Oscars and Spirit Awards Go Green

If you haven’t already heard, the Oscars went green this year…for the second time.  The NRDC has paired up with the Academy to be more environmentally friendly.  The NRDC press release states:

A few highlights of the Academy’s green program include:

• With support from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, 100% of the energy used for the telecast, the red-carpet arrivals show and the Governors Ball will be supplied by renewable wind power.
• All of the generators used for the production, for press support and the red carpet arrivals area are powered by a fuel mix that includes biodiesel.
• The majority of vehicles made available by General Motors for use by production staff and presenters are zero-emission hydrogen-powered cars and hybrids.
• Nearly all food service ware for all events associated with the Awards Presentation is either reusable or biodegradable/compostable.
• The programs, invitations, RSVP cards, envelopes, parking passes and other printed materials include a minimum of 30% postconsumer recycled content.

If you’re not familiar with The Spirit Awards, then you are missing out.  I’d have to say that they are the best awards show that I watch each year.  They’re the actually called Film Independent’s Spirit Awards.  The show honors independent film and takes place on the Saturday before the Oscars each year in a tent by the beach in L.A.  Not only do the hosts and winners dress down and swear, but the film clips are true in that they don’t censor those, either.  My favorite part is each year they have someone sing a parody song that tells the story of each film nominated for the best of the year.  Brilliantly funny.  Anyway – onto the green part.   

The Spirit Awards went further than the Oscars in going green.  They claim that they produced a zero-waste event. 

To eliminate paper and waste, Film Independent is working with indie film discovery and distribution company B-Side to offer online streaming of nominated films as an option to voting members.

Biodiesel-fueled generators and recycled food scraps, Astroturf, wood, and plastic will power the show. Paper will be printed on 100% postconsumer recycled material with soy-based inks. The catering, provided by Along Came Mary, will use only organically grown produce purchased from farms within a 150-mile radius of Los Angeles.

• All eligible voters were required to register online before receiving a ballot, thus saving thousands of sheets of paper, which was FSC-certified, 100% post-consumer recycled. It would have been even better if voting took place online.
• Some of the nominated movies were streamed via a secure section of the ISA’s site, rather than pressing DVD screeners.
• Biodiesel generators will juice all electrical devices at the show, including LED bulbs.
• Soy-based inks were used for the programs.
• Dinner will be served on reusable dinnerware and all leftover food will be sent to a compost facility.
• The reusable flooring and drywall will be donated to Brad Pitt’s reconstruction efforts in New Orleans.

Source: NRDC, Advocate.com, Wired