November 15, 2006, - 4:09 pm

Hypocrites: Hollywood Movies Cause Air Pollution

By Debbie Schlussel
Well, well, well. It seems Laurie David, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCrapio, Cameron Diaz, and all those other Hollywood stars lecturing us on the environment have contributed to the environment a whole lot . . . by making movies.
A UCLA study found that Hollywood is polluting Los Angeles by making movies, literally:

Special effects explosions, idling vehicles, teams of workers building monumental sets and other aspects of the Hollywood movie business contribute to Los Angeles’ poor air quality, a university study finds. The film and television industry and associated activities make a larger contribution to air pollution in the five-county Los Angeles region than almost all five other sectors researched, according to the study by the University of California at Los Angeles. The industry topped aerospace manufacturing, apparel, hotels and semiconductor manufacturing. Only petroleum manufacturing produced more emissions. The study does note environmentally responsible efforts within the industry. For example, production teams for The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions arranged for 97.5% of set materials to be recycled, including some 11,000 tons of concrete, steel and lumber. All the steel was recycled and 37 truckloads of lumber were reused in housing for low-income families in Mexico.

So, now, until all of the above-named celebs stop making movies, they need to shut up. And they can shut up after that, too.
****UPDATE: Reader Sean writes:

So let me get this straight. The Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions crew recycled 97% of their sets to be used in low income housing….in MEXICO?? So, no AMERICANS needed any low income housing? Try this scenario: The recycled material was picked up, loaded and driven to Mexico by illegal aliens who then came back “home” to their regular jobs in America. I’m dizzy…I think I need to drink some water or something.

Amen to that. I’m dizzy, too.




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4 Responses

The Hollywood film industry is not only polluting the air in Los Angeles, they’re polluting minds all around the world.

FreethinkerNY on November 16, 2006 at 12:11 am

I thought all housing in Mexico was low cost.

TheOmegaMan on November 16, 2006 at 10:02 am

What other industry would be given a pass for sending its waste to Mexico? (A question not asked of the film industry was; Was any toxic or hazardous material sent to Mexico?)

EddNH on November 16, 2006 at 2:04 pm

What an absolute load of rubbish. The Matrix films did nothing of the sort! I worked on both Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions, and BOTH films were filmed simultaneously in Sydney, Australia… The sets were dismantled and put in storage, and re-used for other films afterwards at the fox studios sight… in SYDNEY… AUSTRALIA.
Get your facts right you idiots. I’m all for getting Hollywood to take responsiblity for the excess polution it causes… but you people are never going to get anywhere if you come out with bullshit rhetoric like this… you’re a joke.

curb47 on March 6, 2007 at 5:46 am

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