OUR FRAGILE ECOSYSTEMS

You don’t know what you have until you lose it and, when it comes to the environment, global warming, the loss of habitats, and the extinction of beautiful animals across the world are bringing this point home. If you are in home confinement and you’d like to delve into the many ways in which we can protect our fragile planet, check out the following productions.

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

THE PERFECT CORAL REEF

This documentary forms part of a five-part interactive journey in which marine specialists highlight the features that make Australia's Great Barrier Reef such a unique treasure. The Reef stretches over 2,300 kilometers of the eastern coast of Australia. Covering an incredible 344,400m2 (the size of Italy), it is more than twice the size of the second largest coral reef in the world. With over 1,500 species of fish, hundreds of coral varieties, and 30 different whale and dolphin species, it is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. Over the past three decades, the Roof has lost half its coral cover, pollution has caused deadly starfish outbreaks, and global warming has produced devastating coral bleaching. Discover what you can do to save one of the most beautiful spots on our planet. www.attenboroughsreef.com

CHASING ICE

The documentary follows James Balog (once a sceptic on climate change) to the arctic ice caps of Greenland, Alaska and Iceland. He interviews experts who are assessing the effects of the world’s rising temperatures. In an emotionally charged journey, Balog himself begins to see how foolish he was to have believed that global warming wasn’t real. This documentary received an Oscar nomination for the images that were captured while the narrator and his colleagues recorded the alarming melt rate in the Arctic. The film is at once beautiful and fearsome. NETFLIX

THE IVORY GAME

Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary, The Ivory Game, exposes one of the greatest dangers our planet is facing: animal extinction. Practices such as the brutal assassination of elephants to obtain ivory seem too dark to be true, yet the documentary captures the tension between poachers and environmental warriors to perfection. Directors Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani spent 16 months undercover to investigate the killing of elephants for their tusks and the smuggling of ivory to China, where it is seen as a symbol of wealth and prestige. NETFLIX

THE RAINFORESTS ARE UNDER THREAT

Hollywood's brightest stars and today's most respected journalists explore the issues of climate change and discover the ways in which our actions can cause both tragedy and triumph. Each episode covers one issue causing devastation to our planet. Episodes include Dry Season (on the effect of droughts), End of the This multi-award-winning documentary reveals the problems faced by lifegiving rainforests in Peru. Gold mining, pollution, and deforestation are the usual culprits threatening to completely devastate vast areas of land that are home to numerous animals and which provide a livelihood to local communities. AMAZON PRIME

YEARS OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY

Woods (on deforestation and the palm oil industry), and A Dangerous Future (on the impact of extreme heat on human health and mortality). Celebs presenting each episode include Matt Damon, Harrison Ford, and Ian Somerhalder. Catch Season One on YouTube and Season Two on a select list of providers suggested by National Geographic. www.natgeotv.com