Big Green Proposal by Michael Pazinas

The Big Green Proposal Teaching Centre, British Council, Athens

Contents Positive Change

Humanity & the Environment

Inspiration: Two Short Stories

Our Story

Going Forth

Teaching Centre: Key Areas of Improvement

On a Grander Scale...

Resource Bank

30 Plants that Improve Aiir Quality

Going Green

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. - Leo Tolstoy

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Positive Change... Humanity & the Environment The majority of us are probably in no shadow of a doubt that we have a directly affect the climate the Earth. While people harp on about the environment and recycling, few of us realise the direct damage individuals have on this fragile planet. Humankind recognises the risks of climate change yet remains unconvinced of the visible danger. We are all so wrapped up in our individual lives that we do not give a second thought to solving the greatest challenge of our species. Not only are we embarking on a fatal journey but we are also taking other species along with us for the ride. We live in a world of spin, media interpretation and flawed corporate accountability.

All in all environmental responsibility is not just about saving a few polar bears or trees. Extreme heat, floods, droughts, melting ice-caps, acidic oceans, hurricanes and the failure of ecosystems are symptoms of human arrogance. We harbour the conceited notion of our superiority over nature and as a result our inevitable downfall is at hand. Two options remain for human beings ... evolution or extinction.

Inspiration: Two Short Stories Should anyone be in any doubt that their actions are insignificant in comparison with the multitude doing the opposite then take heed from what follows. The true message of stories below is that one person can make a difference and it is with ourselves that change needs to happen initially.

Rosaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Story It was 6pm on a cold December day in 1955. Rosa boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She paid her fare as normal and sat in the 1

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‘coloured section’ behind the ‘whites only’ section. As the bus proceeded the ‘white’ seats filled up, so the bus driver naturally moved the sign further back, asking the black people who were sitting there to get up. Rosa refused and could not see why she had to. She was later fined and charged with disorderly conduct. However, it was because she decided to stand up for what she believed in, that the Civil Rights Movement in the US came to fruition.

Ryan’s Story Mrs Prest, a teacher in Ontario, Canada, decided to tell her class of six-year-olds about the plight of many Africans who have not got enough clean drinking water. A perplexed Ryan could not understand how it could be that these people could not just turn on the tap like he did at home. Ryan’s teacher explained the dire situation and told the children that a well would cost $70. He went home and asked his parents for the money, to which the reply was a blunt, “No”. They did however agree to help him by finding ways to raise the money, like doing chores around the house. Happy with the amount he raised, he took the money to a charity which helps finding water for the developing world. While moved by Ryan’s efforts, the charity informed him that the real cost of the well would actually be in the region of $2,000. Undeterred, Ryan persevered and news of his endeavour spread helping him raise the money... All this from a six-year-old! Ryan went on to found his own charity.

Our Story At the teaching centre, a group of us had been discussing the need for change for some time at the British Council to a greener, leaner organisation and Big Green Initiative was born. The appointment of a dedicated Environmental Officer, will obviously smooth the passage to an ultimate goal of being carbon neutral< Our story ran parallel to that of the Green Team and we thought we would help. We each designated ourselves tasks - points of research to which we could expand on. We also felt that change had to begin with us and that the Teaching Centre would be a starting point for us. This proposal is therefore a detailed set of action points we could actively achieve here in the Teaching Centre, while considering the Council in a wider context.

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Going Forth... Teaching Centre: Key Areas of Improvement Waste Management & Reduction of CO2 footprint Environmental Education Close co-operation with parents and students

Waste Management & Reduction of CO2 Footprint The establishment of a recycling station. This would incorporate washed plastic, metal and paper, batteries and information for recycling other products (e.g. Appliances). It would be displayed in a prominent position and highly promoted by all staff. The emptying of these bins would be on a rota basis. Full integration of recycling in staff room with a ‘reuse’ policy in place initially. One-sided paper would not be disposed of unless used on the other side. All photocopies would be made on 100% recycled paper. Toner settings would be lowered. We currently use NTC STAR Office paper at €3.20 per 500 sheets and although they have an ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System) this does not mean that this is recycled. All further promotional material (e.g. Information brochures, newsletters, etc.) would be printed on recycled post consumer waste paper using soy or vegetable inks where possible. All efforts of environmental care would be displayed and promoted on this material. Pens / pencils given to students would be made of recycled material like those found in hotels. The removal of all water dispensers. CO2 emissions on the transportation and manufacturing of dispensers is exceptionally high. The installation of filtered drinking water fountains (non refrigerated) on one floor eliminating the need for plastic cups. The installation of energy efficient hand dryers in WCs, eliminating the need for paper towels (see resource bank). The replacement of light-bulbs with energy efficient versions. The replacement of turn taps with push down versions with timed cut off. 3

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The installation of free energy calculators on all computer terminals The establishment of a policy / contract to be signed by all teachers detailing the following: •

Switch off computers when not in use for long periods

•

Switch off computer monitors in break times (within working hours)

•

Switch off photocopier from the mains at the end of the day or for long periods

•

Do not use the lift on the way down (unless absolutely necessary)

•

Bring your own mug in and use that instead of plastic cups

•

Bring in and/or look after plants in the office

The writing of a notice in the lift (in English and Greek) informing clients/students/parent that they are not to use lift for going down and to use stairs instead (also explaining why). The establishment of a junk food free zone explaining the effects on learner behaviour. The purchase of stapleless staplers for small jobs The purchase of environmentally friendly printer inks

Environmental Education Lesson plans and materials resource centre would bring environmental awareness into the EFL classroom. These would cover all levels and age groups. Full integration of CLIL activities concentrating on environmental awareness. Environmental experimental workshops would be established with young learners. Organic Food Cooking workshops Film events for adult learners with discussions to follow. Networking with BC offices in developing countries to bring in ‘evidence’, making climate change ‘real’ to learners. Pen-pal scheme (Global Village) to be established. Building up relationships with children from the developing world. Parent presentations tackling issues like child obesity, environmental responsibility, planetary ethics and hyperconsumerism.

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Close Co-operation with parents and students The establishment of a parent-student activist group helping the local community through bazaars and other fund raising events. The establishment of a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sponsor a plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; scheme, where parents and students would be asked to bring in plants to improve air quality of the teaching centre. A list of eco-friendly plants could be given to them. We would then attach a family name, encouraging others to do the same. (see top 30 plants in the back of this proposal). Workshops would be set up with both parents and children encouraging momentum for a personal action plan to be used on an individual basis to work on at home. Invitation of recognised speakers on the environment from the UK to speak to parents.

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On a Grander Scale... We firmly believe that change should begin individually. Working in unison to form a synergy of environmental / ethical benefits would allow us to move forward. It is without a doubt that budgets will inevitably create a few obstacles along the way, but the result(s) should never be out of sight. Additionally, nor should the power of reaping cumulative economic benefits from the installation of eco-friendly alternatives be underestimated. What follows is a list of action points Big Green Initiative has thought of, in its attempt to suggest Council-wide improvements.

Energy & Energy Audits We believe that the Council as a whole should undertake an energy audit by a professional independent contractor. This would allow the organisation to set itself goals and targets for improvement. Determining oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carbon footprint would also allow for the visualisation of the damage being caused by our impact. There are local companies that do this. Lighting in the building is something of an issue. Currently we use pinned lighting, which means that it is neither bayonet nor the screw type in the majority of the building. There are Greek suppliers who would happily oblige in offering this kind of lighting. Installing energy efficient hand-dryers in the public toilets would mean that there would not only be a reduction in the energy bill, but a reduction in the rather wasteful paper towels currently in use and immediate savings from the outset. New generation hand dryers dry hands in 10-15 seconds. Everyone enjoys a hot drink from time to time but conventional kettles are not very resourceful in the way they use electricity. Instant water heaters like Quickcup from Tefal offer the perfect solution. Solutions to heating water in the building also need to be investigated further. Greece is certainly a country that can boast of many hours of sunlight. Using solar energy for our heating and lighting needs would not only cut energy costs but would greatly reduce our carbon footprint. The savings from such a venture would certainly outweigh the any initial cost. Understanding how we consume is paramount. We believe that it is relatively safe to say that the majority is used up by computer terminals, photocopiers and lighting. It is therefore our belief that that these three areas are looked into.

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Adopting a contract like the one set out by the Teaching Centre would make the first positive step. In the future, replacement computers and equipment would adhere to strict environmental energy star guidelines. Collaboration with the IT department to install energy monitors and monitor calculators would enable targets to be set and met. Putting an automatic ‘switch off’ system in place would ensure maximum efficiency at non-peak times. Also changing the corporate screen saver to include a green message encouraging people to switch off would also be a good idea initially.

Recycling and Waste Management Big Green Initiative believes that Recycling should not just be limited to paper. The British Council should take active steps to promote recycling in all parts of the building holding various people responsible for the emptying and installation of recycling stations. Recycling should be extended to plastic, metal, batteries and information on recycling appliances (e.g. working with local companies like, Electrocycle). The benefits for the British Council would include at the very least an excellent public image. However, what should become priority at the British Council is waste management. Reusing anything and everything that we possibly can would not only enormously reduce our carbon footprint but save money as well. Examples of this would be reducing the toner level when photocopying, printing on both sides of the paper, considering slightly smaller fonts and packing more on the page (allowing us to use less paper when printing). We could also reuse one sided paper for scrap, bring in yoghurt pots and the middle of kitchen rolls for crafts in the Teaching Centre. The list is inexhaustible.

Alternative Cleaning & Office Supplies An important point to be considered is that not only do most conventional cleaning products harm human beings, but they can seriously damage the environment. Flushed down the drains, many petrochemical components found in cleaning products, degrade and are toxic to aquatic life, let alone water ‘fit’ for human consumption. There are a number of eco-friendly alternatives like My Planet for example. Perhaps it may be an idea to encourage our cleaning contractors to use products like these instead (in addition to biodegradable bin liners).

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Alternatives for office supplies should also be taken into account. Printing promotional material, business cards and leaflets should be done on 100% recycled post consumer paper or non paper alternatives. It is not sufficient to print on paper from â&#x20AC;&#x2122;renewable sourcesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Most paper is bleached with chlorine, which irritates the skin and respiratory system. Discharged by-products from paper mills contain dioxins which end up in our air, water and soil. Printing and photocopying could be done on 100% recycled paper (perhaps supplied by our current suppliers). We could also proudly print the act that we do this on the bottom, further promoting the British Council as an ethical and global carer. Suppliers such as Plaisio now offer 100% recycled paper products (Evolve) the boxes of which double up as in-trays and recycling bins. See the Resource Bank for further details. Stapleless staplers, green printer inks, toners, Post-Its, notepads, correction fluid, files and envelopes all have their eco-friendly alternatives and most of them are available in Greece.

Precious Water Unlike tap water, bottled water uses up plastic - a direct product of oil and several other fossil fuels. It needs to be produced, transported and it is then dumped in a landfill (if not reused or recycled)not to mention the plastic cups that accompany the water dispensers we currently have at the Council. We believe that a designated filtered tap water fountain would do away with all of this and probably provide as with exceptional quality water as well. In short, the water supply we currently have in place is a complete waste and its transport can only result in a huge carbon footprint. Taps also need to be updated. Push down taps are to be fitted in the toilets if we genuinely want to make the most of our water - this would reduce the risk of leaving taps running. Rainwater could also be collected in order to water plants (see Air Quality and Green Fingers sections).

Air Quality We could vastly improve the air quality in the British Council, by each bringing in a plant. A comprehensive list of 30 plants that are known to greatly improve air quality can be found at the back of the proposal along with their Greek names.

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Steps at Home There are a multitude of things individuals and their families could do at home to improve the situation. A short guide has been included in this proposal and can be found at the back under the heading “Going Green”.

Responsible Offsetting Travel on British Council business is inevitable. Responsible offsetting could be used to reduce carbon footprints and incorporated as part of travel expenses. With a plethora of offset schemes in place and no regulatory framework in place, finding the right one is important. The Resource Bank contains details of three UK companies that earned the highest marks according to a report by Clean AIr- Cool Planet (www.cleanair-coolplanet.org).

Green Fingers Apart from improving the air quality internally, the British Council might also like to consider a ‘Green Roof'. Aside from looking beautiful, a green roof would add to the quality of the air, reduce energy costs (in both heating and cooling the building). Rainwater could also be collected and compost made from food scraps (brought from home and further reducing waste).

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

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Resource Bank Product

Supplier

Contact

Cleaning Products

My Planet

http://www.myplanet.com.gr/

Climate Change News

Grist, The Heat is Online, The

http://www.grist.org,

Independent, The Guardian

www.heatonline.org/main.cfm, http:// www.independent.co.uk, http:// www.guardian.co.uk

Drinking Water

Interwater

http://www.interwater.gr/

Drinking Water

Multi-Pure

http://www.multipure.gr/

Eco Friendly Printers

eco.printers

http://www.ecoprinters.gr/

EcoWatt Shop

http://ecowatt-shop.gr/

Eco Shopping

products_new.php

Energy Efficient Hand Dryers

Green Planet Solutions

http://www.greenplanetsolutions.co.uk/

Energy Efficient Kettle

Tefal

http://www.quickcup.co.uk/

Litebulbs.co.uk

http://www.litebulbs.co.uk/category/13/ mem-bc3-3-pin-energy-saving-light-bul

Energy Efficient Light Bulbs

bs.aspx Energy Evaluation / Audit

Κάνε το Πράσινο

http://www.kanetoprasino.gr

Free Energy Monitor for PCs

Snap.com

http://co2saver.snap.com/

Geo Green Roof

http://www.prasines-steges.gr/

Green Roof

index.php

Green Roof

http://www.greenroof.gr/

Offsetting

Clean AIr - Cool Planet

http://cleanair-coolplanet.org

Freecycle Greece

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/

Product Exchange

AthensGreeceFreecycle/

Recycling

Ανακύκλωση Συσκευών Α.Ε.

http://www.electrocycle.gr/new/

Research Centres

Hadley Centre, NOAA Climate

http://www.metoffice.com/research/

Dynamics and Prediction Group

hadleycentre, http://gfdl.noaa.gov/ research/climate

Science Projects for Children

Green Science

http://www.4m-ind.com

Scientific Assessments

IPPC, UKCIP, RAPID,

http://www.ipcc.ch, http:// www.ukcip.org.uk, http:// www.soc.soton.ac.uk/rapid

Greenlok

http://www.guardianecostore.co.uk/gua rdian/product.aspx?topGroup=160&sub

Stapleless Staplers

Cat=0&subgroup=2512 Various Solar Heating

http://energy.sourceguides.com/busines ses/byGeo/byC/Greece/byP/solar/sWH/ sWH.shtml

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30 Plants that Improve Air Quality English

Latin

Greek

ARECA PALM

CHRYSALIDOCARPUS LUTESCENS

ΑΡΕΚΑ

ARROWHEAD VINE

SYNGONIUM PODOPHYLLUM

ΣΥΓΚΟΝΙΟ

BAMBOO PALM

CHAMAEDOREA SEIFRIZII

ΧΑΜΑΙΔΩΡΕΑ ΞΥΛΩΔΗΣ

NEPHROLEPIS EXALTATA

ΦΤΕΡΗ «ΜΠΟΣΤΟΝΙΕΝΣΙΣ»

BOSTON FERN BROADLEAF LADY PALM CORN PLANT DATE PALM DRACAENA “WARNECKEI” DUMB CANE

“BOSTONIENSIS” RHAPIS EXCELSA

ΦΟΙΝΙΚΑΣ ΦΑΠΙΣ

DRACAENA FRAGRANS

ΔΡΑΚΕΝΑ ΜΑΣΑΝΖΙΑΝΑ

“MASSANGEANA” PHOENIX ROEBELENII

ΦΟΙΝΙΚΑΣ ΡΟΜΠΕΛΙΝΙ

DRACAENA DEREMENSIS

ΔΡΑΚΕΝΑ ΒΑΡΝΕΚΙ

“WARNECKEI” DIEFFENBACHIA “EXOTICA

ΝΤΙΕΦΕΝΜΠΑΧΙΑ ΚΟΜΠΑΚΤΑ

COMPACTA” DUMB CANE

DIEFFENBACHIA CAMILLA

ΝΤΙΕΦΕΝΜΠΑΧΙΑ ΚΑΜΙΛ

ELEPHANT EAR

PHILODENDRON DOMESTICUM

ΦΙΛΟΔΕΝΤΡΟ ΤΟΥΦΑ

ENGLISH IVY

HEDERA HELIX

ΚΙΣΣΟΣ ΜΙΚΡΟΦΥΛΛΟΣ

FICUS ALII

FICUS MACLEILANDII “ALII”

ΦΙΚΟΣ ΑΛΙ

FLORIST’S MUM

CHRYSANTHEMUM MORIFOLIUM

ΧΡΥΣΑΝΘΕΜΟ «ΑΓΙΟΔΗΜΗΤΙΑΤΙΚΟ»

GERBERA DAISY

GERBERA JAMESONII

ΖΕΡΜΠΕΡΑ

GOLDEN POTHOS

EPIPREMNUM AUREUM

ΠΟΘΟΣ (ΔΙΧΡΩΟΜΟΣ)

HEART LEAF PHILODENDRON

PHILODENDRON OXYCARDIUM

ΦΙΛΟΔΕΝΤΡΟ ΚΑΡΔΙΟΕΙΔΗΣ

DRACAENA DEREMENSIS

ΔΡΑΚΕΝΑ «ΖΑΝΕΤ»

JANET CRAIG DRACAENA

“Janet Craig”

KIMBERLEY QUEEN

NEPHROLEPIS OBLITERATA

ΦΤΕΡΗ ΟΜΠΛΙΤΕΡΑΤΑ

LACY TREE PHILODENDRON

PHILODENDRON SELLOUM

ΦΙΛΟΔΕΝΤΡΟ ΣΕΛΟΥΜ

MADAGASCAR DRAGON TREE

DRACAENA MARGINATA

ΔΡΑΚΕΝΑ ΜΑΡΤΖΙΝΑΤΑ

PARLOR PALM

CHAMAEDOREA ELEGANS

ΧΑΜΑΙΔΩΡΕΑ ΦΟΙΚΟΕΙΔΗΣ

PEACE LILY

SPATHIPYLLUM SP.

ΣΠΑΘΙΦΥΛΛΟ

PRAYER PLANT

MARANTA LEUCONEURA

ΚΑΛΑΘΕΑ ΜΑΡΑΝΘΑ

“KERCHOVEANA” RED EMERALD PHILODENDRON

PHILODENDRON ERUBESCENS

ΦΙΛΟΔΕΝΤΡΟ ΑΝΑΡΡΙΧΩΜΕΝΟ

RUBBER PLANT

FICUS ROBUSTA

ΦΙΚΟΣ

SCHEFFLERA

BRASSAIA ACTINOPHYLLA

ΣΕΦΛΕΡΑ ΑΚΤΙΝΟΦΥΛΛΗ

SNAKE PLANT

SANSEVIERIA TRIASCIATA

ΣΑΝΣΙΒΕΡΙΑ

WAS BEGONIA

BEGONIA SEMPERFLORENS

ΜΠΙΓΚΟΝΙΑ (ΒΕΓΟΝΙΑ)

WEEPING FIG

FICUS BENJAMINA

ΦΙΚΟΣ ΜΠΕΝΤΖΑΜΙΝ

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Going Green UK RESIDENT Annual CO2 Footprint: 11.6 Tonnes

20%

29%

6% 5%

Manufacture & Construction Food Services Housing Personal Travel

AFRICAN RESIDENT

40% •

Annual CO2 Footprint: 0.9 Tonnes

CARBON FOOTPRINT: ‣

You can see the vast difference between these two residents in different continents. Visualising one’s CO2 footprint like this allows one to gauge how much damage they are doing. UK residents give off the equivalent of 2 African elephants a year. What is your carbon footprint? Check it out at www.myfootprint.org or www.bp.com/environment.

•

ENERGY EFFICIENCY & HOW TO SAVE MONEY: Ensure that your house is well insulated. Not only is this good for the ‣ ‣

‣

‣ ‣ ‣ ‣

environment but saves money too. Turning down the dial on your hot water heater and heating controls by just a small amount can make an enormous difference to your energy consumption. Taking a shower uses less energy and water than baths. Changing the shower head to a low flow nozzle (which mixes air with water), can reduce the amount of hot water needed by half. Change your light-bulbs to energy efficient ones. They last ten times longer and save you the time and the inconvenience of changing them Do not leave electrical equipment on standby. Switch them off from the mains. In a typical home, 5-15% of the electricity bill is made up of these energy vampires Buy appliances with EU Energy, Energy Efficiency labels to see how efficient they are before buying them (remember to recycle your old appliance: see www.electrocycle.gr. ) Wash clothes at low temperatures. This will not only minimise colour fade but also save money and energy. Avoid a dryer, hang your clothes on a washing line or indoor rack.

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Going Green •

TRANSPORT & TRAVEL ‣ ‣

Avoid the car as much as possible and use public transport. Drive at the right speed. Most cars are most energy efficient at 45-80kph. Above 90kph cars use up more fuel to cover the same distance.

‣ ‣ ‣ ‣

Lighten the load in your car - use less fuel. Next time you buy a new car go for a hybrid. Use the air-con in your car sparingly in the summer - open the window instead. Aviation is an environmental disaster. Try and reduce this as much as possible and if you do have to make a trip, try offsetting it. See: www.carbonneutral.com, www.co2balance.com, www.climatecare.org.

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FOOD & DRINK Eat less red meat. Cattle belch and excrete a considerable proportion of the world’s ‣ ‣ ‣

‣ ‣ ‣

methane - an overproduced greenhouse gas. Buy locally. Think of the extra CO2 needed to transport bananas dorm Ecuador for example. Buy Organic (but not from too far away - it kind of defeats the object). Organic soil absorbs more CO2 than conventional soil. Additionally, there are less chemicals used (if any). Buy basics and cook. Ready meals and take-aways are an awfully destructive force when it comes to the environment - Think of all the packaging and processing. Buy Fresh over frozen. Less energy is consumed producing fresh food. Take your own bag. Most Greek supermarkets now sell reusable bags - buy them and save on plastic bags.

•

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!

•

GET EDUCATED & EDUCATE ‣ ‣ ‣

Find out more about what you can do. Remember this is for your future and the successors of your Earth. Become an activist - Join a local or International Organisation for positive change in the world (E.g. Tree re-planting at Parnitha - Take the kids along!) Voice your concerns - Spread the word to as many different people as you can.