By now, you have probably heard about climate change, sustainability, and even huge plastic trash islands floating in the ocean. But perhaps you’ve never been properly introduced to environmental discussions in an entertaining format. That is a part of what Code Green is all about! We strive to educate and make a positive impact for the world we all live in. This article will provide you with a few small ways you can familiarize yourself with a much larger issue.
History 101 (2020)
WHERE TO WATCH: NETFLIX
History 101 is a TV series that made its debut on Netflix in 2020, where different global topics are talked about using data and fun graphics. Each episode is about 22 minutes long, so there is no real time commitment.
The episodes that I recommend for the environmental discussion are 4 and 8. Episode 4: Plastics deals with the properties, creation, and effects of plastics in our today’s world. Episode 8: Nuclear Power discusses how thermonuclear science could be potentially used to help or hurt mankind and the Earth.
Down To Earth With Zac Efron 2020
WHERE TO WATCH: NETFLIX
In this show, actor Zac Efron of High School Musical and The Greatest Showman (to name a few) goes on a journey to discover ways to live a sustainable and healthy lifestyle.
He is accompanied by his friend and guru Daren Olien as they travel around the world, looking for life-changing experiences. I believe that the entire series of 8 episodes is beneficial to anyone looking to become more educated on the subject. The show is also very relaxing and fun to watch.
WALL-E (2008)
WHERE TO WATCH: DISNEY+
In this charming yet dystopian computer animated film, a lone trash-compacting robot named Wall-e lives on an abandoned and polluted Earth. His one purpose is to collect and compact the trash that was left behind on Earth by mankind. He is the last of an army of robots created to make the Earth inhabitable again, while the remaining humans are jettisoned in outer space.
When he discovers that one small plant has sprouted in one of the many trash heaps, he tries to protect it at all costs. This movie, while primarily targeted for a young audience to warn against the dangers of pollution, rings true to all ages. This film came out 12 years ago and is still very telling of our world. It is certainly worth re-watching.
The Lorax by Dr. Suess (1971) and The Lorax from Illumination Entertainment (2012)
WHERE TO WATCH: NETFLIX
In the rhyming children’s book by Dr. Suess, there is a young boy who wants to learn about whimsical Truffula Trees and where they have all gone. He goes to the fabled Once-ler who supposedly knows all about them and where they have gone. As the book progresses the boy learns that through the Once-ler's own actions of cutting down the trees for profit, all the once beautiful world has been destroyed.
The boy realizes that for the trees to grow and be healthy, he would have to care about them. The Once-ler sees this and entrusts the boy with the final Truffula Tree seed and tells him to do better than he did. The 2012 animated film adaptation starring none other than Zac Effron, Taylor Swift, and the Lorax himself - Danny Devito. The movie follows the same plot, with new modern elements and a musical flare. Upon re-watching it, the movie brought out a certain nostalgia and still touched me with the message.