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Living with Ed: Crazy Green or Just Crazy
September 26, 2007

This past month, I finally caught a couple episodes of Living with Ed on HGTV. Although being touted as “possibly the greenest guy in Hollywood”, I always thought of Ed Begley as the poster child of ridicule by the Environmental Browns or Blacks. After all, some of the initial trailers included Ed peddling his bike to generate energy to power his toaster and displaying his Emmy on the shelf above his cat litterbox (as they lack space in his 1200 sq. ft house). Does this really project a positive image of green living? After a whole season of neglect, I approached the show’s current season with some skepticism.

First a brief recap for those who have not seen or heard of the show. Ed Begley (most famous for his role on St. Elsewhere) has been an environmental activist for many years, way before the current green rage. Ed tends to go to extremes for his green beliefs and hopes to live off the grid at some point, something that his wife Rochelle shudders at just the mere thought. The basic hope of the show (I think) is to dole out tips and highlight green products to a mass audience, in a light, comedic way.

So what’s my verdict after viewing 2 episodes? Well, still mixed. The show obviously plays up Ed’s eccentricity against Rachelle’s green skepticism and her desire to be mainstream Hollywood. The theme this season is to showcase not just Ed but other celebrities who have taken the green path. However, it’s a bit hard to swallow when these stars live in mansion-sized homes (excluding Ed and Bill Nuyes – the Science guy) and then tout the virtues of CFLs or composting.

I do have to admit that the show makes a good effort of combining inexpensive tips with major projects. Actions like composting, energy efficient appliances and lighting are fairly doable for most folks. I was particularly fascinated by Solatube, an efficient and aesthetically pleasing alternative to skylights as it (re)directs light and reduces the need for lighting. If you are considering a skylight, Solatube seems like a way better option. The second episode I watched also highlighted these beautiful solar tiles that can used as canopy to shade patios as well as provide solar energy. Obviously a more extensive investment but demonstrates that green can be functional and attractive.

What I find most interesting and encouraging is the online discussion that the show generates. I logged onto the HGTV discussion forum and noticed that there were some very active discussion forums on the products and tips introduced on the show. The site also lists the showcased products (for obvious commercial reasons) so viewers can find them easily. I’m still not sure whether Living with Ed is good or bad press for green living but I’m willing to give another couple of episodes a try.

Living with Ed is on Monday nights at 10:30pm PST.

CindyC atOrganicpicks

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