Saving Power at Schools
In 1996, the City of Kiel launched the 'Fifty Fifty for Kiel's Schools' project to reduce heat, power and water consumption in the schools and to reduce harmful emissions and save money by promoting energy-conscious behaviour. 45 percent of the costs saved are made available to the schools as a bonus.
The City of Kiel has decided to be a 'climate-protection city'. The city and its citizens should bring a lasting reduction of gases contributing to the 'greenhouse effect'. Around half of the heating energy, more than a third of the electricity and approximately a quarter of the water used by municipal buildings are consumed in schools. The costs amount to more than DM 6 million per year.
Climate protection is not only energy saving, it is also an educational task and therefore a particular challenge for schools.
'Fifty Fifty' is an Agenda 21 project, in which many people are involved: teachers, school children, headmasters, parents, the utility company, the Kiel Greenpeace Group, members of the municipal staff of Kiel and others.
Rules of behaviour were, for example: Close the doors on entering or leaving a room, 'massive ventilation' during the breaks, switching off the lights when not needed. Children were made more aware of room temperatures by installed thermometers. On the outside doors, children paint signs to remind people to switch off the lights and close the doors. Older children make posters calling for power-saving. In mathematics classes, data from the climate and energy sectors is used, and so on. Everybody is on the lookout for inefficient or wasteful uses of power and leaking water installations.
30 out of the 78 schools in Kiel were able to save a total of DM 290,000 in energy and water costs and were awarded DM 145,000 in bonuses. The environment was saved the burden of 467 tonnes in CO 2 emissions. Several schools were awarded the Kiel Environmental Prize for their commitment.
These successful results motivated Kiel to continue for three more years.
|
Further information:
Mr Jens Rasmussen
Kiel Environmental Office
Tel. +49 431 901 3737
|
|
|
Action for a safer community
Kristiansand has many challenges of large cities like crime, drugs, abuse and violence. The municipality has developed strategies to involve the citizens in creating a safer community. Many have to join their forces, such as police, all sectors in the municipality, schools, parents associations and NGO's. Parents play a key role. We will present 2 examples of "citizens in action":
Natteravn-service
Natteravn means nightjar, a bird that flies around at night. About 20 adult volunteers are patrolling the streets where youths normally meet Saturday nights. Most of the
natteravn-people are parents. They experience what the town is like at night and what young people, often including their own kids, do in town.
The natteravn-volunteers first meet for information on how to react in certain situations, get updated news and information about where to meet for a meal during the evening.
The arrangement started in 1991 and has existed since. It is organised and administrated through the education sector. The goal is to share the
natteravn-patrolling between many people. The presence of natteravn-adults has led to less crime and violence. The youth calm down and feel more safe and secure when they are in the city centre Saturday nights.
Neighbourhood watch
Neighbours have an agreement to look after each other's homes. They empty the mailbox if the neighbour is away or report to police about suspicious persons or activities. Neighbourhood watch arranges social events some areas, like show care when someone is sick, or visit each other in case of burglary.
The police regularly invite the areacoordinators to meetings and seminars. Neighbourhood watch is at way of engaging people in areas where they live and have their local identity and interest.
|
Business join forces
The business development agencies in Kotka, Ncstved, Lübeck and Skurup have formed the Hanse Business Network, a permanent working group to actively support small and medium sized companies (SME) in exploring new markets around the Baltic Sea.
The partners have long experiences in working together to increase the support and service for SME's.
An extensive service portfolio has been put together which will be offered to SME's in the regions. The Business Service Center concept will allow companies from the partner regions to use free office facilities in the partner regions.
A second cornerstone is the extensive information supply over the Internet. Prior to the
Hanse Business Network, the partners built a considerable information database which will form the core of the future InfoService.
Finally, the Hanse Business Network will continue with the annual business meetings which up to know have attracted more than 100 companies annually from countries around the Baltic Sea. These meetings usually focus on a specific business areas. Companies report that they are a good tool for getting in contact especially with partners from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The Hanse Business Network has moreover a project application pending with the European Commission to be included in the BRE (Office for Company Cooperation) network.
In the mid-term future the Hanse Business Network plans to expand into Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to further strengthen the business relations between companies in these areas. Other members from regions around the Baltic Sea are welcome to join the network.
|
Further information:
Mr Bjõrn P. Jacobsen
Lübeck Business
Development Corp
Tel. +49 04 51 / 7 06 55 - 0
e-mail: jacobsen@luebeck.org
|
|
|
