See the planet in a new light in the Earth Day Collection at SBS On Demand

Explore issues facing our planet in these wide-ranging documentaries.

'Expedition with Steve Backshall' Source: True to Nature

For more than 30 years, Earth Day has turned the spotlight on everything from recycling to pollution. Held on 22 April each year, it reflects a key date in the start of the modern environmental movement, when, in 1970, rallies, meetings and protests in the US on that date sparked a series of legislative changes and increasing interest. The movement became global in 1990, and now each year, Earth Day is marked by more than a billion people around the globe. (You can see some of the Australian events planned for this year’s Earth Day – which has the theme ‘Invest in our planet’ – here).

Looking to explore the issues, or see some unique viewpoints on Planet Earth? Dive into the Earth Day Collection at SBS On Demand, which will also include 2 documentaries screening on SBS on Friday 22 April.

Youth On Strike!

See the action unfold in 'Youth On Strike' Source: Mashup Pictures

In March 2019 Australian students defied calls to stay in school and went on strike for climate change action. Twelve of them vlogged it; this is their story, told by them. This powerful compilation has screened at film festivals around the world, and won Best Documentary Series at 2020 Bilbao Seriesland in Spain.

Youth on Strike! is available at SBS On Demand until 31 August. 

Feast to Save the Planet

Amol Rajan, Sara Pascoe, Desiree Burch, Nikki Fox and Matthew Fort face a dining challenge. Source: BBC

“Food accounts for a third of all our greenhouse gas emissions. So one of the biggest things we can do as individuals to help the environment is change what we eat,” says Gregg Wallace in this dinner party documentary, which gives diners an unusual challenge when deciding what to eat. Wallace, known for his role as a host of the UK version of Masterchef, and mathematician Hannah Fry invite five celebrity guests to a unique dinner party, where they are scored on the environmental impact of every dish they choose.

Fry, along with some environmental scientists, calculates the carbon footprint of every item on the menu, while Wallace shares some tips for viewers to help them cook the food they love “while still being green”. Guests include comedian Sara Pascoe, who’s also a vegan; journalist Amol Rajan (who sums up one dilemma many people face when he says “Like most people there is a gap between what I think is the right thing to do and how I actually behave”; and food critic Matthew Fort. How will their different diets and ideas play out at the table?

(By the way, if you feel inspired, SBS Food has some great recipes for cutting down your kitchen waste; you could also make Gregg Wallace’s shepherd’s pie, which is a tasty way to use up leftover roast.) 

Feast to Save the Planet screens at 4:05pm, Friday 22 April on SBS, and will be available at SBS On Demand for 30 days after it airs.

Earthworks

Celebrating global sustainability through musical expeditions, Earthworks travels the world with inspiring artists as they create sonically unique performances in stunning natural environments. In the first episode, experimental pop band Animal Collective travels to Brazil, riding a riverboat deep into nature soaking in the sounds of the river and the people to feed the group’s music and to hunt down some of the reasons for the region’s rapid destruction. Following episodes include a visit to Mexico for award-winning singer Miguel, and indie rock band Local Natives travelling to the Colorado River in America, a vital source of water that has been cut off from the Pacific Ocean. 

Earthworks is streaming now at SBS On Demand. Start with episode one:

Expedition with Steve Backshall

“It has been my life’s work to assemble these expeditions; 30 years of questions, scribbled words in tatty notebooks, assembling a crew of superhuman friends who can achieve the impossible,” says Steve Backshall of this series, which sees the BAFTA-winning adventurer and naturalist venture into uncharted territory in pursuit of new discoveries and world firsts. It’s also a chance for viewers to understand more of the planet we live on.

“I hope this series brings audiences closer to the natural world. I think that finding a way to live more in harmony with our planet and creating a greater sense of belonging is an essential part of our own future success and well-being,” says executive producer Dr. Wendy Darke. The two seasons see Backshall explore a cave system in the Yucatan jungle, explore the Arctic – at the most volatile and dangerous time of year – the spring melt, visit a desert in Oman and travel to the Djangart mountains of Kyrgyzstan in search of snow leopards, where success could help protect this remote range.

Two seasons of Expedition with Steve Backshall are streaming at SBS On Demand (the final episodes of season 2 will be available from 24 April). Start with season 1:

Planet In Peril

Are flooding coastlines and burning forests the result of global warming? This documentary from VICE News dives into the issues and questions. 

Planet In Peril is streaming now at SBS On Demand:

New ways to see the planet

The Earth can look very different when you see it from a new perspective. Take a fresh look in documentaries including the fascinating cultural and historical journeys of Morocco from Above and Vietnam from Above; join Ernie Dingo as he explores some of Australia’s iconic and beautiful destinations, meeting up with the traditional owners and others who live in these wonderful places, in four seasons of Going Places with Ernie Dingo; or settle in for the Slow TV of NITV’s Bamay, a series that showcases locations across Australia:

See these in the Earth Day Collection at SBS On Demand, which also includes Climate Crisis: Make The World Greta Again; Unknown Amazon; and more.