Children hold blackout day to learn about saving energy
By Anna Edwards
anna.edwards@essnmedia.co.uk
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SWITCHING ON BY SWITCHING OFF: Rebecca Apps and Lewis Whiting saving energy at their school
Young eco-warriors from Forestdale switched off and saved energy when they turned off the electricity at their primary school.
Planet-friendly pupils from Courtwood Primary, in Court Wood Lane, have resolved to reduce their carbon footprint by sacrificing as much electricity as possible.
They held a "Blackout Day", where the school switched off all its electrical appliances apart from those in the kitchen and school offices, and its sensory taps.
Headteacher Meg Gibbons revealed that pupils had been stunned to hear that every year the average school uses the equivalent of four hot air balloons filled with carbon dioxide.
"It's a tricky concept about saving the planet when you are little, but we wanted to make the children conscious of how much energy they use," she said.
"For one month we are going to be really concentrating on how to preserve energy and not waste anything.
"So it will be shutting doors to keep in warmth, and turning off computer screens and lights when we are not using them.
"We hope to get them into some really good habits that will reduce their carbon footprint.
"At the minute we are wasting a lot of money and energy, so this month will be a really good start to encourage them to be more eco-friendly."
2 Comments
by arfur daley, croydon
Tuesday, February 02 2010, 5:58PM
“They'll need these skills in a couple of years, when the EU force most of the UK's coal-fired power stations to close, the nuclear stations are too unsafe to operate, more nuclear stations are a decade or more away, and you end up relying on wind power. The last person to leave Britain won't need to turn off the light!”
by Tim, Croydon
Tuesday, February 02 2010, 3:38PM
“Having young minds such as these now in what was my local school back in the day..I didn't attend that one though, but still it had a great reputation for delivering growing kids to aspire to something great and this is just the start - Brilliant news!!”