top of page
This site was designed with the
.com
website builder. Create your website today.Start Now
DJI_0108.jpg

D O C U M E N T A R I E S , B O O K S , P O D C A S T S,

O T H E R   I N F L U E N C E R S,  A N D   M O R E

Docs and books about veganism, the earth, environmentalism, sustainability, minimalism, and everything in between

Environmental Sustainability/Climate Change

Documentaries

    • David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet (Netflix)

      • Quite possibly the best environmental documentary I’ve seen. Not only is it breathtaking when it comes to cinematography, but David isn’t afraid to tell us how it is. David is 94-years-old. He’s lived in a time where we as humans didn’t have to worry about climate change and now he’s advocating for the fight against it. In this documentary, he offers practical ways we can fight climate change. 

    • Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (Netflix)

      • While it might sound like a doc about veganism (and it is a little bit) it really is about climate change and how our over-consumption of animal products is leading to man-made heating of the planet

    • Kiss the Ground: Regenerative Agriculture (Netflix)

      • This documentary talks about a simple solution to climate change that is not necessarily going vegan or cutting out fossil fuels (though those will help), but instead, fixing our damaged soils. Learn more about returning the nutrients to our soil. 

    • Public Trust (By Patagonia on YouTube)

      • This film focuses specifically on the importance of protecting public lands in the US and why that is important in preserving biodiversity. Public lands in the US are important when it comes to carbon sequestration (sucking carbon out of the air) and if we sell public lands back for others to buy, we can kiss those trees and precious resources goodbye

    • Chasing Coral (Netflix)

      • If you want to learn more about coral bleaching and why corals are so vital to the ecosystem, this documentary is for you. It tells the story of corals all around the world told by divers, photographers, and scientists.

    • Before the Flood (Netflix)

      • It is always inspiring to see famous people involved in the environmental movement and Leo DiCaprio has been involved for a long time. He narrates this film as a United Nations Messenger of Peace brought to you by National Geographic. 

    • A Plastic Ocean (Netflix)

      • You can probably guess by the title that this documentary is geared toward plastic pollution and potential solutions to fight it. 

    • Our Planet (Netflix) 

      • Sometimes documentaries can be overwhelming and cause eco-anxiety. Not this one. This one is simply meant to remind you of the wonder of the world and the beauty of it all and remind you why we should preserve it. 

    • Racing Extinction

      • This film exposes the hidden world of the 6th mass extinction we are currently going through covered up by big oil and big gas companies. This team is trying to preserve life on earth by educating us through this film.

    • Seaspiracy (Netflix)

      • A great film exposing the fishing industry. Not only is the fishing industry killing innocent fish, but also innocent dolphins and turtles, and many others animals that get tangled in these nets. Fishing is leading to ocean decay as the leading plastic polluter to our oceans. Learn more in this film!​

Books
Podcasts

    • Green Dreamer Podcast by Kamea Chayne

      • Green Dreamer is all about intersectional sustainability and Kamea invites new guests on every single episode to talk about things like regenerative farming, environmental racism, foraging, and so forth. It is such a fun podcast to listen to and get to hear different opinions from so many people.

  • Sarah's 7 Sustainable Minutes by Sarah Basset

    • The podcast for busy eco people! Sarah talks about all things eco from swaps to brands to veganism and everything in between. It's great for beginners and advanced zero wasters whether you know nothing about zero waste or a lot full of practical tips and fun steps to take.​​​​​

Influencers (YouTubers, Instagramers, Bloggers

    • Levi Hildebrand

      • Levi ​is one of the major environmental YouTubers and he sticks out among the crowd, well, because he's a HE! Most people in the zero waste community are women. He talks about all things in the zero waste realm but he focuses mainly on brands and companies and helping us determine for ourselves if companies are really green or it's just greenwashing. You can find him on Instagram, too. 

    • Shelbizleee

      • Shelbi is another YouTuber​ in the zero waste world, and chances are you've probably heard of her. Shelbi focuses mainly on sustainable beauty, fashion, and products as well as eco-minimalism: a practice of only buying what you need in order to be more sustainable. Find her on Instagram here.

    • Our Future is Mars (hosted by Charlotte)

      • Charlotte is very inspiring as she is one of the youngest zero waste YouTubers I have seen. Seeing young people getting more involved is so inspiring as they are fighting for their future. ​She posts regular content about easy zero waste tips for all ages. Find her on Instagram, too.

    • Coco Shin

      • Coco talks a lot about sustainability including sustainable brands, but she also talks a lot about veganism and radical self-care. She is all-around so much fun and so bubbly and her content all fits together so well. Check her out on Instagram, too.​

    • Chew on That

      • Susie is the host of Chew on That and her/their slogan is "embracing the good life" but she focuses a lot on environmental sustainability (as well as self-care, mental health, and overall happy living). Susie is so much fun and so is her channel. Find her Instagram here. ​

    • Gittemary Johansen

      • Gittemary is such a lovely personality from Europe so she has a unique perspective on the zero-waste realm​. She talks a lot about a zero-waste lifestyle, everything from tips and tricks to veganism to which materials are best for us to use. Don't forget to follow her on Instagram!

    • Earthling Ed

      • A very real and honest guy spreading knowledge about veganism and encouraging us all to live a more compassionate life. Ed talks about veganism mostly but has a lot of great more eco-specific content as well.​

Veganism

Documentaries

    • Game Changers (Netflix)

      • ​A new take on veganism that isn’t geared toward killing animals but rather toward the health benefits. The documentary follows athletes all around the world comparing meat-eaters to vegans comparing blood work to heart rate to performance. 

    • What the Health (Netflix)

      • This film discusses the link between diet and disease particularly in the US/Western society as well as big Pharma’s role in our diet culture. 

    • Forks over Knives

      • Researchers explore people changing their diets from animal-based to plant-based in order to control diseases, change their health, and even change the health of the planet. 

    • Dominion 

      • This film exposes the dark side of modern animal agriculture via hidden cameras and shows how animals are regularly abused. Warning, this film is not for the faint of heart like the other three. 

    • Earthlings

      • We are totally dependent upon animals as a Western society for all things from food to clothing to pets to entertainment to research and this film unpacks that. The goal is to show that we are all simply Earthlings. 

    • Eating you Alive

      • This film isn’t necessarily about veganism but just about health and why the standard American diet (SAD, fitting, right?) is making us so sick. Over half of US adults struggle with chronic illness and most blame it on age but experts think it might be our diet. Watch to learn more. 

    • Blackfish

      • One of the unique films on the list isn’t about eating animals but rather using animals for entertainment and housing them unjustly. This film is about an Orca kept in a sea-park and how the human’s relationship to nature has been skewed over the last few hundred years.

    • The End of Meat 

      • This documentary explores the future without meat. Whether you like it or not, this might become the reality because of choice or necessity. We might have to cut back meat consumption either to slow climate change or we WILL have to cut back meat consumption because we didn’t slow climate change. So, let’s see what that looks like for us.

Books

    • How not to Die by Dr. Michael Gregger

      • This book​ isn't necessarily about veganism but rather the importance of eating plants and why plants are much better for us than the Standard American Diet (SAD). This book talks about the benefits of plants in general as well as specific plants like green tea, ginger, hibiscus, and so forth.

Influencers (YouTubers, Instagramers, Bloggers)

    • Sauce Stache

      • This channel is SO MUCH FUN!​ Sauce Stache takes normally non-vegan foods (think burgers and cheeses and ice cream and bacon and so much more) and turns them vegan with science-like experiments in the kitchen. You can find him on Instagram, too, and find his blog here.

    • The Edgy Veg

      • Candice from The Edgy Veg reminds me a bit of Sauce Stache, but her recipes are a little more common. She makes things like vegan turkey and vegan chicken and a vegan mince pie while, again, experimenting in the kitchen in a fun way.​ Find her on Instagram here and her blog here.

    • From My Bowl

      • Caitlin from From My Bowl ​not only makes vegan recipes, but most of her recipes are gluten-free (GF) as well! Her videos are very relaxing and fun to watch. You can find her on Instagram, too, and check out her blog here.

    • Unnatural Vegan​

      • Swayze is a very unique vegan YouTuber (hence the name) in that she doesn't focus on​ recipes and food (a few of her videos are) but rather busting veganism myths and showing what other vegans are doing wrong and doing right in the means of health. I have learned a lot from her as well as it's very entertaining. Check out her Instagram, too. 

    • Cheap Lazy Vegan

      • It's in the name! If you're into cheap vegan food or lazy vegan food (or both), this channel is for you. ​Find her on Instagram, too.

    • The Viet Vegan

      • She specializes in Vietnamese and other Asian dishes but also does fun vegan taste tests and other fun vegan videos. She is such a fun spirit to watch. Follow her on Instagram!

Minimalism/Fast Fashion

Documentaries

    • The True Cost

      • The story about where our clothes are made, who makes them, the impact of the clothing industry on the world, and more. It breaks down the true cost of our clothing and not just what we pay at the register and is filmed in all countries all over the world. 

    • Affluenza (and it’s sequel, Escape from Affluenza)

      • Nearly 25 years ago, the concept of minimalism was popular but didn’t quite have a name. So, it was referred to as voluntary simplicity. These films take a look at the ever-growing issue of materialism in the 90s in the US and show the lessons we still have not learned today but what we can still take from them. 

    • Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things (Netflix, Prime, Google Play, MinimalistFlims, and more)

      • This is probably the most well-known film for minimalism produced by some of the most well-known minimalists. Joshua and Ryan discuss the important things in life like happiness and mental clarity instead of money and things. This documentary is really eye-opening and really proves that the meaning in life isn’t stuff.

    • The Story of Stuff Short Film

      • Like the book below (just in a shorter time frame), TSOS ​shows us a quick overview of how our Stuff is made, who makes it, what is the real environmental cost, what is the real cost of human labor, how much toxic waste goes into the earth, and so forth. 

Books

    • The Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith (originally published in 1958)

    • Giving Kids the Business by Alex Molnar

    • Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominquez and Vikey Robin

    • The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard:

      • Leonard dives into ​how our items are made to include human labor, toxic waste, extracting precious resources from the earth, and more. This book has inspired many (including myself) to quit buying brand new items out of want and only out of necessity because of the huge environmental and social impact of our Stuff.

Series

    • Consumed

      • A reality show hosted by decluttering expert Jill Pollack who challenges families that are drowning in clutter to live with the bare essentials for just two weeks and get rid of 75% of their items by the end of the episode. 

    • Tidying up with Marie Kondo

      • I’m sure we all heard of this show back in 2019 as it was all the hype. We all probably decluttered too but did we fall back into our old consumeristic ways? Probably. Maybe we need to watch the show again to reinvigorate decluttering habits and get back into good minimalist habits!

Influencers (YouTubers, Instagramers, Bloggers)

    • Kristen Leo

      • ​While Kristen talks mostly about fast fashion, she does so because of sustainable reasons (and human rights reasons, of course). ​​If you're interested in sustainable fashion and exposing wasteful and unethical brands, Kristen is your gal. Check her out on Instagram, too.

    • Ashlynne Eaton

      • Ashlynne focuses on minimalism, decluttering tips, and mindful living on her channel and is so much fun to watch. Her tips are so helpful and she makes minimalism fun for everyone. ​Find her on Instagram here.

    • Matt D'avella

      • Chances are, you've heard of Matt. His videos are amazing and he stands out as being one of the only guys in the minimalism community. He talks about minimalism, decluttering, and other mindfulness habits like meditation and eating habits. Find him on Instagram, too.​

Give Us Your Feedback
Rate UsPoorFairGoodVery goodExcellentRate Us

Thanks for submitting!

bottom of page