Articles by Chris Schults

Could TV and film be the key to the renewable energy revolution?

On several occasions I have written about television shows and movies. In doing so, I've tried (albeit unsuccessfully) to start a discussion about the impact they have on audiences when they address environmental issues and/or feature eco-friendly products (hybrids, windmills, etc).

Recently, I issued a call asking (and paraphrasing Bill McKibben): "Where are the movies? The TV shows? The comics? The bleeping video games?"

I believe exposure to such content will help introduce enviro concepts to consumers of pop culture, create awareness (you mean windmills aren't only a Dutch thing?), educate (hey, I didn't realize you could fit two dead bodies in the back of a Toyota Prius!), and start a conversation (do you think Julia Roberts drinks organic soy milk in real life?).

That said, I direct you to a recent piece (based on a true story) by our friend Joel Makower. Our story begins:

(Fade in: two small children running around in a playground. Pan right: A hybrid car slowly drives by while the blades of huge windmills rotate in the background. Narrator's voice begins ... )

If you could pay an extra five or ten bucks a month to help reduce global warming, childhood asthma, rolling brownouts, the national debt, and the threats of Al-Qaeda, would you bother? I'm guessing you'd think that a no-brainer.

So, why aren't you buying clean energy?

The question has been befuddling everyone from environmental activists to utility executives. Nearly every American, it seems, understands that generating electricity from the sun, the wind, the earth's heat, or gases generated by rotting waste is good news for everyone -- the planet, people's health, national security, and the economy.

So, what's the problem? They just don't think clean energy works.

Is P&G’s Tide Coldwater just more greenwashing?

Everyone who listens to Umbra knows you should wash your clothes in cold water. Sounds like the folks over at Procter & Gamble might be listening.

I give you Tide Coldwater.

Here is the marketing spiel from the Tide website:

Tide Coldwater provides a deep clean in the care of cold water, making it the coolest way to clean. When used in a cold water wash, Tide Coldwater can:

• Remove even stubborn stains better than the leading competitive liquid detergent in warm water
• Save energy and money by lowering your heating bills
• Help colors stay brighter and whites stay whiter
• Provide a cool new scent experience

Though I missed it, my TV-watching buddy tells me that they specifically mentioned the eco-friendly aspects of Tide Coldwater in a commercial. So, do we applaud or boo?

Oh, and you gotta love how they're trying to appeal to those outdoorsy types with their two scents: "Glacier -- a classic floral scent linked with fruity, woody, and citrus elements" and "Fresh Scent -- a modern floral scent combined with fresh, crisp herbal notes."

Update [2005-8-4 13:53:46 by Chris Schults]: Ok, so I found the TV commercials online here. While they don't specifically mention any environmental benefits, they do promote the energy and money saving aspects of washing with cold water. And we all know that reducing energy consumption is good for the environment. Though, who knows what chemical nastiness is in this version of Tide.

For sale — on Mars

I'm all for space exploration, but maybe we should get our act together on this planet before we go mucking up others.

(Via Wired)

Solar Grove

Is it me or is this a way-cool and efficient use of a parking lot?

Kyocera recently installed its first public "Solar Grove" consisting of 25 "solar trees" that converts a 186-vehicle parking lot into a 235 kW solar electric generating system. The system's 25 solar trees form a carport in a Kyocera employee parking lot, utilizing a total of 1,400 Kyocera KC-187G solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and 200 custom-manufactured, light-filtering PV modules.

Pictured here:

(via TH c/o GCC)