June 18, 2008
Help Rebuild Sustainable Sichuan Schools
On May 12, 2008 a catastrophic earthquake destroyed over 8000 schools and displaced millions of school children in Sichuan Province, China. Imagine sustainably constructed buildings emerging from the rubble enabling children to return to schools that are safe and healthy, sunlit, powered by low-carbon cost-effective energy and designed to anticipate low cost renewable energy options in the future. This is a stretch vision…but it can happen with your help. Here’s how.
The China US Center for Sustainable Development is launching a campaign to respond to the needs of Sichuan’s school children. This is a tragic time but also a precious opportunity to influence the “greening” of the massive reconstruction of Sichuan Province’s thousands of schools and public buildings. The environmental and climate change benefits of shifting from a “reconstruct-as-usual” response to a “reconstruct sustainably” response could be staggeringly positive in Sichuan Province and beyond.
The public-private partnerships are already in place with key Chinese national and provincial authorities responsible for reconstruction – including the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Ministry of Education and Sichuan Province. The design teams are in place in China and the US. The goals:
Convene a Forum in July to develop a “sustainable schools protocol” drawing upon best-in-class international standards that can be tailored to work in Sichuan for the reconstruction effort. The Center will facilitate an active program of trainings, workshops and technical assistance for local government, school bureaus and designers/contractors. A website will be established with links to sustainable products and technologies available from China and elsewhere.
Immediately applying the sustainable schools protocol, the Center’s US Board members are leading a campaign to fund the design and construction of a demonstration school. The China Real Estate Chamber of Commerce is leading a parallel effort in China. The Center will vigorously share information about the design and construction progress, extend lessons learned, and create opportunities for collaboration with the public and private sector.
The stretch vision is for a radically safer and greener rebuilding of Sichuan’s schools and public infrastructure that will measurably reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency, increase the use of healthy building materials and lower toxic off gassing, and contribute to the restoration of local eco systems.
Our US/international fundraising target is $1 million to achieve the above goals…and we need to move quickly while the time to make an impact is still before us. With your financial support this will happen.
You can make a contribution in several ways:
- Send a check to “Sustainable Sichuan Schools – China US Center,” China US Center, One World Trade Center, 121 SW Salmon, Portland, Oregon, 97204.
- Wire transfer funds – please contact Ms. Hanling Yang at the U.S. Secretariat for the account information.
- On-line, make a secure donation.
All contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of US law. The International Sustainable Development Foundation, the US Secretariat for the China US Center, is a 501© (3) non profit organization dedicated to helping create a world where commerce, communities and nature can thrive in harmony.
To offer your support or learn more, please contact in the US – Ms. Hanling Yang (1-503-279-9383) and in China – Mr. Ping ZHONG (86-10-5888-4849).
Thank you!