5 Documentaries to Make You More Mindful of Earth
Happy Earth Day! It’s easy to forget that we live on this beautiful planet that has sustained life for billions of years. Our Earth is full of diverse wildlife, a variety of people, enchanting landscapes and so much more that we don’t always appreciate as we shuffle from our houses to work everyday. While many of us may not have enough PTO to tour the Amazon forest or decompress in Iceland’s blue lagoon, we do have high-def TVs and can watch visually astounding films that transport us to some incredible sites.
Earth Day is also here to remind us about our human impact on this planet we call home. Earth has been around for billions of years, but with the major increase of human activity (deforestation, pollution, hunting for sport, to name a few…) many scientists fear the delicate balance of our Earth is numbered. So in honor of our Earth’s resilient beauty, here are five documentaries that not only show how fascinating Earth is, but how we can each do our part to save it.
Our Planet
Already receiving rave reviews for its honesty and mesmerizing imagery, Our Planet, is not your typical closeup of the animal kingdom documentary. Broken up into eight episodes that each focus on a different part of the world, it takes a realistic look at how the animals are adjusting to the modern world. Accompanied with stunning HD visuals, you can see how pollution and the subsequent climate changes have devastated animal ecosystems. It took Netflix four years to make this film, and their efforts are met with stunning impact.
Cowspiracy
Despite the title, this film won’t be about cows banding together in a plot to destroy the Earth— although that also isn’t too far off. This documentary focuses on how the meat and dairy industries are seriously harming Earth. It will make you take a hard look at your own eating habits and how each meal impacts the Earth. If you felt guilty treating yourself to Shake Shack before, this unfortunately won’t help.
Earth: One Amazing Day
See the most spellbinding places on Earth in this nature documentary that takes us around the world in one day. Narrated by Jackie Chan and Robert Redford, we get to follow some spunky animals on their daily adventures. From motherhood to crossing treacherous parts of land, life in the animal kingdom can be quite exciting!
Before the Flood
Leonardo DiCaprio leads this cautionary documentary on the impending danger to come from human induced climate change. He interviews notable figures such as Barack Obama and Elon Musk, as they discuss issues like America emitting some of the highest amounts of greenhouse gases, and how world leaders plan to alleviate the strain on Earth and undo the years of damage. DiCaprio does a fantastic job of bringing the audience along his journey and showing us the reality of the world we live in.
RiverBlue
Do you ever wonder how your favorite fashion brands are able to manufacture items for millions of customers every season? Well, it’s not done without a huge cost to our environment. RiverBlue removes the wool from our eyes and shows us how polluted rivers are becoming due to clothing factories dumping toxic chemicals into the water. If you’ve recently wanted to become a more eco-conscious shopper, this film will educate you on why buying from environmentally friendly brands is definitely a good idea.
