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July 2010
Pupils Cut Carbon Footprint

A South Dublin school has won the An Taisce Green Schools Energy Award, 2010 for showing a local gym, Westpark Fitness Centre how to improve energy efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint.

The awards presented recently at An Taisce’s headquarters in Taylor’s Hall, Dublin saw the following winners:

1st Prize - St. Mary’s National School, Tallaght, linked with Westpark Fitness Centre winning a sustainability fund of €4,000.

Three runners-up funds of €2,000 each were also presented to:

• Clogheen KerryPike National School, Co. Cork who linked with Apple Computers
• Presentation National School, Drogheda, Co. Louth who worked with Woodies DIY.
• Bright Sparks Childcare Centre, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork who teamed with A.I.B.

Pupils aged 7-12 from St. Mary’s National School in Tallaght have shown how they are learning to reduce their carbon footprint and their school’s energy bills, but have also taken the message outside the classroom, by joining forces with Westpark Fitness Centre.

As part of their winning entry the students at St. Mary’s proposed a variety of energy-saving concepts to help Westpark Fitness Centre go Green and came up with the idea of introducing a walker pass. Here is an extract from their competition entry:

"Firstly the gym now operates a more stringent “switch it off” campaign. There are posters made by our committee displayed in prominent places reminding staff to switch off lights and appliances. These have had the desired affect according to Kevin (The Manager) as it has made people more aware. On November 20th we had a low energy day here in our school as part of our Green Flag campaign. On the same day Westpark had a low energy day in conjunction with our school. They switched off all unnecessary lighting and also any equipment not in use..... Kevin has appointed an energy manager in the Gym on our advice. Similar to our energy monitors in St. Mary’s, this person had responsibility for ensuring that there is no unnecessary energy usage in Westpark.... they are now in the process of organising a once monthly Low Energy Day. Gym members have been encouraged to walk to the gym rather than drive by being given one free Guest Pass a month on signing in at the reception as a “walker”. All halogens in display cabinets have been replaced with energy saving CFLs. Vending machines are now plugged out at night"

Speaking at the prize giving ceremony Susan Kinane, Managing Director of ESB Independent Energy said “We are proud to sponsor the An Taisce Green Schools Energy Project. ESB Independent Energy (ESBIE) works very closely with businesses through our Energy Consulting Services and it is important that we share our knowledge with a generation that in a few years will be in positions within the business community to make decisions that may have a critical impact on all our lives. What they see and learn now will have an impact on future decisions.”

The An Taisce Green-Schools Energy Project is a schools initiative that educates young people about the benefits of energy efficiency. Targeting schools already in the An Taisce’s Green Flag Programme, schools are encouraged to team up with a business in their locality and complete a project and make suggestions and recommendations on the practical and efficient application of energy in a business environment.

If your company would like to get involved in the next An Taisce Green-Schools Energy Project, please register at http://www.w6.esbextra.ie/AnTasReg/jsp/index.html.