As part of The Hill's Energy Conservation Initiative, we will be tracking and reporting our energy consumption on a monthly basis, the first of many steps in achieving reduction in our CO2 outputs. We will report our monthly energy savings in dollars, as well as our monthly CO2 reductions.

The Hill recently signed the Climate Steward commitment through the Green Schools Alliance, in which we pledged to create a carbon emissions benchmark and report our progress. We also took a pledge to educate the School community and key stakeholders about the importance of climate change, energy conservation, and sustainability. We are using this reporting system as a way to educate and reach out to The Hill community. Thanks to Practical Energy Solutions who conducted the School’s Energy Audit and will continue to track and compile this information for us as we continue our push to conserve energy.

Energy Conservation has many benefits. In this area of Pennsylvania, so much of our electricity comes from coal, which is a dirty resource that emits CO2 into our atmosphere. The more energy we can conserve, the less CO2 we emit. Asthma has also become a common health issue with school-aged students, and a number asthma cases can be contributed to the emissions from coal fired power plants. Conservation is the first step to a cleaner planet. Conserving energy can also have huge economic benefits for any business, household or school. Energy Conservation is an important educational, environmental, health and economic issue.

Learn more about energy conservation and renewable energy by visiting the U.S. Department of Energy's website.

From January 25 to February 22, The Hill will participate in the 2010 Green Cup Challenge, competing against more than 210 schools across the country to see who can reduce their energy consumption the most during this time period. This is the third consecutive year Hill has participated in the Challenge.

You can watch the student-produced stop motion video entered into the Challenge on You Tube. Be sure to comment to support Hill's students!

According to the Green School's Alliance website the Green Cup Challenge "is the original student-driven inter-school energy challenge. The GCC invites all schools to measure and reduce electricity use and Greenhouse Gas emissions, and supports greening efforts including recycling and water conservation. The Challenge empowers students and builds community, while raising awareness about climate change and the importance of resource conservation."