Subliminal Messages

A carton of recycled copier paper sits on the counter of the ER nurses' station. The cast of Friends pours milk out of a reusable glass bottle. Law and Order's Detective Briscoe asks his lieutenant to guess what the blue fleece found at the crime scene is made of. "Recycled plastic bottles," she responds. From props in your favorite star's hands to stories about energy conservation and pesticides, environmental products and themes are appearing regularly on America's most popular television programs.

It's not happening by accident. For 10 years, the Environmental Media Association (EMA) has been working to weave the environment into prime-time television programming. Created by and for professionals in the entertainment industry, EMA works with the stars in front of the cameras as well as the creative staff behind them to include environmental themes in scripts, show environmental products on sets, and make environmentally sound decisions in the studios.

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