Take Action at School!
Throughout history, students have been the driving force in social change. Now more than ever is the time for students across the country to become global warming activists and join the movement.
On this page you will find tips for stopping global warming that your class or school can do today. You don't have to do everything, but we all need to do something! Get started in your school and keep us posted with results.
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Get Your Class Virtually Marching!
Have all of your students sign up and challenge them to get as many people as they know (family, friends, churches, etc) to sign up with them. Make it a challenge in your school. Joining the Virtual March is the first step to joining the movement.
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Encourage Your Mayor to Take Action
Has your Mayor joined the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement? If not, have your students write to the Mayor encouraging him/her to take local action to reduce your cities carbon emissions. Try to set up a class meeting at City Hall.
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Watch An Inconvenient Truth
Encourage administrators to make watching An Inconvenient Truth and Too Hot Not to Handle required viewing, the way it already is in Sweden and Norway, and make Stop Global Warming: The Solution is You! required reading at your school.
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Replace School Lightbulbs
Start a campaign to replace all light bulbs in your school with compact fluorescents. Have students work with local businesses to get them donated or hold a bake sale, etc. to raise money to buy them. Set a goal and calculate the emissions saved.
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No Idling!
Start a no idling rule in the carpool lane at your school.
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Recycle
Make sure your class has recycling bins for paper and plastics. Have your class do a field trip to follow where the recycling ends up. Does your school do double-sided printing?
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Cut Back on Paper
Encourage administrators to only purchase post consumer recycled paper products (including toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, etc.) at your school. Set a goal to increase it. Make a rule that all multi-page documents are run double-sided. Keep looking for ways to eliminate paper.
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Educate Your Parents
Take the issue of global warming to PTA meetings to educate the parents on the urgency of this issue.
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Use Timers
Have your school set lights and air conditioners on efficiency timers.
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Take Action at Home
Give your students the take action sheet on our site to take home and implement with their parents. Make it a contest to see which student can encourage the most change in their home.
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No Waste at School Meals and Events
Reduce use of juice boxes, water bottles, plastic bags, etc. in your cafeteria, in your lunch box and at school parties.
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Plant Trees
Have a tree planting day at your school. Plant trees that are local to your area that will reduce carbon dioxide and create clean air to breathe.
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Conduct a School Energy Audit
Have your utility company come do an energy audit on the school.
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Replace Oil Burning Furnaces
Find out what year your school’s oil burning furnace was put in. If it is over 5 years old, a new one would substantially reduce carbon emissions. Plan a fundraiser to help pay for it.
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Spread the News
Find a news article on our site about global warming and email it to five people.
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Start a Club
Start a global warming club at your school and set goals to curb your school's energy use.
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Speak Out
Run for student government on a global warming platform. Challenge another school to match what you are doing to curb global warming emissions.
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Reward the Use of Hybrids
Institute “Good Citizen” premium parking spaces for teachers, parents and students that drive hybrid cars.
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Audit Student's Energy Use
Have all students conduct their own personal energy audit to figure out their daily carbon footprint and set goals to reduce it. Celebrate the student who reduces their emissions the most at the end of the school year.
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Review School's Purchases
Look into the food, waste and packaging purchases of your cafeteria.
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Carpool
Make carpooling a priority. Do a survey and measure what is already being done to set goals to improve it. Announce the progress at the final school assembly.
