Oprah Eco-Expert Simran Sethi Moves to...Kansas?
is one laid-back warrior (eco-warrior, that is). Sethi offers smart tips for greener living in a way that's both effortless and efficient, which is the likely reason she was chosen as Oprah's very own sustainable living expert. Once a week, Sethi blogs for the world's most influential woman on the topic of greening one's home on a budget, a subject close to her heart after the purchase of a 1925 home in Lawrence, Kan.
Sethi relocated to Lawrence in 2007 after snagging a tenured position at the University of Kansas, bringing her experience in social media and environmental communications to the Midwestern campus after living in urban areas like Mumbai, Los Angeles, and New York. Relishing the chance to "put down some roots," the North Carolina-raised educator has embraced the challenge to update a historic home to modern environmental standards while maintaining its unique history. She's also pretty savvy on everything from chopsticks and sustainable footwear to soda pop and energy-efficient appliances. (Another fun fact: her mortgage payment on a two-story house is equivalent to her rent on a studio apartment in Harlem three years ago!)
We spoke to Simran about making the leap from renting to owning a home, and how homeowners can make their abodes more energy-efficient without dropping a ton of dough.
