Exclusive to Green Cricket

I had the honour of being able to interview Howard Kremer, one of the writers on ABC’s “The Goode Family.” (Fridays, 8:30/7:30 Central.) We talked about how Hollywood approaches telling the story of how a green family tries to be good.

The Goode Family is a show which follows Gerald and Helen Goode, an environmentally-conscious family who live by the code “WWAGD?” (What Would Al Gore Do?) The Goodes cope every episode with the trials of constantly working towards being greener.

As you know, green Cricket is a company dedicated to making a greener lifestyle achievable and affordable.

“It’s a really good thing to be doing, because the affordability thing is a huge issue, as you know.”

There is an impression that being Green is an upper class pursuit, but the Goode’s are a more middle-class family. Was that a deliberate choice?

The idea was for “what are the struggles for the common man who attempts to integrate green stuff in to his everyday life?” And it’s becoming a more average person’s burden now.

Los Angeles is a hotbed of people who are both religiously fervent about environmentalism and also a love of one-upsmanship. How have you brought your experiences with that behaviour to the show?

I think the way that comes out is through Helen and Margot. In an early episode, Helen has a moral dilemma at the grocery store when she forgets her reusable bags. She spots Margot, and knowing she can’t ask for paper bags, decides to carry her groceries out by hand.

Where Green Cricket is based, there is a bag tax. We have to pay 5 cents per bag. We have experienced this exact dilemma because you have to “resign” yourself to paying the tax and sometimes you get a hard time for “not being prepared.”

Really? That’s hilarious… the pressure that’s put on people. Most of these laws ideas… I support them. I think we shouldn’t have plastic bags clogging landfills, and I think we understand that these ideas come from a good place, but what is interesting to us is how close these rules can come to fascism. When you’re not even allowed to carry around a plastic bag without everyone else ostracising you or coming down on you?

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