An exciting and innovative scheme which is encouraging school children to think green and to be more environmentally friendly has been launched by Gwynedd Council.
With the help of carbon fighting cartoon characters Sbarci and Fflic, pupils are learning how and why everyone can play their part in protecting the environment by cutting down energy use, carbon emissions and pollution.
The new ‘Sbarci a Fflic’ website was launched at Ysgol y Faenol recently, as the pupils there have proven themselves to be ahead of the game when it comes to making decisions about how we work, play and travel and our impact on the local and global environment.
The school is currently ranked top in the Sbarci and Fflic league – it has so far made significant carbon savings by reducing their energy consumption by nearly 40% compared to the same period the previous year.
This is the highest percentage of carbon savings out of the 34 schools taking part in the first year of the scheme which is monitoring energy use and carbon emissions in Gwynedd school buildings. The schools taking part in the project are battling it out against each other to see who can have a biggest impact on their carbon footprint over a nine month period.
The children have been learning why they should be thinking about these issues – the environmental and financial obligations of being careful with energy use and waste – and applying what they have learnt at school.
A website www.SbarciAFflic.org has been set up to help them learn, which features the fun characters Sbarci and Fflic, and their adventures as they try to reduce their carbon footprint. Officers from Gwynedd Council have also visited the schools to speak to the children about the topic and they have been shown a short cartoon film called Sbarci a Fflic Blow a Fuse.
The school at the top of the league at the end of school year in June will be awarded a tablet computer. The programme will then be rolled out to throughout all schools in the county over the next three years.
Amy Hughes, a pupil at Ysgol y Faenol said: “I have learnt how important it is that we try and save energy so that we don’t waste resources and money, and that we don’t pollute the environment. There are some useful facts on the Sbarci a Fflic website that helps us to do this. We have been checking the classrooms in school to make sure that the lights and computers are turned off, that water taps are turned off, and that doors and windows are kept closed when the heating is on”.
Gwenan Parry, Gwynedd Council’s Head of Customer Care who is responsible for energy conservation matters, said: “The project is part of Gwynedd Council’s campaign to reduce carbon emissions in all council-run buildings and service by 30% by 2015. It’s well reported that climate change will have a massive affect on communities here in Gwynedd and around the world so we all have our part to play to reduce the threat and I’m proud that the Council can take the lead.
“Sbarci and Fflic are great little characters which have gripped the imagination of the children and they have thrown themselves into the task of using equipment to measure energy use around the school and to use the information they have learnt to cut down on waste and conserve power. Schools account for a quarter of all Gwynedd Council’s carbon emissions, which is why we have decided to focus on raising awareness of energy efficiency and conservation in the Schools.
“Not only can this help protect the environment but also saves money. We hope that by learning about this at an early age we can instil good habits for life in the children, and they can take the message home to their own families.”
The schools programme is part of a wider strategy adopted by Gwynedd Council to reduce its environmental impact. Through implementation of its Carbon Management Plan, the Council aims to achieve the target to reduce its carbon footprint by 30% by 2015, compared to a 2005/6 baseline. The Council has already achieved a 9% reduction in its carbon footprint compared to the baseline year figures.
