Greener Buildings – Part IV
September 12th, 2007 by Jason Nearly 56 million people (most of them kids) spend a decent portion of their time in schools both public and private. Sometimes these buildings can contain inhibiting environmental conditions concerning learning and often pose increased risks to the health of staff and children. I wondered if there have been any advancements in this particular area, or weather schools just continued to be built just the same as ever.
After doing some research, I’m happy to say that there are some strides being made. One great resource I came across is developed by the Environmental Protection Agency. The site lists several Healthy School Environment Resources. These include:
Chemical Use & Management, Design, Construction and Renovation, Energy Efficiency, Environmental Education, Facility Operations and Maintenance, Indoor Environmental Quality, Legislation and Regulation, Outdoor Air Pollution, Portable Classrooms, Safety/Preparedness, School Facility Assessment Tools, Waste, Waste Reduction, and Water.
More than enough areas are categorized to cover the bases and beyond are listed. I checked many out and found them to be quite helpful. Using the information listed here is a great way to get help with any of the above issues weather you are an administrator or a student. There are also lists of links which contain resources outside of the EPA concerning the same sort of material.
The EPA has also come up with a great tool which you can download here called HealthySEAT. This software allows you to evaluate and manage school facilities for key environmental, safety and health issues. HealthySEAT also includes some critical regulatory elements and voluntary programs for schools, in addition to web links for more detailed information. This looks pretty interesting to me, and the best part is… it’s free!
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Environmental Protection Agency
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