Have you thought about what it takes to make the movies we enjoy? In terms of resources for example, sets require lots of wood, bright lights, and air conditioning to cool them. Sustainability and care for the environment is a hot topic now, but where does the entertainment industry play in this?
Recently, I have been intrigued by the idea of biofuels as a new source of energy. The application of tree biochemistry to gain renewable energy is a growing field. This brought up a thought-provoking opinion from a close mentor of mine: he says we must be able to adapt to a lifestyle that does not require more and more energy. He says that we can learn from ancient lifestyles close to nature. But do we sacrifice the comfort of late night movies and dramatic scene play?
Mr. Garvin Eddy is somebody who seems to have found a realistic solution to an energy-costly movie industry, according to the October 2012 issue of UBC Reports. With over 30 years of scenic design experience and certification in developing green guidelines, Mr. Eddy is working to make Hollywood set design more sustainable.
One of his efforts involves developing a new product called ScenicPly. This plywood panel made with wood from well managed forests ideally will replace the illegally obtained wood materials that threaten endangered forests.
Among entertainment firms, the willingness to change to greener methods seems to be there, but tight budgets and access to materials are often the stumbling block to progress. Still, this represents a great application of finding alternative sources of materials to maintain our lifestyle in a more sustainable way.
(This article was published in November 2012 on At this time the news magazine and Community of Accounting and Business Professionals blog)