There is a documentary on Netflix called Our Planet. 

It is only 1 season. 8 episodes. 48 minutes an episode. 

Each episode is dedicated a specific area on our planet: The first episode is a general overview called One Planet, and then it goes into Frozen Worlds, Jungles, Coastal Seas, From Deserts to Grasslands, The High Seas, Fresh Water, and Forests. Each episode is narrated by David Attenborough, who talks about the direct impacts of climate change on the many small and sensitive ecosystems we don’t often think of. This is a documentary dedicated to the truth. The scenes are not as graphic as other nature documentaries (which tend to show predators attacking their prey) but what is shown can be deeply unsettling in the way it forces us to acknowledge our own hand in the decline of such beautiful and complex populations.

The camera work is so breathtaking that both my brother and dad were convinced it was entirely CGI. It’s not. Evidently a lot of people thought so because there’s an article refuting it, as well as behind the scenes shots that show how their team was able to capture such incredible footage.

Here are some photos from their gallery:

In the last episode I watched, The High Seas, I learned that while plastic is a huge pollutant of our oceans, overfishing is “far more dangerous.” But rather than simply present us with the knowledge that humans are directly having a negative impact on marine life, David Attenborough uses the example of whales to encourage future action by showing how action that has already been taken has proved successful. He starts off by saying “Once, there were more than a hundred thousand humpbacks in the oceans, but last century, they were hunted to near extinction.” However, in 1986 a ban on commercial whaling went into effect. Ever since then, their numbers have been steadily increasing.

Using that positive notion to build from, the episode ends with this call to action:

“Humpback whales have almost returned to their original numbers, but during that time we have done more harm to the oceans than ever before in human history. Only with global cooperation will our oceans recover and thrive once again. We saved the whales by international agreement. Now it is time to save our oceans.” 

Each episode I watch leaves me with the feeling that there is so much to learn and so much to do. But most importantly, each episode leaves me inspired and hopeful.

Our Planet has a website that provides even further information building on what is presented in each episode, and provides multiple opportunities to take action. Here is one link to do so: https://support.worldwildlife.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=op_action_center&utm_source=ourplanet.com&utm_campaign=our-planet_gma&utm_medium=web

It also has a page for each person to add their voice to their global initiative. Maybe you’ll see mine when you add yours: https://www.ourplanet.com/en/voice/globe