Climate Change Solutions:…

Climate Change Solutions: Make all Schools Carbon Neutral

OSSTF/FEESO calls on the government to restore funding for school retrofits. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund that will be cancelled by the Bill 4 allocated up to $800M in funding for school boards over a five year period “to replace, renew and install new energy efficient low carbon building components that support or have a proven impact on the reduction of GHG emissions” – see: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ministers-climate-change-action-plan-progre…. Fix Our Schools (http://fixourschools.ca/) highlights the billions of dollars of repairs that are needed in Ontario schools for the people of Ontario. The government’s new promised climate action plan must address the state of disrepair in Ontario’s schools and provide funding for retrofits that will reduce GHG emissions.

All new schools should be carbon neutral and funding should be provided to retrofit existing schools with technology that would allow them to become carbon neutral. This has already been implemented in British Columbia and across the world in countries like Australia. Because the government directly funds the operation of all publicly funded schools and because many of the educational institutions will be ready for renewal or replacement in the next decade, there is a tremendous opportunity in an area in which the government has a great deal of control and influence. Buildings can be constructed with top LEED standards and then powered with green technologies that are reliable and efficient.

The roofs of all school buildings should be covered in solar panels to feed into the school and direct excess power into the grid. The flat, exposed and restricted surfaces are obvious locations for panels and partnerships could be negotiated between providers and the government for advantageous bulk pricing. Since most schools have minimal energy needs in the summer, they would be able to add a significant amount of clean energy to the grid. The government could take it a step further and ensure that Ontario based companies are awarded the contracts to construct and maintain the panels providing jobs and stimulus to the economy.

The financial investment would be easily recouped when consideration is made for the long-term benefits of green technologies from the reduction in energy usage, which can be realized in as little as five years. Given that most schools have a lifetime of forty to fifty years at a minimum it would seem to be a wise investment for the government, even if there was no benefit to the environment.

However, there are clear environmental advantages. There are over 3,900 elementary and 900 secondary schools in Ontario and making each of these buildings carbon neutral would have a noticeable impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

The Ontario government could also provide funding for schools to remove paving from parking lots and common areas allowing water to seep into the ground, reducing their contributions to the “heat island” of cities. Urban areas with “heat islands” can be up to 11 degrees Celsius higher than surrounding rural areas.

Removing pavement and replacing it with native plants, trees, shrubs and grasses could increase the infiltration rate of water, recharging the groundwater supply, and cooling neighbourhoods. At the same time, the planting of vegetables, flowers, and native species that would act to absorb greenhouse gases and reconnect citizens to the natural environment could be implemented by the government. This kind of project creates more attractive green spaces in which people can gather and thus promotes community volunteering, and general mental health.

It would be hoped that the schools would serve as an example and a model for other public institutions such as hospitals and government buildings. There is also a logical symmetry in using educational institutions as a showcase for smart buildings that limit carbon footprints while at the same time enhancing our economy.