Environmental Science Movies
A huge variety of commercial movies, documentaries, and other videos are available to supplement the environmental science curriculum. Each of the movies listed below I have either shown entirely, taken clips from, or given as a homework assignment.
Page 1
Environmental Ethics | Nature of Science | Populations and Species Interactions | Ecosystems
Page 2
Human Population | Food and Agriculture | Environmental Health
Page 3
Air Pollution | Climate Change | Water Pollution | Waste
Page 4
Fossil Fuels | Nuclear Energy | Renewable Energy
Human Population
World in the Balance: The People Paradox
Resources: Student worksheet
 
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Length: 60 minutes
Description: This is the first of a two-part NOVA documentary series on world population. The demographics and population growth of three different regions, India, Japan, and Sub-Saharan Africa are compared. A population pyramid is shown for each, giving the viewer a visual of the ratio of old-to-young. Additionally, a great deal of discussion is given about the population transition model, and each country's current place within that transition.
Lessons Learned
- The single biggest factor that influences fertility rate is womens' rights and education.
- The population of Japan is actually shrinking, due to a decline in fertility rate and low level of immigration.
- The United States removed funding to the United Nations Population Fund during the Bush presidency.
How to Get
The Eyes of Nye: Human Population
Resources: Student worksheet
 
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Length: 24 minutes
Description: The human population continues to grow by the billion, leaving the world to wonder, what is our carrying capacity? In this episode of The Eyes of Nye, Bill Nye examines the effect of social dynamics in rapidly growing countries like India on their fertility rate. He also emphasizes the consumption problem, comparing the number of resources used by a typical United States citizen, compared with individuals from less developed countries.
Lessons Learned
- The human population is growing at an exponential rate.
- Societal issues, like the son preference in India, can have big impacts on the country's overall fertility rate.
- Developing countries tend to have higher numbers of young people, with greater fertility rates overall.
How to Get
Food and Agriculture
Death on a Factory Farm
Resources: Student Worksheet
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Length: 83 minutes
Description: This 2009 documentary begins with footage taken from an investigator working undercover at the Wiles Hog Farm in northeast Ohio. The worker, named "Pete", documents several instances of what appear to be cruelty to the piglets and hogs by the workers on the farm. The footage is eventually shown to the state and the owner and operator of the farm is brought to court. The documentary concludes with coverage of the court case and its verdict. The footage in this film is very graphic and not appropriate for younger students.
Lessons Learned
- Piglets with deformities may be euthanized through blunt trauma, an industry-accepted practice.
- No federal laws exist covering practices of euthanasia of farm animals, only state laws apply.
- Prosecution of animal cruelty with farms is an exceptionally difficult task, given the few written laws.
How to Get
Dirt! The Movie
Resources: Student Worksheet
 
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Length: 80 minutes
Description: A documentary inspired by Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth by William Logan. The importance of soil to all life on Earth is heavily emphasized, with examples of multiple ways that we have abused and covered dirt. Practices such as mountaintop removal, monoculture, deforestation, and overgrazing are all shown. Different experts talk about the life-giving importance of dirt, from its ability to sprout new saplings from an abandoned pickup truck, to the effect that it has on the taste of wine.
Lessons Learned
- The suicide rate of farmers in India is unusually high, due to the rate of soil degradation.
- The topsoil degradation of the Dust Bowl was in part caused by monoculturing practices by farmers.
- A few prisons have adopted farming programs, where inmates are able to work with the soil during the day.
How to Get
Food, Inc.
Resources: Student Worksheet
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Length: 93 minutes
Description: A complete dossier on the major issues relating to the industrialized agriculture system. The first segment explores the underside of factory farms and meat processing plants. Included is an inside look into a large-scale chicken coop contracted to Perdue Farms. Interviews with farmers reveal issues related to the patent of genetically modified foods like corn and soy. The second segment looks at the effects of a diet heavy in processed foods on human health. Finally, a discussion of the future of foods and the growth of the organic industry is shown.
Lessons Learned
- The use of theraputic antibiotics is an essential part of industrialized agriculture, due to overcrowding.
- Food produced through the modern system is more likely to have pathogenic bacteria.
- Genetically modified organisms can be patented, requiring farmers to buy new seed every year.
How to Get
Fresh
Resources: Student Worksheet
 
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Length: 72 minutes
Description: Many of the documentaries covering issues relating to food and agriculture tend to be very negative, foreboding, and gruesome. Movies such as Food, Inc and others tend to focus mainly on issues relating to animal welfare in the factory farm setting. Fresh is a good counter to these types of documentaries. This movie is much more positive and uplifting. Specific examples of farms and farmers, such as Joel Salatin, that have opted out of the industrialized system in favor of free-range organic practices are showcased. Students who feel turned off and repulsed by farming after learning the details of factory farming will feel the positive impact of small and medium free-range agriculture.
Lessons Learned
- Many of the inputs of industrialized agriculture can be replaced with an ecosystem design.
- Profits on an organic farm can be equal to or greater than an industrialized monoculture farm.
- Organic farm practices can also be successful in urban settings, given the proper design.
How to Get
Environmental Health
The Eyes of Nye: Antibiotics
Resources: Student Worksheet
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Length: 25 minutes
Description: This episode of the Eyes of Nye covers the issue of antibiotic resistance. First, Bill Nye gives a basic explanation of what antibiotics do, and their importance to the human population. The relationship between human population growth and antibiotics is demonstrated using the Spanish Flu as an example. Then, he explores the problem of antibiotic resistance and its roots. Finally, he interviews scientists researching future alternatives to antibiotics, bacteriocins.
Lessons Learned
- The advent of antibiotics coincides with the beginning of human exponential growth.
- About half of the antibiotics administered in the United States are for animals, not humans.
- Antibacterial products, such as soap, do not cleanse any more effectively than traditional ones.
How to Get
