Here are 4 Wholesome Climate & Environmental Video Channels
Climate coverage can be inspiring… some already is!
As you likely already know, the climate crisis has a major PR problem. It’s a bummer! Why listen to eggheads talk about how the sky is falling when a new episode of your favorite show is out? This sounds silly, but the problem is serious. Major news channels still cover climate-related disasters without really examining them as climate disasters. Worse yet, the kind of coverage the climate crisis usually does get is so anxiety/depression inducing that it can be literally unbearable for lots of people.
It’s almost like major US corporate media outlets want the public to be too paralyzed to act on the climate crisis. Hmmmmm…
Fortunately, not all the coverage of climate is this terrible. Even better; some of the good coverage is even in digestable video format! Let’s take a look.
DW’s Planet A
Deutsche Welle, or DW for short, is Germany’s public media. Kind of like their version of the BBC. And lucky for us, they also create content in English!
In German politics, the environment is rightly seen as a big, serious issue. Even by conservatives, if you can imagine that! The fact that climate is acknowledged as a serious issue across the German political spectrum is reflected in their public media.
Planet A is a YouTube channel that documents different aspects of the climate crisis and its possible solutions. They talk to experts and stakeholders and the end result is a channel full of bite-sized educational videos on climate that make the viewer eager to learn more.
They post about one new video per week.
Pique Action
Pique Action is a media collaboration between multiple independent content creators focused on climate solutions. They are relatively new but already have significant followings on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook. Their videos mostly focus on specific climate friendly practices, projects, or companies. A lot of their content focuses on telling a story, and this helps the viewer feel more connected and engaged.
Not only will their videos not depress you, they will help you feel both informed and inspired to be part of the green transition.
Our Changing Climate
The independently run YouTube channel Our Changing Climate (or OCC) is one of the best places to find useful, informative and inspiring videos on the climate crisis. Unlike the two media projects above, OCC makes the effort to tie-in “other issues” with climate, and the result is a much deeper understanding that they’re able to pass on to the viewer.
Although the channel’s focus is generally positive and not doom-y, there are a certain number of their videos that focus on dispelling false solutions. Some viewers may find these distressing, but if you really want to inform yourself about the climate crisis, some discomfort is unavoidable.
OCC has been around since 2016 and rivals Planet A in quality and total views. This is no small feat considering that Planet A is bankrolled by the government of a major world economy, whereas OCC is funded only by YouTube monetization and Patreon subscribers. OCC also has an instagram, Facebook, Twitter and its own subreddit.
Both the unique visual style and more socially critical eye that OCC brings to the discussion makes it one of the best places to find video content on the climate crisis and how we can address it.
Climate Town
If you prefer your climate information with a dose of humor, a la The Daily Show or Last Week Tonight, then Climate Town might just be the channel for you. Climate Town is made by a team of comedians who’ve been using explanatory humor to inform the public about climate.
Humor is one of the most effective and devastating ways to tear down the mighty with nothing but words. With this no doubt in mind, the creators behind Climate Town take aim at false solutions and climate culprits, in a funny way.
Although their videos are longer, they are also fewer. Nonetheless, their YouTube channel has gotten into the 7 figures of views territory, along with the other channels above. They also have an instagram, TikTok and a community on Discord. Here are all their links in one place.
In Conclusion..
There you have it. The doom-y coverage we often see is a choice made by legacy media executives and producers. In order to pass down a livable climate to future generations, we need to be informed and inspired to meet that goal. And as they say, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
