September 2010 QUOTE OF THE MONTH: "Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground." - Anonymous. Submitted by Joshua Martarella, Grade 10, Boulder CO.
March 10
The David Brower Center, Home to Women's Earth Alliance
Emma Styles-Swaim, Berkeley HS, Berkeley

February 10
San Francisco's New Ordinance Makes Composting Mandatory
Anna FitzGerald Guth, Berkeley High School, Berkeley
SIGG Admits to Having Chemical BPA in Bottle Linings
Ruth Teresko, Berkeley High School, Berkeley
KQED and the Green Screen: An Alliance for the Future
Adam Sherman, Acalanes HS, Lafayette
A typical High School's Carbon Footprint on the World
Amanda Nguyen, San Ramon Valley HS, Danville
Tomales High Cleans Up Dillon Beach
Samantha Fernandes, Tomales HS, Tomales

January 10
The Hero's Journey of Maria Gunnoe
Sophie Barrett, Intern, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz
Three Ways to Kick Off the New Year - Green-Style!
Amanda Nguyen, San Ramon Valley HS, San Ramon
My First Quarter at UCSC:
Sophie Barrett, Intern, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz

December 09
Gift Wrapping--the Green Way!
Aiman Arif, California Virtual Academy, Fremont
World Wildlife Fund Fights for Endangered Animals
Amanda Nguyen, San Ramon Valley HS, San Ramon

November 09
On the Other Hand... With Jessie: Sustainability at the Supermarket
Jessie Kathan, Campolindo HS, Moraga
Team Green Strives to "Green" Their Campus
Jason Yuen, Monte Vista HS, Danville
Food Waste in the Dining Halls at UCSC
Sophie Barrett, Intern, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz

September 09
Hero’s Journey of Maria Gunnoe
Sophie Barrett, Intern, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz
My Proposal to Decrease Child Obesity
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany
Debaters Square Off Over Alternative Energy
Gary Tran, Media Academy, Fremont HS, Oakland
Lemurs Benefit from MetWest Senior Project
Ellissia Hill, MetWest High, Oakland
On the Other Hand... With Jessie. This Month: "Greenwashing"
Jessie Kathan, Campolindo High School, Moraga

August 09
On the Other Hand... With Jessie. This Month: "Wishy Washy Carwash"
Jessie Kathan, Campolindo, Moraga
Sunscreen Secrets
Sophie Barrett, Intern, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz

July 09
Albany High’s Leap Towards a Sustainable Future
Sophie Barrett, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz
July Bay Area Events!
Nicole Cogar, Diablo Valley College, Concord
What You Can Do to Put an End to the Afterlife of Cigarettes
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany

June 09
Will California Be Left High and Dry?
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany
The Flowers Are Talking
Juan Gomez, Lionel Wilson, Oakland
Photograph Response
Jessica Torres, Lionel Wilson Prep., Oakland
The Affects of Nicotine on the Environment!
Ebony Hebert, Lionel Wilson, Oakland
Vegetarianism: Is It Worth It?
Raul Topete, Lionel Wilson, Oakland
Veggie Gardens: A Growing Trend
Johnny Srimoukda, Brittany Sneed, Media Academy / Fremont FHS, Oakland
Brown Bag Bumblebee
Kayla Nachtsheim, Albany High School, Albany
May the Force Be With You & Your Cooking
Tala Beigi - College Intern, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill
Earth Day Volunteers
Linh Ho, Amanda Huynh, and Angelina Huynh, San Lorenzo High, San Lorenzo
Water Bottles Affecting our Environment
Linh Ho, San Lorenzo High, San Lorenzo
California's Native Plants
Angelina Huynh, San Lorenzo High, San Lorenzo

May 09
Earth Day
Linh Ho, Amanda Huynh, and Angelina Huynh, San Lorenzo High School, San Lorenzo
California's Most Pressing Issue: Water Conservation
Aiman Arif, California Virtual Academy, Fremont

April 09
Eco-Chic
Jennie Kim, Dougherty Valley HIgh School, San Ramon
Veganism Lifestyle: The Meat of the Issue
Emily Borenstien, Alhambra High School, Martinez
Teens Turning Green: Greening High School Prom's one at a time
Max Perrey, Tamalpais High School, Mill Valley
Restoration Projects with Greening Berkeley and Friends of Five Creeks
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany
Albany High's Glass Tower
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany
Cesar Chavez Celebration at Aquatic Park
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany
Who Knew That Drugs Hurt Our Earth Not Only Ourselves?
Sophie Barrett and Rachel Ling, Albany High School, Albany
Buy an Efficient Toilet
linh ho, San Lorenzo High, San Lorenzo
Earth Day: How It All Began
Nicole Cogar, DVC, Concord
Transportation, is it Safe?
Eliza Li, San Lorenzo High, San Lorenzo
April Recipes: Spring Has Sprung
Tala Beigi - College Intern, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill

March 09
Increase in carbon dioxide leads to dramatic changes
Linh Ho, San Lorenzo High, san lorenzo
Green Transportation
Aiman Arif, California Virtual Academy, Fremont
On the Other Hand.... With Jessie
Jessie Kathan, Campolindo High School, Moraga
Desalination: Too costly for our pockets and for our health
Max Perrey, Tamalpais High School, Mill Valley
Walking: the Oldest Form of Transportation
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany
Global Warming Myths
Aiman Arif, California Virtual Academy, Fremont
Connect for the Planet
Aiman Arif, California Virtual Academy, Fremont
Nonprofits In Need: Economic Meltdown Hurts Environmental Groups
Max Perrey, Tamalpais High School, Mill Valley
St. Pi Day Recipes!!
Tala Beigi - College Intern, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill
Transportation, The Green Way
Nicole Cogar, Diablo Valley College, Concord
Cherish this Planet
Linh Ho, San Lorenzo High, san lorenzo

February 09
The Corrupted Food Industry
David Zhao, San Francisco Community Colleg, Albany
Eco Update #1
Max Perrey, Tam High, Mill Valley
The Academy of Science's Contribution to Climate Change
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany
An interview with Julie and Marcia, two teachers with a passion
Nicole Cogar, Diablo Valley College, Concord
My Adventures With the Green Screen
Nicole Cogar, Diablo Valley College, Concord
Nation's Greenest School!
Aiman Arif, California Virtual Academy, Fremont
On the Other Hand.... With Jessie
Jessie Kathan, Campolindo High School, Moraga
Energy Efficiency in the Home
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany
350.org
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany
Letter to Obama on Environmental Sustainability
Clara Tsao, Miramonte High School, Orinda

January 09
In-Season Treaties for your Valentine Sweeties!!
Tala Beigi, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant hill
Green Dry Cleaners
Tala Beigi, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill
STEWARDSHIP ESSAY
Jeremy Mah, St. Ignatius College Prep, San Francisco
My Inspiration
Sophie Barrett, Albany High, Albany
What Has Inspired Me
Nicole Cogar, Horizons Home Study, Concord
Mussel Rock: Plates Shifting Beneath My Feet
Kevin Keller, St. Ignatius College Prep, San Francisco
The Brower Youth Awards Celebration
Nicole Cogar, Horizons Home Study, Concord
New Year, New Recipes!
Tala Beigi, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill
What Inspires Me
Tala Beigi, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill
Eco-resolutions
Aiman Arif, California Virtual Academy, Fremont
My Journey and its Inspirations
Aiman Arif, California Virtual Academy, Fremont

December 08
Adventures With The Green Screen -Reel Green Media / Episode 17-
Nicole Cogar, Horizons Home Study, Concord
The Beauty of Recycling
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany
Dark Spring Day (poem)
Aiman Arif, California Virtual Academy, Fremont
Greener Holidays
Nicole Cogar, Horizons Home Study, Concord
The Abandoned Hardrock Mines Reclamation Act
Dom Tejo, Aragon High School, San Mateo
Act to Save America's Forests
Dom Tejo, Aragon High School, San Mateo
Our Future
Albert Aramayo, Aragon High School, San Mateo
Permaculture: The New Green
Tala Beigi, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill
Making Friends with Recycleables
Tala Beigi, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill
Winter Delights
Tala Beigi, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill

November 08
Why Eat Green?
Nicole Cogar, Horizons Home Study, Concord
Food Labels
Aiman Arif, California Virtual Academy, Fremont
Adams Middle School E.S.C.A.P.E. club
Kelly Saefong, Adams Middle School, Richmond
Composting at School
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany
Solano Stroll Going Green
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany

October 08
'Tis the Season
Tala Beigi, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill
Brower Youth Awards
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany
EarthTeam's Global Warming Campaign Meeting
Natasha Gupta, Monte Vista HS , Danville
Coastal Clean Up Day 2008
Nicole Cogar, Horizons Home Study, Concord
The solar movement in Richmond
Sophie Barrett, Rachel Ling, albany high school, albany

September 08
Coastal Clean Up at Albany
Sophie Barrett, Albany High School, Albany
Solar Richmond for Green Collar Jobs
Traci Crain, El Cerrito High, El Cerrito

August 08
Eco-School
Nicole Cogar , Horizons Home Study , Concord
Battleground Earth
Nicole Cogar , Horizons Home Study , Concord
Eco-ambassadors attend "Forecast Earth Summit"
Aiman Arif, California Virtual Academy, Fremont
Plastic in the oceans poses threat to animals and humans
Aiman Arif, California Virtual Academy, Fremont

June 08
Those Old Shoes
Sophie Barrett, Albany High, Albany

May 08
Music for Environmental and Social Justice
Cynthia Zuniga, Adams Middle School, Richmond
Greensburg GreenTown
Nicole Cogar , Horizon Home School, Concord
The Diary Of A Mole
Tyler Jolley, Elizabeth Stewart K-8, San Pablo
Gorilla in the Greenhouse
Rebecca Scott , Juan Crespi Middle School , El Sobrante

April 08
Concord Going Green
Nicole Cogar, Horizons Home Study , Concord
Water Quality Enhancement Project
Jacob Schmidt , Environmental Studies Academy, Martinez
Ten Simple Things All People Can Do …
Stephanie Parreira , Casa Grande HS, Petaluma
A Fast Food Nation: Have We Been Corrupted?
Stephanie Harvin , Environmental Studies Academy, Martinez
The Earth's Hour
Nicole Cogar, Horizons Home Study , Concord
Middle School Students Help Save the Polar Bears!
Dyani Main, St Mary's College High School , Berkeley
On Reflection
Rea Acda , St Ignatius College Prep High , SF

March 08
The Green Sound
Natasha Gupta , Monte Vista High School , Danville
I'm Enriched By Enrichment Week Project
Elizabeth Price , St Mary's College High School , Berkeley
Hair Mats?
Elonna Mack , Creative Arts Charter School , SF
Cleaner, Greener Universities
Dana Dizon, Richmond High , Richmond
A Nature Nexus Fairy Tale
Melissa Liotta , St Ignatius College Prep High, SF
Mr. Tree
Andrew Shahamiri, St Ignatius High School , San Francisco

January 08
Rethink Recycling
Emily Ellsworth, Acalanes HS, Lafayette
Focus the Nation
Various Students, International High School, San Francisco
Facing Our Inconvenient Truth
Nicole Cogar, Horizons Home Study, Concord
Eighth Grader Helps Clean Up the World
Brianna Lane, Stone Valley Middle School, Alamo
The Good Thing I Did for the Environment Over My Holiday Break
Eric Sanchez and Joshua Martarella, Earthteam, Berkeley
Consumerism and Count Chocula
Andrew Shahamiri, St Ignatius College HS, San Francisco
Kayaking
Nicole Cogar, Horizons Home Study, Concord
Mobilization: The Power of Students
Max Perry, Mt. Tamalpais HS, Mill Valley
Earthquakes in My Life
Natalie Perkins , St. Ignatius Prep, San Francisco
The History of Our Soil
Chloe Flax, San Andreas High School, Larkspur
Inspiring Young Emerging Leaders
Various Students, Earthteam, Berkeley
The Change Starts With You
Ashley Bagley, Tomales High School, Tomales Bay
The Green Screen Crew Recommends Green Movies
The Green Screen Crew, Earthteam, Berkeley
On a Scale of 1 - 10?
Earth Club Students, Alhambra HS, Martinez
Update from Albany High School's EarthTeam Environmental Club
Allison Cooper, Albany HS, Albany
The End…For Real
Jael, Naomi, and Dajoune, Creative Arts Charter School, San Francisco
The End…For Real Part 2
Jael, Naomi, and Dajoune, Creative Arts Charter School, San Francisco
A Word From The ESA
Various Authors, The ESA, Martinez
EarthTeam Restoration Days
Nicole Cogar, Horizons Home Study, Concord
LEAF 2007
Dyani Main, St Mary's College HS, Berkeley
What is the tallest bird you've ever seen?
Judy Pun, Oakland HS, Oakland
More About Sand Hill Cranes & the Ecosystem
Chai Saephan, Oakland HS, Oakland
Keller Beach
Cameron Hamilton , Berkeley High, Berkeley
Cool Schools Global Warming Meeting
Raj Khatri, San Lorenzo High School, San Lorenzo
Save What's left!
Colleen Zak, Tamalpais HS, Mill Valley
What a Day!
Natasha Gupta, Monte Vista HS, Danville
Going Green: Necessity, Not a Fad
Nikhil Gupta, Diablo Vista Middle School, Danville
My Interview for Nourish on PBS
Elizabeth Price, St Mary's College HS, Berkeley
Musicians For Relief
Cynthia Zuniga and Rebecca Scott, Adams and Crespi Middle School, Richmond and El Sobrante
Going the Distance
Adam Sherman, Acalanes High School, Lafayette
Youthful Action Gets Going
Justin Halliwill, French American International, San Francisco
Thoughts from a Bay Area High School Environmentlist
Samantha Barghahn, Earthteam, Berkeley
A Simple Lifestyle Change
Christopher Gioia, Albany HS, Albany
What’s New at Saint Mary’s College High School
Elizabeth Price, St Mary's College HS, Berkeley
Count Carbon Cost, Not Just Calories
Tyler Jolley, Stewart Middle School, Richmond
The Strangest Catch (Pes Sapo)
Alex Ortiz, Pinole Valley High School, Pinole

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A typical High School's Carbon Footprint on the World
 
By Amanda Nguyen
Grade 11
San Ramon Valley HS
Danville, CA


3,244,447 pounds of carbon dioxide. That is the total carbon footprint that San Ramon Valley High School makes on the world. This is equivalent to 64,889 trees planted, the CO2 emission of 295 elephants, 117,952 barbeques, close to eight railcars, or about twenty tanker trucks’ worth of gasoline.


A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide a person or group of people is responsible for creating through every day activities. The fewer the carbon emissions people produce each day, the smaller the carbon footprint. Since CO2 emission contributes to global warming, the smaller the carbon footprint, the better.


To find out just how much carbon dioxide is emitted from my school, I researched everything I needed to know in order to calculate SRVHS’ carbon footprint. San Ramon Valley High School is a typical small town school located in Danville, CA with 2031 students and 97 teachers. In the 2008-2009 school year, 1373.6 MWh of electricity, 62,403 Therms of gas, and 1,728,660 pounds of CO2 from transportation to and from school were used. Together, this totaled to 3,244,447.42 pounds of CO2.

 

Compared to the average American’s carbon footprint, SRVHS’ overall footprint is not nearly as large. The average American’s carbon footprint is about 42,000 pounds per year, which would average to about 85,302,000 pounds of CO2 for the total 2031 students. This is approximately 82 million pounds more than the overall school’s footprint. However, this does not take into account that students spend 16 hours a day and 185 days a year elsewhere, making it difficult to compare the true impact of SRVHS’ carbon footprint.
   

A solution to this huge carbon footprint would come with a large price tag of about 12,170 dollars, based on the current prices on the Chicago Climate Exchange. If SRVHS were to install solar panels, the school’s electricity consumption would be reduced about 55% to 60%. In total, this would reduce SRVHS’ carbon footprint by 15%, or about 478,000 pounds of CO2 per year.

 

Contributions by Daniel Morizono, Victoria Kwan, and Allie Tao.