I love being GREEN!

What a great Earth Day and Earth Week here in the Robbinsdale Area School District!
I love being GREEN!

Today's Energy Insight

Continuing with our Earth Week theme,

                  here is a quote from Dr. Seuss' The Lorax...

Make Every Day Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!

Today's Energy Insight

Energy Efficiency!

Recently I was asked about the difference between energy conservation and energy efficiency. Good question. These terms are distinctly different and yet related. We do many things to use less energy which is conservation and when we use energy more wisely, that is efficiency.  According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 

Energy conservation is any behavior that results in the use of less energy. Turning the lights off when you leave the room and recycling aluminum cans are both ways of conserving energy.

Energy Conservation!

Energy efficiency is the use of technology that requires less energy to perform the same function. A compact fluorescent light bulb that uses less energy than an incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light is an example of energy efficiency. However, the decision to replace an incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent is an act of energy conservation.

Arbor Day

During the month of April is not only when we recognize Earth Day but it is also when we celebrate Arbor Day. In Minnesota Arbor Day is always the last Friday of the month so this year it falls on April 25th. Do you know what the state tree is in Minnesota?

Is it the Sugar Maple?

How about the White Oak?

Or perhaps the Red Pine?

Or maybe the Flowering Dogwood?

Here's a hint...

The state tree for Minnesota is the Red Pine. In Missouri it is the Flowering Dogwood. In Wisconsin, it is the Sugar Maple and the Oak is the state tree of Iowa.

Click here for a link to the Arbor Day Foundation website and click on any state to see their state tree.

Today's Energy Insight

Did you know showerheads manufactured after 1994 must use 2.5 gallons or less of water per minute to meet the national water efficiency standards? Older showerheads may use more than double that amount. If you don't know the age of your showerhead there is an easy way to find out if you are wasting water. Using a timer or stopwatch and an empty half gallon milk carton you can check your water flow. Just hold the container up to the showerhead, turn on the water and start the timer. If it takes less than 10 seconds to fill the carton, there is way too much water flowing and you should consider installing a low-flow shower head.

Today's Energy Insight

Realistically, you are not going to change the world by turning off a light switch but you have to start somewhere so why not get in the habit of hitting your light switch every time you leave your classroom, office or area? You can't always depend on the technology of motion sensors and sometimes when you think you will "be right back" you end up being gone much longer. In a district our size, even just a handful of people in each building turning off lights in unoccupied areas does make a difference. Every effort, no matter how small, adds up to make a big impact.

Thanks for doing your part!