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DVD Review: "Earth"
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When we read IML'ers postings on our "Helping The Environment" You Said It page, we get the feeling our planet's future is in really good hands. So many of you are already doing what you can to conserve Earth's resources or educating yourselves about how our actions affect that floating ball in space we call home.
Earlier this year, the movie "Earth" was released in theatres and maybe you got a chance to see it on the big screen; now it's out on DVD and Blu-ray. If you love Planet Earth (or maybe just have a little crush), this flick is much more than a nature documentary. It tells the story of one year on the planet, capturing incredible footage from every continent and focusing on three very different animal families (polar bears, humpback whales, and elephants) trying to survive in challenging and changing conditions. It's by turns fascinating, funny, tension-filled, and sad. (If you're like us and hate to see animals scared or suffering, a few scenes are hard to watch. But all part of reality and important to see.)
We watched this and kept thinking, "Whoa! How did they shoot
that?" Fortunately, the DVD offers up a real treat: a behind-the-scenes mini-documentary showing the awesome amount of work, patience, and expertise that goes into making a movie like this.
IML's Rating: A
Hopefully "Earth," along with other films and TV programs like it, will inspire young people to get involved in wildlife conservation. Because our favorite animals in this movie were the humpback whales, we've gathered a few tips on how you and your family can help them out:
Seek out information about conservation issues
--Check out books from your local library on whales and the places where they live to learn more about these amazing animals.
--Contact local conservation groups to find out what they are doing to help animals like the humpback whale and to learn how you can get involved.
---Visit zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to see marine mammals, support marine mammal conservation, and learn more about how you can animals like whales in the wild.
Reduce, reuse, recycle, and replenish
--Conserve water at home. Help family members check for leaky faucets and encourage them to use cold water in the wash. Challenge your entire family to take shorter showers, turn off the water when brushing their teeth, and make a rain barrel. This saves water for animals (and people) everywhere.
--Remember, all drains lead to the ocean! Be careful what chemicals, pesticides, and household products you use. Encouraging your family to use green cleaning products is one way to help keep waterways clean. Finding alternatives to chemical pesticides is another way to help wildlife. And recycling motor oil and disposing of hazardous waste properly can ensure pristine lakes, rivers, and oceans for future generations.
Look for and purchase environmentally friendly products
--While many whales are protected from hunting, they sometimes still end up trapped in nets or fishing line intended for other animals. If your family eats seafood, make sure it is "whale and dolphin safe" - meaning it is caught in a way that won't hurt other animals.
--When dining out, have your parents ask if the seafood is sustainable - meaning it is caught in a way that won't hurt the fish population or other animals (such as whales and dolphins).
--When fishing, use eco-friendly gear such as fishing line that will decompose and lead-free spinners and weights. Learn about environmentally friendly hooks that can reduce damage to fish during catch-and-release fishing trips. All of these things can help protect aquatic animals and habitats.
--Check out books from your local library on whales and the places where they live to learn more about these amazing animals.
--Contact local conservation groups to find out what they are doing to help animals like the humpback whale and to learn how you can get involved.
---Visit zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to see marine mammals, support marine mammal conservation, and learn more about how you can animals like whales in the wild.
Reduce, reuse, recycle, and replenish --Conserve water at home. Help family members check for leaky faucets and encourage them to use cold water in the wash. Challenge your entire family to take shorter showers, turn off the water when brushing their teeth, and make a rain barrel. This saves water for animals (and people) everywhere.
--Remember, all drains lead to the ocean! Be careful what chemicals, pesticides, and household products you use. Encouraging your family to use green cleaning products is one way to help keep waterways clean. Finding alternatives to chemical pesticides is another way to help wildlife. And recycling motor oil and disposing of hazardous waste properly can ensure pristine lakes, rivers, and oceans for future generations.
Look for and purchase environmentally friendly products
--While many whales are protected from hunting, they sometimes still end up trapped in nets or fishing line intended for other animals. If your family eats seafood, make sure it is "whale and dolphin safe" - meaning it is caught in a way that won't hurt other animals.
--When dining out, have your parents ask if the seafood is sustainable - meaning it is caught in a way that won't hurt the fish population or other animals (such as whales and dolphins).
--When fishing, use eco-friendly gear such as fishing line that will decompose and lead-free spinners and weights. Learn about environmentally friendly hooks that can reduce damage to fish during catch-and-release fishing trips. All of these things can help protect aquatic animals and habitats.
The 3 R's 4 R World
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Hopefully you've heard these words so much lately that you've taken them to heart -- or are sick to death of them. Or both. It's all good, because then you know what they mean!
So now IML needs your help. We're putting together a brand new section of our site called "Green Living," full of advice for tweens on how to accomplish those 3 R's, as well as other actions that will help save our planet's resources. It's not easy to change habits and give up certain things, but we're sure lots of you out there have already found creative and maybe even fun ways to do just that.
So we want to know: How do YOU reduce the amount of trash you generate? Do you reuse something on a regular basis? Have you and your family hit upon a good formula for recycling? Maybe you and your friends had a clothing-swap party. Maybe you've figured out how to make something rather than buy it new. We're looking for your ideas to include on It's My Life! You can send them to us with your first name and age. If we use your comment on the site, we'll send you a package of groovy IML light-up pens and stickers!
