WICKED WASTE
The first theme of the week was Wicked Waste . One of the major issues we were trying to raise awareness of was food waste , as it is often a point of discussion for students and staff in our own dining hall . Sadly , throughout the UK and the wider world , around a third of all food produced is wasted . At Sevenoaks , the Year 10 green team has been working towards solving this problem by researching and monitoring what food is wasted in school , as well as implementing a composting scheme for vegetable peelings on site . Other suggestions have included donating excess food to a local food bank , or using food sharing apps , as well as only buying what you need .
UNDER THE SEA
Tuesday ’ s challenge was to upcycle plastic items around the house , preventing them from entering landfill or the oceans . Some great examples included turning juice cartons into bird feeders , and a crisp packet into a wallet . Rosemary Brazel ( OS 2009 ), gave a talk on green engineering , where we learnt about and discussed the opportunities and barriers to increasing renewable energy usage in Kenya , as well as her journey from Sevenoaks School to becoming a qualified mechanical engineer . This was followed by the opportunity to ask questions , which led to a great discussion about the role of engineers in shaping a sustainable future .
Ms Schaefer led two workshops on homemade and environmentally friendly cleaning and beauty products . It was inspiring to see how many students and teachers participated in this , making their own body scrubs and laundry detergent from home . The laundry detergent took less than five minutes to make and its only ingredients were water and soap flakes . These can be made by grating soap ends which would otherwise be discarded . The simplicity of making these products surprised us and showed that it is often easier to care for the environment than we think .
LIFE ON LAND
The Life on Land theme gave everyone an opportunity to develop their knowledge of local biodiversity and share it with the school community on social media . Two issues covered in the videos of the day were deforestation due to unsustainable palm oil , and the significant decline in biodiversity seen in recent years . After school , Jane Burston , Executive Director of the Clean Air Fund , gave a talk about air pollution and climate change . It was inspiring to hear that these issues have similar solutions , and that we can all play a role in tackling them , such as by using public transport or cycling and making more sustainable consumer choices .
CLIMATE ACTION
Thursday ’ s challenge encouraged us to use the student-made Footprint Facts website , in order to calculate our carbon footprint and to find ways to reduce it . Ideas for this included : reducing how far and often you fly ; buying local and seasonal products and turning the heating down by one degree Celsius . Another great feature of the website is that it allows you to compare the carbon footprints of individual products , making it easier to carry out sustainable switches in everyday life .
REFLECTION AND LOOKING FORWARD
On Friday everyone was asked to make a pledge based upon what they had learnt and subsequent actions they planned to take . Many suggestions were provided in Mr Witton ’ s talk on practical ways to live a more sustainable life , such as : foraging for food and growing your own , as well as taking part in challenges like Plastic Free July . The week came to a close with a student-led talk about the environmental and social impacts of fast fashion .
Overall , Green Week was a success , and the virtual participation in each of the events was outstanding . This enthusiasm will hopefully continue , as we see more actions being taken to counter environmental destruction and climate change .
Jena Staley Brown , Lower Sixth
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