Environmental Leader

Driving a Prius hybrid has become the standard way for Hollywood stars to flaunt their environmental credentials, but General Motors says more than 75 will get to the red carpet at tonight’s Academy Awards in zero-emission hydrogen-powered cars and hybrids, Reuters reports.

“It has been such a Toyota top-sided story until now,” said GM spokeswoman Christi Conti, who said that Yukons were offered to all the presenters and all the performers.

Global Green, organizer of the Red Carpet/Green Cars campaign, is not happy about the use of hybrid GMC Yukons because they only gets 22 miles per gallon on the highway.

The Yukon’s cousin, GM’s Chevy Tahoe, won the ‘green car of the year’ award from Green Car Journal this year.

The awards presentation, in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council, is making other green choices too.

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.
- 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.