WITH COOL TEENS,  ISH GREENS
Report by student Julius Weinmiller
Our school has been very active lately about our environment. Mr.Jalland, the Environments coordinator, has pointed out that we are not doing enough to be considered environmentally friendly. Plastic, paper and organic waste are dropped where they are, be that in the bin or in the river. Therefore, he decided to do something about it. The school started the project “Greening the ISH,” which makes the whole school more environmentally friendly. The project “Greening the ISH” starts April 2010 and eventually finishes in 2014. In these 4 years the school has many projects in mind. Among them are: To reduce the energy wasted and increase their energy generation through solar panelling and wind turbines. Building a floating glasshouse in the nearby pond providing a lesson-room for bioengineering and plant based technologies. Grow grass on the roof to reduce heat escaping from the school. Creating our own recycling system, force the recycling trucks to keep the waste separated from the rest. Plant a Mystic-forest for Primary Recycle organic waste by composting it to fertilise the back-school garden. The newly formed in-school organisation GIN, Global Issues Network, is partly leading this project. The members discuss, chair and add little projects to the big aim. GIN consists of students from various year-groups and Mr. van Vliet, who are kind enough to help. They are focusing on how we can make an impact to solve the world’s problems, such as Global Warming. The whole school should be involved, so that every student puts some effort into this. Mr v. Vliet said: “...the top are not giving orders to the down, but the other way around. We, the students and teachers, are going to give orders to the top, whoever that may be...“ This shows that the idea of students being actively involved is not just an illusion to satisfy us. However, some students are still sceptical whether this project is going to take place. One of them is Hugo Wolters from year 10. He said in an interview: “This is typical ISH. It is all just planning, but they will never fulfil these plans.” However, as he said these words, €50.000 was donated by “Fonds 1818” for Greening the ISH. Now there is no turning back. In addition, the school itself is going to finance the costs. A certain percentage will go from the income budget to the project. Greening the ISH wants to set up an after school patrol every day, to check if the lights are off and to switch them off if they aren’t. C&S points will be given. When you say environment, most people think about plants and animals. However that is not all. The built and virtual environment exist also. As the IBO states: “The word 'environment' can refer to a vast array of complex and often 'green' issues.” Hopefully, greening the ISH can cope with those vast and complex issues and all the plans will have become reality in four years time. However, to fulfil these issues and plans we need you. You know what to do! Help yourself by helping us!

 

 

The GreenSpace Team

 

are attending the Global Issues Network this weekend in Geneva.

 

They will present the Greening the ISH project there. Title: ' It's Not Easy Being Green?' 

 

> Global Issues Network (GIN) Geneva programme