Thursday, March 15, 2007 Older Editions

Students: It's easy to go green

By April Guilmet

The sign on the classroom door says it all: "No one can do everything. But everyone can do something." It's a message the eighth-graders at Wood Hill Middle School have taken quite literally.

For past few weeks, students in David Lawrence's science class have made it their mission not only to make people more aware of global warming, but also to offer a solution, one family at a time. They are encouraging people to use "green power": wind, hydro or solar energy.

"We're trying to get 150 families in Andover to (either) switch to 100 percent green power, 50 percent green power, make a $100 donation or make a $5 donation per month for a year," Lawrence said. So far, 100 families have signed on. Most learned about Wood Hill's program through word of mouth.

Unlike oil or coal, wind energy, hydro power or solar power are renewable and non-polluting, in addition to being tax-deductible for consumers.

If the students succeed in their mission by month's end, they hope to be rewarded with a solar panel for the school's roof. It's all part of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's Clean Energy Choice incentive program. Massachusetts Technology Collaborative is the state's development agency for renewable energy.

For many students, involvement in the program was a no-brainer.

"Why should we care? It's more like, how can we not," said Gabrielle Galet, 14.

After watching the film An Inconvenient Truth, former Vice President Al Gore's documentary on global warming, many of the students were haunted by the faces of those already affected by it, namely those without voices.

"Now we're all emotionally attached to the polar bears," said John Terranova, 13.

"We felt that we should do something now, since we'll all have to deal with this someday," said John Dalton, 14. "And so will our kids. We wanted to make a big difference, to step up and face the challenge."

That challenge, as Terranova noted, begins at home.

"My dad hates fluorescent lights, but I make him buy them," he said. Which is a big leap in the right direction, according to Kerryn McNamee, 14.

"Even though fluorescent lights aren't as pretty, they save energy," she said, noting that while normal light bulbs release 90 percent of their heat, fluorescent lights give off more light without the heat.

Those who aren't quite ready to "go green" quite yet, can still pitch in for the cause, said Alec Weiss, 14.

"We can eat fewer hamburgers," he said. "But the most people can do is be aware."

While green power is slightly more expensive, it definitely has its perks, said Brittany Moulden, 14.

"The price of green power stays the same, it doesn't change all the time like oil does," she said. According to the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's Web site, going green will add anywhere between $5 to $12 to the monthly electric bill.

"But when more people join, the price goes down," Galet said.

Almost all of the students are doing their part. "I'm doing up some flyers, some others are putting on an assembly," said Sylvana Adly, 13.

Intended to promote awareness school-wide, the assembly will be held during school hours this Friday, March 16. A bake sale will be held the same day.

Overall, most of the students said they cared deeply about global warming.

"Some are hesitant, until they realize it doesn't cost that much more," Weiss said. "But pretty much, here at Wood Hill, we're aware of these things. Ignorance isn't bliss."

"The real benefit here comes from people signing up for green energy," Lawrence said. "So even if we don't end up getting our solar panel, we still win."

For more information about Wood Hill Middle School's green energy project, or to learn more about "going green," visit www.GreenAndover.com.