Looking to learn more about climate change in 2023? We know it can be hard to find good movies among all the options, so here’s a list of the best climate change documentary options you can watch today on Netflix or YouTube for free online. Learn about sustainability and solutions to deforestation, soil pollution and more.
Climate change documentary on Netflix
On Netflix you can find some movies about global warming. They are diverse, interesting and have the power to shape the problem, bring attention to the climate crisis.
Also, these movies propose solutions and actions that people can engage nowdays to help the planet. In this list you will find documentaries about:
- susentability
- agriculture
- sea pollution
- climate change
- soil pollution
- plastic and microplastic
Kiss The Ground: Renerative Agriculture
If you’re not going to watch any more documentary, watch this one. Every other Netflix movie about climate change that made it onto this list serves one essential function: scaling the problem.
What many may call masochistic and avoid seeing it, is actually the result of the shock of understanding how the impacts of the environmental crisis are already present. It’s a shock to realize that the problem won’t start 100 years from now, that it’s already among us.
However, “Kiss the Ground” brings a different and even positive dynamic. One of the great problems of excess carbon in the atmosphere is the cruel deforestation in search of land for planting commodities such as soy or corn.
This film shows how it is possible to have a different form of agriculture, which is profitable, efficient and which not only stops harming the soil but also regenerates it. The film features several famous activists such as Gisele Bündchen, Ian Somerhalder and Woody Harrelson.
Plastic Oceans
The documentary “Oceans of Plastic” provides a powerful insight into how our consumption habits influence marine life. According to the film, directed by Craig Leeson, we realize that the source of the problem lies in the large amount of plastic that we humans discard in the seas and oceans.
Seabirds, fish, turtles and other marine mammals are just some of the examples of animals that suffer directly from water pollution.
This Netflix documentary is not limited to causing panic in the population. Leeson also presents some viable and necessary alternatives for us to reduce plastic consumption globally.
In addition, the film features emerging technologies that, with the right engagement of business and government, can help clean the oceans.
Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret
The film is directed by the duo Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn and explores in detail the impacts of the agricultural industry.
Perhaps, looking at this synopsis of the film that is executive produced by activist Leonardo DiCaprio, you’ll think that it’s just another film that serves to defend veganism.
Despite making it clear that this type of diet, on a global scale, would be very beneficial for the environment, the film also brings an important denunciation.
The film reports the omission of famous organizations, such as Greenpeace, regarding meat consumption. The idea is to show that it is not enough to just talk about reforestation and clean energy, NGOs need to take a stand on large estates, which contribute a lot to the desertification of forests.
An Inconvenient Truth
Another Netflix documentary about the climate crisis. This film is from 2006 and is directed by Davis Guggenheim.
The documentary filmmaker closely followed the campaign of former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore, who sought to raise public awareness about global warming.
This documentary won five Oscars and was a critical success, spawning new environmental movements and becoming a list favorite among schools around the world.
Chasing Coral
A documentary directed by Jeff Orlowski that reveals the dire future of coral reefs across planet Earth.
In this film about global warming, photographers and activists create a timelapse machine to record coral bleaching every day.
The high temperature waves in the sea are bringing the death of corals, one of the oldest species on the planet, which could disappear in 30 years. It may seem like a lot, but think that the kids of 2022 might just live in a world without corals into adulthood. Watch it on Netflix!
Mission Blue
Directed by Robert Nixon and Fisher Stevens, this documentary shows us oceanographer Sylvia Earle’s intense campaign to help marine life.
Among the biggest challenges that the biologist, along with a team of 100 people, faced are overfishing and toxic waste dispersed at sea.
The biologist created the Mission Blue organization as a way of maintaining the continuous protection of the entire planet’s seas.
Fire in Paradise
A Netflix original documentary directed by Zackary Canepari and Drea Cooper. This shows the details of the fire in Paradise (California) that happened in 2018. This was, unfortunately, the most lethal and destructive fire in the history of the US state.
Climate change documentary on YouTube
On YouTube, you can find many free movies about global warming and the environment.
They are documentaries and series produced by specialists such as biologists, researchers and activists in which you can find data, statistics and technologies that seek to mitigate climate change and its effects.
Watch online for free right now:
2 Degress Until the End
Poisonous methane is overcoming the atmosphere. The new Flood is coming. This documentary is based on UN statement that if the temperature rises more 2 degrees we will get to the point of no return.
If we get there, there’s no possible action to save us from the worst consequences of climate change.
2020: The Year Of Climate Extremes | Nightly News Films
NBC News take a deeper dive at the devastating effects of global warming, using as background 2020, a year of unprecedented weather extremes.
See what three degrees of global warming looks like | The Economist
What will happen if the average temperature rises 3°C? The Economist team released a complete documentary about this reality that is not very far from where we are now.
Earth Under Water Global Warming Future Discovery Documentary HD
The sea level rise is one of the biggest effects of climate change. In this documentary from Discovery, you can have a preview of this earth under water.
The sea level rise is one of the biggest effects of climate change. In this documentary from Discovery, you can have a preview of this earth under water.
Can We Cool the Planet? | Full Episode I NOVA | PBS
Sometimes, with all the desperating news, we think the game is over, right? But can we cool the planet? Humankind is the major responsible for this problems we are living, can we be a solution? Watch it now!
Causes and Effects of Climate Change | National Geographic
You need to understand the basics of what is happening and how we got in this almost apocalyptic scenario? So this is the perfect movie for you.
Do you want do help on climate change?
The Hourglass project was created to discuss about climate change and, at the same time, help NGOs and institutions that are working to save the planet. Find out how you can donate to climage change with only $1.