RACING EXTINCTION

Racing Extinction, a Discovery Channel documentary released in 2015, is full of beautiful and horrifying images that are not easily forgotten. From majestic whale sharks to slaughtered manta rays, the subjects of this new documentary reveal nature’s beauty and force viewers to confront the detrimental effects of human activity on the planet. The documentary introduces its viewers to the Anthropocene, the geological age that began when human activities became a driving force for major geological changes. The film mixes cogent scientific facts with captivating images to convey the urgency of the crisis facing our planet—an emergency stemming from global climate change and mass species extinction. www.yalescientific.org/2016/03/documentary-review-racing-extinction/

STRAWS

“With colorful straw history animation narrated by Oscar winner Tim Robbins, STRAWS (30 minutes) leaves audiences with a clear understanding of the problems caused by plastic pollution and empowers individuals to be part of the solution. It’s estimated every day 500,000+ plastic straws are used once and tossed in the U.S. alone. Ocean Conservancy ranks straws as the #5 most found litter item on beaches. They’re non-recyclable, so they wind up in landfills, litter streets and add to the estimated 8.5 million metric tons of plastic debris in oceans annually.” www.strawsfilm.com/