Emmy Awards To "Go Green"

By Marisa Guthrie -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/19/2007 11:56:00 PM

Will green be the new black at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards?

Fox, which will air the awards show live Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. ET, has pledged to reduce the show’s "carbon footprint."

"We were inspired by Fox's commitment to the environment and we’re eager to partner with them to make this year's Emmy events more eco-friendly and carbon-neutral," said Dick Askin, Chairman and CEO of the Television Academy. "We are looking at every aspect of our Emmy season – from nominations to the Governors Ball – and making changes that will reduce our impact on the environment."

Those changes include locally grown organic food for press and event guests, using recyclable materials and hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, replacing production golf carts with bicycles and reducing power requirements (i.e. turning down the air conditioning inside the Shrine Auditorium).

Of course, it remains to be seen if the green initiative will make a dent in the cadre of gas-guzzling idling limousines that clog the streets in front of the Shrine.