10 June 2008
Hollywood Goes Green
Robin L. Yeager
The movie industry, from individuals to major studios, is adopting more environmentally friendly practices. Robin L. Yeager is a staff writer with the Bureau of International Information Programs of the U.S. Department of State, and is the editor of Society & Values. Making movies can be a messy business, especially from an environmental point of view. "Lights, camera, action" usually means buildings and sets are constructed for temporary use, hundreds of copies of scripts need to be printed, people must be fed and kept either warm or cool, and action scenes often require explosions and pyrotechnics. Lights need power, and everyone and everything has to be driven, flown, or otherwise moved from point to point. Even digital technology results in environmental challenges from the production, use, and disposition of specialized equipment.
As one of the largest industries in southern California, the film business has historically contributed to regional pollution levels. But many in Hollywood are committed to changing how business is conducted. Those interested in supporting the environment range from the leaders and staffs of large studios to individual actors, artists, and business people.
The Industry: Among the studio chiefs leading their companies into environmentally friendly programs are Alan Horn, president and chief operating officer of Warner Bros., and Ron Meyer, president and chief operating officer of Universal. Universal is committed to a 3 percent greenhouse gas reduction and has taken a variety of actions, such as replacing the diesel trams at their theme park with more environmentally friendly vehicles. Warner Bros. has placed emphasis on the environment for more than 14 years and has a corporate executive in charge of environmental issues. The company's environmental projects began with waste reduction and recycling and have expanded to a comprehensive program, outlined on their Web site [www.wbenvironmental.com]. Select "Eco-Tour" from the menu to see Shelley Billik, vice president of environmental initiatives, tell the Warner Bros. story. Billik takes the viewer through many aspects of the film business, pointing out actions the studio has taken and making the case that, in addition to being good for the earth, environmental policies can be good for business.
Films: The feature film Syriana, for which George Clooney won a best supporting actor Academy Award, contained an environmental theme. The Academy Award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth brought former Vice President Al Gore's presentation on global warming to a worldwide audience. Both movies challenged filmmakers to produce an entire project "carbon neutral." Carbon neutral means that greenhouse gas emissions generated by energy consumed in the production of a project are offset by planting a number of trees or through investments in solar or other renewable-energy alternatives in an amount equivalent to the energy used on the project.
Individuals: Actors and filmmakers keep the environment in mind when choosing roles and projects, they use their status to call attention to issues, and they financially support environmental causes. The list of those active for the environment includes Robert Redford, who has received numerous honors for his efforts and whose cable television Sundance Channel recently launched The Green, a weekly block of programming dedicated to environmental issues; Leonardo DiCaprio, whose full-length documentary project on the state of the global environment, The 11th Hour, is due out in 2007, and who has worked on a green-themed reality show and short films addressing environmental issues [ www.leonardodicaprio.org ]; and writer-director Paul Haggis, who backs up his professional efforts with a personal commitment to the environment, including living in a solar-powered home and driving a hybrid vehicle. Others noted for their efforts include Laurie and Larry David, Rob Reiner, Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Norman Lear, Cameron Diaz, Darryl Hannah, and many others.
Appropriately, during the Academy Awards ceremony in February 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the ceremony itself was a green production and directed viewers to www.oscar.com for further information and links to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
From the June 2007 edition of eJournal USA.
