introductionDid you know most of the energy sources and products we use produce greenhouse gases that get added to our atmosphere and enhance the greenhouse effect? That’s why we need contribute to an eco friendly environment. To learn ways we can contribute to an eco friendly environment you can start by reading our book. When you read the book you will find out what you can do help our environment and the products you can get to be an environmentally friendly person. Some things might cost a little bit more now but later prices will probably go down. Besides, think about it, there’s nothing to argue about. We’re trying to help the world. These things benefit everyone in the long run.

The greenhouse effect is a natural effect. It takes effect when CO2 is released into our atmosphere. The greenhouse effect helps plants and animals survive. The problem is that now humans are adding a lot of extra CO2 to the atmosphere. That’s when the earth starts to heat up.

our bookThis book is about Capitol City Public Charter School and our way of helping the environment. Capitol City is trying to help the environment because of global warming. The book will feature different green products, some of which are listed in the paragraph below. In science class, we have learned about the impacts global warming has on different regions and living organisms. As individuals we have do simple things such as turn off the lights in our rooms at home or turn off the faucets to save water. If you think about it, school is our second home and the world could use all of the help it can get.

In this book you will learn about different green products and ideas to save the environment. These products will be categorized depending on what they do and what they are. In this book you will see such things as bamboo, recycling, light sensors, wheatboard, wetlands, carpet squares, and much more. The pages will teach you things like what the products do and how they help the environment, what the products mean to the author, and a cool little fact.

Materials

extreme and life saving bamboo!

Where does bamboo grow? What is bamboo? Bamboo is a fast growing plant in the mountains. Panda bears eat bamboo. Bamboo can come in different forms. You can get a solid piece or skinny slats of bamboo in light beige or dark brown. You can also use bamboo in furniture and for the ceiling. Because bamboo is a cheap and organic product, we should use it more, especially for bookshelves, desks, and other furniture, instead of buying products that are made out of trees that take over 100 years to grow. Bamboo grows in 5-7 years. That’s why bamboo costs less than wood from trees because bamboo grows fast and looks a lot better than natural wood.

Fact: Every tree you cut down takes a whole lot of oxygen from us to breathe, but when you cut down bamboo it doesn’t do any damage to us because the roots from the bamboo can re-grow in a short amount of time.

By V

arne

ssa

Beav

ers

carpet squares: get them or be square

Carpet squares! Carpet squares are not their official name. They’re actually called i2 modules, which is carpet cut into squares. We really want these for our school because they actually help us. They would also look very divine in our “green” building because they aren’t like the old, dusty, gluey, sticky, and messy carpet other schools have. Its “green”, reusable, washable, and recyclable too. It’s green because it uses no glue at all. This helps us a lot because we can wash and reuse them over and over. It helps us breathe air better because it uses no dangerous chemicals that can kill us. Carpet squares are green because of what they’re made of. They are made from renewable and recyclable materials like recycled tires. They are anti-slip flooring too.

By Lance Coates III

magical carpetCarpet squares are made to cover the floor. Carpet squares are made from recycled materials and its free from glue. It’s a green product because the carpet company recycles more than 110 million pounds of carpet each year to keep waste out of landfills. The company then separates the old fiber and backing and replaces it with eco-friendly and recycled materials. An interesting fact about carpet squares is when compared to regular carpet it lasts much longer. Interface floors are warranted for 20 years. Suprisingly, carpet squares cost less than regular carpet in a school.

By P

ablo

Mar

tinez

designable floorsYou can help your school be eco-friendly by using linoleum floors. Linoleum floors are one of the “greenest” floors because they are made from renewable materials like linseed oil, resins, wood floor, jute, and ecologically safe pigments. Because they are made of natural materials they don’t spread as much toxic odors like other kinds of floors. Linoleum floors are 100% post-consumer material salvaged from America’s junkyards and landfills like recycled rubber tires as their basic component. Linoleum floors do not use concrete so they are safer to walk on. Linoleum floors are easier to install than concrete floors. Linoleum floors have a different look than other types of floors. These floors last longer. Their beauty has a great value, resists damage, and are easy to clean. These floors work below ground level, bathrooms, and above ground level.

Fact: Linoleum floors are like a new home or car. When you smell those toxic chemicals they can harm you. Those chemicals are gassing off while kids are smelling them. They don’t harm you but you could smell the chemicals. The smell goes away when the toxic chemicals finish gassing off.

By V

eron

ica

Chav

ez

best boardsWheatboard is a renewable resource. Do you know what that means? It means that wheatboard is made from wheat, which grows very fast and it grows all over. Also, it comes from the Midwest. Did you know that wheat board is 100% green? Wheatboard material costs 5% less than standard particle boards. Standard particle board is made from trees. Wheatboard is better than particle board because you don’t kill trees to get it. Wheat grows really fast and trees take years and years to grow.

By M

arlin

Ram

os

stop the coughing, sneezing and wheezingGreen cleaning products don’t make your eyes water. These products are green because they don’t use harsh chemicals that harm the environment, make you cough, sneeze, or give you watery eyes. You can buy the green cleaning product called “Green Works,” or you can use materials that are found around the house like vinegar, soap, baking soda, and lemon juice. When the product is used up make sure you recycle the container.

Facts:•The green cleaning products are harmless when sprayed in the eye, and don’t effect the environment• The cost of the products are cheap and can be found at any store that sells food.

By: F

rede

rick

Barn

es

Lighting and Energy

i SENSORS !Light sensors are a very good way to save a LOT OF MONEY. Do you know how? Well I’ll be more than glad to tell you. Sensors are a device that tell you something. Think of it as something that feels when something, someone, or a sound activates right by it. The light sensors we want for our classrooms actually cost a lot of money. But they are for a good cause. When someone walks in a room the sensor will “feel” them and automatically turn on. When someone leaves, the light will automatically go off. Why? Because the sensor will no longer “feel” anything moving so its like “Why do I do something when no one needs it?” With this device this school will save a lot of money. How? Well, if you think about it, both students and staff don’t turn off the lights when they leave the classrooms. They leave it on so more energy is used which equals to more ($cash$). That is just a waste. We could buy a lot of things with that money like more school supplies or save that money for a school trip at the end of the year or anything else. That is why light sensors are very good for everyone.

By N

atal

ia E

leaz

er

lights up!Light shelves make the outside of the building have a cool temperature and the inside of the building light will reflect brighter. Vertical solar fins are supposed to direct the sun’s heat away from the building and angle the sun’s light inside. The reason why the vertical solar fins are green is because if you paint your walls white or another light color your room will be brighter from the sun’s light, so you use less energy for florescent lights. Light shelves save more energy than traditional light bulbs. If we turn traditional lights off it will still be bright with the light shelves because it is natural light.

Fact: One of the cons is that when the sun is not out it won’t be as bright as usual in your classrooms.

By Jo

cely

n Fu

nes

slanted ceilingOne way you can save energy is by building slanted ceilings. A slanted ceiling can help light come into a room, save energy, and save money. The ceiling must be painted white, and white ceilings reflect the light better then darker ceilings. The slanted ceiling reflects the light from the ceiling to the room. The class room should have white or brightly colored walls because it makes the room brighter and you could even have a plant. The classroom should also have big windows to let more light in. The way the ceiling is connected to the window when the light goes in the window it bounces to the ceiling and deep into the room. You should plant a tree in front of the window so in the summer not too much light goes in a room. And it matters how big the windows are because it might let in too much light. Fact: You should use environment friendly paint that doesn’t have any harmful chemicals.

By C

hiny

ere

Lanti

on

[[SHINING REAL HIGH]]Do you know what skylights are? Do you know where they come from? Well here is some information about skylights. Skylights use natural light from the sun to help you save energy. Skylights can take place anywhere around the room as long as it is facing the sun’s direction. Paint walls in lights colors to brighten rooms and keep shades and blinds up to let in as much sunlight as possible. A large proportion of electricity we use is for lighting. Therefore, take advantage of natural sunlight for brighter ways of lighting our school. Natural lights comes from the sun. Have more windows so the lights can shine in. It could help you out, as long as the sun stays shining you wont have to pay as much as before. During the day the sun stays shining and at night it is not. Skylights can be in the school because at night no one is here. It would be a good reason to use skylights and at the same time it could save lots of energy. Remember that skylights give natural light that doesn’t cost money. It only uses money the first time you build it but than it doesn’t cost not even one penny. You should always keep your windows clean so the lights can be brighter.

By M

inh-

Hong

Ngu

yen

Green technology evolution

Do you have a computer? If so what kind? Apple, hp, dell, etc? Well, did you know that these companies produce green computers?! These computers use less energy than regular computers.

To make a computer room you should use floor lamps, which adjust to the light needed in the room. Energy isn’t wasted by big bright overhead lights. Softer, dimmer lighting for a computer room helps to make a calm, productive environment and saves energy.

By K

imbe

rly C

hopi

n

keep it coolThe product that we need in our new building is energy star fans. We need them because they do not use that much energy. Energy star ceiling fans are preferable because they blow air over 45% better than conventional fans. We should use it because it will save us money plus you don’t have to pay for air in the whole school and all students will be comfortable. Personally I think it will be better because no students will be too hot or cold. It will also save the school lots of money plus it is green. You don’t have to cool the whole school but just that one room.

By M

alik

McG

ill

white roofs

Black roofs absorb much more sun than white roofs. The lighter your roof is, the more radiation from the sun it will reflect and the less it absorbs. So your school will be cooler. White roofs are green because the temperature isn’t as hot in warm months. White roofs also save money because they use less energy to keep school cool in warm months.

Fact: Some interesting facts about white roofs are that it saves money and also saves energy.

By:

Gus

tavo

Mat

a

green roof A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and soil, or a growing medium plated over a waterproofing membrane. The term green roof can also be used to indicate roofs that use some form of ‘’green” techonology, such as solar panels or a photovoltaic module. Green roofs are also referred to as eco roofs, vegetated roofs, and living roofs.

By Je

nny

Chav

ez

Journey to the Center of the Earth

You can be saving thousands of dollars a year and making the earth a better place at the same time! You could be doing this by using geothermal energy. Geothermal energy happens when pipes are installed deep under a building and a heat absorbing liquid (usually a water solution) is poured down the pipes. The water solution absorbs heat from the earth. The underground temperature of the earth doesn't change and the earth is warmer underground in the winter and colder in the summer. After the solution absorbs the heat the pipes carry the heat to the heat pump and then the building. Then in the summer the process is reversed. Heat is extracted from the air and goes through the pipes to the heat pump. Fresh, clean, and natural cold air flows through the building. Geothermal energy is clean, safe, and has no CO2 emissions. It’s efficient, renewable and cheap. After pipes are installed it starts to pay off immediately. Saving thousands of dollars could help the school buy more energy efficient things, build things for the school, buy technology and other things to make our school a better place.

By H

ope

Will

is

the power of the sunA great energy source for us to use is the sun. The way you harness energy from the sun is by using solar panels. There is more than one type of solar panel. Solar photovoltaic is the one most common used. The way they work is by converting sunlight rays into electricity. The shorter term for solar photovoltaic is solar PV. Now you are probably wondering how solar panels are eco-friendly for the environment? Well, for one they don’t release CO2 into the atmosphere, which is a good thing. The way the panels are designed is by collecting sunlight near them. The good part is that it doesn't need direct sunlight for it to work.

Facts:• The sun shines about 1,000 watts of energy per sq yard.• If solar panels keep on being bought the way they are, in the future the price of them will be about the same price of coal fire power.

By Camila Sarm

iento

the cold sunIs the air flowing through the ventilation system clean? Well, with solar chimneys that will always be the case. A solar chimney is a green device that is usually put on the roof of a building and what it does is once a window is open, a vent opens in the chimney and releases hot air from the classroom up to the solar chimney. New fresh air from outside blows in to replace the air to create a sort of breeze. A solar chimney is green because it does not emit CO2 into the atmosphere when it is producing energy and it filters the air. A solar chimney is the mother of new air.

Fact: Solar chimneys can also produce energy by creating new wind to spin turbines to power the school.

By L

uis C

arre

ra

Water

H2O savingUsing low-flow sinks reduces your water use. If each household in the U.S. installed one low flow sink faucet or aerator it would save more than 60 billion gallons in water. This is important because there are places in the world where there are droughts so we have to start saving water. Also, 97% of the water in the world is salty, 2% is in ice caps or glaciers, and 1% is for all our need. So using low-flow sinks and sensors is better for us because we use less water.

By A

ries D

iaz

want to use less water for toilets?

How do you save water for toilets? Install a dual flush toilet in your bathroom or school bathroom. The dual flush toilets are different from other toilets that have a little silver flusher on the side of the toilet. The dual flush toilets have two buttons. They have one big brown button and a small yellow button. The brown button is when you do number two the yellow button is for peeing. They are easy to install in your house or school. One of the buttons is for 0.9 gallons and another one is 1.6 gallons. It is good to use less water because it saves you money and it will help the environment.Fact: Colors of the dual flush toilet range from white to almond and will vary based on brand and manufacturer.

By: M

alik

a Jo

nes

green and so clean Cool, check out this urinal! Oh, did I mention it has no water? This urinal uses a filter instead of water. So when you use it your wiz is sent down the filter (the filter may look like the one on the right). Once your wiz has been sent down the filter the filter will remove all the mineral/chemicals from your pee.

By O

lmar

Zel

aya

wet science How much do you depend on city

water? Well, using city water costs money and wastes the city’s fresh water. But there’s an ecosystem that collects and reuses water in a building. This ecosystem is called a wetland. A wetland collects water from different sources and reuses them in toilets. If you run the water through a reed bed, it cleans itself. Also, science classes can go and study the plants and animals around. Fact: A wetland can cost $250,000 to install when a sewage treatment can cost 1 to 3 million dollars.

By Jo

sue

Oliv

ares

Things You Can Do At School and At Home

Why should we recycle? Recycling is part of the world because if we don’t we will have more pollution. Recycling cuts down on new materials being used, energy, and water used. Recycling paper is good because it saves trees, water, and energy. So these are some of the reasons why we should recycle paper, glass bottles, plastic bottles, and so much more.

Facts: About 80% of what Americans throw away is recyclable. 17 trees are saved by recycling one ton of paper, and those trees can absorb a total of 250 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air each year.

why do we recycle?

By D

avia

nna

Jone

s

don’t throw away that bottle!

Did you know that schools can use recycled materials in their bathrooms? I don’t mean just recycled toilet paper and paper towels. They are great too, but I was thinking about recycled stalls. Recycled stalls are made of plastic bottles. To make plastic bottles, factories use a lot of oil, and when we recycle plastic we use less energy and oil. Did you know that 1.8 tons of oil is saved for every ton of recycled plastic bottles?! That’s a new record! 60 billion plastic water bottles alone are thrown away each day. About 23% of those are recycled. We can do much better! We can also recycle paper, which means that less paper goes to landfill sites. And it also uses less energy than producing new materials.

Fact: Recycled materials are green because you are saving up energy to use in the future. Also, when things are recycled less plastic and other sources are produced so that means less chemicals are released into the atmosphere.

By C

indy

Cru

z