Thanos: Evil Supervillain or Environmental Advocate? Examining the Environmental Impact of the Entertainment Industry
Thanos: Evil Supervillain or Environmental Advocate? Examining the Environmental Impact of the Entertainment Industry
By: Gabriella Wirasakti
Avengers: Endgame, at its surface a record-breaking superhero flick, was an unexpected and symbolic critique on climate change. The main villain, Thanos, recognized the issues of overpopulation and depleted resources and fought against the titular group of Avengers in an effort to reduce the entire universe’s population by half. But wasEndgamean example of a movie addressing environmental harm but actually contributing to it? Usually, the last thing on your mind when watching a movie is the environmental impact behind its production. But there’s a harsh truth behind the entertainment industry – one filled with tons of waste, excessive carbon emissions, and damage to the environment.
It is estimated that the U.S. film and television industry produces an average of 700 films and 500 television series a year.[1]In each of these productions, there are substantial costs generated by a variety of line items: the cast and crew, transportation, set designs, janitorial services, food, props, and more. All of this results in large carbon footprints and considerable environmental impacts.[2]
Regarding carbon emissions, the U.S. film and television industry produced 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to a 2006 UCLA study.[3]More recently, the Sustainable Production Alliance, an organization made up of major studios such as Amazon Studios, Disney, Fox Corporation, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Media, and more, released a carbon emissions report which revealed data for film and television series from 2016 - 2019.[4]The carbon footprint for films ranged from 391 metric tons for small films to 3,370 metric tons for tentpole films.[5]For television shows, the carbon footprint ranged from 18 metric tons per episode for half-hour multi-camera shows to 77 metric tons per episode for one-hour scripted dramas.[6]These emissions include direct and indirect emissions, and it was revealed that fuel was the largest source of carbon emissions, representing more than half of all emissions for films and television shows.[7]
Additionally, there are numerous instances of direct harm caused by the entertainment industry to the environment. Filming of the 2015 action movie Mad Max: Fury Roadcaused extensive damage to the Namib desert, along southern Africa’s Atlantic coast, and endangered the animals and rare cacti of Namibia.[8]The production of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Talesallegedly dumped toxic waste, tainting local water with heavy metals.[9]In general, a single sound stage is estimated to be responsible for destroying 4,000 hectares of rainforest, which equates to more than 7,400 football fields.[10]This is due to the industry’s preference for lauan, a lightweight tropical plywood that is used often in set design for transient structures, but use of which has resulted in deforestation.[11]
Some historical environmental impacts of the film industry still exist to this day. In 1924, the film The Vanishing Americancalled for the transportation of fourteen non-native bison to California’s Santa Catalina Island.[12]After the film’s funds ran out, the herd of bison never made it back to the Great Plains and now over 150 bison remain on the island.[13]
These examples of environmental harm demonstrate an important need for the entertainment industry to do better, and there are numerous ways in which this could occur. One example would be to hire an “eco production assistant” on each set, who is trained to mitigate environmental impacts of the film or television production.[14]The assistant would be dedicated to implementing sustainability measures on set, such as maintaining zero waste systems, coordinating food donation, and tracking sustainability data.[15]Another option would be for major film markets, like California, Vancouver, New York, and Atlanta, to offer tax credits to film and television productions that employ sustainable practices or enact zero waste initiatives. New York already offers ample tax credits to film and television producers who film in the state, so it would be a logical next step for a state to provide tax credits to prevent harm to the local environment.[16]Alternatively, local or state governments could place fines on productions that directly harm the environment by pollution or other damage to the ecosystem.
Sustainable practices on set have been proven to make a difference. The Amazing Spider-Man 2was the first recipient of the “Sony Pictures: A Greener World” sustainable production end credit.[17]The set on Spider-Manemployed many environmental friendly methods, and in some instances, even left the film sites better than when they found it.[18]On the set of Universal Pictures’ Girls Trip, six hundred pounds of excess catering food was donated to the local community to provide meals for the homeless population.[19]Fuel alternatives have been frequently utilized as well, such as in Jason Bateman’s Bad Wordswhich was primarily produced using solar energy.[20]
The entertainment industry is by far one of the most influential industries of our society, but it is, at its essence, consumer driven. Negative press can make or break a movie before it is even released to the public. Though the film and television industry has recognized the impact it has on the environment, time will tell whether its practices meaningfully reduce carbon emissions and harm to the environment. In the meantime, while we can still leave the real world for a little and become immersed in a movie or television show, we must be conscious of the effect that the entertainment we enjoy has on the environment, and, like Thanos, be a voice for change. But, as we’re advocating for change, let’s try not to wipe out half of all sentient life as we know it.
[1]Lauren Harper, Cut! How the Entertainment Industry is Reducing Environmental Impacts, State of the Planet(Mar. 29, 2018), https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2018/03/29/entertainment-industry-sustainability/.
[2]Id.
[3]Sustainability in the Motion Picture Industry, UCLA Institute of the Environment 14 (Nov. 2006), https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/mpisreport.pdf.
[4]Todd Spangler, Hollywood Studios Release Carbon-Emissions Report, Showing Wide Variance Among Productions (EXCLUSIVE), Variety(Apr. 1, 2021, 10:13 AM), https://variety.com/2021/film/news/sustainable-production-alliance-carbon-emissions-report-1234942580/.
[5]Id. Tentpole films are big-budget movies whose earnings are expected to compensate the studio for its less profitable movies.
[6]Id.
[7]Id.
[8]Nastasya Tay, Mad Max: Fury Road sparks real-life fury with claims of damage to desert, The Guardian(Mar. 5, 2013, 3:09 PM), https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/05/mad-max-fury-road-namibia.
[9]Shaya Laughlin, Claims Pirate of the Caribbean production tipping toxic waste into Gold Coast creek,The Courier Mail(Jun. 27, 2015, 8:50 AM), https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/claims-pirates-of-the-caribbean-production-tipping-toxic-waste-into-gold-coast-creek/news-story/f779bab0fb9429cdcc55bb93e4212e9a.
[10]Sustainability in the Motion Picture Industry, UCLA Institute of the Environment 14 (Nov. 2006), https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/mpisreport.pdf.
[11]Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick,Behind Every Film Production Is a Mess of Environmental Wreckage, Vice(Oct. 15, 2019, 7:00 AM), https://www.vice.com/en/article/3kxjvk/behind-every-film-production-is-a-mess-of-environmental-wreckage.
[12]The Catalina Island Bison Herd, Atlas Obscura, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/catalinabison(last visited Nov. 7, 2021).
[13]Id.
[14]Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick,Behind Every Film Production Is a Mess of Environmental Wreckage, Vice(Oct. 15, 2019, 7:00 AM), https://www.vice.com/en/article/3kxjvk/behind-every-film-production-is-a-mess-of-environmental-wreckage.
[15]eco pa training program,earth angel, https://www.earthangelsets.com/eco-pa-training-program(last visited Nov. 7, 2021).
[16]New York State’s Ample Production Incentives Continue to Lure Major Projects, Variety (Mar. 1, 2019, 10:00 AM), https://variety.com/2019/artisans/production/new-york-state-production-incentives-1203151464/.
[17]Environmental Media Association, Official Amazing Spider-Man 2 Sustainability Reel, YouTube(Feb. 17, 2014), https://youtu.be/O8DbnRFtKbo.
[18]Id.The graduation scene at the end of the movie was filmed at East River Park in New York City, which was damaged during Hurricane Sandy. During filming, the crew fixed benches and planted trees which remained after production ended.
[19]Lauren Harper, Cut! How the Entertainment Industry is Reducing Environmental Impacts, State of the Planet(Mar. 29, 2018), https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2018/03/29/entertainment-industry-sustainability/.
[20]Katie Carpenter, BAD WORDS: POWERED BY THE SUN, Green Production Guide,https://www.greenproductionguide.com/bad-words-powered-by-the-sun/(last visited Nov. 7, 2021).