USGBC Launches Green Schools Web Site

Washington, DC, October 18, 2007--A new website aimed at building environmentally friendly schools has been launched by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

“The new site, Build Green Schools (www.buildgreenschools.org), will be a vital tool for the grassroots green schools movement, helping the site’s visitors to promote healthy, nurturing, environmentally friendly schools in their own communities,” noted Rick Fedrizzi, president and CEO, U.S. Green Building Council.

Build Green Schools is filled with information on the benefits and costs of green schools, including the ways green schools foster learning, decrease student and teacher absenteeism from respiratory and other illnesses, reduce energy and water bills, and provide models for teaching the world’s future leaders about sustainability. It is complete with profiles of schools that have already gone green, examples of policies governments and school districts have instituted to ensure future schools are green, an extensive list of resources and links, and a social networking site to share experiences, best practices, and creative ideas.

A 2006 study sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers, the American Institute of Architects, the American Lung Association, the Federation of American Scientists and USGBC found that building green would save an average school $100,000 each year in energy costs alone – enough to hire two new additional full-time teachers, purchase 5,000 new textbooks, or buy 500 new computers.

Green schools make greater use of natural daylight and on average use 33% less energy and 32% less water than conventional schools.

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