AlternativeEnergy:CreatingaSustainableBroadway

AlyssaPachecoandMariaSierra
APEnvironmentalScience
YoungWomensLeadershipAcademy2015


TableofContents

Position
BroadwayGoesGreenstandsfirmonitsgoalofpushingalltheatresonandoff
Broadwaytoadoptmoresustainablepractices.Theatresshouldnotonlymovetomakeelectricity
usemoreeffectivebutalsoeveryaspectofshowssuchascostumesandconcessions.Achieving
thesegoalswouldnotonlysavetheatresmoneybutalsocreatealargehelpfulimpactonthe
environment.
HistoryoftheProblem
NewYorkdidnotgainamajortheatrepresenceuntilaround1750,howevernow
BroadwayhasmadeNewYorkamajorculturalcenterandattractsmillionsofpeopleeveryyear.
TheiconiclightsofTheatredistrictandstagelightsoftheover400theatreshavealwaysused
largeamountsofelectricity.However,itwasneverthoughtofasaproblemuntilrecentlywhen
theenvironmentaldamagebecameamoreprevalentissue.
TheBroadwayGreenAlliancewaslaunchedin2008tohelpBroadwaytheatresbecome
environmentallyfriendly.Theirfirstprojectwastohaveparticipatingtheatresreplaceallroof
andmarqueelightingwithCFLandLEDsystemsthataresignificantlymoreefficient.Beforethe
switchinlightingthetheatreswereprojectedtobeemitting930metrictonsofcarbondioxide.
AftertheCFLandLEDlightingwasinstalledtheemissionsdroppeddrasticallyto199metric
tons.
CausesoftheProblem
Broadwaytheatresareknownfortheiropulentextravaganceanditisdifficulttomaintain
thatimagewhilebeingsustainable.Productionsrequirelargeamountsofsupplieswitheven

moreneededformusicals.Thewastefulpracticesofproductionscanbeseenthroughcostumes,
sets,playbills,andconcessions.
Costumesforproductions,useexcessiveamountsoffabricregardlessofhowelaborate
theyare.Eachcharacterhasmultiplesetsofcostumesaswellassetsforunderstudiesandthe
ensemble.
Playbillsareiconictothetheatreandareprintedinthethousandsforeachperformance
ofaplay.Thelargeamountsofpaperthatgointoeachplaybillareastoundingandcouldbe
limitedwerenewmeasurestaken.

ConsequencesoftheProblem
Thelargeamountofelectricityusedinthetheatreindustryequatestolargeamountsof
fossilfuels,coal,naturalgas,andoilbeingused.Fossilfuelusageresultsinheavyatmospheric
pollutionandcauselargeenvironmentalconcernssuchasacidrain.Theburningofcoalresults
ingreenhousegasesthatwilleventuallycausethewarmingoftheearthtodeadlytemperatures.
Theuseofoilsupportslargedrillingcompanieswhosemethodsofharvestharmnotonlythe
environmentbuthumanpopulationsaswell,throughfracking.
Thewastefuluseofpapercasesdeforestationaswellasalossinoxygenproducingtrees.
Withouttheabundanceoffoliagetofilterthecarbondioxideproducedbyhumanbehaviorthe
effectsofCO
buildupwillrapidlyincrease.
2

ProposedSolution(s)TotheProblem
Whentacklingsuchalargecenter/ideasuchasBroadwayanditsassociatedtheaters,
therearemanyaspectsthatcouldprovideabeneficialgreenoutcome.Thisbeingsaid,itwould
bealmostimpossibletocompletelyrenovatethesetheatersintonew,100%greenbuildings.
Therefore,itisimperativethatourinitiativeonlytacklethelargestaspectsthatcausedamageto
theenvironment.Thisrequiresafocusonthemostbasicideasofenvironmentaldamagetobe
foundwithinthesetheaters.BroadwayGoesGreen,thereforelabelsthefollowingissuesasthe
mostenvironmentallythreateningaspectstobefoundwithinBroadwaytheaters:
1. Concessionstandstheuseofplastics,papers,anddyesthatareusedinthe
productionofconcessionpackagingproducts.
2. Recyclingsystemstheefficientuseofatheaterwiderecyclingsystem.
3. Program/PlaybillPrintstheuseofpaperinprograms
Thisbeinglisted,BroadwayGoesGreenhascreateda5stepactionplanthatfocusesona
simple,quick,andcostefficientenvironmentalsafetysystemthatwillhelpattacktheissueofthe
increasingamountoftrashwithinlandfillsworldwide.Thefirststepistomanufactureauniform
packagingproductthathelpstopackageconcessionswhileusingtheleastmaterialpossible.This
willrequireanengineeringdesignthatwillutilizerecyclablematerialsforallpackagingsources.
Secondly,thesaleoffooditemsintheseengineeredpackageswillrequireapersonalized
Broadwayconcessionstand,andthus,willrequirethedevelopmentofBroadwayFoodstuffsInc.,
afactoryfocusedonthedevelopmentofconcessionsnacksinBroadwayGoesGreenPackaging.
Thethirdstepinthisactionplanwillrequirethemanufactureminiaturerecyclingbinsthatare

compatiblewitheachseatinBroadwaytheaters.Thebinswillbeplacedunderthechairsfor
easyaccess,allowingaudiencestobetterhaveaccess,andmoreimportantly,bemorepersuaded
torecycletheirproducts.Thebucketswillbeemptiedaftereachandeveryshowtoensure
recyclingefficiency.ThefinalstepindecreasingwasteoutputforBroadwaytheatersisutilizing
recycledpaperforallPlaybillsthatarehandedoutasprogramsfortheshows.
ThePositionofthosewhoOpposeYou
Manymayarguethatthisaspectofenvironmentalfocusissimplynotlargeenoughtofocuson.
Broadwayanditstheaters,onemayargue,aresimplynottherootofmostenvironmental
problems.Whilethismaybetrue,itisirrefutablethatBroadwaytheatersdocontribute,insome
parts,toenvironmentaldetriments.Sothequestionstands:Ifonecandosomething,whynot?
Thereisalwaysroomforimprovement,inanysituation.Inaworldthatisquicklyevolvinginto
anentertainmentbasedsociety,onecanonlyassumethatproductionssuchasthosefoundon
Broadway,willcontinuetogrowinpopularity.Notonlywillthishelpservethealreadyhuge
audiencesforthissector,butitwillserveasanexampleforotherentertainmentindustries.

GraphsandCharts

WorksCited
"BroadwayGoesGreen."
TimesSquareAlliance:
.Web.26May2015.
"BroadwayGreenAlliance."
BroadwayGreenAlliance
.Web.26May2015.
"Landfills,MunicipalSolidWaste."
EPA
.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency.Web.26May
2015.
"LearnAboutLandfills."
LearnAboutLandfills
.Web.26May2015.
"RECYCLINGFACTS&STATS."
RecyclingFacts&ampStatistics
.Web.26May2015.

MLAformattingbyBibMe.org.