Thursday, September 30, 2010

Top five Eco-friendly movies of the last decade

The last decade has seen a sharp upswing in eco conscious behavior. This is in no small part thanks to a wide variety of feature films and documentaries that highlight the need for immediate action to save our beleaguered ecosystem. Here are five of the best earth-friendly movies of the past decade:

1. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
http://www.climatecrisis.net/
It was the slide show heard round the world. Former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore, brought the global warming crises front-and-center for public examination in this box office hit. Before An Inconvenient Truth, movies about climate change and environmental concerns were primarily limited to theatres that specialized in documentaries and Indie movies. Today, movies like The Cove and Wall-E are able to garner a mainstream audience.

Following a college lecture-style format, Al Gore demonstrated how our worst global nightmares are about to become a reality if we don’t change our global approach to carbon emissions. An Inconvenient Truth inspired many college and high school age students to become more active in the environmental movement.

2. The Cove (2010)
http://www.thecovemovie.com/
In this hard-to-stomach documentary, under cover animal rights activists take on the Japanese dolphin meat trade. The producers do an excellent job of underscoring the cruelty of the yearly dolphin slaughter while educating the audience about dolphin psychology and behavior.

Dolphins are generally regarded as a friend to mankind. While the ethical debate surrounding the whaling industry is generally pretty far from the consciousness of most every day people, the message of The Cove is inescapable. If we don’t start standing up for the rights of endangered species, they are doomed to mass slaughter and potential extinction. You will never again believe that Sea World is a dolphin-friendly franchise.

3. Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)
http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com/
Back in the 1990’s, General Motors released the EV1, a completely electric car. While owners of the car were impressed with the performance and the potential for future improvements on the technology, the oil industry had other plans. By 1999, the EV1 had been discontinued despite its popularity. Now, big oil is doing its best to discourage any other auto manufacturers from building upon the EV1’s technology.

4. Wall-E (2008)
http://adisney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/wall-e/
Children are the future of the environmental movement. The animated motion picture Wall-E combined amazing graphics with a well-written storyline to entertain and educate the younger generation. In the future, humans have so completely trashed the Earth that it is no longer livable. An endearing robot name Wall-E is left behind to clean up the planet while the human race escapes in a spaceship. They will only return if plant life reappears. Through a serious of adventures, Wall-E finds life on Earth, returns to the space ship, and saves the day. In the Wall-E universe, humans have become so lazy that they no longer have any desire to participate in physical activity.

5. The End of Suburbia (2004)
http://www.endofsuburbia.com/
Will the American dream end with the world-wide depletion of oil reserves? The End of Suburbia examines the impact of the ever-rising cost of oil on suburbia. If steps aren’t taken soon, today’s suburban dream will be tomorrow’s slum. The choices we make today will determine the outcome for the many American families that own houses in suburbia.

Post info: This was a guest post made by Alexis Bonari, a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident education blogger and performs research surrounding College Scholarships. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

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