Top environmental documentaries to watch

Under the Dome (2013)

Theme: Air Pollution

About: This documentary which uncovers the state of China’s air pollution and its long-term effects became a viral sensation when released clocking up over 200 million views in its first weekend before it was removed from all major Chinese websites. Renowned investigative journalist Chai Jing uncovers the leading contributors to the country's toxic smog and criticises the government’s actions in preventing this issue from getting worse.

A Plastic Ocean (2016)

Theme: Plastic and ocean pollution

About: This feature-length adventure documentary reveals the full extent of our global disposable lifestyle uncovering the shocking truth about the state of our oceans. Brought together by an international team of adventures, researchers and ocean ambassadors, this documentary captures never-before-seen footage of the damaging extent of plastic pollution on our oceans and marine life.

How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change (2016)

Theme: Climate Change

About: Oscar Nominated director Josh Fox sheds light on climate change by traveling to 12 countries on 6 continents to understand our future and explore the human qualities that global warming can't destroy.

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014)

Theme: Animal agriculture

About: Until Cowspiracy was released, the environmental impacts of the animal agriculture industry were almost entirely unchallenged. Animal agriculture is the primary contributor to many environmentally damaging processes including deforestation, water consumption and pollution, mass greenhouse gas production, species extinction, habitat loss, topsoil erosion and ocean dead zones. This ground-breaking feature-length documentary revels the destructive nature of this industry and investigates the reasons environmental organisations are fearful to challenge this industry.

More Than Honey (2013)

Theme: Colony collapse disorder

About: Bees play a significant role in our food chain. They are responsible for one third of the world’s produce, however millions of beehives have unknowingly disappeared worldwide. Up to one fourth of all colonies have been destroyed, with losses reaching up to 80% on some farms. Oscar-nominated director Markus Imhoof investigates the sudden demise of the world’s bee population, also known as colony collapse disorder.

The Human Experiment (2013)

Theme: Chemical exposure

About: This full-length feature documentary analyses our exposure to untested chemicals in products we use daily including toothpaste and cleaning products, and examines links to the rise of many diseases. It follows the stories of people personally affected by chemicals and exposes the corrupt system the powerful and profitable chemical industry tries to hide from consumers.


Related: The state of Australia’s waste; The true environmental costs of disposable coffee cups; Looming health hazards of synthetic chemical repellents

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Battling Australia’s bottled water crisis

Bottled water provides no benefit, it only enables a narrow-minded vision for the future of our society and environment. Now is the time to boycott this bad habit and work together to reverse our environmentally destructive actions.

Australian’s consume over 726 million litres of bottled water every year. This single use consumption that has escalated into one of the world’s most environmentally damaging consumer habits is now affecting our health and posing a major threat to the future of our environment.

In 2015 Australians spent approximately $500 million on bottled water. Over 5.3 million Aussies drank bottled water in any given seven days with Mount Franklin being Australia’s favourite bottled water brand to consume (40 per cent) followed closely by Coles Natural Spring Water (14 per cent). Boycotting bottled water does not only mean you support the future of our environment but it also removes your dollars from contributing to the billions in profits that multinational corporations receive from producing this environmentally destructive product.

Bottled water uses over 50 million barrels of crude oil during the production, transportation and refrigeration processes, and uses over three times the water to produce as to fill the bottles. It contributes the most predominant form of ocean pollution with over 46 thousand pieces of plastic contaminating every square mile of the ocean, including the ocean floor.

Plastic disposable water bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. Although completely recyclable, they are non-biodegradable and when disposed photodegrade, causing them to break down into small fragments called microplastics. The microplastics then absorb toxins and pollute our waterways and soil, harm our wildlife and pose potential future health hazards to humans.

Single use plastic water bottles contain Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Bisphenol A (BPA), a combination of man-made chemicals that have been linked to health issues including reproductive problems and various types of cancer. When bottles produced with these chemicals are exposed to direct sunlight and heat or become old and brittle, it causes the chemicals to leach from the bottle and contaminate any liquid contained within it.

Giving up bottled water means you a taking one giant step forward to not only reducing your impact on the environment but immediately cutting your support for the production of bottled water. The more profit large corporations make from bottled water, the more they will continue to produce it. Boycott bottled water and choose to reuse. It is better for your health, the environment and will save you money in the long-term.


Related: Top environmental documentaries to watch; The state of Australia’s waste; The true environmental costs of disposable coffee cups

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What toxic chemicals are in your toothpaste?

Toothpaste developed by multinational corporations is commonly formulated using a combination of toxic ingredients recognised, to a certain degree, for their health risks. Ingredients such a Triclosan, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Artificial Sweeteners and Fluoride are used in most commercial brands. The mouth’s oral mucosa is one of the most absorbent areas of the body, therefore anything placed inside the mouth has a high chance of being absorbed and transferred into the bloodstream. This is concerning when chemically produced toothpaste is used widely everyday by both children and adults.

One widely promoted and used toothpaste, particularly in Australia is Colgate Total. Its claims promise 12-hour complete oral care protection against plaque and gingivitis. The chemical used in its formulations of this toothpaste is Triclosan, an antibacterial compound linked to various health concerns.

Toothpaste is one of the most potent delivery vehicles for Triclosan. Although the chemical can prevent gingivitis, it has also been linked to numerous health concerns including antibiotic resistance, endocrine disruption and breast cancer progression. Endocrine disrupting chemicals can be the cause for several adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects. Triclosan also has close links with dioxin, a highly carcinogenic chemical that can weaken the immune system, decrease fertility, cause miscarriages, birth defects and cancer.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a chemical used in most toothpastes to promote the foaming action of the paste. This chemical is used in thousands of beauty products and industrial cleaners as a surfactant, detergent and emulsifier. Although SLS naturally occurs in coconuts, the chemical form is usually combined with various chemicals to produce desired results including dioxin, a carcinogenic by-product that has been linked to cancer.

When SLS is used in toothpaste, it affects your taste buds by breaking up the phospholipids on your tongue. This chemical is responsible for changing the taste of food and drinks after brushing as it enhances bitter tastes. SLS is not only bad for our health but for our environment as well. The manufacturing process of this chemical releases carcinogenic volatile organic compounds into the environment.

Made up of aspartic acid and phenylalanine, Aspartame is a common chemical in most artificial sweeteners added to commercial toothpastes to enhance the flavour. The chemical Phenylalanine has been adapted to contain a methyl group which is known as a phenylalanine methyl bond called methyl ester. This bond is frail which can easily detach the methyl group from the phenylalanine causing it to form methanol. Although methanol is found in fruit and vegetables, it is firmly bonded to pectin which allows it to be safely passed through your digestive tract.

Methanol created by aspartame is not bonded to anything which causes the body to process it rather then let it pass through the body. When processed by the body, the methyl alcohol travels through your bloodstream and penetrates sensitive areas including your brain which is then converted to formaldehyde, damaging tissue and causing other serious health concerns. Symptoms from methanol poisoning can include headaches, ear buzzing, dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, weakness, vertigo, chills, memory lapses, numbness, and shooting pains in the extremities, behavioural disturbances, and neuritis.

Fluoride is thought to be the best ingredient for preventing tooth decay, however recent studies indicate it may not be as effective as once thought. The study discovered the layer of fluorapatite build up on your teeth from fluoride is only six nanometres thick. The thickness can be comparable to 10,000 of these layers measuring the same width as a strand of hair. This is causing scientists to question the strength and protective abilities of this ultra-thin layer.

Fluoride is a toxic chemical that builds up in your body over time and causes various health problems. It is particularly concerning for children using fluoride toothpaste as studies have found fluoride to be the single biggest source of intake for young children due to them swallowing a large amount during brushing. This can cause several health issues including disfiguring dental fluorosis, a symptom of fluoride poisoning. Research has recognised that children can swallow more fluoride from toothpaste alone than their recommended daily intake.

Organic and natural toothpastes are effective in providing complete oral care without the toxic chemicals. Most natural toothpastes used ingredients including bentonite clay, coconut oil, baking soda, salt, peppermint oil and water. You can make your own natural toothpaste at home. It’s easy, affordable and most importantly, toxin free.


Related: How to detox your home;  Zero waste toxin free washing; Natural toxin free deodorant

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The true environmental costs of disposable coffee cups

Society’s increasing addiction to coffee has become a major cause for concern for environmental groups and conscious consumers worldwide. With Australians using over 1 billion disposable coffee cups each year and Americans using 58 billion alone, it’s no surprise this single use product is now the second largest contributor to landfill waste after water bottles.

Environmental awareness around disposable coffee cups is usually centred on its end of life impacts however, the social costs and negative production externalities is deeply concerning and an issue that needs to be discussed more often. When considering the impacts of disposable coffee cups, its negative production externalities far exceed the convenience they offer with the average disposable cup being used for approximately 15 minutes before being discarded.

What are the true costs?

 Each year over 20 million trees are cut down and 12 billion gallons of water is used to manufacture disposable coffee cups. Along with this, tonnes of crude oil is used during the production and transportation process. This results in significant loss of natural resources, ecosystem degradation, reduced carbon absorption and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

The most common misconception about paper cups is they are recyclable. Most paper coffee cups are coated with a plastic resin (polyethylene) which prevents them from being recycled. Some waste collection centres can recycle disposable coffee cups by extracting the plastic from the paper however, this can be very costly and time consuming. This also raises a valid health concern about carcinogenic chemicals leeching from the cups and being ingested.

The plastic lining of paper-based cups. Image by Choice.

After use, disposable coffee cups are discarded in landfill where they are left to degrade. During this process, they release countless CO2 emissions and the plastic breaks down into smaller fragments polluting the soil and waterways, potentially harming wildlife. 

How can we make a difference?

Sitting in the coffee shop and drinking from a ceramic cup is the best way to avoid using a disposable coffee cup but this does require time – a luxury not all of us have. A realistic alternative for our time conscious society is to use a reusable ‘on-the-go’ coffee cup such as a KeepCup. It only takes 15 uses for one KeepCup to break even, every use thereafter benefits the planet.

If we can all begin to reduce our reliance on ‘convenient’ disposable products by simply being prepared with our own reusable products, we will significantly reduce the pre and post production environmental impacts of these products. It’s time for consumers to stand up and start leading change themselves rather than waiting for it to happen. The more we use single use disposable products, the longer businesses will continue to offer it to us.

Responsible Cafes connects thoughtful cafes with conscious consumers by offering incentives to customers that bring in their reusable cups. Find your closest responsible cafe here. 

Refuse or reuse!

Related: Pledge single use plastic free in July; Your war on waste; The environmental impact of plastic straws 

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