By Kedina Hoeft, Y12
The Eco Committee is a student-led group that undergoes projects each year to make our campus and our livelihoods at La Grande Boissière more sustainable. Projects are created by small groups within the Eco Committee in order to achieve these goals. This year, one of the projects is the campus Solar Panel Project.
The Solar Panel Project, initiated by students from La Châtaigneraie, is an initiative to install solar panels on the school roofs at La Grande Boissière and La Châtaigneraie. A group of seven students, five from the Eco Committee and two from the Film Club, are working together on a promotional video for our campus which aims to encourage donors to fund the school’s clean energy project. The goal is to collect enough donations to get the project into motion within this school year.
Once enough donors have agreed to fund the project the installation is foreseen to begin in the early summer. Ideally, a second video will be made on when and how the installations will occur and how it will affect the school community.
The project’s goal is to reduce the school’s carbon footprint by 20% and use the solar panels to cover up to 30% of the school’s energy requirements. Although this number is nowhere near ideal, it is a good start in becoming a more eco-friendly school and taking action in the fight against climate change. A gradual transition will make it manageable, cost effective and allow further development of more effective, green energy technologies in the school. By setting an example as a school with the means and networks to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, there is the possibility to inspire others to join the movement. This will also be a cause for discussion to produce a template for ways in which other schools will be able to join this movement.
You do not need to donate money in order to help the school transition into a greener school, there are many little steps you can take or more radical ones. The company ‘Electricité Vitale Vert’ produces renewable energy for households in Geneva. You can focus on turning off the lights in your house, recycling more, taking the bike or public transport to school. There are many initiatives you yourself can take to change your lifestyle and help the environment outside of the school community.
If you are interested in further information on the Eco Committee or projects initiated by its members you are more than welcome to contact the club leaders, Hanna Louth (Y13) and Montague Jacobs (Y12), or come to the Eco Committee meetings at Thursday morning break.
