Blazers, make haste to avoid more waste

Every day, 3,200 students and 354 staff members trek the halls of Blair. When those masses head home after days crammed with facts and figures, a dirty legacy remains: About 1,980 pounds of trash, the weight of roughly 360 textbooks, leave Blair each school day on a garbage truck, according to Building Services Manager James Brown.

As Earth Day, Apr 26, approaches, the county prepares to celebrate the importance of the environment. In this same spirit, some Blazers are taking action to improve Blair's mediocre environmental record, while others are content to remain chums of scum.

The deal with debris

The waste trucked out nightly contributes to more than 14,000 tons that Montgomery County schools generate yearly—enough to fill the Washington Monument ten times, reads the Montgomery County Solid Waste Services website. Most waste is sent to a facility in Dickerson, Maryland, that burns trash for electricity. Some ends up in a landfill in Virginia, while a Rockville recycling center processes recyclable waste.

The percent of waste that Blair recycles increased from 14.5 percent in January to 17.7 percent in February, slightly above the norm for county schools, according to county recycling specialist Randy Weddle. But an informal Silver Chips survey of 100 students conducted on Mar 20 reveals that 60 percent of students don't try to use recycling bins in school.

Many students cite convenience as the reason for not recycling. "Whatever's nearest to their hand, they drop it in," explains junior Timika Charles.

Others don't even use a trashcan; 57 percent of Blazers said they had littered in the past week. Junior Sean Jones has no qualms about being a litterbug, annoucing, "I littered in the past ten minutes!"

One of the most widespread efforts to enhance Blair's environmental record is a school-wide campaign to improve paper, can and bottle recycling and raise student awareness of recycling, according to social studies teacher and recycling program sponsor George Vlasits.

Vlasits, who heads CAP's effort to empty recycling bins, says that Blazers must take the extra step. "It's only when people [recycle] as a matter of habit that it really becomes effective," he says.

Measuring up

The CAP recycling effort is just one step being taken by the School Energy Rebate Team (SERT), a mandatory program run by MCPS schools that aims to increase environmental friendliness.

But Blair's SERT received a C-plus this year from the county, says Brown. MCPS Green Schools Manager Anja Caldwell adds that the U.S. Department of Energy gave Blair just 36 stars out of 100 in its ratings system, which is based on a building's climate, size and operating characteristics.

Blair's rating is average for the county and nation's schools, says Caldwell. Still, Blair has room for improvement. "Energy-wise, Blair is doing fairly poor; I would say a C-minus," Caldwell says. "A lot of this has to do with the behavior of students."

Taking out the trash

Students are central to improvement, and even simple tasks, such as pulling up window blinds to increase natural room heating, can help reduce energy consumption, says Caldwell. Other acts, including taking public transportation to school or mentoring younger students about environmental awareness, can be instrumental as well.

Promoting consciousness of the planet is key to helping the environment, according to senior Morgan Pitts, who is actively involved with several environmental organizations.

Pitts explains that a small group of people planting trees, for example, can make a more significant impact when they engage others and spread information. "One person can make a lot of difference," he emphasizes.

Students for Global Responsibility (SGR) is also actively environmentally friendly. Senior Cory Choy remembers that on Earth Day two years ago, members worked to clean up local waterways, collecting approximately 600 bags of trash.

Kathy Washington, an organizer of Northwest Branch stream cleanups, noticed SGR members' dedication during a past event. Students spent four to five hours cleaning; one even brought wading boots. "They were remarkably energetic and enthused—and informed!" Washington remembers.

When Montgomery County celebrates Earth Day in two weeks, Blazers can take part. Becoming aware of the impact of seemingly inconsequential acts, such as littering, leads to greater awareness of Mother Earth, according to Choy. "You realize that you're living with other people and other life," he explains. "You learn to live with it, not on top of it."

For more info, visit www.solidwaste.dpwt.com.