Comment Log Display

On behalf of the 31 undersigned organizations and individuals,
Green Schools Initiative is submitting comments to recommend that
K-12 public schools be included as an urgent investment priority
for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund investments in ARB’s draft Three
Year Investment Plan. We recommend that a new “Sustainable Schools”
goal be established and supported by a new “Healthy & Sustainable
Schools” grant program aligned with the California Department of
Education’s existing Green Ribbon Schools recognition program.
 
One in five Californians spends their day in a K-12 school and
schools contribute roughly 5-8% of California’s greenhouse gas
emissions from energy and water use, transportation, waste, heat
island effects, and more. We support the ARB’s goals for
sustainable communities and reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40%
below 1990 levels by 2030. We believe that California cannot
achieve its goals for sustainable communities and greenhouse gas
reductions without the participation of the state’s 10,300 public
K-12 schools. Schools are the heart of our communities, housing
more than 6 million children and thousands of teachers and staff
every day. Schools are responsible for about 5% of municipal solid
waste or about 763,817 tons per year, about half of which is food
waste (contributing to landfill methane emissions) and about
one-third is paper waste.  Schools have enormous roof and
asphalt-covered acreage contributing to heat island effects and
polluted stormwater runoff. Dirty diesel school buses spew black
carbon, increasing vulnerable children’s exposures, according to
ARB’s own studies.

We urge ARB to include “Sustainable Schools” as an investment
element in its Three Year Investment Plan 2016-2019 and to ensure
that K-12 public school districts – especially those in
disadvantaged communities designated by CalEPA – are eligible to
receive GGRF funds via existing or new grant programs. While we
recognize that K-12 schools do not fall under the Administration’s
jurisdiction, sustainable, healthy schools are critical to
achieving the State’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.  Currently,
the barriers for K-12 school districts to pursue greenhouse gas
reduction funds are too high, requiring separate complex
applications and reporting to different agencies, and managing
separate partnerships in order to be eligible.

We recommend the establishment of a “Healthy & Sustainable Schools”
integrated grant program for school-based climate action projects
that would align with and be coordinated by the California
Department of Education’s existing Green Ribbon Schools award and
recognition program. 

ARB can also consider other means of including K-12 schools and
districts in its investment priorities, whether through
strengthening existing programs, changing eligibility requirements
of existing programs, and/or including schools in other programs
aimed at achieving Sustainable Communities.

Green Schools Initiative is a non-profit that works to reduce the
environmental footprint of K-12 schools and promote environmental
literacy.  The 31 organizations and individuals signing this letter
support schools and students in reducing the carbon footprint and
improving the sustainability of K-12 school buildings, grounds, and
operations; promoting healthy, resilient communities; and teaching
environmental and outdoor education and climate literacy. We
believe that sustainable schools and environmental literacy are
fundamental to California’s health, prosperity, and security. Thank
you for your consideration of our comments to include schools as
part of California’s solution for mitigating climate change.

The attached letter has more information about how many tons of GHG
emissions reductions are possible via green, sustainable schools
and lists all the signatories of the letter.