https://www.netflix.com/title/80164032

This documentary that shows us the state of our oceans and uncovers alarming facts about the consequences of our disposable lifestyle. It documents the global effects of plastic pollution. Throughout the film it shows us technology and solutions that everyone can do in order to help create a cleaner and greener ocean. The world we live in is full of plastic. The things we use in our day to day are made out of plastic. Shopping bags, bottles, toothbrushes, and even our clothes contain plastic. We have been mass-producing plastic since the 1950s. Every year we produce hundreds of million os tonnes of plastic. The majority of our plastic is not recycled and ends up in our landfills and oceans. The beginning part of the film starts out with an adventure to film the blue whale. This animals is the largest animal on the planet and while on their adventure it leads to them discovering a thick layer of plastic debris that is floating in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Over the course of the film it shows the viewers the marine environment that will be affected by the heavily polluted cities and dumps that are full of plastic waste. Throughout the film, we are shown footage of numerous marine species that have been affected by plastic debris. Marine animals and sea birds often mistake floating plastic for food. Large pieces of plastic, when eaten, can obstruct the animals’ digestive tracts of the animals, essentially starving them to death. There is not a quick fix for our plastic problem since plastic is so ingrained into our society. The film talks about various strategies that can help reduce the impact of plastic. If it was a simple fix, the ideal solution would be to avoid plastic containing products. Avoid using single use plastic products and recycling all the time. If items are not recyclable than a new technology has been developed to covert them into fuel. 

https://www.netflix.com/title/80134814

This film examines the value of sustainable farming from a well-being of the land and health of society to the cause of an economy built around a locally grown food system. In order to have a sustainable food system it needs to be built on quality nutrition, community, and ethical agricultural practices. This is very different from today’s industrial production that is focused on quantity and profit. The importance of local farming and the impact of it has on the community, land relates to food activism and food security. In the beginning, Chef Rick, who opens the film by reflecting on his decision to source local ingredients. He told us that, he kept asking himself about he was going to make great food if he didn’t have any connection to the people who are growing that food. Throughout the documentary it is critical of industrial farming. The main focus of the film is central Illinois farmers Marty and Kris Travis and their grown son, Will. The family is very passionate about the way they work Spence Farm, the small plot of land they repurchased in 1999 after a prior generation had to sell it the decade before. Marty is a seventh-generation farmer who has watched his land and community fall victim to the pressures of big agribusiness. The Travises only started turning a profit after attending a meeting of Chicago restaurant chefs looking for a locally grown organic produce supply chain. The chefs would place an order for whatever underserved produce they needed the next season and the Travises would figure out how to organically grow it.Every season the film checks in with Marty Travis who shares what it’s like on his farm during that particular time of year. It was interesting to me to see what life is like through the eyes of Marty Travis and to learn a little bit about what he experiences each season. Their neighbors, traditional farmers farming a thousand acres or more and are making $400 an acre. While Spence Farm is making in $2,200 on each of their 160 acres. The film shows us the economics of farming without the high chemical input costs that have become the new way of farming and producing. he Travis family recruits other small struggling farmers, some give credit to the family for saving their own operations. From the film we learn that most of the farming land in Iowa is used to grow corn and oats. The raw product of these crops means that the farmers are entirely at the mercy of markets. Their crop prices have nothing to do with the quality of their output in a given year. From this we could say that the sustainable farmers in the film have more control over what they choose to grow and charge for their yield.

https://www.netflix.com/browse/my-list?jbv=80174177&jbp=1&jbr=5

What The Health is a documentary on Netflix. It focuses on how the food we eat affects our health and environment. It also focuses on how businesses, industry, and public policy also affect what we eat. In the film it argues that meat and diary products are the main reason for cancer, diabetes, obesity, ad heart disease. This documentary promotes and discusses how a vegan diet is beneficial. In the film they believe that disease and our diets are related. I found it really interesting that they believed that having a plant-based diet could reverse chronic diseases. Throughout the film they interviewed people that many different problems, like diabetes and asthma. We can see that these individuals are overweight and they are taking a lot of different kinds of medications. They are in pain due to being overweight. I really do like the meaning behind this film but I think there are some example of personal bias. The film shows us how filmmaker Kip Anderson uncovers the secret to preventing and even reversing chronic diseases. It investigates why the nation’s leading health organizations don’t want us to know about it. With heart disease and cancer being the leading cause of death in America, and diabetes at an all-time high, the film helps reveal the major health issues. Processed meat causes cancer and diabetes. Sugar does not cause diabetes: it’s actually caused by the buildup of fat in the blood, which is causing insulin resistance, preventing the sugar from getting into your cells, where it belongs. The focus on sugar has taken all the focus off of meat, dairy, eggs, turkey, pork, and chicken. One serving of processed meat per day increased the risk of developing diabetes by 51 %. Filmmaker, Kip Anderson, asked a cancer information specialist at the American Cancer Society why they recommended processed meats, the expert said, “Let me put you on a brief hold and get back with you.” He came back and said someone would get back with him later. In the United States, 1 out of every 4 deaths is related to cancer. When Kip Anderson got a confirmation for a meeting with an American Cancer Society representative, he found out it was cancelled at the last minute when the representative found out the meeting was going to be about the correlation between diet and cancer. She said she could no longer do the interview. After repeated emails asking why, she eventually stopped responding all together. Dr. Alan Goldhamer said,  “Two-thirds of adults are now overweight or obese, and we have an epidemic cascade of debilitating disease that is overcoming the country. There is no way we can sustain the current style of care with the epidemic that we’re creating with our diet and lifestyle choices.”. Kip Anderson said, then it all came together when he realized whom these large health organizations were taking money from: The American Diabetes Association was taking money from Dannon, one of the world’s largest dairy yogurt producers; Kraft Foods, makers of Velveeta processed cheese; Oscar Mayer which markets Lunchables processed kids’ meals; and Bumble Bee Foods, makers of processed canned meats. The American Cancer Society was taking money from Tyson, one of the world’s largest meat producers; and Yum brand, owner of Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell. Susan G. Komen, which was supposed to be fighting breast cancer was corporate partnering with KFC, Dietz & Watson processed meats, and Yoplait Yogurt. Every single one of these organizations was taking money from the meat and dairy companies that are associated with the causes of these diseases.