Al Gore made the definitive climate-change movie in 2006 with An Inconvenient Truth, and since then, rising temperatures have brought with them a surge of environmental documentaries. In honor of Earth Day today, here are six timely and often terrifying films on climate change.
How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change, 2016
Oscar-nominated documentarian Josh Fox explored the dire consequences of fracking in his critically acclaimed film Gasland. In his latest, Fox is focusing on the effects of rising temperatures, touching on the smog crisis in China, the environmental factors of Hurricane Sandy, and a devastating oil spill in the Amazon.
In select theaters now; available on HBO in June.
More Than Honey, 2013
Roughly one-third of our produce wouldn’t exist without the work of bees. But for the past decade, the tiny pollinators have been dying out around the world for unknown reasons. More Than Honey investigates their demise, also known as colony collapse disorder. Filmmaker Markus Imhoof, whose family has been in the beekeeping business for decades, looks into whether mass industrial agricultural practices or heavy reliance on crop pesticides are responsible.
Available on Netflix.
The Human Experiment, 2013
We’ve come to assume that anything sold at a pharmacy or in a supermarket aisle is safe. The Human Experiment takes a close look at our daily exposure to unregulated chemicals through the toothpaste and cleaning products we use every day. You’ll be placing bulk orders from Honest by the time this terrifying film is over.
Available on Netflix.
Chasing Ice, 2012
Climate-change deniers have had a hard time ignoring the photographic evidence presented in Jeff Orlowski’s Oscar-nominated documentary, Chasing Ice. The film follows scientist James Balog and his team as they attempt to record the melting of the ice caps in Greenland, Iceland, and Alaska through stop-motion photography. In addition to presenting irrefutable proof of the effects of rising temperatures, the movie is a stunning cinematographic feat.
Available on Netflix.
Tapped, 2009
You’ll think twice about buying a bottle of water after watching Tapped, which documents the dubious practices of the bottled water industry. Not only does the film demonstrate how the business created an environmental nightmare, it also shows that the marketing of bottled water as safer than tap water is a sham.
Available on iTunes and Amazon Video.
The 11th Hour, 2007
Produced and narrated by the Oscar-winning actor, The 11th Hour is Leonardo DiCaprio’s urgent call for environmental action on climate change.
Available on iTunes and Amazon Video.
