The true price of years of living dangerously - These environmental documentaries are not to be missed

(Photo: Marion from Pixabay)

We recommend five documentaries that show the beauty of our planet, but also the problems it is facing.

Years of Living Dangerously

The American documentary series, Years Of Living Dangerously (2014), tells the story of climate change and its effects on the planet in two seasons. The Emmy Award-winning series explores the effects of rising sea levels, droughts and floods, water scarcity, species extinction, deforestation.

The series available on Amazon is executive produced by Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron, and hosts Hollywood stars Matt Damon, Harrison Ford, America Ferrera, Jessica Alba.

Our Planet

A British documentary series created in collaboration with WWF, the world organization for the protection of nature, Our Planet (2019) was filmed in 50 countries, showing a variety of habitats, including the Arctic wilderness, the vastness of Africa, the jungles of South America.

The story, whose focus is climate change and the way it affects the planet and the living world, attracted one hundred million viewers, and is still available on Netflix. The second season premiered last year, with Sir David Attenborough as the narrator again.

The True Cost

A documentary on the impact of fast fashion, The True Cost (2015) explores the negative effects of the fashion industry on the environment and workers. While the cost of the clothes we buy from fast fashion chains is falling year after year, the cost of the impact on the planet and the workers across Asia, who mostly sew for big name brands, is rising.

Director Andrew Morgan became interested in the subject after the collapse of a textile factory in Bangladesh, when more than 1,000 workers died, making this accident the deadliest in the history of textile factories. You can watch the shocking and sobering story on Youtube.

Before the Flood

Leonardo DiCaprio visits the most vulnerable places on the planet affected by climate change in the documentary Before the flood (2016). The film is about climate change deniers, politicians and corporations whose ignorance and ignoring add to the problem. Acclaimed director Martin Scorsese is among the executive producers.

The documentary has aired on National Geographic in 171 countries, and is now available on Disney+.

The Story of Plastic

How did we get to the current crisis regarding plastic waste, which is the impact of the oil and gas industry, what can all of us, from individuals, to corporations, to countries, do to reduce the problem of plastic waste - are some of the questions answered by the documentary The story of plastic (2019).

This Emmy-award winner is busting the myth about recycling plastic as a solution to pollution and says we need systemic change to create a more sustainable world. The documentary can be viewed on the DiscoveryGo streaming service, Amazon, Apple TV.