#peter glatzer

The Grave (1996)

My rating: 5/10

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“Whatever we present has a high aesthetic value, is made well, is quality, is something you want, but at the same time has a very meaningful sustainable element to it,” says actor Adrian Grenier. He’s talking about his burgeoning web business SHFT, but he might as well be talking about our eco-friendly Jetsetter hotels. In fact, Grenier and his SHFT partner, film producer Peter Glatzer, curated a collection of eco-conscious escapes around the same principles that guide them at SHFT, where they publish articles about everything from fully electric motorcycles to furniture made of reclaimed wood to recipes. They call it “curating the culture of today’s environment.” We call it great taste with a low carbon-footprint. Fresh off the heels of two Webby wins and a major sale on GILT, I chatted with Peter and Adrian about how to live life, the SHFT way…

Jetset Farryn: So you two are quite the duo? How did you find each other?

Peter: We met through a very good mutual friend who wound up designing the website. JSF: I’m guessing concern for the environment was part of that connection. Have you always been interested in environmental issues? Adrian: We bonded on several things when we first met. We were both personally concerned about environmental issues and were raised to be conscious about it. But what we agreed on was that the focus of SHFT needed to be on solutions. The doom and gloom and fear-based preachiness surrounding environmental issues is a turn-off.

JSF: So what was the inspiration to launch SHFT?  Peter: We are both filmmakers, and so in searching for how best to be an agent of change, we wanted to be inspiring and showcase a lifestyle that was sexy and cool as opposed to scary and angry, or even worse, “happy green” talk.  We wanted to use culture to nudge these ideas into the mainstream.

Adrian: And on a purely economic level, we felt market-driven solutions were what was needed. Sustainably designed options for consumers — be they clothing, a table, a meal or a vacation — if positioned properly, are the better choice. SHFT makes it easy, because we find all the best of sustainable design and act as the filter for our audience.

JSF: You refer to your website as a “new media platform.” What do you mean by that?

Adrian: Our first project together was ALTER ECO, a TV show we created for The Discovery Channel. While we were in production, we were sharing links of products, of designs, of great videos via email. We realized that we needed to create a platform where people could watch great videos, shop and read blogs that reflect a modern, inspirational, better, cleaner life. We wanted something that entertained, but also brought resources and content — both practical and aspirational — to its readers. It’s got an eco-angle, but it’s not in your face. SHFT is representative of a lifestyle we need to embrace today.

JSF: The curation of the site is really cool. How are you guys finding the stories to tell? Peter: We’re constantly on the lookout for content. Whether its products, films, bands, great articles or blogs — we try to offer up a synthesis of what’s great, what’s culturally relevant, through the prism of a conscious lens. We’re not environmentalists in the old sense of the word; that word is anathema now.  We’re folding the ideas of environmentalism into every day things. This is how we push change forward. We have some new web series coming up, we’ll be doing pop-up art galleries and pop-up shops, and partnerships on the horizon, like this one with Gilt and Jetsetter.

JSF: How do you think about travel on SHFT, and as part of the story you’re telling? Adrian: The sustainable marketplace is growing, and people are more and more drawn to the sustainable stories surrounding the things they buy and do. This is the cultural SHFT we’re looking to both influence and reflect — I say reflect, because it’s happening. I think more people are looking to travel in a way that leaves a smaller footprint.

Peter: There’s also no shortage in luxurious, sexy eco-travel these days. The options are there if people want to take them — and we see more and more people taking the conscious option. It’s not just a fringe group going to Costa Rica to an eco spot or down to Mexico to stay at an eco-resort, it’s a growing number of hip people and they’re leading a trend.

JSF: I live in New York, and it’s not always easy being green in this city. What are a few easy ways for someone like me to become more eco-friendly? Peter: First of all, city living is the most efficient way to live. Any urban environment is more eco-friendly. Apartment buildings are more efficient — the energy used is divided among a much bigger group of people. Public transportation is more efficient than driving cars, and so on. So, you’re already creating less of a footprint by virtue of the fact that you’re in NYC.

Adrian: If you love food, go for organic as much as you can and find out where the local organic meats and foods come from and try to keep it in season. If it’s out of season, and it shows up in your super market, it’s probably being shipped from the other side of the world.

JSF: You’re both on the road a lot – for work and play – so let’s talk about eco-travel… Adrian: Well, we just got back from a trip to Chicago to meet Richard Branson, someone we admire a lot. He’s an inspiration as a business leader, as a steward of the environment, and as someone who really knows how to create a sexy brand.

Peter: Virgin planes use 30% less fuel than others, and the business has a consciousness and a sexiness baked into its DNA. It was a truly inspiring trip.

For more inspiring experiences check out Adrian and Peter’s picks for eco-conscious travel onJetsetter.