Since its widespread integration into most US households in the years following World War II, the television has been the staple mass media channel through with information has reached people in the United States.  Though recently rivaled for supply of news and media by the rise of the Internet, TV remains the major source of cultural trends and ideas. 

Historically, this hasn’t been a good thing for the environmental movement. Automobile industry ads have long promoted driving practices and transportation habits that are at best detrimental, and at worst extremely destructive to the environment. More recently, the television has brought misleading and often purely inaccurate news about the environmental friendliness of companies from from Ford to Chevron, through greenwashing campaignsg. 

But now, a major player in the world of television is attempting to change all that. The Discovery Channel, long known for its coverage and promotion of environmental issues, and a former sponsorship of a professional cycling team, has launched Planet Green, a spin-off network focusing entirely on limiting environmental impacts and supporting sustainable practices.  The channel, which launched earlier this month on many higher-end cable packages, represents a major change in the use of the televised medium to promote eco-friendly activities.

Rather than rely purely on scientific shows and nature documentaries, Planet Green brings forward a number of new series, created based on currently successful formulas for reality television series, and using the star power of many a green-focused celebrity. From the youth market and young adult pull of Entourage’s Adrien Grenier to the long-established ability of Bill Nye to combine humor, plain-spoken understandability and scientific fact, Planet Green has an undeniable popular appeal. 

But despite the star power, the network’s focus will remain on practical environmental solutions. “With expert advice and info from our on-air personalities such as Sara Snow, Annabelle Gurwitch, Emeril Lagasse, and Steve Thomas, plus our team of eco-savvy writers, Planet Green is your user's guide to living mindfully on this big blue marble we all call home,” reads the site’s press material. “Our experts will help you navigate the options for detoxifying your home, life, and planet - without the jargon or the guilt trips - so you can start being the change you wish to see in the world.”

The new channel’s association with long-established green website TreeHugger.com furthers its green credentials, and should bring in tremendous cross-media interest.  And if the success of similar, non-green focused line-ups is any indication, it could be the most significant and lasting-change in the television’s relation to the green movement as a whole.