EAT Club Creating Eco Friendly Campus

Members+from+EAT+club+gather+at+lunch+for+weekly+meetings+in+Ms.+Miyamotos+room.+EAT+stands+for+Ecology+Action+Team+and+they+are+currently+working+to+bring+solar+panels+to+SJHHS.

Jack Parker

Members from EAT club gather at lunch for weekly meetings in Ms. Miyamoto’s room. EAT stands for Ecology Action Team and they are currently working to bring solar panels to SJHHS.

EAT (Ecology Action Team) club headed by President Russell Tran (10) and Vice President Daniel Goodin (10) has plans to bring Solar Panels and other energy saving projects to San Juan Hills High School.

The environmental based club is talking with Capistrano Unified School District to consider solar panels on top of all the high schools, which would “reduce the district’s spending money and save energy,” according to Tran.

To pay for the solar panels, the district will be using money from a number of government outlets that are specifically for solar panel projects. With the extra money from the savings, the district would be able to apply the money to extracurricular activities.

Furthermore, the panels would reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the environment, creating an eco friendly campus for stallions.

EAT club is currently working with Kyoto USA, a non profit organization located in Berkeley, who is willing to guide CUSD members in transferring and installing solar panels to our school.

The solar panels would first reach all high schools district, due to the larger size of campuses and greater amount of students, which causes high electricity usage.

“A total of five high schools in the district and their environment clubs are involved …with the EAT club being the coordinators of the project,” said Tran.

Since San Juan Hills is newer in comparison to the other schools, the roofs and structures of the campus would be stronger, allowing solar panels to go on the top of buildings. Other schools in the district are much older, and have weaker structures, so the idea of car ports (shaded solar panel roofs) in the parking lots, is in the process instead.

Alongside the solar panel project, the EAT club is has also been working on “project water…which will bring awareness and fresh water to our school” says Goodin. Project water was started to help deal with California’s long lasting drought.

The EAT club has many different energy saving projects and plans for San Juan Hills High School. Many other districts in the county have already gone solar, so SJHHS won’t be the first, but it is important to help our environment and save our world.

A petition has been created to help bring these projects to life. Help the EAT club and sign up at www.sign.cusdsolar.org