Just because the show or movie you’re watching doesn’t have Sir David Attenborough narrating a dancing bird’s mating ritual doesn’t mean it’s not a sustainability story. Plenty of Netflix’s biggest titles have something to say about protecting nature, climate change and other high-priority issues for Earth dwellers.
In honor of Show Your Stripes Day, a day to raise awareness of climate change, we’ve partnered with scientist Dr. Ed Hawkins to draw attention to the warming patterns affecting the locations featured in these shows and movies, using a graphic called the “Warming Stripes.” While these stripes might look like the Netflix intro, they actually depict temperature increases over the past 100-plus years in regions around the world.
The reddening stripes seen across all these locations make it clear that no part of the world is spared from the effects of climate change. Fortunately, there’s reason to believe we can slow this accelerated warming trajectory — as Dr. Ed Hawkins puts it, “All cities, countries and regions of the world have experienced a rapid increase in temperatures over the last hundred years, but this doesn’t have to be the case for the next hundred years.” Hawkins also maintains that “we can slow this warming trend and limit further damaging effects by rapidly phasing out our use of fossil fuels and protecting nature.”
See how your city or country has warmed over time here.
United States
Adam McKay’s Oscar-nominated ensemble comedy — starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence — shows us what could happen if we decide to ignore an existential problem for our planet. (You can check out this site to learn more about steps we can all take to protect our Earth.)
Canada
Netflix’s first Québécois original film stars Guillaume Laurin as a man afraid of climate change–fueled disasters, who joins a group of survivalists forced to contend with an unexpected death that sends the group into a panic.
Norway
This Norwegian series transports Norse mythology to the present day, as a teenage boy learns he’s the reincarnation of Thor and is tasked with saving his small town from melting glaciers and industrial polluters.
Colombia
When a detective and her partner head deep into the Amazon rain forest to investigate a series of bizarre murders, they discover an Indigenous tribe with a mysterious secret. They become embroiled in a deadly fight between loggers and land developers in this Colombian crime thriller.
South Korea
Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho’s star-studded film follows a girl fighting to save her beloved pet in a story that raises ethical and environmental questions about eating industrialized meat products.
India
This Oscar-winning Indian documentary draws light to the sacred bond between humans and our natural world through the heartwarming tale of a local couple caring for orphaned elephants like their own children.
Australia
Zac Efron and Darin Olien take an eye-opening adventure across Australia, delving into its rich biodiversity and culture — and the efforts to protect both in this Emmy-winning series.
New Zealand
When a San Francisco architect wins a New Zealand inn, she ditches city life to remodel the rustic property with help from a handsome contractor. Together, they create an all-electric building with cool clean tech — and those aren’t the only sparks that fly.
South Africa
This Oscar-winning documentary tells the story of filmmaker Craig Foster who, through his daily diving regimen in the kelp forests of South Africa, forms an unusual friendship with a beguiling octopus who shares the mysteries of her world with him.
Malawi
This film is based on the true story of a young Malawian boy who built a windmill in the early 2000s out of materials salvaged from “junk” to supply water and save his village from climate-accelerated drought and famine.
Japan
In a once-scenic Japanese village now dominated by a vast trash disposal site, a young man yearns to break free from a cruel fate tying him to these grounds. This gripping narrative delves into timely issues like greenwashing, environmental justice and more.
For more stories about the environment, visit our curated Sustainability Stories collection.
