Environmental documentaries or films

[SpyderTracks]

Hiya

Firstly can I say I don't want this thread to deteriorate into an argument over weather climate change is real or not, and if that starts to happen, then it will be closed.

BUT, hoping anyone may be able to advise on some good documentaries or even clever films with the theme of climate change type stuff.

The ones I've watched are:
Ice on Fire (documentary)
Before the Flood (Documentary)
Interstellar (Film)

Appreciate your time.

 

[Oussebon]

The most famous one is probably An Inconvenient Truth, about Al Gore's campaigning on global warming

Our Planet on Netflix (series rather than movie) was quite a high profile 2019 one.

 

[SpyderTracks]

The most famous one is probably An Inconvenient Truth, about Al Gore's campaigning on global warming

Our Planet on Netflix (series rather than movie) was quite a high profile 2019 one.

Oh yeah, I remember an inconvenient truth, that was one of the first to really push the message.

That series looks good, thanks for the pointer!

 

[polycrac]

The most famous one is probably An Inconvenient Truth, about Al Gore's campaigning on global warming

Our Planet on Netflix (series rather than movie) was quite a high profile 2019 one.

It IS a good film, but it muddles the central message. As a big climate-change campaign supporter I use it in my 1st year stats class as an example of a poor graph (the hocky stick curve, relating CO2 and temp). By getting the temporal order wrong on historic ice core data it set climate change action back by maybe decade in the US.

A simple error, there is a correlation between CO2 and temp in ice core data but the temp changes precede the CO2 changes, not the other way around. This is due to temp fluctuations causing changes in the amount of vegetation. It doesn't relate to human action at all (human actions which DO cause CO2 emissions and those emissions DO cause global temp increases).

Overselling the bad data did more harm than good because it discredits the rest of the message in the eyes of the deniers - worth watching the film, but be aware of the graph controversy.

 

[SpyderTracks]

It IS a good film, but it muddles the central message. As a big climate-change campaign supporter I use it in my 1st year stats class as an example of a poor graph (the hocky stick curve, relating CO2 and temp). By getting the temporal order wrong on historic ice core data it set climate change action back by maybe decade in the US.

A simple error, there is a correlation between CO2 and temp in ice core data but the temp changes precede the CO2 changes, not the other way around. This is due to temp fluctuations causing changes in the amount of vegetation. It doesn't relate to human action at all (human actions which DO cause CO2 emissions and those emissions DO cause global temp increases).

Overselling the bad data did more harm than good because it discredits the rest of the message in the eyes of the deniers - worth watching the film, but be aware of the graph controversy.

Yep, completely agree, big shame, but the science was still so new then. But yeah, it’s one of the biggest block roads to people adopting the new research that’s coming out.

 

[Linda]

A couple of names that springs to mind are Professor Brian Cox he has done some videos on YouTube about Climate asteroids etc. another is Brian May from Queen he is also big into climate asteroids and the like.

 

[ubuysa]

I well understand that you don't want this thread to degenerate into an argument about climate change, but I would suggest that you need to be careful not to only watch films and documentaries that support the views you already have. It's important to consider all the arguments, no matter how unpopular, in order to form fully rounded opinions.

It's also important to take a longer view on climate change. My degree was in geology, though I never worked as a professional geologist - computers were much more fun. On the geological timescale on which the Earth operates climate change is constant and often far more serious than we're seeing now. Professor Iain Stewart of Plymouth University (and UNESCO Chair in Geoscience and Society) has made several TV series on geology that also highlight how the climate has changed over geological time. 'The Rise Of The Continents' is a good one to start with if you can find it.

It is important to understand I believe, that whilst human activity has undoubtedly contributed to a warming of the planet, it isn't possible to also say that without that human activity the climate would have remained unchanged. 55 million years ago for example, during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum the average global temperature was around 8°C warmer than it is now. One of the unmentioned flaws in the Jurassic Park theory of recreating the dinosaurs is that even if you could bring them back they would all freeze to death. The Earth's climate today is simply much too cold for dinosaurs - but I don't think most people appreciate that. 🦖🦕

 

[-=SS=-]

Are there any decent documentaries coming from the opposing position of anthropogenic climate change is exaggerated/incorrect?

I think there was a channel 4 one, 'the big swindle' or something? I haven't watched any beyond 10 minutes because they all seem to get too hysterical.

 

[polycrac]

All very true, though the issue with climate change isn't that 'the Earth has never been so warm', its twofold:
1) That we humans have adapted to live in a specific climate, with specific sea-levels. Changes in this (especially the sea levels) could be devestating for us.
2) Flora and fauna have survived gradual changes in climate pretty much forever but the rapidity of human-caused climate change may make it impossible to adapt, causing a widespread extinction event.

Also agree it is important to weigh the evidence on both sides but when 99% of the worlds scientists agree then giving equal weight to the dissenting views doesn't make sense.

 

[-=SS=-]

Also agree it is important to weigh the evidence on both sides but when 99% of the worlds scientists agree then giving equal weight to the dissenting views doesn't make sense.

99% can still be wrong though. Evidence should speak for itself, not be clouded by consensus thinking and weighed according to our own bias. Too much politics in science and it becomes semi-religious :/

 

[Oussebon]

One of the unmentioned flaws in the Jurassic Park theory of recreating the dinosaurs is that even if you could bring them back they would all freeze to death. The Earth's climate today is simply much too cold for dinosaurs - but I don't think most people appreciate that. 🦖🦕

Adding animal welfare to a long list of reasons not to resurrect awesome but extinct murderlizards I suppose

99% can still be wrong though. Evidence should speak for itself, not be clouded by consensus thinking and weighed according to our own bias. Too much politics in science and it becomes semi-religious :/

Not calling out @-=SS=- here - just a reminder that we probably want to keep the thread focused on the films rather than the science.


If we're counting Interstellar as a film touching on climate change then:
Day After Tomorrow (excellent disaster movie)
Geostorm (outrageous but enjoyable)
Snowpiercer (surrealist dystopia with a fantastic cast list - if you were able to watch Brazil you can probably watch this)

Snowpiercer also to be a TV series this year

 

[SpyderTracks]

Adding animal welfare to a long list of reasons not to resurrect awesome but extinct murderlizards I suppose


Not calling out @-=SS=- here - just a reminder that we probably want to keep the thread focused on the films rather than the science.


If we're counting Interstellar as a film touching on climate change then:
Day After Tomorrow (excellent disaster movie)
Geostorm (outrageous but enjoyable)
Snowpiercer (surrealist dystopia with a fantastic cast list - if you were able to watch Brazil you can probably watch this)

Snowpiercer also to be a TV series this year

Oooo, geostorm looks amazing just by the title!
Snowpiercer as well sounds right up my street, Brazil being one of my all time favourites, many thanks!