Watching documentaries is a great way to get knowledge:
learn more about sustainability
The year is 2022, and podcasts are the new radio. People listen to them while cooking, working, commuting, and even showering - but keep it short!
And as things get increasingly serious, it is important to watch documentaries about relevant subjects, not just blockbuster movies. Nothing wrong about them. It’s just that we really need more informed people right now.
So, if you care about environmental topics, like minimizing single-use plastic and protecting the oceans, it would be great to choose some podcasts and documentaries about it.
Top 10 podcasts and documentaries with environmental subjects to appreciate.
To make it easier for you, we have already selected 10 of the best environmental podcasts and documentaries for you. Take a look at this list and start with the one that resonates more with you.
1. “What On Earth” podcast, with Laura Lynch - CBA Listen
Radio stations are now turning their shows into podcasts, as people prefer to listen on demand.
In this podcast, journalist Laura Lynch will bring news and information about environmental issues. CBA offers a blog exclusively about it too, and covers topics like sustainability, climate change, social issues caused by environmental inequality, etc.
You can listen to it at CBA Listen or at your favorite streaming platform.
2. “How to Save a Planet” podcast
What do you think would happen if you put together an award winning-journalist and a marine biologist to talk about the environment?
The answer is an awesome podcast that discusses climate change, recycling, and many other relevant topics that you can bring to the table at home with family and friends.
Listen to Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Alex Blumberg while they talk about what we, as humanity members, must do to save the only planet we have to live on.
3. “Kiss the Ground” documentary, narrated by Woody Harrelson
The solution we are looking for to fight climate change might be just under our nose - and our feet.
“Kiss The Ground” is a documentary made by filmmakers Joshua Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell to show that we could improve everything else by improving our soil quality.
With healthier soil, we will have abundant forests and ecosystems that can help with carbon absorption.
4. “Floodlines” podcast
One subject that does not get enough space in the media is social inequality which is exacerbated by climate events.
While most people affected by natural disasters are people of color, their voices remain ignored and do not receive as much commotion as small events involving privileged groups.
This podcast is brought to you by The Atlantic and discusses the passage of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and its trail of destruction.
5. “My Octopus Teacher” documentary.
One important step to thinking about environmental issues and sustainability is recognizing ourselves as part of the whole. This includes recognizing other beings as deserving to enjoy life and the planet.
This very delicate documentary joins beautiful images with a touching history about a man that makes a special friend: an octopus.
6. “Driller” podcast, by Amy Westervelt
Have you thought about the legal aspects involving climate change? It is a true crime what big corporations are doing to the world.
This podcast will give the right name for these actions. With a legal approach, the host will talk about propaganda, court fights, and the dirt work done by oil companies and other greedy markets that have the only goal of profit and not a single clue of protecting our natural resources.
7. “2040” documentary, by Damon Gameau
Climate change is something we should all be worried about. But if you have kids, you have certainly thought more seriously about this.
That’s what happened to director Damon Gameau. He thinks about the future waiting ahead for his daughter's adulthood and wonders if there will still be viable to live on planet Earth by there.
This documentary will lighten this delicate subject but also bring a message of hope. Gameau interviews innovative creators and scientists to talk about solutions rather than just keep stomping on the unpleasable news.
8. “A Plastic Ocean” documentary, by Craig Leeson
That disposable plastic bottle that you throw “away” may seem harmless. But what about millions or even billions of plastic bottles? Where does all of this material go to?
The sad and largely known answer is: to the oceans. We have a massive island of plastic floating in the Pacific oceans, and much more is on the beaches, seas, and rivers around the world.
This award-winning documentary will show you how important it is to avoid single-use plastic. You can check their website for even more educational content about this topic.
Oland Station is at the front of this battle by bringing water sources to Canada's big and small events that help reduce single-use plastic bottles.
9. “Tracking your Plastic: Exposing Recycling Myths” documentary, by CBC News
Once again, ask yourself: where do all the recyclables throw away in Canada end up? The answer is choking, as it will travel all the way to the other side of the world.
The truth is that most of our recyclables will not be effectively recycled and will end up incinerated or even dumped at a landfill.
CBC journalists will track Canadian recyclables to see where they go after they are picked up. With hidden cameras, they pretended to be businessmen interested in recycled plastic to reveal what happens inside these factories.
They also tracked big recycling companies to see if they were really doing their job. You can see the results in this 20 minutes documentary, and also read the content about this investigative work.
10. “Commons: CRUDE” podcast, by Arshy Mann
There is no doubt anymore that oil is not the best way of generating energy, as it contributes to climate change. Also, oil extraction is extremely harmful to the environment, and spills are extremely dangerous to wildlife and the soil.
Canada has a problematic relationship with oil - as it is everywhere. This podcast will talk about this hard relationship between oil companies and what they really contribute to society.
As we are still very dependent on oil and gas, we can no longer ignore the downsides. The host, Arshy Mann will bring this topic to the spotlight.