Earth Day – April 22 – is just 10 days away. Celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement by watching a documentary a day. These films, many of which are available free this month, will sadden, enrage and educate you. They may even inspire you to do whatever you can for Planet Earth.
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Is soil the missing piece of the climate puzzle? Yes, says narrator Woody Harrelson in this inspiring documentary. Kiss the Ground argues that by regenerating the world’s soils, we can completely and rapidly stabilize the climate, restore lost ecosystems and create abundant food supplies.
This film follows the campaign of Lewis Pugh, UN Patron to the Oceans, as he puts his life on the line to swim at the northern ice edge to highlight the plight of the Arctic which is threatened by chemical pollutants, plastics and climate change.
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In Jane Goodall: The Hope we learn that the woman so closely identified with gorillas uses her advocacy, activism and optimism to inspire younger generations of environmentalists.
The world’s scientists have studied the phenomenon and come to alarming conclusions about the millions of tons of plastic that end up in the ocean every year and can stay in the water forever without breaking down. Learn how this deadly killer is affecting the world’s oceans, and how it affects humanity.
Made in collaboratioun with the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and the world's leading climate scientists, this groundbreaking documentary describes these times as a crucial moment of Earth’s history. The film breaks down complex scientific data on the many changes in Earth's environmental systems. It also debunks many of the misconceptions and distortions about climate science.
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If you are among the hand-full of environmentalists who haven’t seen this brilliant Oscar-winning documentary, now is the time. It’s been 16 years since former vice president Al Gore used little more than pictures and graphs to tell us how we humans have made a hash of things on the planet. He warns of the perils and issues a call to arms about what we must do to turn this ship around. If only we had listened.
Witness how the smallest changes in human behavior – reducing cruise ship traffic, closing beaches a few days a year, identifying more harmonious ways for humans and wildlife to coexist – can have a profound impact on nature.
Credit: Netflix
This 2019 Canadian documentary about environmental racism is based on the Ingrid Waldron book of the same name. It explores the disproportionate effect of environmental damage on Black Canadian and First Nations communities in Nova Scotia.
This film won the 2020 EarthxFilm Festival award for evocatively documenting a year-long relationship between filmmaker and conservationist, Craig Foster, and an octopus he befriended in the kelp forests near the coast of South Africa.
Renowned natural historian Sir David Attenborough reflects on a life spent investigating countless corners of the Earth and delivers what he calls “his witness statement” of his personal experiences, hopes and fears for the future of our planet unless we change course.
**Cover photo credit: Isabel Pavia**
