10 Must-See Environmental Documentaries to Celebrate Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, there are numerous documentaries that not only capture the amazing planet we live on, but highlight what it takes to protect its oceans, forests, and life by working together as a species.

1

The Human Element

The message behind The Human Element is chillingly clear—global warming is upon us, we’re at the center of it, and here’s why we need to do something about it. In this documentary, James Balog, an environmental photographer, explores the four basic environments on Earth: earth, air, fire, and water.

Each element is its own chapter, essentially. Air, for example, focuses on air pollution, such as the burning of fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas. More importantly, each “chapter” is not only meant to highlight the problem, but present solutions as well.

2

2040

2040 is one part informative and one part hypothetical. Part of the documentary is dedicated to showcasing existing technology and solutions that are being used right now to mitigate global warming, like solar panels and regenerative agriculture.

The other part of the documentary is then dedicated to imagining what life on Earth would be like in 2040 if we were to adopt the solutions seen in the film and how it would impact us on a global level.

3

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet is both touching and informative, but it also doesn’t shy away of what global warming does to Earth, how it affects ecosystems, and the alarming decline and disasters that humans exasperate.

However, it’s also a hopeful documentary—an urgent message to humanity that we can fix the problem, work with nature, and create a natural balance with the planet.

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4

Final Straw: Food, Earth, Happiness

Final Straw: Food, Earth, Happiness showcases the stark contrast between American farms versus farms in Japan and Korea, where American farms destroy the soil and Japanese and Korean farms work with nature. In another way, it pits the dangers of mass production against smaller, more sustainable farming operations.

The documentary is free to watch on the City as Nature YouTube channel, who also produced it. The documentary is broken up into 11 episodes, each varying between one and 20 minutes long.

5

Cosmos

Space is part of our environment just as much as the ground beneath our feet, and Cosmos aims to bring the mysteries of outer space to us. It’s a series that started way back in 1980 and was presented by Carl Sagan (who also had a hand in its creation, alongside Ann Druyan and Steven Soter).

However, the series’ follow-up, A Spacetime Odyssey and Possible Worlds, features Neil deGrasse Tyson, another famous astrophysicist. All three documentaries are a fascinating look into how space can affect Earth, as well as push against anti-science opinions.

6

Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic

Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic is a very short film (just under five minutes) about how even a group of young children can band together and help battle against plastic pollutants. Its messaging is very sweet and ultimately helps to foster a sense of community.

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7

Chasing Coral

Chasing Coral is a heartbreaking documentary that doesn’t pull its punches when it comes to its message on global warming. It reveals the ugly truth by showcasing a before-and-after of coral reefs due to ocean warming. Many of the thriving ecosystems are bone-white graveyards.

Not only does Chasing Corals aim to get the message out, but to highlight the importance of coral reefs and how an ecosystem can collapse in a matter of years because of global warming.

8

The Elephant Queen

Who doesn’t love elephants? Unlike other documentaries that gloss over these creatures, The Elephant Queen focuses entirely on a herd led by Athena, a 50-year-old elephant, and shows the delicate balance elephants live on.

It’s a fascinating and captivating look into the lives of elephants, like their herding habits, surprising intelligence, their young, and the ecosystem they’re a part of. It’s also narrated by actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave, Doctor Strange, The Martian).

9

I Am Greta

I Am Greta takes a much deeper look into climate activist Greta Thunberg, starting from her first strike at 15 years old to her speaking at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York just a year later.

More often than not, group strikes are what get media attention, so it’s impressive and inspiring to see how much just one person can spread the message and urgency of global warming.

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10

Planet Earth

Planet Earth should be the crowning jewel of your Earth Day celebration. It is arguably the most important, given that it does an excellent job showcasing just how diverse life is on Earth. Every animal shown in Planet Earth is one more reason to take care of the planet.

What’s particularly interesting is that at the end of every episode, you get to see just how difficult it was to capture the footage used in the documentary. Some of the shots the crew captured are incredibly clever!

Many of these environmentally-friendly documentaries will leave you in awe during Earth Day (or any day, for that matter), so be sure to have a box of tissues nearby for the inevitable tears.