Show on environmental awareness airs nationally

Eco Company hopes to inform national audience about ways to 'go green'

posted September 21, 2009

by Chiara Leifer of Campanile

Courtesy of Amy Plemons

Eco Company, a new eco friendly television show, aired Sept. 19 on KTVU. Hosted by four local Bay Area teenagers, the show hopes to promote techniques to create a greener environment.

For decades, the environment has been a controversial issue that has been addressed in many different ways. The new television show, Eco Company, works to connect with teenagers and help promote a better future for the planet.

"Eco Company is a show for teens and hosted by teens aimed at providing awareness of environmental and sustainable issues and showing solutions and tips we can all follow to preserve the earth's resources," Executive Producer Bob Anderson said.

Eco Company airs in the Bay Area on KTVU-2 every Saturday at noon.

"We showcase a lot of different ways you can go green at home," supervising producer Amy Plemons said. "From Electronic Waste, recycling your old cell phones and televisions sets, to driving a hybrid vehicle, to organic farming — you know, not using chemicals or pesticides. We really cover everything that makes a green, eco lifestyle."

Eco Company does not only aim to educate adolescents on how to live "green," it also covers a wide range of eco-related stories.

"We cover stories about rain forests, global warming, organics, alternative fuels, new technologies, transportation and conservation," Anderson said.

Eco Company is designed to motivate young adults, not just those who have already gone green.

"Our goal is to make teens really feel like they are a part of the green movement," Palo Alto High School senior and Eco Company host Jessica Mann said. "We really want teens to see how being green involves every aspect of your life, and is something you can both think about and make second nature."

The show mainly focuses on teenagers.

"The best and most inspirational stories are those of teens who have decided that they want to make a difference and are doing so in a variety of different ways," Anderson said.

Anderson's goal for the show is to provide suggestions on how to live a green and a planet-conscious lifestyle.

"It is hard to make the decision without really knowing why we all need to make a change," Anderson said. "I hope that the show will help teens understand why there is so much talk about global warming and oil and the depletion of earth's resources, and inspire them to make changes, even if they are small."

Although Anderson and Plemons are already environmentally conscious, they have learned a lot from Eco Company.

"I don't think I'd ever been to an E-waste facility before," Plemons said. "They break it apart and it's loud and noisy. You find exactly how many toxins are in our technology gadgets, which is a lot, and they hurt landfills."

The four teenage hosts, who are native to the Bay Area, have also learned about being "green" through out their involvement with the show.

"Since we're trying to help other teens learn about being green, you can imagine how much we all had to learn first ourselves," Mann said. "This show is full of tips and hints, but we've also explored some really fundamental issues, like the importance of rain forests, even to people who live thousands of miles away like here in Palo Alto. I've learned about the threat of plastic waste to the survival of our ocean life."

Being one of the four hosts for Eco Company has had a great affect on Jordan Fowler, a freshman at Menlo High School.

"I have realized that I want to pursue a career as a broadcast journalist, giving others a chance for their voices to be heard," Fowler said. "I will continue to pursue my passions helping others through community service and protecting our planet by continuing to educate others about the importance of going green, and that each and every one of them can make a difference."

Fowlder was introduced to the "green" movement when she became a part of the Eco Company cast, after reporting on green issues.

"To be honest, I wasn't at all that aware of how I could get involved in helping save the planet and this was the perfect opportunity," Fowler said. "I realized that I can make a difference at just 14 years-old, which means collectively, just imagine [what] the whole world can do."

According to Anderson, the spotlighted stories are often chosen for the show based on the response of the cast and crew of Eco Company. If the topic gains the curiosity of the Eco Company members, it becomes a valid broadcast option.

"[Because of that] I think the show will appeal to people of all ages," Anderson said. "The stories are topics for which everyone should have an interest."

The four currently selected hosts were chosen to host Eco Company by the producers through an audition held for young adults all over the Bay Area.

"I thought this would be a great way to pursue my interests in media and journalism," Mann said. "I'm also a nature lover, so I was especially excited about a show that promotes environmental issues."

According to Mann, Eco Company is different from most shows which choose to promote being green.

"I was surprised at how much fun this show turned out to be," Mann said. "It's not like the boring documentaries that usually make teens want to forget about the environment."

While Eco Company's goal is to encourage teenagers to live more eco-friendly lives, those involved also make an effort to maintain a "green" office.

"One of the best things anyone can do at home or in an office is to eliminate waste," Anderson said. "We use 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper and we recycle everything possible. In fact, we generate almost no trash whatsoever at our offices."

Unfortunately, Eco Company is not able to be green in every way.

"The camera equipment, the technology that we use — they're not making it eco-friendly in that way," Plemons said.

Anderson's inspiration for the show developed from the show Your Green Life, which he also created.

He decided to apply the same general concept to a show meant for teenagers and thus created Eco Company.

"It is exciting to have a television program like this, that began as an idea a little over a year ago, become a reality," Anderson said. "The show premiered in over 81 million homes across the country. Now I hope that people watch it, like what they see, and get inspired to do something themselves."

Eco Company's web site, eco-company.tv, allows for viewer submitted videos from teenagers across the United States. These videos are showcased on the web site, and some videos could even be chosen to be put on the show.

"[We want] videos [about] how [teens are] green at home, or how they're green at their school or community, or if they know someone and they want to profile them," Plemons said. "Anyone is welcome to submit a video as long as it's telling that they are doing something environmental to help the planet."

Because Eco Company is a Silicon Valley based show, viewer submitted videos help involve other communities and areas as well.

"We can't afford to travel long distances right now and we can't go to the East Coast or Texas," Plemons said. "It's a good way for teens and other individuals to be able to submit stories from their areas."

Eco Company's main objective is that everyone can make a difference in the "green" movement in many different ways.

"Everybody can make a difference," Plemons said. "Doing one thing can make a huge difference, and if everybody were to do one thing and combine them together, it could really change the world. So I think that everyone needs to realize that they can take part, and one person can make a difference and do simple things."

Anderson believes that the clear dedication and hard work of all the people involved in the environmental related show, cast and crew, will be apparent to the majority of Eco Company's viewers.

"I'd like to say that the people we have working on the show are simply the best: an Emmy nominated Supervising Producer, a two-time Emmy winning Photographer and Editor and four local high school students who have dedicated themselves to making the best show they can," Anderson said. "They have all done a fantastic job. You'll see when you watch the show, and you'll watch, right?"