Miami school takes on energy challenge.

The green revolution seems to be catching on in Miami, especially among the 550 high schoolers at MAST Academy, a magnet science school, considered one of the top public schools in the area.

Earlier today students at MAST presented an ambitious plan to reduce C02 emission by 40% over the course of the next year. The students hope to set an example for the entire Miami-Dade school district by making their school as carbon neutral as possible.
Presenting the plan, senior Robert Jackson, was almost at a loss for words describing his horror at the amount of energy the school consumes. "We consume in one day as much as two households in a month," he said. "That's a lot of CO2. That's REALLY a lot!," he added. "It's mind-boggling to me. It hurts inside!"

Jackson said the students calculate they will save the school $44,000 if they meet their energy goal. To do that the students' Energy Management Team has come up with a number of ways to conserve energy, such as fixing leaks, and turning off uncessary lighting. As an example the students realized that lights in the cafeteria, which is used for only two hours daily, stayed on throughout the entire day.

The students first conducted a detailed room-by-room analysis of air temperature throughout the school, to identify critical areas and points of heat exchange with the outside air. The first thing they realized is that the school had a median temperature of 22 degrees C, well below the comfortable ambient room temperature of around 25 degrees. It made no sense that students walked around in sweaters and jackets. "We don't need our school to be freezing cold," one student noted. It was estimated that by lowering the air conditioning setting by a couple of degrees, they can make a large electricity saving as air conditioning accounts for 40% of the school's electricity cost.

A student Energy Awareness Team printed up "Turn off Light" stickers and painted recycle boxes for every classroom. They are preparing a school TV commercial, and also plan a solar bake sale. To measure the progress, students also made their own 'Greenometer.'
In January they are planning an Energy Awareness Week, a recylcing competition, as well as holding classes outdoors. They also propose planting trees on the school grounds to offset CO2 emissions, as well as a butterfly garden to showcase their commitment to the environment.

(Teacher Wafa Khalil with her students - and the 'Greenometer.')

Another Research and Development Team is looking into more technological solutions, including the installation of solar water heaters for the swimming pool and the kitchen, tinting on the windows to keep out the suns' rays, and chemical 'dessicants' to improve the efficiency of the air-conditioning system by reducing humidity. Two window options were mentioned. Window tinting would cost $4-$6 per square foot, while more expensive 'spectrally selective' windows were $9-$12 per square foot. As the school sits on the bay, another possibility was a small wind turbine.

"This is only the beginning," said science teacher, Wafa Khalil, who runs MAST's Solar Energy Course, and is the brains behind the energy challenge. Khalil said she hoped the students would establish a new "culture of energy consciousness" at the school. "We need to change our habits," she said.
Khalil is a product of the Endeavour Academy, professional development workshops designed by the Technological Research and Develoment Administration (TRDA) in Titusville, to help k-12 teachers receive customized training sessions in science, technology, and engineering.

The school's effort is also being backed by Dream in Green (DIG), a local initiative by successful young Miami professionals seeking to promote greater awareness about global warming.

"It's only fitting that the science magnet school is taking the lead on this," said Nicholas Gunia, co-founder of DIG. Congratulating the students on their presentation, "I can see this is something you students believe in," he added. DIG has pledged to match the students' energy savings with a Renewable Energy Credits.

(students with the Dream in Green team)

Afterwards Gunia, 31, a Miami Law School graduate, explained that he began to become aware of gloabal warming about five years ago. "I realized it would require a revolution in our behaviour and lifestyle," he told me. Hurricanes and rising gas prices only reinforced his concern, leading to the creation of DIG earlier this year.

Dream in Green seeks partnerships with individuals, schools, businesses and governments for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste and the reliance on fossil fuels. It seeks to pursue its goals with a multi-pronged approach, including conservation, energy efficient technology and renewable energy.
Working with students serves a double purpose by helping educate the next generation of energy users, as well as tackling energy waste at a prime source. Buildings consume roughly 37% of the energy and 68% of the electricity produced in the U.S. annually, according to the Department of Energy.

- David Adams