The Story

Eco-Housing Idea Takes Root

Oct. 25, 2007 | By Gloria Dube, DSJ Staff Reporter

The group that lived in the original eco-house at the College six years ago. Photo by Justin Andrews.

Led by freshman Lauren Edmonds, a group of students is hoping to establish environmentally themed special housing, which they are calling �"The Green House.” The students who are looking into this are affiliated with the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC).

The mission of the project as stated by Edmonds is, �"to practice environmentally sustainable living while serving as a model for the campus and the wider community. We aim to demonstrate the benefits of ecologically responsible living in a dormitory setting.”

According to Edmonds, the house will aim to be as energy efficient as possible with an eye toward sustainable living, while keeping in mind the possible restrictions of dorm life. The initiative seeks to transform an upperclassman dorm into a model of energy efficiency. While the students will not be able to make structural changes to the building, they do hope that some minor changes can be integrated to achieve their aims.

Some of the ideas that Edmonds has for the Green House include changing all light bulbs to fluorescent bulbs, modifying the bathroom with water-saving toilets and faucets and placing adjustable thermostats in all dorm rooms.

�"It’s not easy to make the changes you want to while living in a dorm atmosphere. We want to provide a community for people so that they can chose to live in an environmentally sustainable way,” said Edmonds.

Other goals for the Green House include outdoor space for a garden, either near the specific dorm or at the Keck Environmental Field Lab on Lake Matoaka. The House would also host weekly meals and participate in the Real Food Co-Op, an organization of members of SEAC that delivers food each week from local farms. Recycling services will be made available to all those in the house, as there is an emphasis on resource conservation.

As with any themed housing group, members of the Green House would need to take a 3-credit class either from the Environmental Science department or from another department with related curricula. The selection of classes must be broad to allow a greater diversity of students to live in the house, as thematic houses cannot discriminate against students who are not in the Environmental Science department.

While there is interest for the Green House, there are some major issues with the actual implementation of the project. Perhaps the largest issue is the budget, considering the expensive proposals put forth by SEAC. Edmonds said that she is unsure of where the budget will come from but that she is looking for sources both on an off campus.

The project proposal is due Nov. 16, in which they must detail funding for the first two years of the project. The Environmental Science department has agreed to sponsor the house, meaning that they will provide a significant portion of the funding. The Residential Life Office suggested that the Green House would need to secure at least �"several thousand dollars” for the first two years.

Another issue with the Green House is the actual feasibility of their intended lifestyle changes. The group has yet to discuss their proposals with Facilities Management, who oversees the residential facilities. The low-flow toilets and water saving faucets are not only expensive projects, but they would also require significant modification to the dorms.

There have been three planning meetings to get the Green House off the ground. About one dozen people have attended each of the meetings. Pending approval, around 25 students will live in the house. However, Edmonds noted that one of the problems that special interest housing has had in the past is that while a lot of people will want to live in the house the first year, interest tapers off and many students don’t return.

The group is developing their Residence Life application. Next, the proposal will be sent to the head of the Environmental Science department, Timmons Roberts, who will then review it with other professors from the department.

Senior and Environmental Studies major Zach Bradford agrees with the idea of the Green House project, saying, �"College students should really take in interest in sustainable housing projects. It's a win-win situation: decreased external inputs equate to lower housing costs and fewer negative environmental consequences.”

Indeed, many others on campus would probably welcome a proposal such as the Green House, due in part to the enthusiasm garnered by the recent President’s Climate Commitment (PCC). The PCC is a national project to have college presidents pledge to �"neutralize greenhouse gas emissions, and to accelerate the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.”

President Gene Nichol was presented with a proposal to sign the PCC by students from SEAC on May 2. After a lengthy review process the PCC was accepted by the Landscape Energy Environment (LEE) Committee and is now on the president’s desk. In the process, SEAC acquired an enormous amount of student, faculty and alumni signatures in support of the PCC. The Green House is not tied to the PCC but promotes the same ideals.

Lauren Edmonds says, �"It’s important because our campus has been moving toward more green living and to be more environmentally friendly. This will allow students to live in an environmentally friendly way and to serve as a model for the rest of the campus.”

The Green House is hoping for approval for the 2008-2009 academic year.