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LIVE BLOG

November 08, 08:22 PM

Green Week

When NBC approached us about participating in their “Green is Universal” night we’d already been discussing the idea of a blackout hitting Chicago and how that would affect the lives of our characters working at a County hospital. It seemed almost obvious that we could use our dramatic “blackout” story also as a way to underline the effects of global warming, and the need for being environmentally responsible.


So what will you see?


We’ll have Chicago’s overtaxed electrical grid going haywire as a result of a severe unseasonal hot spell and the ensuing mess of critical patients that flood the ER. The ER also gets a visit from a handsome energy consultant who suggests energy-saving ideas for lowering County General’s environmental footprint: task lighting, the importance of swapping in more efficient CFL bulbs. (His visit may also prove fortuitous as he finds himself “dimming the lights” with one of our characters by episode’s end.) And lastly, you’ll get the first look at the futuristic and environmentally minded smartcar as it rolls in for a cameo very early in the episode. When you see the smartcar, you’ll understand just how small a carbon footprint it leaves.


The EPA’s Energy Star program was generous with their time and expertise as we went along, even though busy saving the world by educating hospitals and schools, companies and consumers about responsible energy usage. For them, every night is green night.


- David Zabel, Executive Producer

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Posted by David Zabel at 08:22 PM