Students at Huonville High School in Australia are riding bikes out of desire to fight climate change, carrying out a dizzyingly-thorough transformation of their school building into an energy efficient inspiration.
It’s paying off big time, as they’ve helped save $44, 000 in utility bills since they started their energy-saving project, but it’s also inspiring young people in the community. Recently the school won the Zayed Future Energy Prize of $133 ,000, some of which was used to turn a building into the Zayed Future Energy Hub, a clubhouse where 13 volunteers learn and teach about how renewable energy can be applied to our everyday lives.
Among all the efficiency adjustments, they set up solar panels on the roof, and replaced the old windows with double and triple glazed ones. They added improved insulation (隔热) and energy efficient curtains. They even have stationary bikes that create electricity to cook doughnuts.
The classroom was cold in the mornings, but the students wanted zero carbon emissions through their heating. So they went out and got a pellet stove, and then if that wasn’t enough, they went out and built a pellet mill (颗粒机) to make their fuel from waste sawdust.
Powering one small building on a high school campus or cooking doughnuts in renewable fat fryers is nice, but will do little on their own to slow global climate change. However, the Hub is much more about the big picture. Nel Smit, the volunteer teacher—head of the Hub, knows their biggest contribution is exciting the minds of the next generation.
“This little school in the Huon Valley is actually doing amazing things,” Smit said. “It’s raised awareness of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and opportunities in the community for engaging them around that sort of technology.”
【小题1】What’s special about Huonville High School?| A．It attaches importance to riding bikes. | B．It promotes the idea of energy saving. |
| C．It encourages students to be creative. | D．It is powered entirely by solar energy. |
| A．It is a club center for volunteers. | B．It is the place to produce energy. |
| C．It is built at the cost of $133,000. | D．It is used to hold learning activities. |
| A．To save electricity bill. | B．To keep low carbon emissions. |
| C．To get rid of waste sawdust. | D．To test the pellet stove. |
| A．Saving a lot of energy. | B．Creating more great minds. |
| C．Educating the next generation. | D．Slowing global climate change. |
