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l2 'WAl hRIUOCHlIONICLE - Wednesday. December IS. 2010 Environment Minister touts green record of local school 81180an “The local school board suggested that 777"; M; the place to be for itie today is Keatsway." said Wilkinson “It's embedding what we four~year green plan at Waterloo's want our society to be in the future. Keatsway Public School has seen the “Embedding that knowledge in the curâ€" tudents reduce their waste by more riculum of our publicly funded schools is than 73 per cent, the single greatest thing we can do to That means on an average day the 415 change behaviour." students at the elementary school produce Wilkinson didn't have to look far for an onlyonelo two bagsofgarbage. example as the students of Keatsway . That amazing environmental record, demonstrated some of the ways they're ' . ‘ ‘ ‘ which includes a Iitterless lunch program helping the environment, including recy- ;. ‘ . a and the first green bin program introduced cling and repurposing things like juice jam- ‘ . am by a local school, was commended by mer containers and turning them into pen- ' “of“ Ontario Minister of Environment lohn cil cases. The plastic from old milk bags is ‘ sf Wilkinson in a visit last Friday. collected and turned into blankets that are 1 fa; He said the students example. and their donated to children in need in developing ‘ an ability to change their parents' perceptions countries. and behaviours when it comes to environ~ And the kids do things like turn off corn- mental stewardship. is a model for future puters and unplug unused electronic equip- ”g” ' sustainability He called it one of the most merit to eliminate phantom loads and . -, , " ' w \ environmentally advanced schools in all of reduce energy consumption. ) cf qâ€" ' .. { «$1 N Ontario. and found it in Keatsway, which has Jonah McPhee. a Grade 4 student at the . 5 ~» “g .‘ ’ _’ at , received the gold certification from school, said those green initiatives have .' r. .,‘ ., EcoSchools for its environmental education become second nature for the kids at the _a~.’%r’\‘3' . y a- for the last three years. school. The nineeyear-old. who has served ‘ ' , ~ . 9.51.22: -, Environment Minister John Wilkinson applauded the work that students have done at ' t W. Keatsway Public School to reduce their waste by 73 per cent during a visit last Friday. L BOB VRMNAL' PROV I as a green bin monitor during nutrition siori rate by 2008. . 4 breaks. said the kids actually enjoy the chal» McCarter found that the rate in 2008 was ' Ienge of separating out their waste. only 24 per cent, jUst four per cent more a“, L s | 9 n u u ‘0 d a” “it's like a game," he said. "The kids have than in 2002 when the province first issued ’ fun putting things in the green bin and you that goal. ' it m8 ‘ T Q don't have to tell them too much about what Wilkinson said that the blue box and l they can put in there." other home-based programs are working, ' . .. ~ “a“ .. . , ( ' it's an example that Wilkinson hopes can but programs to reduce industrial. commer- ‘ an“ ' ' " ’ spread. because fundamentally improving Cial and institutional rates are "stubbornly ~ 1 45 the environment means changing human low." . . 3 ' behaviour. lie reminded the students that “The key is to have a good working rela- _ at a g ‘ n . . , .. . , , y 3.x)“ humans are the only species that produce tionship with our municipalities," said f,“ ‘ ' ' " ' ‘ an y waste and live unsustainably. Wilkinson. with commercial diversion rates “in" . g . , i As; ' f-‘J" .. “And the greatest way to change human at just 12 percent. -' - fi \- ,' a f) 3; ’ ‘ ' ' behaviour is to teach our children." he said. “Municipalities are responsible for waste .- r; r c ' 6 (r ‘ g . C ”a 6 “There’s a great history in this province how . . . and we need those landfills not be filled .. y if, T; 11 if”; changing curriculum has actually changed up with things that shouldn't be there in the 3 in? at“? . mififsa..?",’€". society for the good." first place. _ MUS'CAL INSTRUM ENTS * it's also important in light of Ontario “We want to encourage residential waste Auditor General lim McCarter's recent diversion but we have to particularly focus W W W ' I 0 n 9 .. m c q (I a d e ' C 0 m report that the province is coming up short on the industrial. commercial and instituâ€" of its waste diversion targets. The province tional side of the equation where we're not set a goal to have a 60 per cent waste diver getting the results we need as a society." . 3B llllll Sll'BIIlIOPlll'OBS-4215 ARE YOU READY FOR A SAAB Y ET? (or do we have to take you on another test drive?) , The a G r i I I + B a r y i "a”; a » -,. Introducing Uptown Waterloo? 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