The Greenhouse LLC

Are your heroes Rachel Carson, Wangari Mathaai and Bill McKibben? Do you hug trees on a regular basis? If so, great! If not, that’s great too! Either way, apply to join The Greenhouse, one of Georgetown University’s newest Living Learning Communities. The Greenhouse welcomes students of all interests and views who aim to learn more about environmental issues pertaining to our university, city, nation and Earth. In this community, students will take part in a range of activities designed to foster conversation on the environment. They will also have the opportunity to put their knowledge into action; first they will attend and organize events related to sustainability. Second, they will live according to a set of sustainable practices that they will determine at the beginning of the academic year.
While this community will change according to the needs and desires of its members, a small sampling of possible group living practices include:

• Pledging to unplug and switch off electronics when not in use
• Pledging to use heat and AC in moderation, if at all
• Composting all biodegradable materials
• Buying local, organic, vegan/vegetarian food for all meetings and events
• Gardening in a plot in a community garden

Possible programming includes:

• Attending DC Environmental Film Festival screenings
• Visiting Eastern Market or local farmer’s markets
• Hiking with Outdoor Education
• Taking the St. Francis Pledge
• Hosting Earth Week and Earth Day speakers, films and “how-to” events

For more information, check out the ResLife LLC page or contact The Greenhouse advisor, Professor Sarah Stoll 

Applications for current sophomores and juniors are due in two weeks on Thursday, 11/1/12.

Before you throw that away...can it be recycled?

Here's a refresher on campus recycling!

Take Action in DC!

Spring semester is underway, and EcoAction will have a ton of great events for you this semester! Stay tuned for posts about our spring programming and about eco-friendly back-to-school tips. 

Until then, there are a few exciting opportunities for environmental activism here in DC in the coming weeks. Before the workload gets too heavy, try to get out into the city and attend a rally or protest about a green issue that matters to you. 

First, a crucial rally around the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. We've been covering this since the summer, and we've had a Georgetown presence at the arrests in August and September, and also at the rally at the White House in November. For more information on the pipeline issue, check out this great overview from Friends of the Earth, or go to 350.org (the Tar Sands Action group, organized by Bill McKibben, is now part of McKibben's organization 350.org). 

The next demonstration is on Monday, January 23 - the day that Congress returns to business. McKibben and the great people at 350.org are taking a stand against the big money behind the pipeline, especially the excessive influence of the American Petroleum Institute. McKibben notes that "the 234 Congresspeople who voted to expedite Keystone had taken $42 million in dirty energy money." The demonstration will start on Capitol Hill at 3:00 PM and then move to the headquarters of the American Petroleum Institute. Sign up here! 

(Also, take just a few seconds to send a message to Obama, declaring your opposition to Keystone XL!)