Good deeds

A weekly reminder of the nice things we do for each other

Shorter showers, local fare, less heat and more manpower were several steps Nanaimo elementary school students took to be recognized in a climate change challenge from the B.C. Sustainable Energy Association.

Twenty-four Grade 5/6 students at Pauline Haarer Elementary School scored the highest participation rate in the region (Shawnighan Lake to Lantzville) out of 30 classes and dozens of students that participated.

The month-long challenge featured 34 tasks students were to complete at home, some actions as many times as possible.

They also included a meat-free day, replacing light bulbs with more energy-efficient ones and calculating ecological footprints.

Students were asked to get their families involved in the climate change showdown, which also encouraged tasks like checking tire pressure, asking drivers not to idle cars and use alternate modes of transportation. The challenge, designed to raise awareness and get kids thinking about how they can make a difference, coincided with learning about the environment in classrooms.

"(The challenge) was not only to get them aware," said Nina Rastogi of the BCSEA, "but to get them to do things that are proactive."

Alex Mayrhofer, 12, followed the tasks to a Tee -- he had a perfect score in the challenge.

Mayrhofer said the hardest part was not eating meat, which used substantially more energy to produce than vegetables or grains.

Every day Mayrhofer said he completed at least one of the tasks, which did not shift his routine too much since his family is environmentally-conscious.

"My family does a lot already," said Mayrhofer.

The mission of the B.C. Sustainable Energy Association aims for a sustainable energy future through education, advocacy and community projects.