It’s an absolute must-watch.
It’s only been two days since the premiere of David Attenborough’s highly anticipated documentary A Life On Our Planet, and it’s already sending shockwaves through the world of social media as a result of its sensitive subject: the future of our planet. And not to boldly claim that everyone’s saying the same thing… But everyone’s saying the same thing.
Acting as both a ‘witness statement’ and an urgent call to action, the new documentary outlines the impact human activity has had on the world throughout Attenborough’s lifetime – with shocking figures showing that since the broadcaster was born, the Earth has lost a staggering 31% of its wilderness. Not only that, but the planet’s human population has more than tripled in less than a century, with carbon in the atmosphere increasing from 280PPM (parts per million) to 415PPM. It’s a shocking wake-up call, and Attenborough doesn’t mess around in letting us know how little time we have left to fix our mistakes.
From disturbing scenes of an Orangutan left clinging to the single last tree in an otherwise destroyed rainforest, to illustrative scenes of the devastations we will see as early as 2030, Twitter users have been taking to the platform to express their enlightenment – with many pledging to take immediate action.
As a result of watching #DavidAttenborough #ALifeOnOurPlanet earlier today I have become a member of @wwf_uk adopted an Orangutan for my son and from tomorrow will take a more plant based focus around my meals. I am determined to do my bit no matter how small to help #Doyourbit pic.twitter.com/LGxf3DFFyh
— Dëe (@CharlieeDee) October 4, 2020
https://twitter.com/Vicky_Roscoe/status/1312897082995474432
Outlining the effects meat production and overfishing have had on the environment, viewers of the show have vowed to change their diets after Attenborough’s plea – in which he explained how the world cannot cope with such high volumes of meat consumption. Outside studies have also found shocking statistics in relation to meat consumption, with Humane Society revealing that if all Americans ate meat-free just one day a week for a whole year, 1.4 billion animals would be spared, and 70 million gallons of gas could be preserved.
Just watched this amazing 93 year old talk about hope for our future. This should be shown to every child before they leave school and every adult now! @AttenboroughSir #hope #witnessstatemwnt #ALifeOnOurPlanet pic.twitter.com/HhROfNP1zM
— Sinan (@skerimofski) October 6, 2020
Heartfelt gratitude for @AttenboroughSir's continuous advocacy for Planet Earth and all of her beautiful biodiversity. Rewild we shall and we must. #ALifeOnOurPlanet
— Sara P. (@S_Pirz) October 6, 2020
All those venting at “the big CEOs” for cutting down the rainforest after #ALifeOnOurPlanet but won’t change their own habits. 50% of all supermarket products contain palm oil. Cosmetics, cakes, biscuits, peanut butter the list goes on. Stop buying them. This is on all of us.
— Kate Hughes (@hughesthehack) October 6, 2020
Other viewers have gone as far as calling on the general public to be more conscious with purchasing decisions – particularly those containing palm oil – with one user saying: “All those venting at “the big CEOs” for cutting down the rainforest after #ALifeOnOurPlanet but won’t change their own habits. 50% of all supermarket products contain palm oil. Cosmetics, cakes, biscuits, peanut butter the list goes on. Stop buying them. This is on all of us.”
If there’s one recurring theme, however, it’s that the documentary makes for vital viewing, with many stating that the footage should be shown in schools for our younger generations to learn from.
The documentary was originally slated for release earlier this year in the Spring, however, was forced to delay its premiere as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. The special documentary is available to stream worldwide now on Netflix, with an accompanying book under the same title now in bookstores nationwide now.
Inspired by the documentary? Here are some resources to help you become more environmentally friendly today:
- TooGoodToGo: an app where local restaurants sell (or giving away) products that are nearing expiry or fresh food from the day which is going to be thrown away.
- JouleBug: an app which prompts you to make better choices throughout the day, including nudges to check you’ve switched off lights in other rooms, reminders to use re-usable bags and more.
- ReGAIN: A service which allows users to recycle their unwanted clothes, with popular retailers on board to offer discounts and new products to those who use it.
- Giki: an app to help you find sustainable products when shopping, prompting better purchasing decisions.
- Ecosia: A free search engine which uses all profits from internet searches to plant trees in the places most in need. The company has planted over 64 million trees since starting, in case you needed a reason to use them.