Carbon Footprint
Since 2009, a 12th grade student has worked with Martha Barss, RPCS Sustainability Coordinator, to measure the carbon footprint using the Clean Air Cool Planet Carbon Calculator. This complex software tool has shown us how many different activities at our school contribute to our footprint. As we work to lower our carbon footprint, we are focusing on which parts of the footprint we can work on to reduce the impact of climate change. At present the two biggest pieces of our carbon footprint pie are electricity use and commuting to and from school. Over the three years since we began our research, we have reduced our total footprint by 10%. This change is due mainly to energy efficiency and reduced electricity use and to more students and employees traveling to and from school in car pools and buses.