The Green School
By Kenneth, 4th grade

I will be talking about how to conserve energy and save the Earth at your local school.

• Instead of a blackboard in your classroom you should have white boards with dry erase markers. If you use blackboards, the chalk could trigger an asthma reaction in some kids.

• Try to bring lunch that you can eat and keep in you lunch box so that you don’t have to throw it away. That would save acres of landfill.

• Ask teachers to keep classroom temperatures between 69 and 73 degrees. It will help children pay attention on tests and other work.

• It is also a good idea to use pencils made out of recycled furniture and other wooden trash. Over one hundred thousand dollars can be saved by using recycled pencils.

• Markers can contain harsh chemicals. Because the toxic chemicals can drain into underground streams from landfills, it is best to use non-toxic markers that are safe for water.

• About $10 billion of schoolbooks from kinder to college are used each year. Recycling just 1 percent of these books would save enough money to send more than four thousand kids to a four-year public college for free!

• Dispose of your gum in the trash not on the ground or under your desk. The average person chews almost 200 sticks of gum a year. Imagine the mess that makes!

So listen, keep your school clean and earth friendly.