Green Schools for Green Living

According to a recent article on green consumerism that cites industry analyst firm Forrester Research, 41% of consumers are either interested in or already purchasing products and services from “green” companies. Carbon offset websites are seeing increased traffic, hybrid car purchase rates are up, and the number of organic food purchases is climbing.

People are becoming more aware of their impact on the planet—and just as today’s consumers are more “eco-aware,” many schools are also “greening” themselves (or at least learning more about what “green” really means). What does a school recycling program entail? What does an environmental education curriculum look like? What makes a school building energy-efficient? How can a school improve its indoor air quality? What can tech schools do to capture smoke, dust, and particulates in their labs?

Some schools have jumped into the deep end of enviro-awareness, while others lag behind needing advice, direction, and encouragement.  Learning how to adopt green practices, and develop other green initiatives can take time and planning. It also requires the involvement of parents, students, teachers, administrators, maintenance workers, architects, and members of the greater community.

Recently the Obama Administration announced grants for schools that want to improve their technology and environment. Many schools have decided to clean the air within their welding labs and training facilities by installed the Clean Air WeldStation 5.

The world-renown Weldstation Welding Booth now features the LEAF (low-energy air filtration) configuration providing a self-contained welding booth with the lowest energy usage and noise level on the market, while still achieving the American Conference of Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH's) preferred method of capturing weld smoke.