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Amy in the News

Mayo student wins enviromental award (Rochester Post-Bulletin)

March 3, 2008

By Laura Gossman

Mayo High School senior Brian Rodysill came home from a workout at the Rochester Athletic Club one day and couldn't believe the number of cars he saw with only one passenger.

People don't do enough for the environment, he says. People turn their house lights on even though it isn't dark. They run the air conditioning in their cars, even when it's not hot.

So, he took action. He formed a group at Mayo High School called Energy Conservation Operation, which promotes energy conservation at the school and throughout the community.

On Sunday, Rodysill was presented the Carbon Buster Award of Excellence by Sen. Amy Klobuchar for a 500-word essay he wrote about ECO and it members' concern for the environment. Arctic explorer Will Steger joined Klobuchar to present the award at the University of Minnesota.

"There are so many technologies out there that can help people become more energy efficient," Rodysill said. "Our goal is to educate students and the community, so they know how they can help the environment."

Energy Conservation Operation has already completed several projects. Home Depot donated energy-efficient light bulbs to the group, which sold them to the community for $1 each.

Rodysill, son of Kirk and Lisa Rodysill, said the group would like to work on a solar system that could produce energy for Mayo High School.

Klobuchar said in a statement that she established the Carbon Buster Awards program to spotlight Minnesotans' conservation efforts and "to highlight what can be done to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas pollution and combat global warming."