For the past couple years former Student Activities Director Nik Kaestner and former Environmental Chair Morgan Holland have worked to bring environmental friendly initiatives to Gunn.

This year their vision continues with Gunn leading the way as the first Santa Clara County high school to be certified as a Green Business.

This certification comes from the Bay Area Green Business Program, a local government sponsored organization that supports businesses and governmental agencies that practice environmental responsibility. All participants of the Green Business Program must carry out measures that conserve water and energy use, reduce waste production and work to prevent pollution.

Senior Environmental Chair Mabel Tsang is heading the Green Business Program in the absence of Kaestner and Holland. Tsang became passionate about her job through her love for the environment and the determination she saw from Kaestner in carrying out new environmental initiatives.

“When someone cares about something so much, it really makes everyone else care about it too,” Tsang said. “I knew that Morgan and Nik were leaving, so that propelled me to pursue this. Now I have their expectations on my shoulders.”

Tsang explains that her role as Environmental Chair is largely undefined.

“This job is based on your care for the environment, your ideas and your ability to follow through with them,” Tsang said.

Tsang looks forward to the year ahead in focusing her attention on carrying out current environmental initiatives at Gunn as well as starting some new ones.

Already Tsang has worked to increase the number of recycling bins around school and in classrooms. Permanent outdoor bins with combined trash and recycling receptacles were placed in twelve strategically-located areas around the school.

Two faculty contacts are helping Tsang carry out the requirements set by the program.

English teacher Matt Struckmeyer is helping with improvements to the recycling system as well as working to prevent environmental pollution by reducing the use of hazardous chemicals used by janitors. But his main goal for this year is to increase the school’s capability to compost organic matter.

“I want to raise general awareness among students about what is compostable and what is not,” Struckmeyer said. “A lot of what is thrown out on campus today could be composted.”

Struckmeyer wants to see Gunn’s organic garden directly tied into the Green Business Program. Already compost bins can be seen in the corner of the school near the front entrance of the fire lane. Struckmeyer wants to increase the use of these composting bins and eventually increase the number of composting bins around the school.

“We would need a larger scale composting facility,” Struckmeyer said. “Then we could have janitors drop off organic matter from around the school for composting.”

Struckmeyer is currently in discussion with Tsang and assistant principal Daryk Tenorio about how to increase composting on campus. Struckmeyer said that one incentive to increase composting is that by reducing the amount of waste thrown away in garbage bins, the school could actually save money.

“If we can reduce the number of garbage bins by one, [the school] will save $20,000,” Struckmeyer said.

Because of a deal made with the school district, Gunn will receive half the revenue saved by decreased energy costs. By reducing just one garbage bin, the school would receive $10,000.

Science teacher Claudia Winkler, the other faculty contact, will review energy consumption and work towards increased conservation.

“What I want to do is to monitor the usage of our utilities, our bills, to make sure we are on a positive trend to reduce our costs,” Winkler said.

By comparing these utility bills quarterly and factoring in seasonal differences, Winkler hopes to point out exactly where energy could be better conserved. She said that there are simple things the school can do to decrease energy usage and costs.

“There are lots of possibilities for waste, such as leaving lights on, leaving equipment on, leaving the water running,” Winkler said. “This adds up to a lot of money.”

Already, new classrooms on campus have lights with motion detectors that automatically turn off when not in use. Solar panels on top of the new science building are cutting down costs for energy use.

Tsang looks forward to working together with the faculty and the SEC in carrying out the responsibilities that this accreditation requires. She also hopes that more students will get involved in the idea of environmental sustainability through school organizations such as the Environmentalist’s Club and the Garden Club.