As the rest of the world is taking initiative and “going green,” LHS is attempting to make some changes of its own so it can be more eco-friendly as well. Saving the Earth is as easy as throwing a plastic bottle in the recycling bin or using the back side of notebook pages. Here’s how LHS is converting to a more “green” system.
LHS has switched recycling companies to GROOT. The new company takes more items, including cardboard and anything you would recycle at your house with numbers 1-5.
In order to save paper, LHS is putting many forms on-line. As of this year, freshman officer and representative elections, Sweet Sixteen elections, and Progress Reports will be put on-line. So far, over 1,000 scantrons and about $10,000 have been saved.
The CRC is using a software called Thinclients. Thinclients allows users to share one computer and use multiple screens, as opposed to everyone having their own. This uses less power and allows the school to buy fewer computers.
The IT department is making some changes too. They have installed software that automatically shuts down computers and printers at night. The amount of power is also being reduced through virtualization (which combines servers so less of them are used) and also the reduction of cooling requirements, saving thousands of watts of power.
LEAF is trying to set up a way to recycle items thrown away at sports events. However, it might be too difficult to accomplish because it would require a lot of work and volunteers. As an alternative to the Styrofoam plates that are now in the cafeteria, LEAF looked into purchasing biodegradable plates. The biodegradable plates were recyclable. However, they were too expensive and could not be afforded by the school. LEAF is also sorting out aluminum and exchanging it for money to fund for their club. Student Council is in the process of handing all recycling jobs over to LEAF. This will allow LHS to recycle more because LEAF has the capabilities and volunteers to take on all the tasks.
photo by Katy Marhenke