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 There are many great environmental documentaries besides Al Gore’s informative and Academy Award-winning film, An Inconvenient Truth. Check out the brief environmental, ecology and nature movie reviews we present below to see the best. If you are in the mood for some ecologically themed edu-tainment, you'll be hard-pressed to top them.
Gasland (2010) - A stirring expose of the widespread water pollution resulting from hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, a process of using high-pressure fluids to crack surrounding rock formations in order to stimulate oil and gas wells. Buy it
Blue Planet: Seas of Life (2002) - Explores life in the oceans with amazing underwater photography (eight-part BBC series). Buy it
National Geographic: Human Footprint (2008) - Graphically illustrates the environmental impact each of us has on the planet. Buy it
Burning the Future: Coal in America (2008) - Appalachian residents battle a coal industry that is poisoning ground water and flattening mountains with the equivalent of a Hiroshima-sized atom bomb every 11-1/2 days—all to extract coal that will contribute 36% of America's global warming emissions. Buy it
Home (2009) - AVisually stunning aerial views of the Earth that illustrate the complex web of ecosystems on the planet, and how, along with sunlight and water, they make life possible. Narrated by Glenn Close. Buy it
No Impact Man (2008) - Fascinating story of a man, his wife, two-year-old daughter and dog who go off-grid for one year in New York City in order to minimize their environmental impact. Buy it
Tapped (2010) - A shocking look at the attempt by multinational corporations to privatize water—a resource that is essential to our survival and should be held in common—and sell it back to us in plastic bottles that end up clogging our oceans. Buy it
The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil (2006) - An empowering look at how communities in Cuba worked together to decrease their dependence on fossil fuels when their oil imports were cut in half as a result of the fall of their ally and oil supplier, the Soviet Union. Buy it
The End Of The Line (2010) - Looks at the ecological devastation—on both global and local levels—caused by overfishing and sends out a dire warning from scientists that we may be looking at a fish-less ocean by 2048 if we don't implement sustainable fishing practices soon. Buy it
A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash (2007) - This film expertly interweaves new and archival footage with experts warning that our addiction to oil—unless we shift to alternatives—will destabilize the world politically and decimate it economically as oil reserves continue their inevitable decline. Buy it
Dirt! The Movie (2009) - A truly inspiring look at the importance of the ground beneath us in facilitating life on the planet—and the dire consequences of neglecting this essential resource. Buy it
Monumental: David Brower's Fight for Wild America (2005) - A survey (using his own films) of the life of environmental activist David Brower (1912-2000), who was instrumental in passage of the 1964 Wilderness Act, saving the Grand Canyon from damming and creating both Point Reyes National Seashore and Redwoods National Park. Buy it
The 11th Hour (2008) - Some of our top scientists, environmentalists and politicians discuss the imminent ecological crisis we face and what we must do now to prevent it. Buy it
The Unforeseen (2007) - Examines the friction aroused by the competing goals of economic development and environmental protection in Austin, Texas. Buy it
Rivers and Tides (2006) - An eco-art documentary that examines the work and philosophy of nature sculptor Andy Goldsworthy. Buy it
Fuel (2010) - Created over the course of 11 years, this documentary showcases America’s unhealthy dependence on fossil fuels and explores viable alternatives that are kinder to the ecology. Buy it
Cane Toads: An Unnatural History (2000) - Presents a short, comedic look at a misguided effort in Australia to import the predator of a local pest—another example of man trying to manipulate nature and being unable to anticipate the unintended consequences. Buy it
Food, Inc. (2008) - Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma) and others participate in this engaging documentary about the dangerous state of our food supply thanks to unchecked corporate greed. Buy it
Manufactured Landscapes (2007) - This eco documentary reports on the environmental effects of strip mining in China. Buy it
The Garden (2008) - When the largest community garden in the US is threatened with closure, social and political battles ensue as many working class families resist this greed-based decision. Buy it
Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series (2007) - Highly informative and beautifully filmed survey of life as it exists in wide-ranging ecosystems across the globe. Buy it
Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006) - Details car company GM’s efforts to bury their own electric-car research and development. Buy it
Crude (2009) - The largest environmental lawsuit to date is explored in this documentary about the Indigenous Amazon Rainforest dwellers who accuse oil giant Chevron of poisoning and destroying their rainforest. Buy it
Garbage Warrior (2008) - About US architect Michael Reynolds who builds Earthship (self-sustaining) homes from tires and beer cans. As he says, "a family of four could live here and never have to leave—not for food, water or electricity." Buy it
March of the Penguins (2005) - A gripping chronicle of the treacherous and suspenseful lives of Emperor Penguins as they struggle to survive and breed in a harsh, sub-zero-temperature climate. Buy it
King Corn (2008) - Highlights the ubiquity of genetically engineered corn, thanks to government corn subsidies, and how this degrades our ecology and threatens our survival. Buy it
Go Further (2005) - Highly entertaining and humorous film that follows Woody Harrelson as he roams the country in a tofu-powered van touting environmental consciousness. 'Nough said. Buy it
The Future of Food (2005) - Exposes how the food industry uses its political influence to eviscerate the government’s environmental and safely regulations. Buy it
The Cove (2009) - This Academy Award winner depicts the gruesome ritualistic slaughter of bottlenose dolphins in Taiji, Japan. Not recommended for the squeamish. Buy it
Blue Vinyl (2005) - When a woman documentary filmmaker discovers her parents want to install blue vinyl siding on their house, she investigates the anti-ecological manufacturing process and ends up in Italy at the manslaughter trial of an Italian purveyor of toxic vinyl siding. Buy it
Life and Debt (2001) - Shows how the International Monetary Fund’s regulation of Jamaica’s economy has adversely affected its ecology. Buy it
Flow (2008) - Exposes the concerted effort by multinational corporations to privatize the world's water supply and what this means for our environment and our future. Buy it
Planet in Peril (2008) - A wide-ranging 3-hour documentary, shot in high definition, that engagingly covers four key environmental issues: climate change, vanishing ecosystems, loss of species and the human population explosion. Buy it
Earth (2009) - James Earl Jones narrates this Disneynature (an independent Disney film subsidiary) documentary that shows how climate change has negatively impacted species across the planet by following polar bears, African elephants and humpback whales over a one-year period as they try to cope with the results. Buy it
Earthlings (2005) - Joaquin Phoenix narrates this comprehensive look at man's exploitation of other animals, including our use of them as food, clothing, pets, entertainment and in our scientific research. As enlightening as it is hard to watch. Buy it
Trashed (2007) - An informative and graphic look at the amount of garbage we produce, where it goes and why this level of trash generation is unsustainable. Buy it
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Additional film reviews:
The Film ‘Consumed’ Explores the Psychology Behind Environmental Destruction
‘Cool It’ Film Review: The Devil Is in the Details
The Film ‘Farmageddon’ Says It’s 1984 for Small Farmers
The Film ‘Ingredients’ Is a Peek at a Better Food Future
Green Movies: The Best Environmental Fictional Feature Films
[You can find the above and other intriguing top environmental documentaries at Amazon.com. If we missed one of your favorite environmental documentary films, please comment below and we'll consider adding it. - Ed.]
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