I love movies. I love to buy a ticket and get to the cinema early, waiting in breathless anticipation for the next big blockbuster. I love watching previews and making lists of all the movies I want to see. In between multiple viewings of The Dark Knight this weekend (okay, and one of Mamma Mia! I’m not as proud about that one), I started thinking about my love for the movie industry. Hollywood hasn’t typically been considered the most eco-friendly place. After all, California uses more gasoline than any country in the world (with the exception of the U.S. as a whole, obviously). If you’ve ever sat in LA traffic, you know that has to be true. But the center of the entertainment industry IS making some strides in the right direction. In honor of my love for all things Hollywood, here’s a tribute to some of the city’s best green moments.

•  Green movies. There have been a lot of great movies over the years highlighting the dangers of our eco-impact. There’s An Inconvenient Truth, of course, the documentary that made global warming understandable even to science dunces like me. More recently, The Happening was an environmental thriller Though it mostly lacked, well, thrills, it did have a good point to make. Even kids’ movies like Happy Feet and Arctic Tale are drawing attention to very real, very important issues.
•  Green Film-making. This is still a developing area, but kudos to films like Evan Almighty who are taking advantage of carbon offsets to “zero out” their carbon emissions. (Check out Get On Board Now to see how they did it!) The California Film Commission has published a Green Resource Guide  to help filmmakers minimize damage to the environment. From reusable bottles to recycling film set materials, many people in Hollywood are learning better methods to both cut costs and cut the environmental impact of film-making.
• Green celebrities. In an age of paparazzi and celebrity obsession, some stars are using their influence for good causes. There are so many great examples it’s hard to choose just a few, but Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert Redford come to mind. For creativity points, there’s Colin Firth - owner of a green store in London!

Now I’m off to plan another trip to see The Dark Knight…anyone know that Christian Bale stopped eating red meat after providing a voice in Charlotte’s Web?

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