July 29, 2010 (Louisville, KY) – Greening Our Schools: A State Legislator’s Guide to Best Policy Practices debuted this week at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ annual Legislative Summit. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), this first-of-its-kind toolkit on green schools is a comprehensive guide for state lawmakers who are developing policy solutions that improve the health, productivity, efficiency, and fiscal responsibility of schools in their state. The toolkit is a product of USGBC’s 50 for 50 Green Schools Caucus Initiative and sponsored by the Turner Foundation.
“This toolkit will be instrumental in helping us achieve our goal of a green school for all children within this generation,” said Illinois State Representative Karen May (D-Highland Park), Chair of the National Advisory Council for the 50 for 50 Green Schools Caucus Initiative, at an event co-hosted this week by USGBC and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. She praised the work of the state legislators who participated in the development of the toolkit. “Green schools caucuses in 32 state capitals across the country are driving transformational policy that is being felt at the heart of communities across the nation,” said Roger Limoges, Chief of Staff, USGBC. USGBC’s 50 for 50 program was launched in October of 2008 to draw focus and attention in state legislatures to the very real and powerful benefits of healthy, productive and efficient school buildings.
“Building and retrofitting our schools so that they are healthy, safe and efficient is not only the right thing to do, it’s the fiscally smart thing to do – and it’s putting money back into the classroom,” said Kentucky Representative Jim DeCesare (R-Bowling Green), Vice Chair of the 50 for 50 program’s National Advisory Council. Affirming the importance of healthy, productive green schools that are also energy efficient, Kentucky House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins (D-Elliott) remarked, “A big part of meeting future energy demand is through initiatives like this.”
About the 50 for 50 Green Schools Caucus Initiative:
https://lists.usgbc.org/t/1075446/35108704/3739/0/
About the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators:
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