Uhg, I hope this turns out better than the Earth Day Pimp My Ride episode where they created a giant gas guzzling giant, but ran it on biodiesel, were saved!. The Real World: Hollywood will incorporate “environmentally-friendly household and lifestyle choices”

In what they are calling “a groundbreaking initiative for the network”, this new season will go “green” and introduce today’s youth to the ways in which they can incorporate environmentally-friendly household items and make eco-friendly lifestyle choices, into their everyday lives. They will teach kids about solar panels and home lighting efficiency standards in between drunken fights and hot tub orgies. Yea, this isn’t green washing, take a hammer to your skepticism. MTV hopes to showcase many of the ways in which viewers at home can participate in green practices every day with an intimate look at the sustainable and energy-efficient choices made in the construction of the house. By partnering with thinkMTV and working with a wide range of environmentally-friendly manufacturers, the 20th season will design the home, this time with an eco-friendly twist. The Real World house will include solar energy solutions to bamboo flooring, recycled glass counters, some sustainable furniture and recycled vintage décor, energy star appliances, a solar heated swimming pool and energy efficient lighting. All of which will be backdrop for loud screaming drunken goings on.

Additionally, Bunim-Murray Productions has taken measures to reduce its environmental impact by adopting more environmentally-sound production practices on set. They also are working towards making the production and show carbon-neutral by offsetting remaining carbon emissions after these carbon reducing measures are applied. Eco-friendly elements will be added on a regular basis throughout production and within the show, including products seen with the cast and around the house. This initiative fits seamlessly with thinkMTV’s continued environmental efforts which began with the launch of “Break the Addiction” on Earth Day 2006, a multi-platform campaign that encourages young people to make simple changes to improve their lives and to protect the planet.

“Our environment is changing, and young people are realizing that the choices they make in their daily lives can affect the future of the world they live in,” said Christina Norman, President, MTV. “The Real World’ has a longstanding history of tackling the issues facing each generation of MTV viewers – and this season, we wanted to empower our audience by incorporating real, actionable solutions that they can take to make their own homes environmentally-friendly.” I can think of one year of the real world that in any way tackled any sort of real world issue and that was the San Francisco year when they dealt with AIDS. The last time I was watched a real world episode it was drinking, fighting, and sex.

The Real World consistently ranks as a top-rated cable series among Persons 12-34 with each season ranking #1 in its time period among Persons 12-34 versus basic cable competition. So while it pains me to say it, perhaps, maybe, just maybe some sort of eco-message will seep through the mountain of schlock that is the real world and sink into the heads of the millions of young people that watch this show. I still think MTV has a basic problem, on the one hand they have these excellent get out the vote, ecological, and social messages that they try infrequently to impart to the viewers, but then the rest of the time they highlight the over consumption lifestyles of the many blinged out rappers and rock stars. MTV is like a two headed monster that is constantly fighting with itself. This is yet another example.