June 4 -- The latest example of just how mainstream green living has become goes live today in the form of Planet Green, the nation’s first and only eco-themed 24-hour television network. Launching tonight at 6 p.m. EDT, Planet Green will host more than 250 hours of original programming featuring a number of Hollywood heavyweights, including veteran newsmen Tom Brokaw and Bob Woodruff, actor Adrian Grenier, game show host Tom Bergeron, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, rocker Tommy Lee, rapper Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, and actor/comedian Tom Green. The Discovery Communications property, which is a re-branding of the Discovery Home Channel, will reach 50 million households nationwide with the hopes of becoming the “center of the new green conversation,” according to a statement.
“Planet Green represents a full spectrum of life experiences, personalities, and points of view,” said Eileen O’Neill, president of Planet Green, in the announcement. “Working with a broad range of partners, our goal is to find innovative ways to engage people of all ages and backgrounds through content that’s entertaining, relevant, and accessible.”
The primary goals of the programming are to educate and to entertain, but not to preach. “Planet Green is about motivating people to take an active role in a new conversation about the future of our planet,” O’Neill adds.
The network’s original content will range from dinner-table green forums to green science and innovation to eco-lifestyle makeovers. Green builders and remodelers will probably want to tune in to “Renovation Nation,” which will reveal sustainable building tips from Emmy Award-winning host and home renovation veteran Steve Thomas.
Planet Green also will host a Web site and partner with TreeHugger.com, and eventually will launch Discovery Education Green, a service that will allow teachers to integrate green education into their lesson plans.
Click here for more information about the network's shows.
