|
OnEarth: Fall 2001: Departments
LIVING GREEN
Well-Schooled
By Jason Best
 ou can't always protect your kids from every back-of-the-bus spitball, or even the school cafeteria's slightly greenish beef stroganoff, but you can make sure they have a healthy place to learn. The problem is, most parents don't know that schools can be full of environmental hazards, from mold in the air to pesticides at the baseboards. You can make a difference if you know what to look for. Start your education at the Healthy Schools Network, an organization that helps parents fight for cleaner, safer schools (www.healthyschools.org). Says Claire Barnett, HSN's executive director: "Schools often make the assumption that if you're asking them to change, it'll cost a lot of money. But there are a lot of things that they can, and should, be doing that don't cost a lot of money at all."
Susan M. Blubaugh
|
|
Nationwide
Nationwide, the laws governing environmental safety in schools are generally workplace protections, written with teachers in mind, not kids.
|
|
Diesel Exhaust
Because Junior lacks the lung capacity to hold his breath all the way to school, you should know that diesel exhaust contains carcinogens and seriously aggravates respiratory problems. Levels of it inside school buses can be eight times what they are outside. What you can do: As uncool as it may be, tell your child to sit close to the front of the bus, where exhaust levels are lowest. Open windows also help. Buses should not idle outside where exhaust could make its way into the school. Visit www.nrdc.org/air/transportation/qbus.asp to learn more. |
|
Body
Per pound of body weight, growing children breathe more, eat more, and drink more than adults, which makes them little walking sponges for environmental contaminants. |
|
Pesticide Use
You know it's bad when your second-grader comes home with a funny story about "Bill, the guy with the sprayer." Even if she doesn't, know that of the thirty-one states that regulate pesticide use in schools, many don't do a good job of it. What you can do: Ask to be notified before spraying. Encourage the adoption of an Integrated Pest Management system (it saves money in the long run). Get the low-down at www.beyondpesticides.org. |
|
Lead
Despite the 1978 ban on lead in paint, lead can still be found in schools (and we're not talking about pencils). Even small amounts can lower a child's IQ scores and reduce his attention span. What you can do: If your child's school is more than twenty years old, it probably has lead paint buried beneath newer coats, which is where you want it to stay-buried. Check for worn walls and ceilings where paint might be escaping as dust into the air. For more information, visit www.nrdc.org/health/kids. |
|
Indoor Air Quality
Yes, even the classroom hamster can be a problem if your child is one of the estimated 6 million to 8 million kids who suffer from asthma. One in five American schools reports its indoor air quality is unsatisfactory. The biggest culprits aren't the Fluffys of the world but poor ventilation, even in the newest schools; leaks and other conditions conducive to mold growth; and toxic cleaning products. What you can do: Ask that janitors switch to cost-effective, non-toxic cleaning products; find out whether the ventilation system is regularly checked and its filters cleaned; arrange to tour the school yourself, checking for musty smells (carpets can be havens for mold) and making sure custodians have mats at the doors to keep dust out. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/iaq/schools.
|
Living Green: Well-Schooled | Supplies for the Well-Schooled Kid
OnEarth. Fall 2001
Copyright 2001 by the Natural Resources Defense Council
OnEarth Home | Fall 2001 Contents | Subscribe | Archive | Email the Editor
|
Print this Page
