EAU CLAIRE SCHOOLS HAVE PROMISED TO BECOME MORE "GREEN". LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BARBARA LAWTON VISITED EAU CLAIRE'S MEADOWVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THIS WEEK, TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE EAU CLAIRE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ONE OF THE FIRST TO ACCEPT HER ENERGY STAR SCHOOL CHALLENGE. PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS PROMISE TO REDUCE THEIR ENERGY USE BY AT LEAST 10 PERCENT. SHE SAYS SHE AIMS TO ENROLL 100 DISTRICTS THIS YEAR, TO HELP SHRINK THE STATE'S CARBON FOOTPRINT, AND HELP SCHOOLS SAVE MONEY THAT CAN GO IN TO EDUCATION. LAWTON SAYS SCHOOLS SPEND MORE ON ENERGY THAN ON COMPUTERS AND TEXTBOOKS COMBINED, AND 20 PERCENT OF THAT ENERGY IS LOST TO INEFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES. SHE SAYS THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL STRATEGIES DESIGNED TO MAKE THE STATE MORE ENERGY INDEPENDENT AND TO ADDRESS GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE.