and workshops will be presented by conference attendees.
The exhibitors in the expo hall, selected for their relevance to campus sustainability, will showcase their green services and products for university life. With over 100 exhibitors in attendance, conference participants will be able to network with businesses that are providing greener solutions to educational institutions.
Armed with new perspectives, shared insight and green products, these environmental ambassadors will be better equipped to transform their campuses into greener, more sustainable centres of learning.
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As a member of AASHE, AusPen eco-friendly markers is a proud exhibitor at the 2010 AASHE conference on campus sustainability. AusPen eco-friendly markers help campuses reduce toxicity and waste. AusPen markers are non-toxic (no xylene), refillable (no waste), and made of 100% recycled aluminum (no PVC plastic)…and they are significantly more economical than disposable markers.
Holy Trinity School Undergoes ‘Environmental Revolution’
October 6, 2010
L-R: Tara Irani-Senior Science teacher, Erica Auer-Science Department Head, Jacqueline Butler-Senior Science Teacher/Environmental Sustainability Coordinator
Holy Trinity School in Richmond Hill, Ontario has taken great strides to become an environmentally-friendly school, at the grassroots. Their commitment to improving the health of their school community and the environment is being reflected in their school culture, operations and curriculum. In one initiative alone, Holy Trinity has lowered its exposure to toxins and reduced its waste by replacing many of its toxic, disposable markers with non-toxic, refillable markers. As a result, Holy Trinity will be sending 500 pounds less of toxic waste to their local landfill this year.
The environmental sustainability coordinator calls it “the awakening of green consciousness”; the school administration calls it part of their 5-year strategic plan. The changes put in place last year by Holy Trinity School to become an environmentally-friendly facility were diverse, creative and rapid, earning the Anglican day school a Gold Certification from Ontario EcoSchools. Since the beginning of the new school year, Holy Trinity has continued its undertaking and has replaced many of its toxic, disposable whiteboard markers with non-toxic, refillable, recyclable ones – a step that will reduce classroom toxicity and save on approximately 500 pounds of toxic waste.
“Last year was an environmental revolution,” explained Jacqueline Butler, the environmental coordinator for Holy Trinity School “and this year we are stepping it up a notch.” Their first initiative once they got back to school was to get rid of disposable markers in several departments in favour of AusPen eco-friendly markers, a 100% recycled aluminum marker which is refillable with a non-toxic ink made of an organic vegetable dye. “The smell of the regular markers was making one of our teachers ill, so another teacher found AusPens,” said Butler. After a year of piloting the eco-friendly product, “The teachers raved. We polled the teachers to see who else would want to use these markers, and the response was overwhelming. Now our entire middle school and our senior science, music, modern languages and drama departments have switched,” says Butler.
Following her return to work after maternity leave, Butler found herself more keenly aware of the future. “There is a big opportunity to introduce environmental education and make a difference when 700+ students are listening!” explained Butler. “Our focus was on the ‘little’ things, the daily things that we could change.” An Eco-Team was formed, comprising 15 faculty members and a large number of students from kindergarten to grade 12. Their vision was to infuse an environmental awareness in the school culture, operations and curriculum.
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The environmental activities at Holy Trinity School focus primarily on reducing waste, conserving energy and greening the school grounds. Items that were wasteful (water bottles), couldn’t be recycled at school (tetra juice boxes), couldn’t be disposed of responsibly (plastic whiteboard markers), or had recyclable versions (toners and cartridges) were banned or replaced with greener alternatives. Single use items, such as paper coffee cups and milk cartons, were replaced with permanent items like mugs and a milk machine. They got rid of the gloss on their school magazine to make it recyclable, and they earned a carbon-neutral designation for the magazine. Plastic bags were limited to certain areas, reducing their disposal of plastic bags by about 20 per day. A new series of ‘House Gardens’ were constructed to provide food and ornamentals, and give the school the opportunity to donate food to local groups.
As for energy conservation, Holy Trinity replaced its gym lighting with energy efficient bulbs and is installing new energy efficient lighting with sensors throughout the rest of the building in phases this year. A stuffed pig, the Energy Hog is presented to a class that has forgotten to turn off its lights or monitors, and the class has to be on the lookout for who to pass their unwelcomed award onto. Guest speakers such as Franke James, award-winning author of the book, ‘Bothered by my Green Conscience’, motivate the students and lead them through practical workshops, and an award system recognizes students for their outstanding stewardship.
The awakening of green conscience is a journey. The key is to just continue to make progress. It doesn’t matter where we are compared to others.
When asked what advice they might give to other schools looking to go green, Butler says that the key is to continue to make progress. “The awakening of green conscience is a journey,” says Butler, “If we looked at other schools who are ahead of us, it would be overwhelming. It doesn’t matter where we are compared to others. If we just keep advancing, we will meet our purpose.”
For more information on Holy Trinity School, go to: http://www.hts.on.ca/
Waste Reduction Week Oct 18 – 24, 2010
October 5, 2010
In Greek mythology, when the Titans lost their battle against the Olympians, Zeus condemned Atlas to hold up the weight of the earth on his shoulders.
It seems that we’ve increased his load.
“For thousands of years, Atlas has been happy to shoulder the burdens of the earth, but the amount of waste we produce makes his job harder,” said Jo-Anne St. Godard, Chair of Waste Reduction Week in Canada.
Sidebar: Ok, scientists out there, this is an analogy – can we actually increase the weight of earth with all our garbage? Probably not. The point is:
Waste Reduction Week (October 18 – 24, 2010), is about getting people to do their part to help ease Atlas’ burden.
For Canadians, check out the website’s campaign, Ease My Load, to submit your photos and videos. The contest runs until Nov 15, 2010. Not Canadian? Make up your own waste reduction week for your school or office. Hint: AusPen refillable and recyclable markers make a huge contribution to reducing waste.
http://www.wrwcanada.com/ease_my_load
October’s AusPen Giveaway Draw!
October 4, 2010
AusPen Giveaways
Where it pays to go green
Welcome to EcoSmart’s giveaway page where your “Green” stories can get you great free eco-friendly products.
Each month we choose a theme, welcome your input, and have AusPen draws throughout the month, ranging from AusPen starter kits, to marker packs to accessories.
October Theme: Why I choose non-toxic products
What motivates you to choose non-toxic products? Headaches? Chemical sensitivities? A desire to purify? Tell us what is important to you when you choose your products – whether it’s your beauty products, school supplies, or cleaning products. We are interested to know what you’re reading, thinking and doing in the non-toxic world.
Email us at info@ecosmartworld.com to share your non-toxic story. You will be automatically entered into a draw for AusPen giveaways!
You are welcome to share your AusPen experiences, but your story does not have to be limited to AusPen non-toxic markers
