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It's not easy being green, Hollywood discovers
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But the MPAA’s Glickman said that, besides trying to limit emissions to help the planet, companies are cutting down on such activities because the costs of energy have increased dramatically.
“The trucks go from the studios to the locations and back; they’re not running on locations,” he said. “The state of California has very strict idling rules. Also, because of the costs of diesel fuel and the rapidly rising costs of energy in general, the goal now is more efficient driving, only when necessary. I think you’re going to see much higher energy prices for a long time to come. That will have a revolutionary impact on how we operate.”
Jon Corcoran, vice president of corporate safety and environmental affairs at Sony, said his company is not waiting for rising fuel costs to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. “In New York City, for instance, we’re working with the mayor’s office of film, theater and broadcasting along with Columbia University to study the feasibility of using biodiesel in generators on productions,” he said.
The burning of diesel fuel is just one target in Hollywood’s green efforts.
At MGM, for instance, which does not have a lot full of sound stages and trucks but rather is housed in a tower of offices, the efforts are companywide and simpler.
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“We switched to all paper pantry products,” said Jeff Pryor, executive vice president of corporate communications at MGM. “We switched to biodegradable, eco-friendly products. We established an excellent commuter program and a toner recycling program. We used to have seven dumpsters downstairs full of garbage; now we’ve cut it down to three.”
Pryor said the impetus for many of these measures comes from environmentally sensitive employees. “They’re the ones who say to upper management, ‘Why aren’t we doing this?’ ‘Why aren’t we doing that?’ ”
Sony’s green efforts include low-flow faucets and toilets, waterless urinals, drought-resistant plants and a new solar energy system at the Culver City lot, according to the studio’s own data. The studio recycled 54 tons of electronic waste and about 60 percent of its solid waste last year.
Sony is the only studio to have its environmental management system certified to the international ISO14000 standard, said Corcoran.
All the major studios now have divisions within their ranks devoted to making the companies more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.
“All of them are making an effort,” said Debbie Levin, president of the Environmental Media Association. “Certainly there are going to be flaws. But being in the entertainment industry means there’s a spotlight on Hollywood, and you can’t proclaim to be green without backing it up.”
And, of course, there are the cars.
“It’s very interesting in the course of the last 2.5 years in the executive parking lot,” said Sony’s Corcoran. “The number of Mercedes is going down, and the number of Priuses is going up. It looks like a dealership out there.”
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