1. Reducing Mansfield High School’s Carbon Footprint Lexie Raczka’s Senior Project

2. Background Information Calculating MHS’s carbon footprint –How much carbon dioxide we as a school community emit into the atmosphere Creating a plan of cost-effective ways to reduce footprint –How can we save the planet and save money

3. Fieldwork Overview Why I chose this topic: Passionate about the environment I want to pursue it in college What I already knew: Basic ways to “go green” How to calculate one person’s carbon footprint (but not that of a school) What is unique: The entire school is involved in my project

4. Fieldwork Site of Fieldwork: Mansfield High School Mentor: Robin Organ (Founder of Green Schools) What I did: Collected information from Students, Faculty, and Buildings and Grounds Converted information into CO 2 Inserted information into a carbon footprint calculator Completed MHS’s carbon footprint calculations Helped conduct a lighting audit of MHS Organized “Green Week” Created a plan of low-cost ways to reduce our school’s environmental impact

5. Transportation Artifact Student Survey for Transportation My name is Lexie Raczka and I am participating in Senior Project. For my project I am calculating the carbon footprint of Mansfield High School and creating a plan of cost free and low cost ways to reduce it. Part of our school’s carbon footprint consists of student and faculty transportation; please fill out the survey below as honestly as possible so that I can calculate the most accurate results. Thanks, Lexie Raczka How do you get to MHS? Take the school bus both ways ______ Take the school bus one way ______ Walk/ride bike both ways ______ Walk/ride bike one way ______ Drive alone both ways ______ Drive alone one way ______ By car but not the driver both ways ______ By car but not the driver one way ______ If you go by car what is the average miles per gallon? __________ How far do you travel to school each day? ___________Miles

6. Green Week Artifact Mansfield High School Green Week April 25-30, 2012 Monday Students and Faculty will kick off Green Week by wearing green and support Mansfield and the initiative to be more environmentally friendly. Tuesday Waste free lunch day; students and will try to bring/buy lunches that require nothing to be thrown away in the cafeteria. Examples are sandwiches or salads in a Tupperware container, soup, pasta or leftovers in a thermos… Wednesday Walk to school day; students and faculty will try to walk to school to reduce their impact on the environment through transportation. The high school will work with the Police Department to make sure that safety is a priority. Thursday Sneaker Collection Day; students and faculty can bring in old, worn out sneakers of any brand through Nike’s reuse a shoe program that will recycle the sneakers into athletic surfaces and equipment. There will be a bin located in the main lobby to allow people to easily drop off their old sneakers. Friday Carpool Day; there will be limited parking in the parking lots to urge students and faculty to carpool to school. The Green Schools/Green Earth Hornets Student Summit will also take place; students at school will participate in the summit to learn more about environmental issues. Saturday Great American Clean-up; interested students or faculty members can join the Green Earth Hornet’s clean-up team or they can create a team of their own.

7. What Makes Up Our Carbon Footprint? Student and faculty transportation to and from school Electricity used at MHS Heating fuel used at MHS Waste generated

8. MHS’s Carbon Footprint Each year we emit over 3 million pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere That is equivalent to –332 average sized elephants –1529 tons of carbon dioxide –61,160 trees planted/year

9. What Can Students/Faculty Do? Every little act makes a difference –Walk/bike to school –Bring a waste-free lunch –Carpool –Recycle –Use Blackle

10. What Can the School Do? Participate in Terracycle Participate in Cartridge World fundraisers Purchase ink through Cartridge World “Green” the school’s lighting Encourage Recycling

11. Research Paper Impacts of Transportation on the environment, economy, and health Impacts of Organic and Conventional Farming on the environment, economy, and health Impacts of Recycling on the environment, economy, and health Why should people be environmentally conscious? What are the benefits?

12. Research Paper and Fieldwork Research Paper: Shows how different aspects of everyday life contribute to the state of the environment Discusses benefits to living environmentally conscious Shows how easily change can be made Fieldwork: Looks at the state of MHS and how we as a school are impacting the environment Creates a plan to reduce the school’s negative impact on the environment Shows how easily change can be made

13. Learning Stretch Strange calculations and conversions Lots of meetings Information from a variety of sources

14. Self-Reflection What I have learned: More on organic food and its benefits New energy efficient cars are not always the solution Nearly everything that we do affects the environment Expectations: Inspire change Teach and make people more aware of living environmentally conscious Setbacks: Slow communication

15. Conclusion & Thank You Focus of project: Make MHS a more environmentally friendly atmosphere Educate the Community on the necessary and simple changes to “go green” Start a building block for future environmental movements “You must be the change you wish to see in the world” ~ Gandhi