There's a paper just out about how carbon footprints of schools could be reduced by switching schedules more to the summer months away from the winter and by using fewer buildings in the cold months. At least one newspaper picked up the idea: (link...)

The paper was just presented at the VIth International Higher Education and Research Conference held this month in Malaga: (link...) (Make sure your browser's scripting is turned on or the link won't work.)

One might wonder how much Roane County Schools and Roane State might save, both in $ and in carbon emissions, by taking similar measures. Our climate situation and very hot summers are different from that of the UK authors, but they were talking not just about the UK but also Europe and the US. Has anyone in Roane County or Middle or East Tennessee run the numbers?

Of course moving to a more virtual schooling situation, as suggested in another post, might save even more and is also worth a look. Our schools should be mostly about exchange of ideas and information, not about transporting and warehousing meat. The latter seems like a very non-green side effect of non-virtualized schools. See: (link...)

Thoughts, anyone?

-- OneTahiti