Westmeath Schools honoured with Green Flags in Croke Park

Westmeath Schools which have qualified for Green Flags were in Croke Park last week, joining schools from all over Offaly, for An Taisce"s awards ceremony.The Award is given to a school following the successful implementation of their Green Schools Environmental Programmes. For some, it was their third Green Flag Award!Recent research on the economic value of the Green-Schools programme to schools in Ireland has revealed that the programme has saved schools in Ireland a minimum €2m in waste, electricity, water and fuel costs this year.The results reveal a minimum of 12 tonnes of waste diverted from landfills in Ireland every school day by schools undertaking the programme; 3.7 million unit of electricity saved this year; 200 million litres of drinking water saved this year and around 500,000 litres of transport fuel saved this year.Because the programme also involves the wider community the overall savings to the wider community could be several times the €2m saved by the schools involved. Because the number of schools participating is growing every year next year"s saving are expected to be higher.Currently, research is being undertaken to assess the savings in heating oil and gas for schools involved in Green-Schools.'Over the past decade a quiet revolution has been taking place in schools in Ireland and across the world. Schools, their students, teachers, parents and wider communities are successfully dealing with environmental and sustainability issues in their daily lives and achieving remarkable results. This quiet revolution is Green-Schools,' says Dr. Michael John O"Mahony, Assistant Unit Director, Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce.