Environmental responsibility is incredibly important, and Grand Erie schools are doing their parts to improve ecological literacy and stewardship in their classrooms and communities.
Many of our schools are working to enhance their environmental responsibility through recycling programs and reducing energy consumption. Grand Erie has also been working with Ontario EcoSchools to nurture environmental leaders, reduce the ecological impact of schools, and build environmentally responsible school communities.
This program is a great example of the difference students and teachers can make to improve our environment. Here are a few of the ways Grand Erie schools are working to lessen our collective carbon footprints:
Energy Conservation
Climate Change is a serious threat to our physical environment. Grand Erie District School Board plays an important role in educating staff and students understand what they can do to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
We depend on energy for virtually everything in our lives, however, energy use greatly affects the environment through the release of greenhouse gases. Making small changes to reduce energy consumption in our own lives will lead to a significant difference in our overall environmental impact.
Ways you can conserve energy:
Grand Erie District School Board & Energy:
Waste Reduction
Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! As a consumer society, we produce a vast amount of waste that ends up in landfills around the world. Reducing the amount of waste that we produce will greatly help in the health of our environment. When reducing and reusing aren’t possible, aim to recycle.
Ways you can reduce your waste:
Grand Erie District School Board & Waste Reduction:
Water Conservation and Stewardship
“Water is the driving force of all nature.” – Leonardo da Vinci
Water is essential for life. Fresh drinking water makes up less than 1 per cent of the world’s total water supply. Water is a necessity for not only humans but for all living species. A significant portion of the world’s biological diversity is dependent on inland and marine aquatic habitats. Therefore, the importance of making informed decisions, and taking action to protect and conserve our water sources is essential in the protection of our planet.
By educating present and future generations of the value of our aquatic ecosystems, we will avoid habitat destruction and the loss of biodiversity, and strive towards protecting and restoring aquatic habitats. Effective water stewardship will lead to an enhanced quality of human life.
Ways that we can be better water stewards:
Grand Erie District School Board & Water:
Under Ontario Regulation 397/11 of The Green Energy Act, all Ontario public agencies, including school boards, are required to share their annual energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in designated buildings and facilities. View Grand Erie’s 2015-2016 report submitted to the Ministry of Energy and Grand Erie's Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan (2014).
For more information related to Grand Erie's environmental initiatives, contact Katie Hashimoto, Supervisor – Energy and Environmental Conservation, at: katharine.hashimoto@granderie.ca or at 519-756-6301, ext. 281197.