10 Must-See Environmental Documentaries to Celebrate Earth Day

In solemnisation of Earth Day, determination are galore documentaries that not lone seizure the astonishing satellite we unrecorded on, but item what it takes to support its oceans, forests, and beingness by moving unneurotic arsenic a species.

1 The Human Element

The connection down The Human Element is chillingly clear—global warming is upon us, we're astatine the halfway of it, and here's wherefore we request to bash thing astir it. In this documentary, James Balog, an biology photographer, explores the 4 basal environments connected Earth: earth, air, fire, and water.

Each constituent is its ain chapter, essentially. Air, for example, focuses connected aerial pollution, specified arsenic the burning of fossil fuels similar oil, coal, and earthy gas. More importantly, each "chapter" is not lone meant to item the problem, but contiguous solutions arsenic well.

2 2040

2040 is 1 portion informative and 1 portion hypothetical. Part of the documentary is dedicated to showcasing existing exertion and solutions that are being utilized close present to mitigate planetary warming, similar star panels and regenerative agriculture.

The different portion of the documentary is past dedicated to imagining what beingness connected Earth would beryllium similar successful 2040 if we were to follow the solutions seen successful the movie and however it would interaction america connected a planetary level.

3 David Attenborough: A Life connected Our Planet

David Attenborough: A Life connected Our Planet is some touching and informative, but it besides doesn't shy distant of what planetary warming does to Earth, however it affects ecosystems, and the alarming diminution and disasters that humans exasperate.

However, it's besides a hopeful documentary—an urgent connection to humanity that we tin hole the problem, enactment with nature, and make a earthy equilibrium with the planet.

4 Final Straw: Food, Earth, Happiness

Final Straw: Food, Earth, Happiness showcases the stark opposition betwixt American farms versus farms successful Japan and Korea, wherever American farms destruct the ungraded and Japanese and Korean farms enactment with nature. In different way, it pits the dangers of wide accumulation against smaller, much sustainable farming operations.

The documentary is escaped to ticker connected the City arsenic Nature YouTube channel, who besides produced it. The documentary is breached up into 11 episodes, each varying betwixt 1 and 20 minutes long.

5 Cosmos

Space is portion of our situation conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic the crushed beneath our feet, and Cosmos aims to bring the mysteries of outer abstraction to us. It's a bid that started mode backmost successful 1980 and was presented by Carl Sagan (who besides had a manus successful its creation, alongside Ann Druyan and Steven Soter).

However, the series' follow-up, A Spacetime Odyssey and Possible Worlds, features Neil deGrasse Tyson, different celebrated astrophysicist. All 3 documentaries are a fascinating look into however abstraction tin impact Earth, arsenic good arsenic propulsion against anti-science opinions.

6 Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic

Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic is simply a precise abbreviated movie (just nether 5 minutes) astir however adjacent a radical of young children tin set unneurotic and assistance conflict against integrative pollutants. Its messaging is precise saccharine and yet helps to foster a consciousness of community.

7 Chasing Coral

Chasing Coral is simply a heartbreaking documentary that doesn't propulsion its punches erstwhile it comes to its connection connected planetary warming. It reveals the disfigured information by showcasing a before-and-after of coral reefs owed to water warming. Many of the thriving ecosystems are bone-white graveyards.

Not lone does Chasing Corals purpose to get the connection out, but to item the value of coral reefs and however an ecosystem tin illness successful a substance of years due to the fact that of planetary warming.

8 The Elephant Queen

Who doesn't emotion elephants? Unlike different documentaries that gloss implicit these creatures, The Elephant Queen focuses wholly connected a herd led by Athena, a 50-year-old elephant, and shows the delicate equilibrium elephants unrecorded on.

It's a fascinating and captivating look into the lives of elephants, similar their herding habits, astonishing intelligence, their young, and the ecosystem they're a portion of. It's besides narrated by histrion Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave, Doctor Strange, The Martian).

9 I Am Greta

I Am Greta takes a overmuch deeper look into clime activistic Greta Thunberg, starting from her archetypal onslaught astatine 15 years aged to her speaking astatine the UN Climate Action Summit successful New York conscionable a twelvemonth later.

More often than not, radical strikes are what get media attention, truthful it's awesome and inspiring to spot however overmuch just 1 person tin dispersed the connection and urgency of planetary warming.

10 Planet Earth

Planet Earth should beryllium the crowning jewel of your Earth Day celebration. It is arguably the astir important, fixed that it does an fantabulous occupation showcasing conscionable however divers beingness is connected Earth. Every carnal shown successful Planet Earth is 1 much crushed to instrumentality attraction of the planet.

What's peculiarly absorbing is that astatine the extremity of each episode, you get to spot conscionable however hard it was to seizure the footage utilized successful the documentary. Some of the shots the unit captured are incredibly clever!

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Many of these environmentally-friendly documentaries volition permission you successful awe during Earth Day (or immoderate day, for that matter), truthful beryllium definite to person a container of tissues adjacent for the inevitable tears.