Making a difference in DevonPrint
He’s known as the Prince of Darkness for his habit of shutting off lights in the Okehampton College staff room, but Keith Webber’s dedication to cutting CO2 is proving something of a shining light in the Devon region.
The Science Teacher has driven the transformation of
Okehampton's energy use over the last two years, with support from
the EDF Energy Green Fund helping to install solar panels and wind
turbines and Pod activities helping to make discussion of the fuel
mix a key part of lesson plans. Inspired by the Pod's Switch Off
Fortnight campaign, pupils at Okehampton patrol school corridors
handing out stern stickers to reprimand teachers who leave
equipment on.
Keith's ambition is for Okehampton to use every form of
renewable energy to make the school energy-independent. In the
process, he's creating a model for micro-generation that other
schools in the area are keen to follow. Okehampton has helped to
install renewable energy projects at four primary schools within
its catchment area - and such influence doesn't stop at the water's
edge. Thanks to the Pod's overseas twinning programme, his pupils
are now sharing their energy-saving ideas with children in France,
via video link-up.
