Documentary AreaSimply the best Documentaries

The world's shipping industry is facing a major challenge. If global shipping were a country it would be the sixth largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions. At current growth rates, if we do nothing, those emissions could double or even triple by 2050. But shipping companies and engineers are creating remarkable new machines to make their industry greener, using a resource that has moved man across the world’s oceans for thousands of years…Wind.

In the first episode, Sir David Attenborough reveals the unexpected wildlife riches of the British Isles, showcasing the dramatic and spectacular habitats that rival any across the globe. This journey uncovers the diversity of life in the UK's unique landscapes, from the intricate world of bumblebees to the swift lives of kingfishers. The episode captures extraordinary scenes of nature, including killer whales preying on seals, golden eagles in the Scottish mountains, the cunning tactics of woodland plants, and the perilous life of puffins evading gulls. It highlights Britain's geological diversity as a cornerstone of its natural wealth, contributing to an array of habitats and supporting a wide range of life.
Britain's importance extends to being a haven for migratory birds, with our seas feeding 65% of the world's gannets and supporting the largest colony of northern gannets on Scotland's Bass Rock. The west coast of Scotland offers sanctuary to barnacle geese due to its abundant food and mild climate, though they remain vigilant against hunting sea eagles. Despite these natural treasures, Britain faces challenges as one of the most nature-depleted countries globally. Sir David Attenborough emphasizes the need to conserve and restore these wild isles for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations.

Even as the science grew more certain, the oil industry continued to block action to tackle climate change in the new millennium. In a revelatory interview, Christine Todd Whitman, George W. Bush's former environment chief, tells the story of how the industry successfully lobbied President Bush to reverse course on his campaign promise to regulate carbon emissions.
Tensions grew between two of the world's biggest oil companies, ExxonMobil and BP, after the latter publicly called for action to tackle climate change. The election of Barack Obama provided hope for supporters of climate action, but the billionaire Koch brothers made an effort to block the new president's attempts to pass climate change legislation, and climate denialism became the mainstream position of the Republican Party. A lawyer who worked for Koch brothers through this period speaks on camera for the first time.

The third episode takes viewers on a riveting journey to some of the world's most extreme and breathtaking deserts and grasslands, where nature puts on its most dramatic show. It begins in the arid landscapes of Central Africa's Guelta d'Archei and the Namib Desert in Southwest Africa, places where water is scarce, and survival is a daily battle. The focus then shifts to the remarkable adaptability of creatures like ostriches, who brave the scorching heat and predators to raise their young and a handful of leopards who learned to hunt from trees on the African plains.
In Australia, viewers witness the intricate courtship rituals of the spotted bowerbird, a species facing challenges due to climate change. The narrative then takes us to the vast Eurasian Steppe, home to the unique Saiga antelope, and to Brazil's Cerrado, a biodiverse grassland where the elusive maned wolf plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecosystem.
The episode highlights not only the resilience and beauty of these creatures but also the fragility of their habitats, emphasizing the urgent need for conservation efforts.

The last chapter explains how the 2010s became another lost decade in the fight against climate change – as the move to natural gas delayed a transition to more renewable sources of energy.
Engineer Tony Ingraffea, in the 1980s, helped develop a new technique for extracting gas and oil from shale rock, which ultimately became known as 'Fracking'. It was to unleash vast new reserves of fossil fuels and was promoted as a cleaner energy source. But Ingraffea explains how he later came to regret his work when he realized that gas could be even worse for climate change than coal and oil.
Dar-Lon Chang, a former ExxonMobil engineer, speaks for the first time on camera alleging that as the company increased its natural gas operations, it was not sufficiently monitoring methane leaks that were contributing to climate change. Now, after a year of unprecedented wildfires, drought and other climate-related disasters, multiple lawsuits are being brought in US courts in efforts to hold Big Oil legally accountable for the climate crisis.

The final episode begins with a description of the extreme cold conditions that characterized the beginning of the Holocene period, and how species like the bison and the wolf adapted to survive in these hostile environments. We will witness the majesty of the woolly mammoth and the fierce cave lion, with a vivid reconstruction of their struggles for survival. We'll see the impact of climate change during this period, from the expansion of the deserts to the transformation of the tropical rainforests of Africa into grasslands, deeply affecting primates and other animals. It highlights how these changes forced primates to adapt to life on the ground, facing new challenges and predators.
A crucial turn occurred with the emergence of humans as dominant predators and their influence on the extinction of large mammals. The documentary describes humanity's transition from hunter-gatherers to farmers, a change that radically altered the landscape and biodiversity of the planet. Finally, it poses a reflection on the current challenges of climate change and the sixth mass extinction, inviting viewers to consider humanity's crucial role in shaping the future of the Earth.