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Below is a list of films recommended by various groups around the country. For ease of access they have been categorised as follows:
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General introductions
Campaigning
Changing the economic model
Climate assemblies
Climate justice
Food, farming and diet
Our seas
Predicting the future
Talk with other, answer questions and deal with denial
Technical solutions
‘Waterbear (www.waterbear.com) provides a range of environmentally-themed films and Cornwall Climate Care (www.cornwallclimate.org/films) provides documentaries on climate impacts and efforts to address climate change. There is likely to be a charge if you want to watch these films with a group.’
There are no restrictions on group members watching these films at home and then joining a group discussion. If you plan to watch the film together as a group, particularly if the meeting is open to others and a fee is charged, this may count as a ‘public screening’ and you may need permission from the copyright holder or distributor of the film. There is useful guidance from the UK government: https://www.gov.uk/showing-films-in-public.
General Introductions
| The Attenborough Series | |||||
| Medium | Title | Web link | Description | Length | Date |
| Netflix | Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet | Breaking Boundaries | Sir David Attenborough breaks down what’s happening to our wildlife and to our world, with his view on what to do about it. | 1h 14m | 2021 |
| BBC iplayer | Extinction | Extinction the Facts | David Attenborough explains how and why one million plants and animals are nearing extinction due to human behaviour. | 58 min | 2020 |
| BBC iplayer | Climate Change : the facts (David Attenborough) | Climate Change the Facts | Excellent starting video for groups. What can be done to avert disaster and ensure the survival of our civilization and the natural world on which we depend? We face irreversible damage if we don't change by 2029. | 58 min | 2019 |
| Carbon emissions | |||||
| YouTube | Historical carbon emissions | Historical carbon emissions | Animation shows cumulative carbon emissions from 10 largest emitters from 1850-2021. | 1 min | 2021 |
| Website | Climate Tracker | Climate Action Tracker | Infographic that lets you see how each country’s climate actions stack up to the challenge in front of us. | N/A | NA |
| Other introductions | |||||
| YouTube | What will it really take to deal with the climate emergency? | Mike Berners-Lee | Talk given by Mike Berners-Lee for the U3A at our June 2022 meeting. Largely based on his book "There is No Planet B" (second edition 2021) | 55 min | 2022 |
| YouTube | Heading for extinction and what to do about it | Emily Cox | Climate Researcher Dr Emily Cox introduces the Climate and Ecological Emergencies we’re in, and what to do about it. | 15 min | 2020 |
| YouTube | The Race is On: secrets and solutions of climate | The Race is On | Sees UK could make better climate and society. Must protect our climate to have a prosperous future. Need for economy without growth. | 40 min | 2019 |
Campaigning
| Netflix | Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy | Buy Now! | This documentary unpacks the tricks brands use to keep their customers consuming, and the real impact they have on our lives and the world. | 84 min | 2024 |
| YouTube | Greta Thunberg‘s speech to COP25 | Greta Thunberg | 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg at the UN COP25, at the Climate Emergency Event. "I've given many speeches and learn that when you talk in public, you start with something personal or emotional to get everyone's attention. But today I will not do that - we no longer have time to leave out the science."(11,34 min) | 11 min | 2019 |
| YouTube | Something has to be done | Stephen Fry | An excellent short video fronted by Stephen Fry, in support of Extinction Rebellion. | 7 min | 2022 |
Changing the economic model
| YouTube | Vision of Sustainable Economy | Dieter Helm | Dieter Helm gives a compelling vision of a sustainable economy. | 62 min | 2022 |
Climate assemblies
| Website | Climate Citizens--Bringing climate policy to the citizens | Climate Citizens | Includes links to a range of videos exploring issues around climate assemblies and talks given to the Citizens’ Assembly on Retrofit (Birmingham 26 April-21 June 2022). Explore! | Various | 2022 |
Climate Justice
| Video | The Economist: What would 3 degrees of warming look like? | Economist 3 degree world | Quick moving film illustrated with images and interviews from around the world. Shows what has already happened in places like Bangladesh as well as projecting climate scenarios of the future. Pulls no punches. | 16 min | 2021 |
Food, Farming and diet
| Amazon Prime or Video | Six Inches of Soil | Six Inches of Soil on Amazon or Six Inches of Soil website | The inspiring story of British farmers standing up against the industrial food system and transforming the way they produce food - to heal the soil, benefit our health and provide for local communities. | 96 min | 2024 |
| YouTube | George Monbiot on Regenesis with Franny Armstrong | George Monbiot | Compelling discussion on food and farming | 60 min | 2022 |
| Radio | A Revolution in Food and Farming | Radio 4 Food and Farming | George Monbiot, Sarah Langford and Claire Ratinon discuss food and farming. Debating the visions on their books (Regenesis, Rooted and Unearthed). | 42 min | 2022 |
| Netflix | Cowspiracy | Cowspiracy | Powerful documentary exploring how large a role industrial meat and dairy play in Climate Change. | 90 min | 2014 |
Our seas
| Netflix | Seaspiracy | Seaspiracy | Powerful documentary exploring how large a role industrialised fishing is to our future, and that of our oceans. | 90 min | 2021 |
Predicting the future
| Netflix | Don’t Look Up | Don't look up | An allegory for climate change and a satire of government, political, celebrity and media indifference to the climate crisis. | 143 min | 2021 |
| YouTube | Jonathan Pie: The World’s End | Jonathan Pie | Jonathan Pie speaking the truth as he sees it on COP26, including "interviews" with Ed Milliband, Caroline Lucas and George Monbiot. Furious but with gallows humour… | 16 min | 2021 |
| YouTube | Positive Tipping Points to Avoid Climate Tipping Points | Positive tipping points | Talk by Professor Tim Lenton, expert on tipping points and Director of the Global Systems Institute, University of Exeter. The good and bad of tipping points. | 51 min | 2021 |
| YouTube | Absolute Zero | Absolute Zero | Professor Julian Allwood shows how we can live well with zero emissions in 2050 using today's technologies. See the full report at ukfires.org/absolute-zero/ | 25 min | 2020 |
| YouTube | Assessment of Action on Climate Change by Professor Kevin Anderson | Kevin Anderson | Assessment of action on Climate Change from a former petrochemical engineer, now head of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, UK. | 65 min | 2019 |
| Yo+A19: E26uTube | A Vision of the World in 2040 | World in 2040 | Interview with Damon Gameau about his film "2040": series of interesting, and really simple and applicable ideas also objective about the situation--something we all can contribute to. | 28 min | 2019 |
Talk with others, answer questions, deal with denial
| YouTube | A Skeptical Look at Climate Science | Skeptical look | Journalist Neil Halloran makes a frank and objective exploration of the scientific evidence around Climate Change, and how much it can be trusted. | 24 min | 2021 |
| YouTube | Revealed: Fossil fuel companies lobby UK government for gas ‘compromise’ ahead of COP26 | Fossil fuel lobby | Channel 4 News. Report showing Fossil Fuel companies are trying to undermine action on climate in the UK and the US. | 14 min | 2021 |
| YouTube | The Fossil Fuel Industry Wants You to Think It’s Solving Climate Change | Greenwashing | A review of the greenwashing efforts of Fossil Fuel companies, and how their advertising tries to put the fault for Climate Change on you and me. | 7 min | 2021 |
| YouTube | If I just explain the facts, they'll get it, right? | Katherine Hayhoe | 7.39 min video by Katherine Hayhoe addressing why it can be difficult to talk with people about climate change and suggesting tactics to address the problem. One of a series. | 7 min | 2017 |
Tech solutions (including carbon capture) and forests
| YouTube | Reaching Net Zero: Does BECCS work? | BECCS Chatham House | A short animated video from think-tank Chatham House on how BECCS (carbon capture & storage) would work, and whether it makes sense in reality. | 4 min | 2020 |
| YouTube | A new way to remove CO2 from the atmosphere | Jennifer Wilcox | Carbon capture and storage | Explains carbon capture and storage. Makes the expense and difficulty clear. Clearly necessity to reduce CO2 emissions asap rather than rely on this technology. | 14 min | 2018 |
| YouTube | Ecosia Is everyone getting tree planting wrong | Ecosia tree planting | Ecosia (sponsors a search engine) explaining why successful tree planting is a complex process. | 11 min | 2019 |
Last updated: April 2026
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