British Principal Cuts Off Classrooms’ Heat Amid Near-Freezing Temperatures to Lower Carbon Footprint
- Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:28pm by
Tiffany Gabbay
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Some activists take their causes to the extreme.
Case in point: A principal at Ansford Academy (pictured above with students) in Castle Cary, England decided that the best way to teach students how to lower their “carbon footprint” and save the planet would be to simply turn off the classroom radiators…while temperatures dipped to a not-so-balmy 34°F outside.
Needless to say some faculty and parents — whose children were shivering in gloves, coats and boots and who could barely even grip their pencils — blasted Head Teacher Robert Benzie’s “barbaric” idea.
One teacher calling it “beyond stupid” and “absolutely ridiculous.”
The Sun adds:
“I’ve never worked in such cold. I’m all for saving the planet but this was barbaric.
“Nobody could work properly and kids could not even grip a pen through their gloves.” The mum of a 12-year-old at Ansford Academy in Castle Cary, Somerset, said: “She was shaking when she came home. I was absolutely furious.”
A dad added: “Turning the heating off in December is just mental.
“I can’t believe the kids learnt anything. I’m very angry with the school.”
But the 52-year-old Benzie defended the “successful” endeavor on Friday — which, according to The Sun, was the town’s coldest recorded day of winter so far — vowing to stage regular “eco-days” in the future.
To justify his actions, Benzie said the idea was actually “thought up by a small number of pupils from our student eco-group,” adding, “we cut the heat to see if we can lower our carbon footprint. We let pupils wear as many jumpers as they liked.”
“Everyone seemed happy enough although it did get pretty chilly. We sent letters to parents telling them of the plan. We had only one complaint and that was from a member of staff. But in the end they just got on with it.”
“I’d like it to be a regular event,” Benzie said. “We have too much heating — sometimes I have to turn it down as it can make students fall asleep.”
Clearly, Mr. Benzie intends for all 640 of his students to remain wide, wide awake.
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Comments (155)
I.Gaspar
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 8:12pmIf we don’t vote all the a-holes out here, we’re going to see a lot worse here in the not so distant future.
Report Post »Anyone who wants to see something frightening should watch the movie “The Road”.
While the movie is supposed to be post-apocalyptic and the war has destroyed not only our infrastructure and society completely, I would argue that obama will be remembered as the man who destroyed our infrastructure and society without the use of nuclear weapons….IF we let him get re-elected next year.
Twenty years from now, the survivors of obama will try to remember what life was like when there was still readily available heat and electricity…and when the people still had the vestigial remains of their unalienable rights that were guaranteed by the late constitution.
Carlito12
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 8:41pmHopefully if we have such problems in the near future, people will be wise enough to blame themselves not a Democratic or Republican president.
Report Post »I.Gaspar
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 8:47pmCarlito:
Report Post »How can you NOT blame obama after all he has done in three years and what he has in store for us?
Carlito12
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 9:00pmI.GASPAR,
How have things gotten any worse since Obama entered office? Do you not remember the free fall our economy was in early 2009?
Walkabout
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 9:12pmObama said electricity rates would “necessarily sky rocket” under his plan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlTxGHn4sH4
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kerry-picket/2008/11/02/obama-energy-prices-will-skyrocket
Report Post »LouisianaPatriot
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 8:10pm“I can’t believe the kids learnt anything. I’m very angry with the school.”
Of course they learned something. They learned that Environmentalists are lunatics. It is an important life lesson.
Report Post »Mikev5
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 9:26pmBingo… and if they don’t learn then what our next gen of useful idiots freezing their A$$ off and not understanding why they are freezing No it must be big oil’s fault they are freezing.
Report Post »kcares
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 6:44amGood point. They should also not allow girls to wear such short skirts.
Report Post »Wolf
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:28amThey’re kids- they didn’t learn anything. Worse, they’re British kids: they believe what they’re told, don’t think- as is obvious by this principal’s action- and definitely won’t be reading 1984…
Report Post »Wolf
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 8:31amDarn, I hate when the mouse travels. To finish the thought: … and this is England, resistance is futyle (sp pun) since they’ve already been disarmed and ar part of the Borg.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 8:01pmHe should have to look no further than the latest on East Anglia University to know that he should keep up on current events. I’m betting he pockets the money saved.
Report Post »Findalis
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 8:00pmAnother good reason to pull your kids out and Home School them.
Report Post »Emrys
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 9:06pmThis principal should have started his envirowork closer to home, like maybe saving on electricity by hanging himself and saving the world all of that water and energy he’d be using for the next 35 years or so. Or if he’s not THAT concerned about the planet, he could have just turned off all of his electricity for life and lived in his house without it for 35 years. Charity starts at home, don’tcha know!
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 9:25pmEmrys
Exactly
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 9:30pmThey say kids need school lunches otherwise they won;t learn. Well if you are hungry your thoughts will be on your stomach & not about the current lesson.
But apparently if you are freezing you can still concentrate on the current lesson & not your discomfort from hypothermia which can start in the mid 50s.
So at best they have to repeat the day’s classes so the student s actually learn it, which is another days energy usage so none saved at all. More used instead.
At worst, he has a student dead from hypothermia.
Principal needs to be fired.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:59pmImages of Dickens comes to mind. “May I have more, sir?”
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:58pmI went to school in a OLD school .. that the boiler went out in all the time .. in Michigan .. who knew we were “green” actually we were FREEZING .. to do this on purpose to kids is wrong . .way to make them hate school and “being green”.
TEA!
Report Post »oldironsides
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:56pmI’m not a heating/ac tech, so I wonder what the difference in energy usage is between maintaining a constant reasonable temp and having to reheat a place that’s gone stone cold – certainly not enough to save the planet – but I’m sure the eco kids did the math
Report Post »Caerus
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 10:57pmPublic schoolers doing math? Hahahahahaha ;-)
Report Post »bree
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:56pmSomeone needs to kick him in the bullocks…. oops sorry he has none.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 8:01pm“We have too much heating — sometimes I have to turn it down as it can make students fall asleep.”
Ummm isn’t falling asleep a sign of FREEZING … what an idiot!
TEA!
Report Post »bglick3
Posted on December 8, 2011 at 12:00pmIs there heating system either all on or all off? Do they not have a thermostat? Did they turn the heat back up to previous excessive level? It seems to me that they would save a lot more money (and environment magic) if they simply turned the heat down a touch. Also, in the picture, isn‘t the ginger’s skirt a little north of the knee? She prollay wasn’t smiling when the temp dropped to the single digits.
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:55pmNut-jobs like this guy (the principal) drive Global Warming madness. What is most sad of all is the fact that we (the world) take them seriously. What a puttzz.
Report Post »momrules
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:55pmEngland is becoming a cesspool and this moron is saving the planet by frreezing his students.
Everyone should enjoy what few comforts they have now because very soon we will all be living without heat, A/C, fresh water and will be on food rations.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 11:34pmI agree .. live for today because tomorrow is not a given.
Report Post »FireShowing
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:51pmAnother Socialist idiot.
Report Post »FaithfulFriend
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:48pmThe Brits… sheeple soup.
Report Post »Bernice Durdan-Rowland
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:47pmI think someone should invite Al Gore to come visit the school – he is the one that started the “global warming” and “carbon credits” crap!!! I‘m sure he wouldn’t visit, so someone should pick him up, make him sit there with a short sleeve shirt and shorts all day and see how he likes it !!!!!! This is INHUMANE !!!!!! If people put up with this stupidity, then its their own fault !!
Report Post »Shasta
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:52pmSure Al would come. He would leave his well heated 20,000 square foot house for his well heated private jet. He would fly across the country and arrive at the school in a well heated limousine, only to tell the kids to tough up.
Report Post »txn4justice
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:45pmAnother Al Gore nutcase.
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:45pmYes, and the result will be sick kids who will need to suck up massive amounts of tissue, meds, hospital visits and hot water bottles along with much needed hot chicken soup. All of which will consume massive amounts of energy to produce all the needed products. Stupid. When they get control of the light switches, ac’s, heaters, public policy, taxes etc….you know your in for some real bumpy rides.
Report Post »TNT75
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:42pm“Idiocracy” Too PO’d to say anything else.
Report Post »Marci
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:40pmWhat a moonbat. Agreed with the person who asked who died and made him God.
Report Post »kentuckypatriot
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:38pmhe says ” the kids can wear as many jumpsuits as they’d like “… if I were the parent, I’d insist he wear a prison jump suit. What an idiot.
Report Post »Hickory
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:45pmSomeone need to throw this pimple out on the street for a day like that without a coat…. the whole day.
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:46pmA 1st world country acting like they live in a hut in Africa. Just makes no sense seeing how they pay through the nose for such luxuries.
Report Post »KangarooJack
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:38pmParents GO TO THE CLASSROOM! Check in at the Office to visit your child’s classroom and sit there and just SEE WHAT A MORON IS TEACHING YOUR CHILD!
Report Post »randy
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:38pmIf that was one of my kids, the A$$ Wipe would be slowly reaching room temperature just about now.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:36pmYou know what would lower your carbon footprint Mr.Benzie? stop breathing permanently just stop,you and every other moron who believes the myth of man made global warming,do your part save the planet and stop breathing permanently.
Leave the world to the rest of us sane rational people.
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:35pmIf someone did that with my kid, the only footprint he would be seeing is mine….when I put my boot up his left-wing @ss!!
Report Post »blaaaaackwoman
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:34pmIdiots. Although those miniskirts are hot.
Report Post »SoupSandwich
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:48pmYes and yes.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:33pmthe socialists threw out Winston Churchill after WWII, and England has just gone downhill from there.
Report Post »PATRIOTGRUNT
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 7:33pmScr__________ew the kids. Got to save the Planet. I wonder if this moron turned off the heat in his own house ?. I bet hie didn’t .
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