This week we have been thinking about our commitment to sustainability and the positive impact all of us at BPS can have on the world around us. We have set out a three-step plan that everyone across our community can support. Our message is simple, every little bit helps and together we can make a big difference. Our actions are:
- Conserve energy by “turning down, turn it off, shut it down”
- Encouraging everyone to use resources carefully (clothing, books toys etc.)
- Reduce food waste
Our mission is being led by Mrs Clark, our excellent Science Leader, whose assembly on Monday highlighted the inequality of resource use across the world and how in the UK we must try to live more sustainably. Many of us are part of the world’s “richest” 10%, who use 50% of the world’s resources. Click this link for more information: Hungry Planet: Consumption Around the Globe
We then talked about how we could help and ran through ‘turn it down, turn it off, shut it down’ with examples of actions that everyone can take around school. (The photo featured alongside this message shows the school during energy saving week in January when, with reminders, everyone remembered to turn off their office and classroom lights – only the outside security is on).
Mrs Clark will be leading the Year 6 Eco and Community leaders who will be surveying the school next week to decide on key places to put up reminders, as well as looking at additional projects, including planting around the school with the aim of increasing the biodiversity of our site and as plants absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
Getting the balance of inspiring our children to make a difference versus the negativity around aspects of the issue is something we take very seriously, and we would encourage families to focus on small differences they can make to their daily lives. You will have seen the very sad news about the Sycamore Gap Tree in Northumberland that was cut down in an apparent act of vandalism this week. The tree is thought to be nearly 300 years old and an iconic symbol in a beautiful part of the country. Whilst the motivation for this destruction is unclear, it is perhaps a timely reminder that the natural world needs our help and protection, that we all need to act now and do everything we can to further empower and inspire the changemakers we hope our children will continue to be. A National Trust statement has provided some hope; they are confident new growth will be likely and in years to come this will provide inspiration and comfort that things can always get better.
