The most inspiring environmental documentaries to watch on Netflix right now

For those of us who need visual stimulation for messages to sink in, there's thankfully some great documentaries on Netflix (and other platforms of course) to provide inspiration and encouragement along our journeys of sustainable living. So put the half filled kettle on, drop a plastic free tea bag into a ceramic cup, add a splash of oat milk, and sit back and prepare to see both the horror and the hope of a planet in real trouble.

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet

If you need a reminder of just what a diverse and special planet we live on, and just how much we humans are impacting it, then a good starting point is this fantastic documentary about the life of national treasure Sir David Attenborough. He's seen first hand exactly what we're doing to the planet, and he's rightfully horrified. The documentary is both a celebration of his amazing career and a real wake-up call for us all. Also, look out for the same messages, more softly delivered, in the incredible series Our Planet which he narrates.

Kiss the Ground

This is the most enlightening documentary about soil you'll ever watch. It seems obvious that the key to this planet continuing to support life, is the ground we walk on, but I suspect most of use don't give it a second thought. Luckily some people are. It focuses on the principle of regenerative agriculture which narrator Woody Harrelson describes as “a simple solution—a way to heal our planet” and viewers are asked to “save our soil in hopes the soil might just save us.”

Cowspiracy

The debate about the impact of global meat production on the environment has thankfully moved on since 2014 when this was released, but this documentary hasn't lost any of its initial impact. Along with population control, telling people not to eat meat remains something which is skirted around by those who arguably could make the biggest impact. If this doesn't have you reaching for the vegan sausages, nothing will.

Seaspiracy

Released in early 2021, Seaspiracy follows the same lines of enquiry as Cowspiracy did in 2014, revealing horror after horror relating to the corruption and environmental destruction of the fishing industry, and arguing that there is no such thing as sustainable fishing. The only way to protect the ocean, is to not eat anything from it - is its main takeaway. Unsurprisingly, the facts were contested immediately by the industry, there does seem to be some question marks around the validity of some of the data, and I'd certainly argue that sustainable fishing is not only possible, but essential for millions of people, however there's a lot of compelling footage contained within the documentary that shows fishing on an industrial scale is very bad for some individual species, and for many people working within it. This is about big business, driven only by profit and with very little regard paid to the environment long term. Of all of these documentaries, this one left me feeling the most hopeless.

Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things

As a maximalist I'd avoided this one for some time, because I knew it would really challenge me. I have no problem at all switching to sustainable alternatives and thrifting, but ask me to slim my wardrobe down to 33 items and remove the clutter from my home, EEK! It's no secret to many of us that keeping up with the Joneses and the desire to work hard to afford 'nice things' is ever present, but what happens if we reject this way of life? The hosts did, and they say they're happier for it. The documentary follows their journey as they spread the message across America. Was I converted? No. But that's not to say these two don't make a lot of sense.

Down to Earth with Zac Efron

This eight part series sees actor Zac Efron journey around the world with wellness expert Darin Olien in a travel show that explores healthy, sustainable ways to live. Overall this is a hopeful and positive look at what's already within our power, and the technology already being employed to tackle our response to the changing climate.