Sethi: “the world woke up”
Co-presenter of The Green, a new segment on the Sundance Channel launching April, Simran Sethi is contemplating where an eco-TV presenter ought to live. Her co-presenter, Majora Carter lives in the South Bronx, NYC, building Green roofs and fund raising. Simran could not be more different.
I am currently living in Lawrence Kansas. I’ve been here four months now and want to move towards a stronger relationship with the environment.
There’s a lot of farmland here. When my lease expires in July I want to try and purchase a plot of land . Perhaps there would be a well its flat arid land prairie vegetation and a few animals
I wish I had a retreat. I am trying to create one for myself now, There is this incredible green prefab home the Sustain mini home designed to function easily on or off the grid whether you are installing a turbine or plugging it into the traditional grid I am trying to see ways I might move myself if not off the grid then at least have a much lighter impact on the grid.
Its prairie land has been used for grazing cattle and there are really innovative ways of growing food I follow Wes Jackson, the Salinas Institute specific types of grain, grown in a poly culture rather than a monoculture.
It must be tough being an eco-TV presenter Simran is constantly riddled with guilt or else in fear of being trapped into a damaging admission of eco-inconsistency. I share a car with my partner, she told me when I asked about the advisability of giving up your vehicle but we try to use it as infrequently as possible, she assured me.
Simran,34, started her career at MTV and worked her way up the ranks until she went her own way in 1998 with She TV, a production company that is now making a series about Ethical Markets for PBS. She is also running all video and audio streams on www.treehugger.com.
Its an exciting time to be doing what she is about to launch The world woke up last month It feels like there’s a tremendous amount of momentum its tangible from week to week — more coverage of these kinds of issues in the NYTimes or turn on any TV news broadcast there will be a mention of something round climate change and food issues. Just to have that info in the news each day is really heartening
It is a really good entry point for people there are so many ways it enters their lives the price of petrol, extreme weather changes, the distance that their food travel, there’s so many ways of approaching the topic that is what is exciting
You will see that in The Green (airing from April 17th) its a variety of different subjects; Rather than saying we have the answers for you we highlight the leaders in the field range from civil society and local government, Product designers, politicians, teachers working to create innovative models. The opics range around fuel
Food, Clothing, Building and design
We’re looking to offer positive supportive news says Simran, and that means celebrities.
Whether its because they want to save money on petrol, or because they saw Leonardo di Caprio it embraces the idea that we are all figuring this out as we go along. Celebrities play a huge role because there is a tremendous coolness factor in all of this green design that is beautiful and stylish and accessible financially . I truly applaud the efforts of celebrities backing it up with foundation money and a commitment that incorporates environmentalism into their lives.
Robert Redford has been an environmentalist most of his life, and has done a tremendous amount of work to leverage his celebrity through both his Sundance Channel and through his catalogue items made by artisans displaying and selling wares made on a small scale have a lot of product integrity convening mayors to look at ways of mitigating climate change on a local level. Climate Change is the umbrella under which all of these issues fall.
The Green has also become Sundance Channel’s first on-air sponsorship deals with Lexus Cars and strockbroker Smith Barney as co-presenting sponsors of “The Green,”
Both brands have made significant investments in becoming environmentally sustainable or helping to lead the charge on that front. Lexus is at the forefront of hybrid technology development and embraces the “hybrid living” concept in its entirety. As part of its “Working Wealth” campaign, Smith Barney is dedicated to showcasing entrepreneurs and businesses that are changing the way they do business to positively impact both the environment and the bottom line. Lexus and Smith Barney have unparalleled credibility in this space, said a Sundance spokesman