U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr celebrated Earth Day on April 22 with an event outside the Post Exchange. The festivities promoted the idea of individual responsibility through various activities such as an electricity and nature quiz and a recyclables sorting game to create community awareness of the impact on the local environment. At Grafenwoehr Elementary School, second-graders are learning early on to take responsibility and recycle one’s trash.

Teachers Krista Banister, Jaime Hunt, and Dana Olsen, along with Elfriede Kean, the host nation teacher for the school, have actively engaged the students, teaching them to clean up after themselves and place items in the appropriate recycling bins. “We have been teaching the students how to recycle. We pick up trash around the school and figure out which container they go in. We also read stories about recycling, saw a movie, colored pictures of flowers and made brown bags,” Banister said. While much emphasis has been placed on recycling, some feel not enough attention has been granted to other areas of conservation such as energy use.

Aref Arianta, the garrison energy manager, said, “We have been doing a lot of recycling, but energy (conservation awareness) has been lagging behind.” Arianta is doing all he can to promote ways to conserve electricity. Through the electricity quiz offered at the festival, participants learned how the price for electricity on post fluctuates whether it is being used on a weekday or weekend, or night or day. In order to save energy and reduce cost for the garrison, Arianta suggests residents, “use their major appliances at night. Washers use a lot of energy,” he said. Arianta also suggested keeping windows closed while heaters are on. “I have told those living in the barracks that in order to properly ventilate your quarters, you only need to open the window for 10 minutes. After that, close it. The room will be aired out and it is more efficient that way,” he added.

Those residing in government-leased housing and private rental housing need to exercise common sense when it comes to electricity use because the electricity rate does not differentiate like it does for on post. In this case, Arianta suggests residents look at their use of energy, and consider whether it is wasteful. “Turning off lights when not in use, keeping windows closed, and not leaving TVs on all day can reduce energy consumption,” he said. Even though government-leased housing residents do not have to pay for their electricity, conserving helps save money for the garrison to use on other, more beneficial projects for the community, Arianta stated. It is often not a coincidence that what is good for the environment can also save money.

One way community members can and have taken the initiative to reduce their impact on the environment is to complete an Interactive Customer Evaluation. “The Army is always looking for ways to implement energy and cost savings methods,” said Melynda Weaver, the customer service officer for the garrison. She also added, “Our community members are very concerned about becoming an environmentally friendly Army.” Some suggestions made by members of the garrison completing ICE surveys included ways to go green that also save money. The Department of Defense takes into serious consideration any suggestion made and decides the feasibility of executing them. “If the community completes the survey and offers suggestions, it’s more likely to be implemented then coming from the commander,” Weaver said. “Because of community feedback, the garrison is implementing actual suggestions made by members of the garrison deemed reasonable enough to put into action,” she continued.

For more on the implementation of community members’ energy saving ideas, pick up the May 20 issue of the Bavarian News. Cutline: Photo by Andy Bailey Grafenwoehr Elementary School students learn how to protect the environment and save energy during Earth Day activities April 22.