After days, if not weeks, of observing tons of media coverage, much of it banal to a greater or lesser extent, reporting on the Oscars is hardly something that fills GallonDaily’s editor with enthusiasm. However, we think it is important for our readers to know that the Oscars are going green. If the Oscars can do it, are there any events that cannot?

The Oscars are being assisted by the New York City based Natural Resources Defense Council, a well-respected ngo. NRDC states that the commitment to the green cause by the Motion Picture Academy has never wavered since the program was started in 2007. In 2013 the new ecological initiatives covered energy, waste management, paper products and food.

On energy, the Academy purchased renewable energy credits to cover electricity use, used hydrogen fuel cells and biodiesel blend liquid fuels, replaced backup generators with large uninterruptible power supplies, reduced fuel use, and replaced all theatre lighting with compact fluorescents and LEDs.

The famous red carpet is made from 100% recycled material and will be reused for next year. 70% of non-food waste is to be reused or recycled. Disposable water bottles have been eliminated from backstage and office areas and recycling bins have been placed in appropriate locations.

Paper used for every aspects of the Oscars, from invitations to bathrooms, contains recycled fibre and paper use reductions have been implemented. The Governors’ Ball served local produce and certified seafood. Prepared unused food was donated to a local charity for the poor. Floral arrangements were donated or composted.

A factsheet documents a long list of environmental initiatives implemented at the 2008 Academy Awards. Many more initiatives have come in each subsequent year, with the bar being raised each year.

As we stated above, if the Academy Awards can do it, is there any large event that can legitimately claim that green is not possible?

The NRDC account of greening the Oscars is at http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ahershkowitz/backstage_at_the_oscars_the_en.html

The 2008 list of Academy Award Green Achievements is at http://www.nrdc.org/greenthis/oscars/achievements_08.pdf