Students, Staff Join To Weatherproof Phillips Brooks House

Armed with caulk guns, foam insulation, and compact fluorescent light bulbs, sixty volunteers weatherproofed and made energy upgrades to the Phillips Brooks House yesterday.

Students and Office for Sustainability staff members completed 20 separate projects as part of the weatherization, which was co-sponsored by OFS, the Environmental Action Committee, PBHA, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Green Team. The ECMs—energy conservation measures—included sealing gaps in windows with caulk to prevent heat from escaping during the winter, installing water-saving dual-flush handles on toilets, and setting up recycling and electricity-saving programs in the offices.

Although the students only made small changes during yesterday’s weatherization, the updates will save nine tons of carbon dioxide and $3750 in utility bills annually, according to OFS. The savings will pay for the majority of the changes within about a year.

EAC Co-chair Jackson S. Salovaara ’11 said that while FAS has been completing weatherizations and energy audits of larger buildings on campus, this event can be used as a model for using student volunteer labor to make changes to smaller buildings.

Beyond its practical effects, the weatherization was an opportunity for the EAC to make a greater connection with its parent organization, PBHA, according to EAC Co-chair L. Gracie Brown ’11. Brown added that she plans to strengthen these ties by working with other individual PBHA programs to integrate environmentalism into their programming.

PBHA President Kaitlin S.L. Koga ’11 said that the weatherization was also an opportunity for PBHA to branch out into another area of service and work with other student groups on campus.

“The house is a metaphor for the people we serve,” Koga said. “We can make the house fit into the spirit of service that we at PBHA promote.”

EAC member and event organizer Isabella A. Wechsler ’13 added that the weatherization was a “pilot project” for the EAC’s plans to become more involved with hands-on environmental projects.

In addition to bringing together members of the EAC and PBHA volunteers, the event also attracted other service-minded students not involved with either program.

“It’s rare that you get a chance to make a difference without leaving the Harvard bubble,” said Harvard College Democrats President Jason Q. Berkenfeld ’11, who participated in the weatherization.

—Staff writer Stephanie B. Garlock can be reached at sgarlock@college.harvard.edu.