| 2 | 3 | | |
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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Deteriorating school infrastructure and poor indoor |
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| 6 | 7 | | environmental quality are detrimental to the health, welfare, and |
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| 7 | 8 | | achievement of faculty, students, and staff; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, By contrast, green schools support the health of |
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| 9 | 10 | | their occupants while reducing environmental impact and costs; |
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| 10 | 11 | | these high-performance buildings offer many features that have been |
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| 11 | 12 | | shown to improve children's well-being and ability to learn, |
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| 12 | 13 | | including natural lighting, thermal comfort, and thoughtful |
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| 13 | 14 | | classroom design; moreover, superior indoor air quality, a hallmark |
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| 14 | 15 | | of green schools, has been linked to lower incidence of asthma and |
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| 15 | 16 | | allergies, reduced absenteeism, and increased teacher retention |
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| 16 | 17 | | rates; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, Green schools cost no more to build than |
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| 18 | 19 | | conventional schools, as hundreds of districts across the country |
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| 19 | 20 | | have found, and they use, on average, 30 to 50 percent less energy; |
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| 20 | 21 | | existing schools can be converted through low- or no-cost |
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| 21 | 22 | | improvements to operations and maintenance, and districts can save |
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| 22 | 23 | | millions through the adoption of such initiatives as energy and |
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| 23 | 24 | | water management, green cleaning and smarter purchasing practices, |
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| 24 | 25 | | and recycling and waste reduction programs; the LEED (Leadership in |
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| 25 | 26 | | Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system has |
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| 26 | 27 | | proven a valuable instrument for optimizing building performance, |
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| 27 | 28 | | resolving operational inefficiencies, and dramatically reducing |
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| 28 | 29 | | utility costs in new construction and renovations; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Students who attend green schools gain greater |
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| 30 | 31 | | knowledge of sustainability, a concept of rising importance in the |
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| 31 | 32 | | competitive 21st century economy; moreover, the building becomes an |
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| 32 | 33 | | interactive teaching tool, creating multiple opportunities for |
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| 33 | 34 | | curriculum innovation and hands-on, project-based learning; and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, While promoting good health and creating an |
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| 35 | 36 | | environment that is optimally conducive to teaching and learning, |
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| 36 | 37 | | green schools save energy and money, and the benefits they bring |
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| 37 | 38 | | contribute significantly to prosperity and quality of life in the |
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| 38 | 39 | | communities they serve; now, therefore, be it |
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| 39 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 40 | 41 | | Legislature hereby express its support for green schools and |
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| 41 | 42 | | encourage all Texans to learn more about the advantages they |
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| 42 | 43 | | provide. |
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