gerv 

The New York Times reports that the Discover Channel is about to commit to a project called something like the Green Lifestyle Channel or PlanetGreen. Basically they are re-branding a Channel called Discovery Home with new Green content.

Will Living Car Free make it big-time? Has the Green movement really taken off?

LandLuger

I just hope that while my fellow "green" citizens are flying home to catch their favorite episode of House Makeover hosted by Al Gore in their hybrid SUV that they remember to "share" the road.

bragi

This seems about as useful, from an environmental point of view, as recycling bottles of mineral water flown over from France, or driving a hybrid, or using compact flourescents in your 8000 sq ft house, but every little bit helps, I suppose.

EnigManiac

I wanna be on that show

Alekhine

I wanna host that show.

Platy

I think a better concept would be a show along the lines of "The 1900 House" broadcast by PBS a few years ago.

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/1900house/

For "The Carfree House" I'd put one family in a sprawly suburb of Houston, another family right next to light rail in a bike friendly city, another one in ... well you get the idea.

ellenDSD

Hey guys, if you want to create a show that will really get the message across, you don't have to wait for some bigwig TV exec to discover you. With YouTube, a video camera and simple applications like iMovie, you can produce your own show and broadcast it to the masses.

wahoonc

I watched that show for a bit and had some serious issues with the way it was done. In the 1900's people living in that house would have had at least a couple of servants in the house. From my perspective reality TV ain't...

Aaron

gerv 

First of all, as bragi said, it seems a little ridiculous. However, the fact that Discovery sees enough green advertising dollars and enough viewer interest should indicate that it has suddenly become a major issue in the US.

But secondly, while it is a major issue, there is also the fact that about 80% of the content will probably be of the sort that seeks a "technological" fix for climate change. I've already noted this difference between some mainstream media, particularly television, and print media like New Yorker. The former suggests that climate change can be fixed by moving to electric vehicles and installing curly light bulbs. The latter reminds us of the tremendous climate changes in the past and the dire impacts.

I hope the Green channel will feature at least some serious content.

Sir Lunch-a-lot

That would be so awesome! You know, I always thought it would be cool to have a show on TV along the lines of American Chopper/American Hotrod, only about bikes. (Granted, the show idea mentioned here would be much broader than that).

0_emissions :=)

Awesome idea. I would love to see the outcome of something like this. Maybe a trading spouses, but instead could be called trading lifestyles.
Throw a gas guzzling family from some wacky suburb a few bikes and tell them that's the only way to get the job done. See how long it takes for them to snap. Hilarity ensues!

eofelis 

[QUOTE=gerv]The New York Times reports that the Discover Channel is about to commit to a project called something like the Green Lifestyle Channel or PlanetGreen. Basically they are re-branding a Channel called Discovery Home with new Green content.
QUOTE]

But you won't be able to watch it if you're "cable TV-free." (I am)

Sir Lunch-a-lot

If I could have it my way, when the time comes for me to worry about getting my own place, I'd have only a couple of channels: Discovery, Probably some news, and maybe Space. If there was a service that charged 50 cents a channel per month, I'd be tickled pink. Until then, I can dream on (or watch tv at my folks place) seeing as how I won't likely get anything other than peasant vision. Given the amount of TV I've watched this year at college, I could live quite comfortably with only 2 channels.

Hobartlemagne 

'1900 House' was cool. 'Frontier House' was awesome!

Wogster

The issue isn't really living like they did in 1900, but how to live with the lowest possible energy footprint, even in 1900, people used far more energy then they needed to. One problem in modern times, is the concept of throwaway stuff, as if throw-away is a good thing. Take for example a cleaning cloth, you can buy chemical impregnated, throw away ones, or you can cut up an old T-shirt, and then get several that can be washed and reused 100 times, which is environmentally better?

People tend to forget that recycle is only one of the three R's of environmentalism, the other two are reduce and reuse. Reduce has the lowest energy footprint, reuse comes next, and recycle has the highest, but seems to be the big one right now.

scottyk

Try bitorrent.

Hobartlemagne 

File sharing saves energy.

Wogster

About 5 years ago, I noticed a trend, every cable bill seemed to include a notice that they were raising the fee for something or another, and a cable bill that 5 years earlier had been $35/month was now $70/month, well I called the cable company and told them I wasn't going to pay for it anymore. They said that they would be forced to cancel my service, well that was fine by me. I bought a set of rabbit ears and a single amplifier, for about $35. I get about 8 channels with my rabbit ears. If there isn't anything on one of those channels, then TVs come equipped with a wonderful device called an off switch. Amazingly liberating that off switch. Plenty of things to do when the TV is turned off, listen to the radio, read a book, do stuff on the computer, play with the cat (who right now is "helping" me type).

I could say more, but I just worked all night, and my bed is screaming my name, so I am about to go make use of it.

scottyk

I got rid of DirecTV last summer. Spent about $44 a month on programming. Bought an antennae for $30. When I was growing up that's all we had. I get six channels now. If there's nothing on, turn off the TV and go outside. The problem is that if you have 100 channels, you will find something to watch. All the time.

wahoonc

Problem is they eventually will do away with broad cast (not that, that is a bad thing mind you ) I have an antenna with a rotator on it, we get maybe 5-6 channels clear and another 3-4 fuzzy. But there isn't too much to watch anyway. I get most of my stuff off the internet.

Aaron