Environmental Report Cards

How are you and your family doing in planet school?

KEC Kids get report cards all the time. Report cards help you know how well you are doing learning a particular subject. Unless you are different from other students, you would like to see straight A’s on every report card you get.

You can grade the way you, your family, your school and your community treat the environment. Do they get straight A’s? If you want to find out, use the checklist below to rate how well they do.

For more information on the topics listed in the Report Card, look under Your Environment in this web site.

This report card can be used to grade homes, offices, religious institutions, schools and other places. It can be copied and distributed.

If you answer “yes” to fewer than 25 questions, it is time to do some work, you have the power to change! If you answer “yes” to more than 40 question, you pass with flying colors. If you answer “yes” to all the questions, you are a real KEC star!!! And you should let us know about it, too!

Energy Conservation    
     
1.  Are the buildings you live in and work in well-insulated and weather-stripped? Yes No
2.  Are your windows free from cracks and breaks? Yes No
3.  Are lights and appliances energy-efficient? Yes No
4.  Are lights and all electrical equipment turned off and/or unplugged when not in use? Yes No
5.  Do you avoid using electrical appliances for jobs that you can do just easily by hand? Yes No
6.  Are thermostats set at the most efficient levels? Yes No
7.  Are the thermostats automatic ones that change settings when buildings are unoccupied? Yes No
8.  Have heating and cooling systems been cleaned and tuned up recently? Yes No
9.  Have you considered installing renewable energy systems such as solar water heating? Yes No
     
Waste Reduction    
10.  Do you use the blank back sides of waste paper for scratch pads? Yes No
11.  Do you try to purchase products without wasteful packaging? Yes No
12.  Do you purchase products that can be recycled? Yes No
13.  Do you make photocopies two-sided whenever possible? Yes No
14.  Do you combine mailings to save on both paper and postage? Yes No
15.  Do you use coffee mugs rather than styrofoam cups, durable dishes and silverware rather than disposables? Yes No
16.  Are your in-house memos sent through “electronic mail” or passed around rather than copied for each staff person? Yes No
17.  Do you donate old furniture when remodeling? Yes No
18.  Do you consider buying used furniture instead of new so that additional resources aren’t expended? Yes No
19.  Are you purchasing quality products that last, rather than ones that regularly have to he replaced? Yes No
     
Recycling From Beginning to End    
     
20.  Do you recycle aluminum? Other metal containers? Plastic containers? Newsprint? White paper? Colored paper? Yes No
21.  Is your recycling system simple enough so that it is really used? Yes No
22.  Do you buy recycled products, such as office paper, paper towels, folders, “sticky” notes, even pencils and pens? Yes No
23.  Do you make sure that the products you buy can be recycled once used? Yes No
     
Plants and Landscaping    
     
24.  Do you compost grass clippings, leaves, and yard debris? Yes No
25.  Are you using alternatives to pesticides and chemical fertilizers? Yes No
26.  Are you planting native plants rather than “exotics,” which, in addition to frequently needing more water and chemicals to grow, sometimes “escape” and throw ecosystems out of balance? Yes No
27.  Do you water early in the morning to minimize evaporation? Yes No
28.  Have you considered installing a drip irrigation system for outdoor watering? Yes No
29.  In areas with frequent droughts, have you planted drought resistant trees and shrubs? Yes No
30.  Do you have indoor plants that purify the air and add beauty to your institution? Yes No
     
Water Conservation    
     
31.  Are all the pipes, toilets and faucets without leaks and drips? Yes No
32.  Are hot water heaters and pipes insulated? Yes No
33.  Are water heaters set on the lowest adequate setting? Yes No
34.  Have faucet aerators been installed to reduce water usage? Yes No
35.  Do you have water-saving spigots on your showers? Yes No
36.  Have you installed low-flow toilets or used “space occupiers” in your toilets to reduce water usage? Yes No
     
Transportation    
     
37.  Do you encourage employees (including yourself) to use public transportation, carpool, bike, or walk to work? Yes No
38.  Do you provide bike racks or offer financial incentives for utilizing mass transit, instead of providing free parking for individual drivers? Yes No
39.  Are your cars and trucks well tuned and energy efficient? Yes No
40.  Is carpooling encouraged among parents in your schools? Yes No
     
Purchasing    
     
41.  Are you buying recycled and recyclable goods whenever possible? Yes No
42.  Do you avoid products with wasteful packaging and buy in bulk, which saves both money and resources? Yes No
43.  Are you using fire extinguishers that are Halon-free? (Halon is known to destroy the ozone layer.) Yes No
44.  Do you use nontoxic cleaning products? Yes No
45.  Do you use nontoxic paints? Yes No
46.  Do you avoid purchasing products from businesses that are being boycotted for environmental reasons? Yes No
     
Investments    
     
47.  If your institution has funds that it regularly invests, or if you are in control of where your institution’s pension funds are invested, do you try to invest in “socially responsible” companies? Yes No
     
Advocacy    
     
48.  Is your institution advocating for stronger national environmental laws? Yes No
49.  Is it involved in local environmental issues, including environmental justice concerns? Yes No
50.  Does it share advocacy information with its members? Yes No
     
Programming    
     
51.  Does your institution reflect its concern for the environment in your worship services? Yes No
52.  Is care for the environment including in your educational programs? Yes No
53.  Is care for the environment including in your in your publications? Yes No
54.  Is care for the environment including In other programming that you undertake? Yes No

Your Grade Is:

51 to 54 “Yeses” —KEC Hero!

41 to 50 “Yeses” —KEC Star!

31 to 40 “yeses” — You are on your way–keep trying!

25 to 30 “yeses” — Your need to take environmental action now!

24 or fewer ‘yeses’ — You have work to do!


 

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The Kids Ecology Corps at Snyder Park

3299 S.W. 4TH Avenue – Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33315 | Phone (954) 524-0366 E-mail: kec@kidsecologycorp.com

The Kids Ecology Corps is a program of Partners in Action, Inc., a 501(c) (3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1981, providing educational, cultural and leadership experience to young people encouraging immediate, positive, environmental action. And, continuous, determined action is making Environmental Harmony an idea whose time has come.
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