While today, April 22nd, is technically Earth Day, AISB’s Earth Day Committee has organized a very special, school-wide initiative to take place tomorrow: “No Electricity Day.” 

Earth Day at AISB

Based on a Humanities project by two middle school students, the idea of going a day without electricity grew and became the top priority of the Earth Day committee. Leaders Caleigh P., Charlotte D. H., Cem K., Maria A. and Paul S. announced their plans during an assembly on April 6th, beginning with an emotional video (below).

The student-led committee explained that “No Electricity Day” means we are going to have no laptops, projectors, lights, WIFI, school bells or anything else that has to do with electricity. The only people using laptops will be some of the admin and security members for safety reasons. When taking attendance, a student visit Ms. Floriana’s office to report who is absent.

Ms. Jones, an MYP and DP Science Teacher, recalls a similar event at her previous school, stating that “It was a very meaningful experience.” However, “To print everything the day before didn’t seem right, because it meant using electricity the day before.” It’s important to think about this every day, she says.

The purpose is to raise awareness of our daily energy consumption. According to the US Energy Information Administration, a household consumes 10,766 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in a day, on average. An American citizen, who lives in an average-sized household, uses 911 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month, which means 30.36 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a day in a 30-day month.

How You Can Get Involved @ AISB

You may have seen T-shirts for sale last week in the high school lobby. If you didn’t buy one then, you can still purchase a shirt any day next week for 30 Lei. You can also wear green to show your support.

If you are interested in joining the committee, email Ms. Kate Sorrell (ksorrell@goaisb.ro) or one of the members listed above. For next year’s Earth Day, the committee plans on doing something even bigger.

Earth Day Worldwide

The international theme of this year’s Earth Day is to reduce and change the use of plastic. According to Plastic Europe Facts, the European continent used 58 million tons of plastic in 2015, which increased to 60 million tons a year later. This means every person used 78.2 kg of plastic in 2016! Every small decrease in that number can help to save the environment.

The main problem is that plastic stays on earth for a really long time, because of its decomposing period. Plastic bags that we use for shopping take 10-1,000 years to compose, according to thebalance.com. Plastic bottles, that we for example sell in the school cafe, can take 450 years or more. Other items can sometimes take more than 1,000 years to decompose.

What You Can Do

First, calculate your own plastic consumption and make a plan to reduce it.  Bring your own water bottle and fill it up at one of the water coolers. Say no to plastic bags when you go to the store, and bring your own shopping bag.

Here are some water bottles we like, available at Amazon.uk:

Be conscious of how much water you’re using. Take showers instead of baths. Turn off the faucet when you’re brushing your teeth or when you’re not actively using the water.

And finally, reduce your use of electricity, something we’re all focusing on tomorrow during school. If you are not using your computer, TV or radio, turn it off to save energy. That also goes for lights. If you’re not in the room, just switch it off and do the environment a big favor.

For more information, or to test your knowledge about the environment and Earth Day, click here.