Around the Columns
Living green
The house at 210 N. College Ave. is now a home for green-minded MU students who will model sustainable living practices. Photo by Rob Hill
It has the makings of a reality show: six college students in one house, rules, projects, chores and an audience for their lifestyle. But before you start conjuring images of toxic behavior, be forewarned — the only kind of gossip this house will generate is green.
In fall 2011, Sustainahouse launched as an experiment into a sustainable college lifestyle. It is the first of its kind in the large schools that constitute the Big 12 Conference.
The goal: Tenants of the rented property at 210 N. College Ave. plan to cut utilities by 20 percent of what the average six-person household consumes.
Monica Everett, a senior sustainable agriculture major from Kansas City, Mo., intends to showcase how college students can grow healthy foods on a budget.
“Telling people ‘You should do this’ doesn’t really work,” Everett says. “We want to lead by example — showing people that a green college lifestyle is possible.”
