by Krystal Paco

Guam - It's not easy going green as the Guam Educational Task Force's Green Technology Action Team met Thursday morning to discuss ways to cut energy costs and sustain the island for the future. According to architect Mike Makio, who designed a number of the island's LEED-certified buildings, it's going to take more than green methods to make the schools environmentally friendly, but maintenance, education, and initial startup costs.

He said, "The maintenance has to become a part of the Department of Education's culture. It's more than just putting something up and then walking away for our island, because we have such limited resources, we have to instill in the education that this is how you're going to live from now on. You have to live knowing you have to monitor how much water you consume and how much power you consume and try to minimize the garbage that you're collecting."

Makio adds that DOE has the challenge of retrofitting existing schools as well as come up with strategies for new school projects.