Franchise Money Maker

This article is written and owned by Carol McClelland

Are you looking for an interesting way to explore your green/sustainable interests? Look no further than your cable television. You may be amazed at the topics covered on some specialty channels. Check out the list of shows I find interesting and useful to those with a bent toward creating a more sustainable presence on our planet.

Use these shows to:

- Find inspiration and motivation to use your career to make a positive impact on the planet

- Explore your target profession or industry to discover cutting edge innovations

- Uncover the problems your industry is committing to solve

- Gain a general understanding of various areas within the green economy

News of the Green Economy

- Focus Earth with Bob Woodruff (Planet Green):
(http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/focus-earth/) In a newsmagazine format, the host reports on a wide variety of subjects relating to the green economy from innovations to science, and from policy to world events. A great place to understand what’s happening each week.

Engineering

- Eco-Tech (Planet Green):
(http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?p
aid=237.15641.122449.34341.4) Originally shown on the Science Channel, this show is now being re-broadcast on Planet Green. A series of five episodes that explore green building, waste, extreme weather, and other topics.

- Discovery Project Earth (Discovery):
(http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/project-earth/project-earth.htm
l) A set of eight amazing experiments that could hold the key to combating global warming. A fascinating show if you’d like to see what it takes to solve the large scale environmental problems we face.

Energy

- COOLFUEL (Science):
(http://science.discovery.com/fansites/coolfuel/coolfuel.htm
l) Shaun Murphy travels across America in vehicles on a variety of fuels. Anything and everything that’s not gasoline.

Green Building

- Renovation Nation (Planet Green):
(http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/renovation-nation/)
The host of this show, Steve Thomas, visits home owners who are making green renovations. Each show highlights innovative building materials and strategies used to build green homes. You may spot a coming building materials trend by watching this show.

- Greenovate (Planet Green):
(http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/greenovate/) This reality based show highlights homeowners as they make decisions to improve their carbon footprint and increase their property values. You watch the renovation from start to finish, all in one episode, of course!

- Greensburg (Planet Green):
(http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/greenovate/) A documentary about a small Kansas town that is rebuilding after being nearly destroyed by a tornado in May of 2007.
Now in its third season, you watch as the town rebuilds green.

- World’s Greenest Homes (Planet Green):
(http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/greenovate/) Design expert Emmanuel Belliveau takes you on a detailed tour of some of the greenest homes on the planet. It’s fascinating to see all the different ways people choose to green their homes.

Science and Innovation

All of the shows in this category are on the Science Channel. Although every episode may not have a green focus, you’ll discover innovations that are changing the way we think about our world. As you watch episodes of these shows, pay as much attention to the problems being solved as to the solutions being offered. We are in a time of innovation. There’s no way to know at this point which of these innovations will become part of our daily lives. In some cases the innovations you witness may inspire other scientists to take another pass at the same problem. Why not be part of the process.

Some of these shows may have episodes that can be watched online.

- Invention Nation:
(http://science.discovery.com/brink/brink.html) Using a veggie-fueled RV, a few young people tour the United States to find amazing eco-inventions. This show is always about green innovations.

- Beyond Tomorrow:
(http://science.discovery.com/fansites/beyondtomorrow/beyond
tomorrow.html) Explore cutting-edge scientific and technological advancements.

- Brink: (http://science.discovery.com/brink/brink.html)
Josh Zepps takes you to the front lines of scientific breakthroughs.

- Greatest Discoveries:
(http://science.discovery.com/convergence/100discoveries/100
discoveries.html) Learn about the 100 greatest discoveries by scientists in eight different categories from chemistry to earth sciences.

- How Do They Do It?:
(http://science.discovery.com/tv/how-do-they-do-it/how-do-th
ey-do-it.html) Explore how engineers create the modern world. If the topic of the episode isn’t green, pay attention to the issues brought about by our non-sustainable way of life.

- Weird Connections:
(http://science.discovery.com/tv/weird-connections/weird-con
nections.html) The hosts of this show take you through bizarre experiments to show you how they can lead to new technologies.

Waste

- Wa$ted (Planet Green)
(http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/wasted/) In this reality series the hosts help contestants understand how much wasted energy and garbage they create in their lifestyle. The goal is to show people how to change their habits to reduce their ecological footprint.

Wildlife Conservation

- Planet Earth (Discovery):
(http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/planet-earth/planet-ea
rth.html) If you didn’t see this series when it was released a couple of years ago, treat yourself to the 11-part series that took more than five years to film and edit. An amazing look at our planet.

- Nature’s Most Amazing Events (Discovery):
(http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/natures-most-amazing-events/how
-stuff-works/how-stuff-works.html) This show allows you to see and understand what’s happening in nature. Very rare footage of nature in action.

- Planet Action, Get Up and Do It (Planet Green):
(http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?p
aid=237.15641.113933.31426.3) Six volunteers join up with a new conservation group each episode to save a particular wildlife species. Part reality show and part nature show.

- Nature (PBS): (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/) A true classic, in its 27th season, explore the wonders of the natural world.

- Empty Oceans, Empty Nets (PBS):
(http://www.pbs.org/emptyoceans) Explore the changes impacting marine areas around the world and the efforts being made to create sustainable practices.

Who said there isn’t any decent programming on television these days?

Ready for more? Each season new series appear. Check out the show listings for these channels to discover new opportunities to explore your favorite topics.

- Discovery (http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/tv-shows.html) - Planet Green (http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv) - Public Television
(http://www.pbs.org/search/search_programsaz.html) - Science Channel
(http://science.discovery.com/tv/tv-shows.html)

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Green Career Expert Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of the forthcoming book Green Careers For Dummies and founder of Green Career Central, a membership website with useful programs, 400+ pages of effective, targeted information to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a business or further your education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to request our free report - “Six Strategies to Find Your Green Career”

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