By Debbie Levin
Sun-power homes defy a cool housing market." "Tower gets high marks for its green features." Car companies vying for cleaner, lower mileage. Carbon offset wars, sprawl vs. multi-use urban growth, natural, organic and 100% organic… I'd say we've come of age. Every day "we're" in the news. Print, online, broadcast. We're what's on everyone's mind. The shift is happening and the new norm of
sustainable, environmentally responsible consumerism and lifestyles are coming of age. Every corporation is recognizing that without an environmental division, their sales will ultimately suffer.
EMA has been around for over 18 years singing this song. The power to educate in the media is something our founding families, the Horns and the Lears knew long before the current wave of green living began. Not only did they understand the urgency of these issues, they also understood how to spread the message in the most palatable and successful way. And that's what EMA continues to do.
2007 was a head-spinning year. It's nice to be popular after years of banging on doors. We have expanded our EMA Executive Board of Directors to include the most influential names in the entertainment industry. We have welcomed the internationally premier DJ, DJ AM, a long-time friend and supporter of EMA. AM brings an important demographic to our work as a positive role model for the world
of music and pop culture. Christine & Doug Belgrad and Paige & Matt Tolmach have joined us from Columbia Pictures. Christine, an attorney and environmental activist has put her law career on hold while raising her children. Paige, a former production exec, now full time mother, has just opened the eco-friendly Los Angeles baby boutique, the little seed, with EMA Board member, Soleil Moon Frye. Howard T. Owens, Managing Director, Co-Head of Domestic TV and Digital for Reveille LLC, brings his vast experience to our emerging broadcast presence. And Lauren Zalaznick, President of Bravo and Oxygen, is not only responsible for two networks, but is also the head of the NBCU Green Council.
The EMA Awards in 2007 really grew up. We made the transition from the "room" to the "screen" with the help of our wonderful friends at E! Entertainment Television and our "little fundraiser" became an hour-long prime time special. Done and Dusted, one of the world's premier festivals, awards, music and events staging and filming specialists, produced the show for the first time.
We had four feature films nominated for the EMA Award this year! Four! All completely worthy of taking home the honor. We had four documentaries! We had four reality nominees! Wow. We're only supposed to have three, but every category was so rich in substance and motivation we decided to "bend" the rules to accommodate our riches.
Our Corporate Advisory Board took another leap with more partners and a growing strategy. With representatives from many of the most influential companies in our country, we come together with the common goal of improving the bottom line through aggressive "green" options for the consumer. Cross marketing has become an exciting opportunity for several of these non-competing companies to offer potential customers a complete environmentally progressive package to satisfy their needs. Meeting twice a year with our Executive Board, we are confirming that like-minded individuals equal like-minded business plans.
As always, EMA visited many Executive Producers of series television and feature films and pitched storylines, character arcs, beats, jokes, anything they would listen to in order to motivate and educate. And for the third year, we also grabbed the production people and offered them the guidelines and resources for the EMA Green Seal.
EMA handed out our 4th Annual EMA Green Seal Awards honoring Production Teams for their efforts to be more "green" behind-the-scenes, as well as EMA Green Seal Awards to Corporate Offices of Studios, Agencies and other entertainment industry companies who have committed to being more "green" within their everyday office activities. These Awards further EMA's mission to increase environmental awareness and to inspire environmentally conscious habits on an individual level and within the industry as a whole. It also serves as an incentive for greater participation in existing studio, production and corporate guidelines.
EMA's goal is for our realistic guidelines to be considered for all phases of Production and for all areas of the Corporate Office structure. With the EMA Green Seal Award, we are helping bring environmental awareness full circle within the industry and rewarding individuals for making a difference behind-the-scenes.
To qualify for this Award, the process includes completion of some or all of EMA's "Checklist" of "green" choices such as: buying recycled content office products; using Energy Star light bulbs and equipment; recycling everything possible; reducing waste and the use of plastics; using less toxic set materials; integrating alternatives to lauan; filling up with ultra low sulfur diesel and not allowing equipment and vehicles to idle unnecessarily. These are some of the actions that will make your office or production a nominee. Related community improvements or enhancing the surrounding filming site counts too. Simple to elaborate activities that demonstrate a commitment to the environment will all be considered. And now we have launched a new department headed by our EMA Executive Environmental Advisor, Taylor Grant. For both the entertainment industry and private homes, we'll give hands on attention and referrals to make your environment more sustainable. We look at this as the most natural progression for our EMA Green Seal Program. We are in the process of launching a comprehensive manual of solutions, resources and advisory services to deepen our ability to fully service the industry with up to the minute information and innovations.
The Golden Globes, that great Hollywood tradition, was tweaked in 2007 and made even more "golden" by turning it "green." The EMA E! Golden Green Party presented by Lexus at 9900 Wilshire was a sustainable and starry success. As EMA and E! Entertainment Television's relationship continues to grow, it was the logical choice to join together and put the "EMA" spin on the venerable winter tradition of the Golden Globes. Why not dazzle our guests with our signature gourmet organic cuisine prepared by great friend, Chef Akasha Richmond. Eight hundred guests enjoyed the stunning and sophisticated eco-conscious décor created by Best Events. After the viewing party, EMA Board member, DJ AM took to the turntables to warm up the crowd. (And warming up was needed at this L.A. record cold evening dipping down to a frigid 38 degrees)! Grammy nominated KT Tunstall sang an amazing set for our guests.
This was an Awards gala that was truly a green event. Of course we were carbon neutral, but we were also conscientious while preparing the event. Lexus and Toyota made hybrid vehicles available to attendees of not only our party, but the entire Golden Globes as well. Our footprint carefully minimized by our use of local and organic cuisine and sustainable décor.
Debbie Levin was asked to speak to the graduating class of young filmmakers at Columbia College Chicago's "Semester in L.A." by program director, Jon Katzman. "Semester in L.A." is a five-week immersion program in which students take classes in film production, directing, and screenwriting; costume styling and wardrobe management; adaptation-screenwriting; TV pilot development; writing the TV sitcom and entertainment, marketing and public relations; and music composition. Debbie spoke to the students about shooting "green" both physically on set and how to incorporate "green" messages within their scripts.
The California Integrated Waste Management Board honored Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.'s Torrance headquarters with the Waste Reduction Awards Program of the Year Award (WRAP Award). Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) received top honors in a field of more than 1,200 winners for its success in waste reduction and recycling at its headquarters campus facility and Los Angeles Parts Distribution Center. EMA Board member, Wendie Malick, was there to present the Award. TMS was honored for the Center's efforts to reduce waste generation by 40% since 2003, using programs such as returnable shipping containers, packaging reduction and waste recycling. Additionally, the Center implemented an auto glass-recycling program, recycling 11 tons of glass windshields since the program began in August 2006. In December 2006, Toyota Motors Sales also achieved zero waste to landfill at its headquarters campus.
EMA and E! Entertainment Television combined forces with TreePeople, and promised to plant a tree for every person attending the Golden Green Party at the Golden Globe Awards in celebration of an eco-friendly Hollywood. This promise was fulfilled on April 4 when we all gathered at TreePeople's Headquarters in Coldwater Canyon Park for a tree planting Ceremony and Press Conference. The trees planted were the first of the 800 trees planted throughout Los Angeles County in honor of the "Golden Green" event.
What's that we keep saying? We want to leave our planet a better place for our children. That's the mantra of the environmentalist. In truth, that's the mantra of every parent on earth. So what better group for EMA to enlist as "new" partners in our efforts to educate and motivate than parents of young children? On a beautiful L.A. evening on April 18 we "invaded" the home of EMA Board members, Shana and Todd Garner, for a fabulous dinner and great conversation about what else … a sustainable lifestyle and home for families.
Food Network chef Dave Lieberman created a beautiful, organic meal using ingredients purchased from the local Santa Monica Farmers Market. Debbie Levin and Todd Garner spoke as everyone dined, about the easy, yet crucial ways we can create a safe, non-toxic, sustainable home for our families. It's as easy as keeping canvas bags in your trunk for the market and swapping out incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescents, having organic food in the fridge and taking your kids to the local farmers market each week! Obviously, we stressed making that family SUV a hybrid and why would you clean your home with dangerous chemicals instead of natural cleaning products, which do the job just as well? Again, easy changes that keep your children's home environment as natural as possible.
In a setting best known for wine-tasting and colorful scenery, attendees of the Industry Insights Summit on April 26 in Napa got plenty of both. The 3-day conference, produced by Mitch Litvak of the L.A. Office, was attended by 150 executives/marketers who make promotional decisions and define promotional strategies and partnerships. The Summit was created to help executives stay on top of the industries and trends that will affect the way we will market our products in the future.
Debbie Levin was asked to make a presentation on the value of going green with your business and your products. She spoke about why it is important to make your brand environmentally conscious as well as cool and hip; how EMA has used our corporate relationships to move our agenda; and how successful products within companies can make a shift in public perception and motivate a change in "buying habits." Other speakers included: Drew Buckley from Yahoo! Studios, Layton Han co-founder of MyPoints.com, Jane Buckingham from The Intelligence Group, Sarah O'Hagen from Nike, and Carlos Becil from W Hotels Worldwide.
The Environmental Media Association co-sponsored a special evening on June 18 highlighting the extraordinary programming of the award-winning public affairs show NOW on PBS. NOW: An Environmental Briefing, held at the William Turner Gallery in Santa Monica and enjoyed by over 100 guests, featured award winning journalist and NOW host David Brancaccio, EMA Board Member Ed Begley, Jr. and Dr. Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institute discuss the topic, "Sea Change." The candid conversation explored the current evidence of the rapidity of change in our oceans. Caldeira, who studies the global carbon cycle and chemical oceanography, is a renowned expert on the ecology of oceans.
Debbie Levin spoke on the Green filmmaking panel at the Association of Film Commissioners Conference (AFCI), held in Santa Fe, New Mexico in August. Attending the conference were representatives from not just the United States, but Europe, Australia and India as well. Everyone was extremely interested to learn how to create an environment that's more sustainable during location shoots. Of course cost is the main issue, but the panel explained how green and cost consciousness are not mutually exclusive. This is clearly a "top of mind" subject for our global film industry.
We are all well aware of the exorbitant amount of pollution that we as an industry produce on a daily basis. Well, now an enterprising young company is looking to dramatically change that. Green Power Generators (GPG) specializes in Eco-Friendly studio generators that reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 70% and Nitrogen Oxide emissions by 40%. The idea, says Tomer DeVito - GPG Co-founder and a TV commercial producer, came to him when he learned that generators produce more greenhouse gas emissions than any piece of equipment on set. He partnered with Alton Butler, owner of Line 204 Studio Rentals and together (with a little help from their friends at EMA) they set out to encourage the industry to move beyond dirty old generators.
GPG has their own supply of bio-diesel fuel, as well as transportation, utility and re-fueling trucks that run on fuel from the same source, ensuring that all measures are taken to prevent unnecessary carbon emissions. Green Power Generators has already powered the 17th Annual Environmental Media Awards; 20th Century Fox; ABC's Grey's Anatomy; Hollywood Records; Ridley Scott & Associates; numerous commercial and music video production companies; The Van's Warped Tour; Clear Channel; the Jane Goodall Foundation; and much more. They're all excellent first steps for a company that just launched July 19, 2007.
As always, your support for EMA helps us continue our work putting the power of Hollywood to use on the broad spectrum of crucial environmental issues that we're encountering and allowing us to effect positive change.
Copyright © 2007 Environmental Media Association
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