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Where Every Day is Earth Day

By Laura C. Girardi

Godfrey shows Jonathan Ruscoe the school's natural heating system.

The kids at Millennium Elementary in Kent, Washington, have done their part this year to help save the planet-simply by attending school. Millennium, which opened last September, just might be the most environmentally friendly school in the nation! It uses high-tech equipment to make the most of nearby natural resources every day.

The Kent school district spent almost $12 million to build Millennium, but officials expect the school to save loads of money on heating bills, water costs and other expenses. Even better, the building won't take a heavy toll on the environment.

For one thing, the school doesn't use oil or gas to control its climate. Instead, pipes pump natural heat from about 300 feet underground up into the building. "It is working beautifully!" says principal Marilyn Godfrey. Solar panels and a rooftop windmill conserve electricity by collecting natural energy to power some lights, a TV and a computer.

Water really makes the rounds at Millennium! A pond collects rainwater, which is recycled to irrigate the playfield. The boys' rest rooms conserve water with specially designed flushless urinals. The school grounds include a five-acre wetlands area. School officials plan to build a walkway around the wetlands so students can study the plants and insects that thrive there.

Also in the works: a butterfly garden, a better recycling program and lesson plans based on many of the school's Earth-friendly features.

If the "green" plan pays off, other schools across the nation may follow Millennium's lead and tap the world's natural, low-pollution power sources. That would be great news for schools-and for planet Earth.

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