Climate Change Documentaries and Podcasts for Your List

From habitat loss and species extinction to industrial impact and humanitarian emergencies, climate change is at the centre of so many issues facing the world today. As our awareness of environmental crises has grown, filmmakers, scientists, activists and even celebrities have stepped up to the challenge of helping us break it all down. With dozens of documentaries and podcasts available to stream, we have our pick of inspiring, informative media to consume on this multifaceted subject. Let’s dive into a selection of our recommendations:

Documentaries

Virunga (2014)

The fight to protect the lush, enchanting landscape of Congo’s Virunga National Park from the extractive interests of oil companies is the focus of this Oscar-nominated documentary. It follows the brave park rangers dedicated to ensuring the survival of the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas who call the park their home, and proves just how far people will go to stand up for nature and its precious inhabitants.

Chasing Coral (2017)

With so many of climate change’s devastating effects playing out above ground, it can be easy to overlook the damage being done underwater. This breath-taking documentary provides an intimate, emotional look at the work of a highly trained group of divers, photographers and coral reef biologists as they reveal the shocking impact of global warming and rising sea temperatures on marine ecosystems, urging us all to take action before it’s too late.

Kiss The Ground (2020)

You’ve likely heard of regenerative farming, but do you really understand how it works? This upbeat documentary calls on scientists, farmers and celebrities alike to provide a fool proof breakdown of the concept. In short: the methods we use to grow food aren’t working, and we need to look to nature for guidance on how to give back the nutrients we take from the earth, locking carbon into the soil where it belongs in the process.

My Octopus Teacher (2020)

While it’s not strictly a documentary about climate change, this emotionally captivating film is well worth watching for a reminder of the breathtaking beauty of the natural world we’re fighting to save. Shot in the vibrant, otherworldly domain of a South African kelp forest, it follows the bond between a filmmaker and the octopus who lives there, detailing the profound effect of this unlikely friendship.

Podcasts

Idealistically

Hosted by artist and activist Tolmeia Gregory, this feel-good podcast speaks to people from all walks of life about what their ideal world would look like, covering topics both serious and whimsical in the process. Featuring journalists, influencers, creatives and more, the show drives home the fact that climate justice requires radical hope and imagination, and will leave you feeling more inspired to dream up your own exciting vision of the future, too.

The Climate Question

You know that climate change is bad, but how much do you know about the different issues that feed into it? This podcast from the BBC World Service addresses today’s burning questions, from what to do with nuclear waste to how flying could ever be climate-friendly, in balanced, science-led discussions. With each episode coming in at under half an hour, it delivers quick answers to the environmental questions that matter most.

Emergence Magazine Podcast

Featuring interviews, essays and deep conversations with authors, scholars and more, this immersive podcast offers listeners something different with every weekly episode. Tackling topics such as history, colonialism and ecological disaster, while also championing art and storytelling, the show is both calming and thought-provoking, and the longer episode lengths make it perfect to listen to while cooking or sipping a warming cup of tea.

Ologies

If you’re not in the market for a radical career change, listen with caution: this fun, informative podcast, hosted by science correspondent Alie Ward, delves into the weirdest and most wonderful jobs in the scientific field. With a focus on nature, Ward talks to geologists, biologists, zoologists and more, in conversations exploring the ways in which these interesting professions are helping to shape the future of scientific thought and, ultimately, the planet.

We hope this non-exhaustive list has empowered you to be entertained, educated, and inspired to take action in the fight against climate change. 

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