Published Quarterly by The

Energy Center, The University

of Texas at El Paso
Sponsored by the Texas
Comptroller of Public Accounts
- State Energy Conservation
Office,

r Issue and the United States

Department of Energy
The Newspaper for Watt Watchers and Watteam.
Now incorporating WATTimes and the Texas School Energy Manager News. Winte Volume 10 Number 4

Winter 2006-07

Watt Watchers Flag

Congratulations to Riverchase Elementary in Carrolton Farmers Branch
ISD for being the best Watt Watchers school in January 2007.
WATTS INSIDE

E
very school should be a Watt
Watts Across Texas
Watchers school. Watt Watchers – On Your Marks...Get Set,
encourages school districts to Go Solar! 2
commit to enrolling all their schools. The Transmission Line 3
Having Watt Watchers as an official
A Nearly
program sanctioned and supported from Perfect Project 4
the top down strengthens its
Traveling Energy
effectiveness. Exploration Stations 5

Watt Watchers now has a flag to help Program News 6

districts enrolling their schools promote Recycling Activities
a little friendly competition. Each district and More 8
enrolling in Watt Watchers will receive About the Posters 8
one flag to circulate among schools. The
3x5 foot flag may be used as a reward Pull-out Posters 9-12
to the best Watt Watchers school in the Recycling
Lesson Plan 14
district. The school chosen by the district
energy manager or an administrator can Let’s Talk Trash 15
fly the Watt Watchers flag for one month, Energy Managers
then it may be awarded to the next Toolbox 16-17
months winner. Competition often Electrifying Extras 18
creates more interest – so encourage
Watts Going On? 19
your school district to enroll and start
competing to get the Watt Watchers flag
flying on your school’s flagpole.

Projects, Projects, Projects-

How do we choose?
Make a Plan

W
att Watchers of Texas has
been working with Texas At the beginning of the school year
schools for many years. start a projects calendar. Plan out
We often are asked for help from
student groups that are doing
what you will do each week, month,
or semester of the school year.
POSTERS IN
energy and environmental projects
in their schools and communities.
There are some easier projects
that can be done while you are
THIS ISSUE
The question that is asked the most working on more intense projects.
is “What projects should we do?” For instance, you can organize a
and our answer to that question is: recycling program for your school
Do the projects that fit your group, while you are doing
school, community and time frame. announcements about why people
You may choose to “warm-up” your should recycle or what items
energy committee by taking on a should be recycled and the
few Short and Simple projects. savings that can be obtained
That will allow you to evaluate your through that recycling effort.
capabilities and ramp up to bigger
ventures. Don’t set yourself up for Use the Real Projects with Real
failure by picking a project that takes Results in the Real World
2 months to complete that you start handbook to identify the projects
in May when there are 3 weeks left that would work for your school
to school. and community. There are Real

Continues on pg. 13
 On Your Marks, Get Set,
Go... Solar!
“Go straight and forward, those are my only two hints” That is all the instructor said before
the workshop began. Although it may sound intimidating, it didn’t work out to be.

W
hat do you get when you mix the sun, items available. The teachers then sketch or
enthusiastic teachers, solar write down their design ideas and get started.
panels, an assortment of “This workshop The “experts” (the Watt Watchers of Texas
construction supplies, and a couple of
“experts”? You get a Junior Solar
was perfect for staff that have a few cars under their belts)
walk around the room giving instruction and
Sprint Class and a fun time for the middle school aid as needed. This allows the teachers
l
M ode everyone, of course. TEKS. Just great the ability to be creative and work through
c e m
d Ra assroo and practical,
problems with the others at the table so
an Cl This fall Watt Watchers of everyone learns through mistakes and
u i ld, Your Texas presented two too.” successes.
s i g n, B a rs in workshops on how to design,
De ar C
Sol build and race solar powered This fall we were blessed with sun on both
cars. Eighteen teachers workshop days. As the cars are finished being
at the Fort Worth built, the teachers begin to go outside to test
Science Museum, “I can see where their vehicle and make sure the wheels are
and 25 teachers at this can be a turning in the correct direction. Minor design
CAST in Wichita changes and a little decorative work follow.
Falls went home great hands on When everyone has a working car, we head
with their very learning experience outside to race. The track for this race is
own working made of two pieces of 2x4 wood with fishing
solar car, that can be line strung between. The cars will race along
t h e motivational and the fishing line so each one goes the same
lessons on distance (and direction). Some cars are slow
how to
a stepping stone starters, but finish fast. Some cars start fast
build a to other energy and fall apart halfway down the track, some cars
car and conservation refuse to go forward. All cars are cheered on,
t h e and all teachers have fun. Our goal in a Junior
confidence to build topics.” Solar Sprint workshop is to give you the tools you
with their students. need to successfully design, build and race with your
students but fun is a natural consequence.
Some teachers that attended this “I was a
workshop were pretty handy and this was not little nervous The National Renewable Energy Lab’s Junior
their first time building a moving machine Solar Sprint program is a classroom- based,
(discussion of mousetrap cars was heard building, but hands-on educational program aimed at
around the room). Some teachers had a little I finally middle school students. Teams of students
experience with solar panels, but not cars. And, design, build, and race these solar cars.
some teachers were intimidated by all the
prevailed!” Students are encouraged to use math and
supplies and lack of specific directions. Yet, all science principles together with creativity in this fun,
the teachers that attended these workshops designed yet challenging project. Lessons on
and built a car to take home with them. Not all cars
successfully made it down the
track (some cars liked to drive
in curvy lines), but all were
successful.

This class begins with an

overview of the JSS program
and a look at the very basic car
design PowerPoint presentation
you can find on
www.wattwatchers.org. This
gives teachers a chance to learn
the steps of building a solar car
before drawing or doing any
design work. We then give the
teachers a few minutes to look
over all the supplies that they have available to aid them
in their building efforts. Foam core board, insulation,
2 rubber bands, nail files, skewers, tinker toys, Knex, foam
plates, paper cups, and toothpicks are just a few of the
transmissions, gear ratios,
aerodynamics and much more are
included as part of the program.
If you are interested in attending or hosting a JSS
workshop in your area call 1-888-WATTEAM. If you are
interested in having a JSS race at your school, check
out the Traveling Energy Exploration Station. You can
keep the JSS station for 6 weeks and it has the materials
needed to build 16 cars. Remember that the JSS class
and Station are FREE, just like everything else Watt
Watchers offers you.
THE TRANSMISSION LINE
Yahoo!
Green Car Ratings
If you are looking to buy an environmentally friendly vehicle,
Yahoo! Autos and Environmental Defense just made your
job a lot easier. The two recently launched a web partnership
that allows consumers to compare the major environmental
costs of a vehicle including smog, emissions, fuel type and
pollution derived from manufacturing. To access the Green
Ratings go to the
Yahoo! Green Center. http://autos.yahoo.com/
green_center/
President Bush Approves
Energy Tax Credit Extension
President Bush has approved a bill that will extend federal
tax credits for renewable energy and energy efficiency
projects. The wide-ranging Tax Relief and Health Care Act
of 2006 extends the production tax credit through 2008 for
electricity produced from wind power, geothermal power,
biomass, landfill gas, small irrigation power, and trash
combustion facilities. It provides a similar one-year tax credit
extension for new properties that produce geothermal power
or make use of solar energy; for homeowners that purchase
solar water heating, solar photovoltaic, or fuel cell systems;
for businesses that purchase fiber-optic lighting systems,
solar energy systems, or fuel cell power plants; for new
energy efficient homes; and for energy efficiency
improvements to commercial buildings.
The act extends the Clean Renewable Energy Bonds
program through 2008, and increases the total annual
amount of tax-credit bonds to $1.2 billion. It extends special
tax allowances for cellulosic ethanol facilities to include plants
placed in service by 2012. It also extends the research and
development tax credit, which encourages businesses to
invest in new innovations.
U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
www.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm
Supreme Court
Hears Global Warming Case
On November 29th the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral
arguments in a global -warming case that could determine
whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
will be required to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from
motor vehicles, and possibly power plants and other
stationary sources. A coalition of state attorneys general and
environmental groups, argued that the EPA is obligated under
the Clean Air Act to classify CO 2 emissions as “pollutants”.
EPA responded in their brief that in the absence of an
amendment by Congress to the Clean Air Act, it has no legal
authority to determine the status of CO 2 and would not
exercise such authority even if permitted under federal law.
One of the key issues raised by the Court in its questioning
was whether the plaintiff states and environmental
organizations have legal standing to bring the suit in the first
place. Standing would require the states to show that they
have been harmed by global warming, and that regulation
by EPA will address the problem. Massachusetts argued that
coastal states are losing hundreds of miles of coastline
because of rising sea levels, and that reducing CO 2
emissions from vehicles will help slow the increase in global
levels. Some justices, noting the small contribution that auto
emissions make to global emissions, as well as the
increasing amount of carbon emissions from developing
countries, seemed skeptical that U.S. reductions would
make a difference. Other justices observed that if the Court
determined the standing issue favorably for the states, its
reasoning for auto emissions could hold also for power plants,
which emit far more CO 2. A ruling in the Supreme Court
case is expected in mid-2007.
From: National Association of State Energy Officials http://
www.naseo.org/
Texas is Big
and Emits Much Gas
Environment Texas studied
the growth of carbon
dioxide emissions
between 1960 and
2001 using data
compiled by the
Oak Ridge
N a t i o n a l
Laboratory. Their
report, The
Carbon Boom, S
says that in the NEW E WIRE
Te x a s h a s
last four decades,
increased its carbon FF TH
dioxide emissions by 178% - the largest
OT O
increase in the nation. Nationally, carbon H
dioxide emissions have increased by 95% -
that is, they’ve nearly doubled from 1960’s levels. Let’s take
this opportunity to mention (again) that the U.S emits more
global warming gases that any other country: nearly 25%
of all carbon dioxide emissions come from us.
Texas alone accounts for 12% of the nation’s total carbon
dioxide emissions. In fact, according to the Public Citizen
web site , if Texas was it’s own country (you mean it’s not?),
it would rank seventh in the world in carbon dioxide
emissions. That gives Texans a huge opportunity to reduce
pollution. There’s still a lot of room in the world for an
individual - or a group of individuals - to have a big impact.
Most carbon dioxide pollution comes from power plants,
cars, and light trucks and wehave many options to reduce
this pollution. We can create more efficiency from traditional
energy sources such as by installing high efficiency
appliances and choosinghybrid or very high gas milage
cars. We can install clean energy technologies, like solar ,
in homes and businesses and continue to protest the
building of new coal-fired power plants. We can plant trees
and lower our participation in polluting activities by walking
or biking more, joining Austin’s new carsharing program ,
“
buying local goods and services, replacing light bulbs with
compact fluorescents, making sure our homes are well
insulated and our HVAC systems are in good condition,
installing ceiling fans and setting the thermostat a few
It is in our vital
degrees higher in the summer and asking the
interest to diversify
businesseswe patronize to use less energy, too.
America’s energy
From: Green Builder Program News http:// supply, and the way
www.austinenergy.com forward is through
technology.
”
New Solar Cell Breaks 40
Percent Efficiency Barrier President George W. Bush,
DOE announced recentlythat Spectrolab, Inc. has developed State of the Union Address,
a new concentrator solar cell with a sunlight-to-electricity 2007
conversion efficiency of 40.7 percent, a new world record
in solar cell efficiency. The new cell uses a “multi-junction”
structure, in which several layers each capture part of the
sunlight passing through the cell. These layers allow the
cell to capture more of the solar spectrum and convert it
into electricity. The Spectrolab cell relies on an optical
concentrator to focus sunlight onto the cell.
Researchers have been working toward the “40 percent
barrier” for the past two decades. In the 1980s, multi-junction
solar cells achieved about 16 percent efficiency, and DOE’s
National Renewable Energy Laboratory broke the 30 percent
barrier in 1994. Today, most satellites use these multi-
junction solar cells, and Spectrolab, a subsidiary of The
Boeing Company, recently produced its two millionth solar
cell using multi-junction technology. The new Spectrolab
cell, developed with DOE funding, could lead to more
affordable solar power systems here on Earth, costing as
little as $3 per watt to install and producing electricity at a
cost of 8 to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour.
U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
www.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm
3
 A nearly Perfect Project
Y
ou can really do something significant for your management. The status in your school is probably
school and planet earth. Here is a project that can similar to the computer network in the whole district. You
save thousands of dollars per year for your school can find out and you can help fix it.
and district while cutting pollution, too. Every school has
hundreds or
Watt Watchers calls
e v e n
this is a nearly thousands of
perfect project. It devices that
would be perfect if it may be
“did itself.” w a s t i n g
Unfortunately, it will energy. Many
require your effort to s c h o o l
make it happen. districts have
However, your effort not done
may pay off anything
handsomely for your about the
problem and
school and district.
are not even
Without you, waste
thinking about
may continue. With it.. It is simple
you, things may turn to find out if
out perfectly. your school is
w a s t i n g
e n e r g y.
Support from
experts is
available. You
c a n
implement the project at various levels – from small all
the way to district wide. Each level is fairly simple and
Computers Use Energy
readily achievable through student effort. You are A screen saver uses the same amount of energy as a
uniquely positioned to do something about it. computer in active use by a student. No benefit is being
You will have to agree that’s a tidy package. And, you realized from the screen saver. It is the equivalent of
can start today. Ready? Perfect, let’s go. leaving the lights on when no one is in a classroom. The
monitor alone uses between 60 and 90 Watts (CRT –
The 10 Minute Test cathode ray tube, LCDs use about 30W). Sleeping
Check your computers. You can probably find out the monitors use 2 – 10 Watts. Making sure that monitors
status of computer power management in your school in are set to enter sleep mode after 10 minutes of inactivity
ten minutes or less. If the policy for computer use in your is an excellent way to save energy at your school.
Q: How many computer school is well known or if there are signs on each “An ENERGY STAR qualified computer uses 70% less
software testers does computer or in the labs then your school may be saving electricity than computers without enabled power
it take to change a light
bulb?
energy. However, if you and your classmates don’t know management features,” according to the Energy Star
the policy there may not be one. website.
A: We just determine
that the room is dark; Go to the nearest computer and see what is on the Monitor power management (MPM) can save $10 to $30
we don’t actually screen of the monitor. If you see a screen saver or any per monitor annually by placing your inactive monitors
change the bulb. Since
we have a dead-bulb other image, it is likely that your school is wasting energy. into a low-power sleep mode. You may be able help
result on file from a If the screen is blank – do a little more checking. How your school and district save even more. Computer
previous test, rest
assured that
long does it take for monitors to go to sleep (indicated power management (CPM) places inactive computers
Development is working by a blank screen) when not in use? You can also find (CPU, hard drive, etc.) into a low-power sleep mode,
on a bug fix. out if power management is active on the computers by which can save an additional $15 to $45 per desktop
inquiring, or by looking at the settings on computers (get computer annually.
permission first) – in other words, dig for a little more
information. The test may take a little longer in some You have an opportunity to save $25 to $75 per desktop
cases, luckily you will be around everyday to find out about PC annually through power management. When you think
your computer network – just be observant and watch. A of the hundreds of computers in your school and
good time to look for computer energy waste is after thousands in your district you can imagine the potential
school. If for this project.
computers are “ENERGY STAR Power Management features —
left on overnight standard in Windows and Macintosh operating systems
or on — place inactive monitors and computers (CPU, hard
weekends drive, etc.) into a low-power sleep mode. A simple touch
there may be of the mouse or keyboard “wakes” the computer and
an opportunity to monitor in seconds. The Environmental Protection
save energy and Agency (EPA) can help you activate power management
money. features organization wide quickly and easily to save
energy, money, and help protect the environment.”
(energystar.gov/powermanagement)
Off the radar
Any of the
Surprisingly few school districts have assertively
following signs indicate
implemented an energy management plan for
that your help is probably
computers. Almost all computers have Energy Star
needed: screen savers, computers on after
features built-in. Yet many do not have the features
hours, long wait before monitor sleeps, no known policy
implemented. There are several reasons for the lack of
4 for computer use, no signs or user information posted,
activity. Your project can provide the needed attention
no one can answer your questions about power
Continues on pg. 7
Traveling Energy Exploration Station
Check This Out!
Have you been struggling to add variety to your electricity unit? Do
you want to add renewable resources to your energy unit? Do you
“Who
love the Knowledge is Power curriculum, but don’t have the materials can
needed to complete the activities? You can literally “check out” a
Traveling Energy Exploration Station like these teachers have. Read check
the teacher’s questions and comments in quotation marks below the
and see Watt Watcher’s answers:
stations out?”
“How do I get the station?”
Any person with the school can check out the station. A classroom
Fill out a request form and have your principal sign a loan agreement teacher for use in her classroom, a department head for use by all
form. Both are found on the Watt Watchers website at the teachers in the department, or a curriculum specialist for use
www.wattwatchers.org/pages/tees.htm. We will fit your request by teachers at many campuses.
on to the calendar and ship the box to you. You can keep it for two
weeks and then we will arrange to have it picked up and returned to “My class has thoroughly enjoyed it...we made use of it when
the Watt Watchers of Texas office and restocked. There is no someone from UT Austin came to observe the class...and she was
charge for return shipping. impressed with the box too.”

“What stations are available?” “Thanks for letting us use the kits... it was really fun and we will
probably want to do this again.”
We have Electricity, Renewable Resources, Solar Cooking, Junior
Solar Sprint and Energy Efficiency. For more information about
each station see our website at www.wattwatchers.org/pages/
“What if something doesn’t work?”
tees.htm
Let us know! Students all over the state use the labs in the box.
“I have five teachers using the Junior Solar Sprint station. We had Sometimes the pieces break and that is ok. Let us know and we
two classes build and race them. The other three teams looked at will send you a replacement part or replace it when the station
and played with the cars that were already put together. They had comes back to Watt Watchers.
a great experience with the solar cars. We have many fifth graders
who can’t wait until it is their turn next year. Thank you for such a “Thank you for all of your hard work. I have received the electricity
neat experience.” station. It is wonderful! I cannot get the bulb experiment to work—
I am not sure if it isn’t working, or I am not bright enough to figure
“ T h e solar cooker was a it out.”
great lesson. We
made cookies Thank you for all your feedback- keep it coming. We need your
and a thoughts and comments to help us improve the stations.
chocolate
cake.
Yum!”
“I used up all of the supplies. What
do you want me to do?”
That is what supplies are for; we want you to use them up. If you
have any consumable parts left, stick them back in the box, but if
you use them all up, we will replace them for the next teacher. Go
ahead and let your students experiment.
“I really appreciate the use of the box...our whole school has
benefited.... I replaced the balloons that we used.... and I had cut
wire to do some of the experiments and just put it back in....that
way maybe the next class won’t have to cut the wire.”

The above comments all came to us from teachers just like you. If
you are interested in checking out any of the Traveling Energy
Exploration Stations, go to www.wattwatchers.org/pages/tees.htm.
If you would like to see the stations before you check them out,
come see us at a conference or workshop. We are happy to let
you look through the stations and imagine how you would use
them in your classroom.

Supply and Publication Order Form

Mail: PO Box 68660,
El Paso Texas 79668
Fax: 1-888-USWATTS

info@wattwatchers.org

kit supplies awards & flyers

P l e a s e r e t u r n t h i s f o r m t o W a t t W a t c h e r s o f Te x a s .

__ Name tag cards __ Certificate of Achievement

Insert for name badge holder on lanyard Provide one to each student that participated during the year
__ Watt Watchers pencils -imprinted __ Zero Hero Award
For students to use while on patrol Award for classrooms that always turn out the lights
Email Address: ________________________Email:

__ Watt Watchers CD-ROM __ Most Improved Watt Watcher Award

The entire program on a disk Award for classrooms that change their habits
District: ______________________________
School: ______________________________
Name: _______________________________

__ Complete replacement kit __ Flyers

A whole new kit with a set of 4 of all materials Set of all the 8-1/2x11 color flyers
__ Color tickets and Thank you notes
For laminating to make permanent

P u b l i c a t i o n s

__ Watt Watchers of Texas Program Manual
How to start and run your Watt Watchers of Texas patrol,
plus much more, 80 pages
__ Knowledge is Power
An energy efficiency curriculum supplement for grades
K - 8, 72 pages
__ Sleep is Good – coming soon!
Monitor and computer power management for Texas
schools. All enrolled Watt Watchers sponsors will
automatically receive a copy.
__ Real Projects in the Real World with Real Results
A handbook for high school student groups interested in
doing projects that make a difference by saving energy,
saving money and preventing pollution, 48 pages.
__ King with the Terrible Temper – K-2 Coloring
Book
Featuring “The King with The Terrible temper” a predictable
story for coloring, 24 pages
5
 Program News
Have you ever heard the Watt Watt Watchers Flag
Watchers songs and chants? E n e r g y
Managers – if
Many of you have looked at them in the
you have not
manual and on the website but you
ordered your
have not actually heard them. Well
W a t t
now you can hear them! Thanks
Watchers of
to Nina Corley’s
Texas flag you
students at the
need too! All
Satori School in
districts that
Galveston,
a r e
Texas. The
participating
students
in Watt
recorded the
Watchers
Going On A Watt
district wide
Patrol Chant and the Doo
are eligible to receive the flag. The flags were created
Watt Diddy song that are
to encourage competition between schools in your
printed in your Watt Watchers
district. The school that has the best Watt Watchers
manual. To listen to the performances
program that month gets to fly the big flag! It’s simple
p l e a s e go to www.wattwatchers.org/pages/
and created great competition between programs. If you
songschantsskits.htm
don’t have a flag get one today by calling the Watt
Watchers office at 1-888-USWATTS!
K-2 teachers – we have something
special for you! Knowledge
Watt Watchers has is Power is
reprinted the King with now K-12
a Terrible Temper
coloring book so that That’s right! Watt
teachers in K-2 Watchers of
classes can receive Texas has added
class sets. The King extensions to its
with at Terrible Temper already great
is predictable story Knowledge is
adapted by Kathleen P o w e r
Hill of the Salem- Curriculum
Keizer Independent Supplement.
School District in The lesson plans
Salem, Oregon. The are aligned to the
storybook is illustrated TEKS and will
by Salvador Saenz compliment any
with line art suitable for energy unit. You
coloring. Teachers can download the
order your copies lesson plans and High School Extensions at
quick because we www.wattwatchers.org/pages/kisp.htm or you can print
have a limited supply! them from your new Watt Watchers CD-Rom. A printed
copy of the lesson plans will be mailed to all Watt
Watchers sponsors in March. If you need a printed copy
and can’t access the web or don’t have the CD yet please
New Watt Watchers of Texas call the Watt Watchers office at 1-888-USWATTS.
CD-ROM The Watt Watchers Program
Watt Watchers is releasing Manual Reprinting
version 3 of our program Look for a
CD-ROM. If you are reprinted (and
enrolled in Watt m o d e s t l y
Watchers a CD-Rom updated) Watt
will be mailed to you Watchers manual
in late January. to arrive in the
The CD has all the mail soon. The
information that you second printing of
could want about the manual has
Watt Watchers, been sent to all
including forms to enrolled Watt
check out the Watchers. It is
Traveling Energy also available on
Exploration Stations, the website. We
printable versions of the exhausted our
Knowledge is Power supply of the first
Curriculum, Patrol Tickets and printing and
Thank You Notes and much more! If you needed more
need an extra copy please let us know. manuals for kits and to handout. Since the manual is the
most essential of our Watt Watchers publications, we
6 decided to send one to everyone to make sure you have
the latest, up-to-date information.
Continued from pg. 4
Make Presentations
that leads to big savings for your district. Your job is to
Reporting on your progress as you step through a
make everyone aware of the potential for savings.
Computer Power Management project can make a big
Learn difference. A presentation to your computer lab teacher,
All the information you need is available on the Watt principal, or school board may be the key to the success
Watchers (wattwatchers.org) and Energy Star of your project. Your goal is to get everyone to
(energystar.gov) websites. Read about computer power understand the potential for savings and sign on to help
management so you will be ready to talk about it with it happen in your district. A PowerPoint presentation is
teachers, information technology (IT) staff, and available on the Watt Watchers website. See the article
administrators. Click all the way through each site and in Watts News Winter 2004 issue (http://wattwatchers.org/

6
download the articles. Put it all in a project notebook for Assets/news/WINTER04.pdf) for details on how Americas
your committee. You don’t have to know everything — High School tackled the project. “America is on the
just enough to discuss the issues and ask questions. Follow up verge of technological
Take a step-by-step approach breakthroughs that will
The computer industry is in constant flux and so is your
network. New machines are purchased, signs wear and enable us to live our
Audit lives less dependent
are lost, personnel changes, policy is forgotten. As a daily
Count the computers in your school. Find out the status on oil. These
user of the machines, you can observe and report on the
of power management for your network. Gather your system. You can provide a valuable service by making sure technologies will help
statistics and be prepared to share the results. your computers and network are realizing the highest us become better
Signs & Information efficiency possible. Make this an annual project. stewards of the
environment — and
Start your project by educating everyone about how to Report & Celebrate Your Success
wisely use computers to save energy. Download signs they will help us to
Use the pledge form (http://wattwatchers.org/Assets/
from the websites or make your own. Check out the “$20 confront the serious
sigpledgeform.pdf) at the Watt Watchers website to let the
Bills” Watt Watchers has for you to hand out. Spread the world know you are committed to computer power challenge of global
word. management by joining the Million Monitor Drive campaign. climate change.”
Your school district can be listed on the Energy Star website. President George W.
Reminder Tickets Bush, State of the
It took a little hard work but it was a nearly perfect project.
Now you can take a breather and celebrate your
Union Address, 2007

6
success. Congratulations on saving your school lots
of energy, lots of money, and preventing lots of
pollution.

This step works just like regular Watt Watchers

and can be combined with it in many cases.
Tickets are especially effective for reminding
everyone to turn off monitors and/or computers at
night.
Turning off monitors
With permission, you can add instant savings to your
reminder tickets. Signs letting computer users
know the monitor is off will prevent them from trying
to turn on the CPU (and actually turning it off).
Implement PM on individual
computers
In some cases, the best way to install power
management is computer-by-computer. In
coordination with administration ,students can go
to each computer and adjust the power
management settings on each machine. If you do
not have a network this may be the only way to go
beyond patrols. Information Technology
departments may not have the manpower to take
this approach. Students at each school can work
their way through all the computers a few at a time
since they are on campus every day anyway.
Advocate for PM on Network
If your school or district has a network that links
all the computers together, getting really big
savings may be both possible and fairly easy.
Many school districts and corporations have
implemented power management for every
computer simultaneously with just a small amount
of staff time. Energy Star has free software and 7
free technical support for your district.
 Recycling Activities and more for K-5
Classrooms
R
ecycling occurs when an object can be shredded, Activities
Remember the
four Rs:
melted or otherwise processed and turned into a new
raw material. For instance, aluminum cans can be
Making Recycled Paper
Materials
melted down to make more cans, glass can make more
Reduce -use less glass, cardboard and paper make more cardboard and
™ Old papers – shredded if possible (do not use
newspapers because of black ink)
energy, water, paper, plastic bags and containers can be turned into other
plastic products. This takes some energy (very little in the ™ Screen
materials, and
case of aluminum) but it is a good choice. ™ Old towels
toxic products.
™ Hand beaters, electric beaters or blenders
Reuse -use items Reuse occurs when you find a use for an existing item –
™ Rolling pins or large glass jars
like decorating a bag and using it as a gift bag instead of
again and again, buying wrapping paper; putting leftovers into a clean ™ Large plastic buckets
until they cannot container from some other food; turning a used box into Time
be used anymore. storage; decorating a can to hold pencils; saving packing 2 – 45 minute class periods
peanuts and boxes and using them the next time you need
Recycle -make to ship something or give a gift. Procedure:
new products or Day 1-
packaging from It is important to ‘reuse’ items wisely — reusing packing ™ Students work in groups and tear paper into small
peanuts to pack an item is by far the best way to use them.
used materials. Recycling them, if it is available, would be the next best thing.
pieces.
Turning them into an art project would be the least effective, ™ Place torn paper in buckets
Rebuy -consume
and eventually they will end up in the landfill. Now many of ™ Add hot water to cover
products made us love art projects, and would be using materials to make ™ Stir and then beat paper and water. (Small amounts
from recycled crafts anyway, and so using an item that would otherwise can be removed to smaller containers so more
materials. be discarded may still be a sensible choice, it depends on students scan be involved in the beating process.)
the project. ™ Observe any changes in pulp and record.

Giving things in good condition that you no longer need to
charity is another good way to reuse things like outgrown
clothing or toys. Reusing is often the best way to save
resources. This is something to consider year-round, not
just around the winter holidays.
Shop wisely to save resources. Can the container be easily
recycled or reused? Will a larger container reduce the
amount of packaging and perhaps cost less per serving? Is
everything that can be recycled being recycled? Is there an
equivalent product made from recycled material?
Save resources (and money) by asking yourself if the item
Q: How many computer is something you really need, and if it is well suited for the
tech support people task, and if it will last. Not only can this save you money, it
does it take to change can save you space and work, too. Five toys that are loved
a light bulb?
and played with are more fun than 10 toys that are broken
A: “We have an exact or are boring to play with. And it’s quicker to pick up 5 toys
copy of the light bulb and put them away than to pick up 10.
here, and it seems to be
working fine. Can you
tell me what kind of Recycling can be a very fun topic for your classroom. Here
system you have? Okay. are a few activities, books and for you to check out to
Now exactly how dark is enhance your recycling lessons.
it? Okay, there could be
4 or 5 things
wrong...have you tried
the light switch?”
Later on Day 1 or Day 2 –
™ Drain water and add hot water. Beat pulp and
observe and record any changes.
™ Take buckets of pulp, screen, towels, and rolling pins
outside
™ Lay a towel on the cement and the screen on the
towel
™ Students put handfuls of pulp on screen
™ Use rolling pins to spread pulp out over screen like
cookie dough (not to thin or it will tear).
™ Place a dry towel on top of screen
™ Turn over the top towel and screen together carefully
so the screen is now on top
™ Remove screen and allow paper to dry on towel
(drying time depends on weather and temperature).
™ Repeat until all pulp in is on drying towels
Optional additions
™ Dry Wildflowers or leaves and mount on recycled
paper.
™ Crumble potpourri into buckets of pulp before you
put it onto the screens for more texture in your paper.
Continues on pg. 13

About the Posters

T
wo full color posters are teacher with a printed copy of their own. On the flip side
included in every issue of of the poster we are running the Recycling Rangers
WATTS NEWS. They are poster. We hope you will use it to announce the start of
printed back to back for your recycling program – it’s a great companion activity
reversibility. You laminate once for Watt Watchers.
but get two posters. When it’s
time for a new look in your room,
just flip your posters.
Laminating machines are
available at most Regional
Education Service centers if
your campus doesn’t have one.
Laminating a poster costs less
than 50 cents.

This issue features the new Watt Watchers flag. Watt

Watchers designed a flag to promote competition at the
8 district level. Only one flag per district committing to enroll
all their schools is available. The poster provides each
 Junk Art (example, already written on both sides). Weigh the
amount of paper in each category.
Materials: 4. Use paper from category A for scratch paper and notes.
• Empty salt boxes Put the reused paper in a separate container for
• Serrated knife recycling. Weigh the container at the end of 5 days.
• Colored markers 5. Relate the classroom experience to the idea of a source
• Fabric Scissors (Old) reduction.
• fabric (clothing, sheets, curtains)
• Stapler Discuss how students can use less paper. Think of ways
• Ribbons or lace scraps the whole school could cut down on paper use. Plan to
share the results of this demonstration with the school.
Procedure:
1. Cut the tops off the saltboxes for students. Then Adapted from Away with Waste, Washington Department
have the children draw faces on the tops. of Ecology.
2. Cut the fabric into 8 inch by 8 inch pieces. Help
students staple the cloth around the rim of the box
top. Staple the open seam together. Books
3. Have students staple ribbon or lace around the cloth • The Papermakers by • Earth-Friendly Outdoor Fun:
edges. To make the puppet talk, students move the Leonard Everett Fisher. How to Make Fabulous
spout back and forth. This book about colonial Games, Gardens, and Other
4. Enjoy! paper makers explains how
• Projects from Reusable

paper was made from rags.
Reuse puppets in a play or use as an environmental
• Paper by Claire Llewellyn.
message.
Read this book to find out
Activity taken from Integrated Thematic Units, 1992 all about paper and the
Copyright. Scholastic, INC. TES course 1994 many different things that
can be made from it.
Paper Capers • 50 Simple Things Kids Can
Do to Recycle by
Materials: Earthworks Press
• Beautiful Junk: Creative
• Clean receptacle for paper
• Scale Classroom Uses for
Procedure Recyclable Materials by
1. Ask the students how the class could find out the total Karen Brackett and Rosie
Manley
amount of paper it throws away in a week. Most likely
• Bob’s Recycling Day (Bob
they will suggest having a separate container just for
paper. Discuss what kinds of paper to keep. For the the Builder Vinyl Sticker) by
Annie Auerbach
purpose of this activity, ditto paper or notebook paper
should be kept. Explain why some kinds of paper are • Compost! Growing Gardens
not readily recyclable.
from Your Garbage by Linda
Glaser
2. Have each student write down his estimate of how much
paper, by weight, is thrown away each week. • Crafts from Recyclables: • The Great Trash Bash by
Great Ideas from
3. At the end of the five-day period, weigh the paper In the
Throwaways by Colleen Van
paper box. Have the students sort the waste paper into Blarisom (editor)
two categories: A) paper they could still use in the
classroom (example, they could write on the blank side), • Earth Book for Kids by Linda • The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Schwartz
and B) paper that has no additional classroom use
Continued from pg. 1
Objects (Earth-Friendly
Series) by George Pfiffner
• Ecoart! Earth-Friendly Art
and Craft Experiences for 3-
To 9-Year-Olds (Kids Can
Series, No 9) by Laurie
Carlson
• Ecology Crafts for Kids: 50
Great Ways to Make Friends
with Planet Earth by
Needham
• Follow That Trash! All About
Recycling (All Aboard
Reading) by Francine
Jacobs
• Garbage and Recycling
(Young Discoverers:
Environmental Facts and
Experiments) by Rosie
Harlow and Sally Morgan
Loreen Leedy
• I Can Save the Earth by Anita
Holmes
6
President Bush
Issues New
Directives on
Federal Energy Use
President George W.
Bush issued an Executive
Order on January 24,
2007, instituting new
guidance for energy
efficiency, use of
renewable energy and
reduction of
environmental impact
throughout the Federal
government. The
President’s Executive
Order calls upon all
federal agencies to
“improve energy
efficiency and reduce
greenhouse gas
emissions of the agency,
through reduction of

Projects, Projects, Projects- energy intensity by 3

percent annually through
by the project?”, “What changes should be made in order the end of fiscal year
Projects and Short and Simple projects available in the 2015. The order also
to make this project more accessible to the entire school,
handbook. Pick a combination of projects and get busy!
community?”. calls for agencies to
Share the Work reduce fleet fuel
A very important element of your project is to get people
consumption by two
Most likely you are not the only group of students at your thinking about energy and the environment. They may not
percent annually through
school interested in doing projects. Ask for some help from see the direct impact today but they will in the future.
Planning will make your job a whole lot easier. So pick your fiscal year 2015,
other student groups. Combining groups allows you to share
favorite project ideas from the Real Projects Handbook and increase use of non-
the work and both groups benefit from it.
organize them on your calendar. Report your outcomes to petroleum fuels by 10
Track your Progress Watt Watchers – we want to know how you completed these percent annually and use
projects. Was it a winner or would you like to recycle that plug-in hybrid vehicles
Make a folder for each project and put your notes and ideas idea? It is all important to us, so please send Watt Watchers when they are
into it. A folder also gives you a place to keep pictures, your project commercially available
comments about the project, project evaluations, etc… This evaluations. and reasonably priced.
will make reporting on projects much easier. Maybe we
can give you U.S. Department of
Evaluate the Project Energy - Energy
tips on
improving it Efficiency and
You should always take the time to evaluate a project at its Renewable Energy
completion so that you remember if you want to do that for next time
or maybe News
project again in the future and how you would change it if
you decide the project is worth repeating. Get a few people we can
6

to complete the evaluation so that you have thoughts of those agree with
that worked on the project, benefited from the project, or you that we
observed the project. Your final step is to thank everyone should not
involved and celebrate your success. Keep these project try that one
folders in a safe, easily accessible place so that future a g a i n .
students will have access to them. Have fun
choosing
Here are a few key questions: y o u r
projects
“What was the purpose of the project?”, “Was the purpose
clearly understood by participants?”, “Who was impacted
that fit your 13
Real World!
 Recycling Lesson Plan Grade Level: K-8
Place the two trashcans and a scale in front of the class
Lesson Overview: Students will discuss the meaning at the beginning of the day. Explain that one can is for
of garbage, waste and trash. They will then investigate unsanitary waste and that the other is for all other trash.
their classroom trash to learn about the variety and Show examples of kinds of trash to put in each. Ask
amount of trash they produce. This will lead to a students to use the appropriate containers throughout
discussion on recycling and the feasibility of starting the day. Weigh the cans and record their weight while
a recycling project at their school. they are still empty. Ask the students to predict how
TEKS: Science: K.6(A), K.9(C), 1.5(AB), 1.6(A), much each can will weigh at the end of the day and
1.7(A),2.5(AB), 2.7(A), record their predictions.
2.10(B), 3.7(A), 3.11(A), Activity Two: Day Two- what is in our trash?
5.11(C), 7.14(C),
8.5(A,B,C), 8.14(C) (Caution: wear rubber gloves when handling the trash.)
Bring the class together in a circle near the trashcans.
Social Studies: Place their chart of “Trash in Our Class” from the starter
K.14(A,B), 1.6(A,B), activity on the board. Place newspaper on the floor in the
1 . 1 6 ( A , B , C ) , middle of the circle and set the two cans and the scale
2 . 7 ( A , B ) , on the paper.
2.8(A,B,D),
2.10(C), Put on a pair of rubber gloves. Through questions and
answers, help students understand the safety and health
procedure you took by wearing gloves. Explain that
people in the waste disposal business would use such
items as well.
Show the class the can with the food waste and other
unsanitary trash. Discuss why these items need to be
separated from the other trash. Point out that in a recycling
program, items such as these would “contaminate” the
recyclables. Discuss the word contaminate and why it
would be a problem. Weigh this can and compare it to
the weight of the can when empty. Discuss any
differences. Also compare the weight with the students’
predictions. Set this can aside for pickup by the
custodians.
Have a student weigh the second can of trash and
3.4(A,C),
compare it to the weight of the empty can and with the
3 . 11 ( A , B ) ,
students’ predictions.
4.5(A), 4.9(B,C),
4.18(A), 4.21(B), 5.24(D), Scatter the contents of this trashcan on the newspaper
6.6(B,C), 6.9(B), 7.20(D) so students can see what they threw away and categorize
it. Ask questions such as:
Time: Setting the Stage: 30 minutes
1. Are there any items here that surprise you?
Activity One: 15 minutes + one day to accumulate
What?
trash
2. Why did you throw away some of these items?
Activity Two: 1 hour
3. How does this pile of trash compare to the
Materials: rubber gloves, two trashcans, several sheets original list? (Make adjustments to this list as
of used newspaper to use as a floor covering, class students discuss this question.)
trash accumulated over one day
4. What feelings do you have about the waste our
Vocabulary: garbage, waste, trash, recycle, reduce, class has thrown away?
sanitary, unsanitary, contaminate
5. How could we record data about this trash on a
Setting the Stage visual organizer, such as a graph?
Place the words “Garbage, Waste, and Trash” on the 6. What should we do with this trash? (As a student
board. Ask students to jot down the first three things proposes an idea, follow through on them.)
that they think about when they see these words. Then Discussion Questions
ask students to share their thoughts and record them Have the students answer these questions in journals
on the list for activity two. Then divide the class into or as a small group discussion.
small groups of three or four. Ask each group to
brainstorm a list of all the kinds of garbage, trash, and 1. Does our class have a trash problem?
waste they throw away in their classroom each day. 2. Why do I need to be concerned about the trash I
Q: How many throw away?
administrative Ask students: “Look at our list. How can we determine if
assistants does it take our class really throws away this amount and these 3. What kinds of activities did I do that generate the
to change a light bulb ?
types of waste?” (students will propose collecting the most trash?
A: None. “I can’t do trash for a period of time, then examining it.) With the 4. What can I do to reduce the trash in the classroom?
anything unless you
complete a light bulb class, develop an investigative process for doing this, Extension
design change request then set aside the next day to implement the
form.”
investigation. Create a recycling program at your school based on the
answers to discussion question 4. This could start as an
Activity One: Day One- Investigating Our Classroom awareness campaign about the amount and variety of
Trash trash your school has and turn into a full-scale paper,
NOTE: Prior to doing this activity arrange with your aluminum, and plastic recycling campaign. Or, it could
custodians to leave the trash in the classroom until be anything in between.
the end of the next day. Resources
14 Mark two trashcans, one for food waste, used tissue, and For help on starting a recycling campaign check out the
other unsanitary items and one for all other trash. Watt Watchers of Texas Recycling Rangers program.
 Let’s talk trash
O
ften we think of trash as something to get rid of district and find out what
and never think about again. That is a problem. they will accept through the
People put things in the trash and consider them recycling program. The
gone. That trash has to go somewhere and usually it district may only have a plan
ends up in a landfill, which takes up LAND. If you live in a to recycle paper. You might
city you will notice that there is not that much land left! It’s want to locate the closest
either streets, buildings, homes or shopping centers. aluminum and plastic
How much land do we need to waste with trash? recycling center and decide if it would be
convenient to take the items on a regular basis
Watt Watchers is working very diligently from your school to the center.
on creating a program for Texas Schools
called Recycling Rangers. This 4.Get Support. Make sure that you talk to the
program is very much like your administration about the program before
Watt Watchers Patrol except that you start recycling. You
students are managing trash don’t want to start the
instead of turning off the lights. But program and then not have
the really cool thing is you can do both a place to dispose of it or not
at the same time!! There is already a have support from the
school district in Texas doing their administration.
energy patrol and recycling patrols at 5.Organize the Collection
the same time. Carrollton Farmers Procedure. Using a fire drill
Branch ISD has a program called map of your school to
Green Teams where their Watt create a before and after
Watchers also recycle. Since the school procedure for

6
program started in January 2006 picking up recycling.
they have collected 422 tons of Make it easy on you “Extending hope and
paper! and your patrol opportunity depends on a
group. Perhaps you stable supply of energy
While you are on your Watt can use a large
Watchers Patrols it will be easy for that keeps America’s
trash barrel with economy running and
one team member of your patrol wheels to collect
to be the Recycling Ranger – they America’s environment
each rooms recycling clean. For too long, our
will be emptying recycling bins and then wheel it to the
before and after school or in rooms nation has been
recycling container outside the dependent on foreign oil.
that are empty. If it will disturb the school for disposal. Do one wing of your
teacher while teaching come back And this dependence
school at a time so that you don’t get leaves us more vulnerable
at a later time to pick up the bin. overloaded. If you are going to
You may also consider having to hostile regimes, and to
collect during school, use a teacher conference terrorists who could
a day of the week that each schedule so that you know when they are not teaching
area of the school is picked up. Make an announcement cause huge disruptions of
in the room – we don’t want to ever interrupt a learning oil shipments ... raise the
to remind the classrooms that today is their recycling pick environment.
up day and to put their box outside the classroom so that price of oil ... and do
it can be emptied without disturbing class time. 6.Educate the Staff – let the Rangers educate the staff great harm to our
about the recycling program. Teachers like to learn economy.” President
Watt Watchers wants you to take action and start Talking from students and students like to teach teachers! Let George W. Bush, State
Trash at your school! Too much paper is put into the trash them give information on the importance of recycling of the Union Address,
can – it should be placed in a recycling bin that is emptied and explain their plan for recycling on your campus. 2007
regularly. Too many cans and plastic drink containers It’s also very important for the students to
6
are placed into the trash can – they too can be put into communicate with the custodians that you will be
recycling containers and taken for recycling. recycling and show them what the recycling containers
look like so they don’t mistakenly think they are trash
Here are some simple steps for generating some trash cans.
talk at your schools and getting a Recycling Rangers
program started! 7.Kick Off your Program – do announcements to remind
teachers that today is pick up day – have your bins
1.Contact Watt Watchers for a Recycling Rangers ready. Put up posters to educate the school about
Handbook – these handbooks are projected to be recycling. Get numbers from the Recycling Company
available to Texas schools in Spring 2007. Inside you to share with the school about how much paper has
will find useful information on how to start a successful been recycled – convert that into pollution prevented
recycling program at your school along with fun tidbits and trees saved.
to teach the students about recycling.
8.Continue to educate the school. Education about the
2.Conduct an Audit – who is recycling at your school? Is program will keep it strong for many years to come.
someone responsible for taking it from the classroom Never assume that teachers and students know what
to the bin? Do you have a large bin outside your school? is going on. Keep them informed.
Are there soda machines on your campus that sell
drinks in aluminum cans? Is someone currently 9.Tell your story – write articles or summaries to share
recycling those cans? Are there machines that sell with the district media office. Send your story to Watt
drinks in plastic bottles? Is someone recycling them? Watchers – schools learn from what other schools are
There are many questions that you need answers to doing, so recycle your story!
before you get started. 10.Contact Watt Watchers for support and ideas. We
3.Based on your audit determine what you will be are here to help you. 15
recycling. Contact the recycling representative for your
Energy Managers Toolbox
Over 3,000 buildings have now earned Schools. The report reveals that building energy-efficient
the ENERGY STAR! schools results in lower operating costs, improved test
scores and enhanced student health. It was released by
As of September 2006, over 3,000 buildings have Capital E in October. The report finds that green schools
earned the ENERGY STAR. To find buildings in your cost only $3 per square foot extra to build, but yield $74
state that have earned this distinction, go to https:// per square foot in financial benefits. Of that, about $12
w w w. e n e r g y s ta r. g o v / i n d e x . c f m ? f u s e a c t i o n = per square foot goes directly to the school in the form of
labeled_buildings.showBuildingSearch. improved teacher retention, lower health costs, and
reduced energy and water bills.
EPA will issue its annual press release listing the buildings
that have earned the ENERGY STAR in early 2007. For The report includes a detailed analysis of 30 green
more information, visit http://www.energystar.gov/ schools built in 10 states between 2001 and 2006, and
benchmark and click on “Apply for the ENERGY STAR.” demonstrates that the total financial benefits of green
FREE Professional Engineer Verifications schools are 20 times greater than the initial cost, and
include energy and water savings, and improved student
for the ENERGY STAR Label for Schools health and test scores. With over $35 billion dollars
projected to be spent in 2007 on K-12 construction, the
The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) and
conclusions of this report have far-reaching implications
ENERGY STAR are working together to help our nations’
for future school design.
schools become more energy efficient. As a part of this
effort, select AEE Certified Green Building Engineers “This study underscores the enormous cost of poor
design and the critical impact that good design and
operation has on the quality of our children’s education,”
said AIA President Kate Schwennsen, FAIA. “The findings
indicate that there are tremendous benefits from energy-
efficient school design, not only from an economic
standpoint, but from increased student test scores and
far healthier environments through improved indoor air
quality.”

If all new school construction and school renovations were

have agreed to donate their services for a limited time designed to be environmentally conscious starting today,
by offering free professional engineer verifications to energy savings alone would total $20 billion over the next
qualifying schools that wish to apply for the ENERGY 10 years, stated the AIA release. See the Capital E report
STAR label. (PDF 1.1 MB) at

Once a building earns an EPA energy performance rating www.cap-e.com/ewebeditpro/items/O59F9819.pdf

of 75 or higher using Portfolio Manager, it qualifies for
the ENERGY STAR label. Before applying to EPA for
the label, however, the building’s indoor environment must
be verified by a professional engineer licensed in the
55 schools in Texas state in which the building is located. This verification
Are labeled Energy ensures that the building meets industry standards for
Star: lighting levels, ventilation, thermal comfort, and control
Mansfield ISD 15 of indoor air pollutants.
Galena Park ISD 8
The achievement of the ENERGY STAR label offers
Montgomery ISD 5 school districts an excellent opportunity to gain
Leander ISD 18 recognition for their energy efficiency accomplishments.
However, some schools and other facilities that qualify
Midlothian ISD 6
for the ENERGY STAR may not apply to EPA for the
Mc Allen ISD 1 label because of the costs associated with obtaining the
Lamplighter School 1 professional engineer verification.
Crocket Co. (Ozona)1 EPA and AEE would like to encourage school districts
finding it difficult to secure the funding needed to retain a
professional engineer to take advantage of the free
services offered by the Certified Green Building
Engineers in the attached list.
In addition to these Green Building Engineers, schools
can find other relevant professional engineering services
by searching ENERGY STAR’s online professional
engineer directory (found at www.energystar.gov), which
lists professional engineers that have already conducted
verifications for qualifying buildings. However, please note
that only the engineers in the attached list are offering
their services free of charge.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Laura
Helmke-Long at helmke.laura@epa.gov, and thank you
for your continued efforts to improve the energy efficiency
of our nation’s schools.
Green Schools = Financial Benefits,
Test Scores and IAQ
16 Efforts to encourage green building in schools have been
bolstered by a new national report, Greening America’s
Compiled from: American Institute of Architects (http://
www.aia.org/ ) and EERE Network News, November 22,
2006 The EERE Network News is also available on
the Web at: www.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm
Renewables Becoming Cost-Competitive
With Fossil Fuels in the U.S.
Renewable resources currently provide just over 6
percent of total U.S. energy, but that figure could increase
rapidly in the years ahead, according to a joint report
released recently by the Worldwatch Institute and the
Center for American Progress, “American Energy: The
Renewable Path to Energy Security .”
Many of the new technologies that harness renewables
are, or soon will be, economically competitive with fossil
fuels. Dynamic growth rates are driving down costs and
spurring rapid advances in technologies. Since 2000,
global wind energy generation has more than tripled; solar
cell production has risen six-fold; production of fuel
ethanol from crops have more than doubled; and
biodiesel production has expanded nearly four-fold.
Annual global investment in “new” renewable energy has
risen almost six-fold since 1995, with cumulative
investment over this period nearly $180 billion.
“With oil prices soaring, the security risks of petroleum
dependence growing, and the environmental costs of
today’s fuels becoming more apparent, the country faces
compelling reasons to put these technologies to use on
a larger scale,” notes the report.
Some of the findings include:
• Texas now has the country’s largest collection of wind
generators.
• America boasts some of the world’s best renewable
energy resources, which have the potential to meet a
rising and significant share of the nation’s
energy demand.
·One-fourth of U.S. land area has winds powerful enough Despite strong public support and rapidly rising interest
to generate electricity as cheaply as natural gas and in renewable technologies, the U.S. has not kept up with
coal, and the solar resources of just seven southwest the rapid growth in the sector globally over the past
states could provide 10 times the current electric decade. If the U.S. is to join the world leaders in
generating capacity. renewable energy—among them Germany, Spain, and
·All but four U.S. states now have incentives in place to Japan—it will need world-class energy policies based
promote renewable energy, while more than a dozen on a sustained and consistent policy framework at the
have enacted new renewable energy laws in the local, state, and national levels.
past few years, and four states strengthened their
From: World Watch Institute http://
targets in 2005.
www.worldwatch.org/node/4526
·California gets 31 percent of its electricity from
renewable resources; 12 percent of this comes from Download the free 40 page pdf report
non-hydro sources such as wind and geothermal (3MB) at http://americanenergynow.org/ or
energy. purchase a print copy
·The United States led the world
in wind energy installations
in 2005.
·Iowa produces enough ·T
·Tee xas has the country’s
ethanol that, if consumed largest collection of
in-state, would meet half wind generators.
the state’s gasoline ·America boasts some of
requirements. the world’s best
·Renewable energy renewable energy
creates more resources.
jobs per unit of ·One-fourth of U.S. has
e n e r g y winds powerful enough
produced to generate electricity as
and per cheaply as natural gas
dollar and coal.
spent than ·All but four U.S. states
fossil fuel have incentives to
technologies promote renewable
do. energy
energy..
·California gets 31
percent of its electricity
from renewable Q: How many pessimists
resources. does it take to screw in
a light bulb?
·The United States led
the world in wind A: None, the old one is
probably screwed in
energy installations in too tight.
2005.
·Iowa produces enough
ethanol that, if
consumed in-state,
would meet half
the state’s gasoline
requirements.
·Renewable energy
creates more jobs per
unit of energy produced
and per dollar
spent than fossil fuel
technologies do.

Ad Council’s
Global
Warming
Campaign
Train ad Tick ad
See their powerful TV ads called “Train” and “Tick” at campaigns on polio, AIDS, and drug use. These and
their campaign website other Ad Council campaigns have been instrumental
http://www.fightglobalwarming.com/ or catch them at in elevating public awareness of serious issues and
You Tube or on television. in bringing about social change.

The Ad Council has created some of the most iconic
media campaigns of the past century, including
Smokey Bear, Vince and Larry the Crash Test
Dummies, Iron Eyes Cody (the “Crying Indian”),
“Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk”, and
Now they have taken on educating the American public
about Global Warming and these ads are among the
most powerful they have ever produced. See the ads
and check the website for ways to reduce your own
contribution to global warming.
17
 Electrifying Extras
www.terrapass.com http://www.kab.org/kids/
Have you ever
defaultx.htm
wondered (or been
asked by a student)
how many pounds of
carbon dioxide your
car, flight, or home Clean Sweep USA is a program through Keep America
produces each year. Beautiful. This website has many educational games and
Terra Pass’s website programs that can be used by all age groups. They cover
can answer those waste management, composting, materials recovery
questions for you. You facilities, waste to energy facilities and sanitary landfills.
can ask your students Students can read about the different topics and answer
if a flight from NY to questions along the way or play games to keep the lights on
LA, or a drive there in the city through a waste to Energy plant or sort trash into
costs more in CO2.
Or, compare the flight
and drive from
Beaumont to El Paso. And then use the calculators found
on the website to find out. You can use the site to compare
different car models in purchasing a new car or to donate its component recyclables Each topic comes with lessons
funds to a clean energy project. Terra Pass funds energy for you to help deliver your message.
projects all over the US with money donated through the
site.
http://www.afandpa.org/
(also see carbonfund.org and carboncounter.org) PaperGroup/RecyclingGame/
http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/ interactive.htm
mainmap.htm American Forest and Paper Association’s website has three
interactive games for students. A Bag’s life is a short cartoon
Recycle City was about using, reusing, and recycling paper bags. Paper and
designed with the wood products allows the student to choose products
classroom in mind. commonly found in the kitchen and learn information about
All of the games and their recycle-ability and recycled content. In Get in the Loop,
locations have been students answer questions based on information they
designed to make it learned tin the fist two and earn time to use when playing
easy for a teacher to the recycling separation game. The questions change each
set different goals time the game is played.
that can match up
with lessons being
taught in class. You
www.participate.net/educators/
can send your
students on a An Inconvenient Truth Educator’s Resource
scavenger hunt An Inconvenient Truth (AIT), AIT in the Classroom is
through Recycle designed for high school science classrooms such as Earth
City to find items Science, Environmental Science, and Physics, but the
like recycled tires, a materials can also be used in Civics classes, middle school
way to use old science classes and offer Service Learning opportunities
bricks, an electric car and even reused coffee grounds. Of as well.
course you can customize your list to fit the topic you are
Tier One – The Green Mile to School (672 KB). For this one-
emphasizing (reuse, recycling, efficiency, etc). The EPA
day lesson, students are challenged to examine their
encourages students to write down their classroom
personal activities and estimate their own impact, while
discussions sparked by the website and email them to the
finding ways to reduce damage to our environment.
EPA.
Tier Two – Think
http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/ Globally, Act Locally
gameint.htm (894 KB). The stage
for this week-long
“Clean up program is set by
Dumptown” viewing a series of
is the sister DVD chapters that
site to detail the science of
Recycle City. global warming and
This web culminate with a
game is focus on the Kyoto
extremely Treaty and on the
flexible and U.S. cities that are
can teachers taking matters into
can modify their own hands.
the goals to
underscore Tier Three – Small
the particular Steps Mean Smaller
topics they Footprints (1.2 MB).
are teaching. Students become the city manager and have This semester-long
to create and meet goals for the city while staying within a program is highly
budget for the programs. Goals can include reducing the project-based. After discussing climate change and
amount of a particular waste (paper, organic waste, renewable energies, students will interact with large sets
aluminum, etc) headed to a landfill, budget caps, program of scientific data and draw conclusions from those
restrictions, and even researching the impact of composting interactions. Focusing on their conclusions, students will
18 on the waste stream. take action to present their findings to local government
representatives, community members, or the PTA.
Full Curriculum - AIT in the Classroom (3.3 MB).
 Watts going on?
Where are those Watt Watchers
this month?
Watt Watchers of Texas will be presenting workshops all
over the state this spring. Come play with the Traveling
Energy Exploration Stations, participate in lessons from
the Knowledge is Power Curriculum, build a Junior Solar
Sprint Car (and take it home), or introduce a friend to the
Watt Watchers Patrols. We look forward to seeing you.
Feb.2-3 Rio Grand Valley Science Association annual
conference in Pharr. For more information visit http://
www.rgvsa.org/conference.htm. We will have a one-hour
Junior Solar Sprint class where you get to build and take
home a car. Sign up early- space will be limited. We will
also be presenting other classes on Watt Watchers projects
and have a booth in the common area.
Feb. 24 Metropolitan Area Teachers of Science
Spring Conference at Rice University in Houston.
For more information visit http://www.matsweb.org/
conferences.cfm. We will have a one-hour Junior Solar
Sprint class where you get to build and take home a car.
Sign up early- space will be limited. Other classes on Watt
Watchers topics will be presented as well.
March 1-3 Texas Middle School Association annual
conference in Fort Worth. For more information visit
http://www.tmsanet.org/. We will be having TWO one- hour
Junior Solar Sprint class where you get to build and take
home a car.
Other Conferences in the State:
Feb. 28- March 2, 2007
ISEA state conference in Port Aransas, TX. Visit
www.statweb.org/ISEA/ for more information.
March 3-5 2007
SEEDS Environmental Education Conference/TAEE Spring
Conference at Camp Olympia/ Houston OEC site in Lake
Livingston, Trinity, TX Visit http://www.statweb.org/TAEE>
for more information
SECO Energy Education Workshops
Approximately 2,000 teachers have attended workshops
and taken materials back to the classrooms reaching over
300,000 students. Attending teachers receive 6 hours of
Continuing Education Credit and a free CD, which includes
25 hands-on investigations/activities, web resources and
numerous flash animations. For more information call Juline
Gurasich at 1-800-531-5441 or email
juline.gurasich@cpa.state.tx.us. There are more
scheduled each month. If you are interested in hosting
one of these workshops and you don’t see your town listed,
please call SECO at 1-800-531-5441.
Feb 2 Houston Museum of Natural Science
Feb 9 McAllen International Museum
Feb 15 Region 5 Education Service Center (Beaumont)
Mar 2 Region 1 Education Service Center (Edinburg)
April 23 Region 2 Education Service Center (Corpus
Christi)
§ Watt Watchers is a free, state- Watt Watchers of Texas
sponsored program to help school 1-888-US WATTS (1-888-879-2887)
districts save energy and money P.O.Box 68660, El Paso, Texas 79968 Fax: 1-888-879-2887
by getting students involved.
e-mail: info@wattwatchers.org
§ Students patrol the school looking Your Name:
for empty classrooms with the
School Name
lights on. They turn out the lights
and leave a ticket for the teacher. School Address:
(Free kit will be shipped to your
§ It may sound trivial but…when the school / Street address preferred)
teacher forgets to turn out the lights City:
an 2 extra hours a day, at lunch and County:
after school for example, it costs
the district $50 every year. School Phone: (
Email Address: ___________________________________________
§ Get your students involved. Save
energy, save money, and prevent Name of School District: ___________________________________
pollution. Date: _________
Other workshops of interest
to our readers
February 20, Earth Science Investigations at the
Botanical Research Institute of Texas in Fort Worth.
Acquire a repertoire of quick, easy, inexpensive activities
to help students understand earth science concepts such
as erosion, weathering, faulting, and the Law of
Superposition. Participate in fun, hands-on investigations
that model many of the Principles of Learning. For more
information go to http://www.brit.org/Education/
WorkSpInfo.htm.
6
February 2–4, 2007 — Choke Canyon SP/Calliham Unit
— Choke Canyon Birding Festival at Three Rivers —
Come enjoy birding at its best! There will be guided tours “Maximizing
as well as lectures from experts on various birding topics energy efficiency
and much more. 6 p.m. Friday-3 p.m. Sunday; fee $30 per and renewable
person; reservations required, deadline January 26; for
energy is the
reservations and more information, contact the Three
domestic epicenter
Rivers Chamber of Commerce, (888) 600-3115. (361) 786-
3868. in the War on
Terror and it is
March 19-22, 2007, Annual Hydrogen Conference
imperative that we
2007, San Antonio, Texas. The 2007 National Hydrogen
Association Conference promises to be one the most maximize the
exciting ever. A number of sessions will highlight the first partnerships
steps forward on the path to hydrogen commercialization. between the public
Technologies that have been in development for years are and private sectors
now available commercially, and are being used in a variety in new and creative
of contexts, from backup power to mobile applications to ways with a sense
small portable consumer use. Hydrogen-powered
of seriousness,
technology is here, right on schedule. For more information
national purpose
visit http://www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/seco_news.htm
and the urgency
May 8-11, 2007, Industrial Energy Technology
Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana. The Industrial
the situation
merits.”
Energy Technology Conference is sponsored by SECO
and was created in 1979 to meet the needs of the industrial
energy community. Unique in its industrial energy and Alexander A.
waste reduction focus, this annual two-day conference is Karsner
designed to serve the professionals who are involved in
Assistant Secretary
the production, use, or transportation of energy, or in for Energy,
designing and evaluating energy-related equipment and Efficiency and
waste reduction practices. Renewable Energy
Many energy managers, plant engineers, project and
6
process engineers, or industrial energy engineers were
given the added task of managing a company’s energy
consumption without necessarily having a deep
background in energy management. The Energy Managers’
Workshop was designed to meet the needs of these
individuals by providing them with energy management
training and resource materials. The instructors, all
professionals with years of experience in energy
management at some of the largest corporations, put
together a workbook containing background materials,
case studies, and resource lists.
Teacher Tuesdays at Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Bigger, bolder and better than ever – these Teacher
Tuesday Workshops are back due to popular demand. With
a new topic each month they can provide you with ideas
and activities to bring your classroom to life! Meet from
5:30-7:30 and receive 2 hours of CPE credit. For a full
listing of the topics go to http://www.hmns.org/education/
teachers/teacher_workshops.asp.
http://wattwatchers.org
Zip:
) ____ - ______ School Fax: ( ) ____ - _____
Winter 2006-07
19
 I’m sweating
this out. This
part of my act
used to be
easier.

Your choices may tip the balance on planet earth. Global warming is threatening to cause
catastrophic changes to our climate. Choose energy efficiency, green products, and renewable
energy. Pollution, especially from cars and from making electricity, is a major cause of global
warming. Find out how you can make a difference at http://fightglobalwarming.com Also see:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/

Watt Watchers of Texas NONPROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
EL PASO, TX
The Energy Center PERMIT NO. 77

University of Texas at El Paso

P.O. Box 68660
El Paso, Texas 79968
Please Route:
o Science Chair
o Student Council
o Librarian
o Energy Manager

Winter 2006-07 http://wattwatchers.org

1-888-US WATTS