Environmental Action
Spring Message From Jasper PTSA Environmental Chair
Happy Spring, everyone! I’m writing this on Earth Day 2011
(Friday, April 22). Yes, it’s Earth Day, along with Good Friday and a
school holiday! I bet you were the recipient of many marketing messages
this week from companies trying to ca$h in on the exploding “green
trend” surrounding today. I know I was. I received my free reusable tote
from Super Target and also noticed more than a few TV commercials
linking sponsors to sustainability. But does the hype reflect a real
commitment? Check out
www.newsweek.com/feature/2010/green-rankings.htm . The magazine has
attempted to “cut through the green chatter and quantify the actual
environmental footprints, policies, and reputations of these big
businesses” with its rankings of large U.S. and global companies.
For more information on Earth Day and to find out how large your carbon
footprint really is, check out
www.earthday.org . (Click on “Earth Day Network Footprint
Calculator” to take the quiz.) If your family is into sports, go to
“Athletes for the Earth,” a link on the same site to a YouTube video of
twelve Olympians who explain the lifestyle choices they’ve made in
support of sustainability. And let’s make every day Earth Day by all
trying to do the little things that can really add up.
How about some “eco tourism” this summer? The last time National
Geographic rated global destinations (2009), three spots in the United
States made the top 20: Vermont; Columbia Gorge Region,
Oregon-Washington; and Berkshires, MA. To see the other winners,
including number one, go to
http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/destinations-rated/list-text
Here are a few exciting environmentally friendly things happening at
Jasper:
• An environmental/recycling student club has sprung up! Dru Collins,
Assistant Principal, will sponsor the club, which will focus on creating
environmental awareness in the Jasper community. Gardening hats off to
this fantastic group of young people and Mr. Collins!
• Jagfest on May 5 will be an environmentally friendly event. After a
very successful “Stay Day” last fall, Mr. Gober gave students the green
light for another outdoor lunch day they have named “Jagfest.” As you
can imagine, that many people (1000+) eating outside creates lots of
trash and recyclables. With the help of our students and staff, plenty
of single-stream recyclable containers will be placed at strategic
locations all over the Jagfest venue to ensure we don’t lose a valuable
opportunity to go green.
Have a wonderful rest of the school year and summer. And please e-mail
your own ideas and suggestions for sustainability to:
jasperenvironmental.com. Thank you!
Sonja Corbin
Community Programs
How many of you have those cloth grocery bags in your car but have trouble remembering to bring them into the store with you? A tip, which helps me sometimes, is to leave one bag in the front passenger seat as a reminder, the rest stay in the trunk.
Kroger and Tom Thumb recently joined forces in a campaign to encourage the bags’ use AND to remind customers to bring them in! During this successful initiative, Kroger encouraged customers to trade in their used plastic sacks for a free cloth bag printed with the slogan “Got your bags?” Further, the company stenciled those words in the pavement at the end of parking spaces, hoping to catch shoppers’ attention before entering the store.
Check out a video featuring the entire campaign on www.livegreeninplano.org, a valuable on-line resource.
Jasper is Green!
Each classroom and office area at Jasper should be equipped with a blue, “single-stream” recycling bin. Single-stream means everything goes into one bin: paper, plastic, etc. Teachers and administrators: if you don’t have a blue bin or would like another, please e-mail me at Environmental@jasperptsa.org . I’ll do my best to provide you with what you need and answer any questions you may have.
Environmental Websites and Resources
www.takecareoftexas.org Features information on easy computer recycling, how to get your kids involved in green efforts, and even a virtual house tour with tips on conservation inside and out.
www.livegreeninplano.org The City of Plano's Sustainability and Environmental Services Home Page.
www.gogreeninitiative.org The Green Initiative adopted by the Texas PTA.