NEW YORK – Well, whaddaya know? The Earth’s a star!
After languishing in the background far too long, Earth has landed on the covers of Time, Newsweek and Vanity Fair this month alone. It can also boast a starring role in an Oscar-winning movie (Al Gore’s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth”).
Meanwhile, TV is jumping on the “eco” bandwagon, including the recent announcement of Discovery PlanetGreen, a network dedicated to living a green lifestyle. It begins next year.
Much sooner, Sundance Channel is (in its own words) displaying its commitment to ecological issues and environmentally sustainable approaches to modern living.
“The Green” is its umbrella title for a weekly programming block that aims to do Earth justice at a moment of particular urgency. The Green starts at 9 p.m. Tuesday (just five days before Earth Day, of course).
“Other than the original launch of the network (in 1996), this represents the largest investment we’ve ever made in an initiative,” said Sundance Channel CEO Larry Aidem. “It’s going to be a regular prime-time destination, every Tuesday night, indefinitely.”
The Green is the network’s latest venture beyond its independent-film roots.
“We’re not just for film fanatics anymore,” Aidem said.
The Green will address such problems as global warming, pollution and energy depletion. Emerging solutions will be highlighted, too.
“It won’t be all gloom-and-doom,” Aidem promised.
In its first 13 weeks, the night will begin with “Big Ideas for a Small Planet,” which zeros in on green strategies for modern-day challenges. Topics include “Build,” “Furnish,” “Work” and “Kids.” Then each “Big Ideas” edition is followed by a thematically complementary documentary premiering at 9:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, “Big Ideas” begins with “Fuel,” which poses the question: Can we imagine a world without gasoline?
Joel Woolf is trying, too. The CEO of Veg Powered Systems, he will convert your diesel vehicle to a dual-tank rig that runs on diesel fuel … or on vegetable oil. Take your pick.
Woolf’s isn’t the only big idea offered. But, clearly, every good idea for alternative energy is needed: According to the show, for every mile you drive in your gas-powered car you release about a pound of global-warming pollution.
Following this half-hour, a documentary enlarges on the don’t-be-fuelish theme.
“A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash” is a crash course in the past, present and diminishing future of oil.
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