How Bill Nye the Science Guy Makes Green "Stuff Happen"

[n2doc]

An Exclusive Interview with the TV Host and Science Geek
September 2, 2008 at 5:07pm by Tommi Lewis Tilden | 1 comment

After a successful run on PBS with "Bill Nye the Science Guy," the multi-hyphenate comedian-TV host-science educator-mechanical engineer is now finding out how "Stuff Happens" on Planet Green's new half hour show. In it, Nye traces where the things we eat, wear, and use come from, and what impact that has on our entire planet.

If anyone's equipped to find links to our stuff and make the information fun, it's this 53-year-old who once had a day job as an engineer and spent nights doing stand-up comedy. "My family is funny," Nye said. "I mean funny in the sense that we make people laugh, not just funny looking."

We talked to Nye about his "feud" with neighbor Ed Begley, Jr., why breakfast matters and got him to confess his biggest eco sin.

TDG: One of your first "Stuff Happens" episodes is about breakfast. What's so special about breakfast and the environment?
Are you kidding? It's the most important meal of the day. It had the iconic story that North American pigs - from where we get bacon - I presume unwillingly are fed feed made with South American anchovies (and herrings and sardines). Farmers say eating fish helps their animals grow to that wonderfully ample size consumers want. Because of this, we're accidentally destroying an ecosystem. It's the story of stories.

How so?
We're seriously depleting the world's anchovy population and leaving the penguins and South American seabirds with nothing to eat. These birds are dangerously close to starving because the anchovy and sardine populations have been decimated.

What can we do?
Strange as it may seem, you could eat more anchovies. This would raise the price of the fish and make anchovy fish feed more costly and less desirable to pig farmers. Also eat organic bacon from pigs raised on 100% agricultural feed. If you're looking for the true organic meat products, make sure it's grass-fed only.

more:

http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/celebrities/interview-bill-nye-the-science-guy

[trotsky]

1. Bill Nye is one of my personal heroes.

Love his new show, and loved his appearance on Life with Ed.

[comtec]

2. YAYBILL NYE!!!

Loved him as a younger person :)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Good to see him still working.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6-SJLlneLc