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| First semester: l-r John Hirsch '97, Brigitte O'Donoghue '96, Erin Shafto '98, Craig McClure '98, (back) Mark Lucey '95 |
In an effort to raise awareness on campus and to promote their efforts, the members of Earth House started the monthly Earth House Newsletter. Printed on 100% recycled, unbleached paper, the newsletter was distributed to prospective students, campuses around the US, and to faculty and students of Connecticut College. Carrying regular sections such as Constructive Criticism, Thinking Globally, Political Poetry, and Food for Thought, the newsletter received much praise in its first year.
In October, Earth House joined with SAVE to host the Connecticut Collegiate Environmental Coalition (CCEC). The coalition, which was still in its infancy needed to get off onto good footing and the Earth House livingroom provided just the place. Student activists attended from Fairfield University, Yale University, and Wesleyan University and discussed ways that campus environmental groups from around the state could strengthen their efforts by cooperating and communicating more.
To develop an open relationship with the college community, Earth House held an all-campus spaghetti dinner during the first week of school. This gave residents an opportunity to introduce people to the goals and purpose of Earth House and also gave activists a chance to mingle and build networks.
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| Second semester: l-r John Hirsch '97, Craig McClure '98, Alison Flynn '94, Jens Hilke '96, Mark Lucey '95, Susan Potter '96, Brigitte O'Donoghue '96, and Jake Marin '97 |
In an effort to raise thoughtful, intellectual discussion on campus, Earth House hosted Rational Discourse Night.
The Earth House Column appeared weekly in the campus newspaper, The College Voice. Covering issues from solar power to Bosnia to the War on Drugs, the column never failed to instigate a response or two and hopefully inspired more rational discourse.
The residents of Earth House succeeded in reducing their energy consumption by 52% and their water usage by 62% as compared to previous years. This was accomplished by simple conservation techniques such as turning off water and lights when they were not being used and installing Compact Flourescents in the place of incandescent bulbs. These CFs require 25% of the energy of incandescents.
Earth House member Brigitte O'Donoghue '96 waged a powerful campaign against the use of dangerous dioxins in female hygeine products. Her message reached thousands of women across the country and brought dioxin-free products to Connecticut College.
As a means of distributing the pro-justice message beyond the walls of Connecticut College, two Earth House residents, John Hirsch '97 and Mark Lucey '95 (Environmental Organizer), formed a media group called Earth House Productions. Within EHP, Hirsch started a record company called Earth House Records and Lucey continued the publication of biophilia: the (r)evolutionary 'zine. EHP continues to grow and advocate radical social movement.
