Study Suggests Watching Nature Documentaries On TV Is Good For the Planet 34
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Phys.Org: A new paper in Annals of Botany indicates that watching nature documentaries makes people more interested in plants, potentially provoking an involvement in botany and ecology. [T]he researchers investigated whether nature documentaries can promote plant awareness, which may ultimately increase audience engagement with plant conservation programs. They focused on "Green Planet," a 2022 BBC documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough. The show, watched by nearly 5 million people in the United Kingdom, featured a diversity of plant species, highlighting vegetation from tropical rainforests, aquatic environments, seasonal lands, deserts, and urban spaces. The program also addressed environmental concerns directly, examining the dangers of invasive monocultures and deforestation.
The researchers measured whether "Green Planet" drove interest in the plants by exploring people's online behavior around the time of the broadcast. First, they noted the species that appeared on the show and the time each one appeared on-screen. Then they extracted Google Trends and Wikipedia page hits for those same species before and after the episodes of the documentary aired. The researchers here found a substantial effect of "Green Planet" on viewers' awareness and interest in the portrayed plant species. Some 28.1% of search terms representing plants mentioned in the BBC documentary had peak popularity in the UK, measured using Google Trends, the week after the broadcast of the relevant episode. Wikipedia data showed this as well. Almost a third (31.3%) of the Wikipedia pages related to plants mentioned in "Green Planet" showed increased visits the week after the broadcast. The investigators also note that people were more likely to do online searches for plants that enjoyed more screen time on "Green Planet." "I think that increasing public awareness of plants is essential and fascinating," said the paper's lead author, Joanna Kacprzyk. "In this study, we show that nature documentaries can increase plant awareness among the audience. Our results also suggest that the viewers found certain plant species particularly captivating. These plants could be used for promoting plant conservation efforts and counteracting the alarming loss of plant biodiversity."
The researchers measured whether "Green Planet" drove interest in the plants by exploring people's online behavior around the time of the broadcast. First, they noted the species that appeared on the show and the time each one appeared on-screen. Then they extracted Google Trends and Wikipedia page hits for those same species before and after the episodes of the documentary aired. The researchers here found a substantial effect of "Green Planet" on viewers' awareness and interest in the portrayed plant species. Some 28.1% of search terms representing plants mentioned in the BBC documentary had peak popularity in the UK, measured using Google Trends, the week after the broadcast of the relevant episode. Wikipedia data showed this as well. Almost a third (31.3%) of the Wikipedia pages related to plants mentioned in "Green Planet" showed increased visits the week after the broadcast. The investigators also note that people were more likely to do online searches for plants that enjoyed more screen time on "Green Planet." "I think that increasing public awareness of plants is essential and fascinating," said the paper's lead author, Joanna Kacprzyk. "In this study, we show that nature documentaries can increase plant awareness among the audience. Our results also suggest that the viewers found certain plant species particularly captivating. These plants could be used for promoting plant conservation efforts and counteracting the alarming loss of plant biodiversity."
Keep that TV on with coal power... (Score:1)
Did anyone stop to weigh the fact that most electricity comes from coal against the value of the awareness the TV brings?
Re:Keep that TV on with coal power... (Score:4, Insightful)
No.
Stop de focusing.
I believe this is called the power of suggestion. Awareness is key.
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Did anyone stop to weigh the fact that most electricity comes from coal against the value of the awareness the TV brings?
Modern LED backlit televisions are actually a very minor consumer of power in the average household. Most power consumption goes towards HVAC systems, then heating water, then major appliances (well pump, range, laundry machines, dishwashers), and finally, household electronics and lighting (assuming modern LED bulbs).
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most electricity comes from coal
In America, about 20% of electricity comes from coal, and that is falling fast.
In my state, 0% comes from coal.
Also, modern TVs don't use much power. Putting on a sweater instead of turning up the heat makes a hundred times as much difference as turning off the TV.
Perhaps you should watch more documentaries, so you don't have so many silly misconceptions.
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Most of the Electricity in the US comes from Natural Gas [eia.gov] at 38.4% of the grid. Coal accounts for 21.9%, Renewables account for 19.8%, and Nuclear 18.9%.
General Trending has Coal dropping, and Renewables rising.
Also many of us, with Heat Pumps, Electric Cars and Electric Stoves, who have their own homes, are invested in or plan on getting solar cells, to offset our electric bill with our own power.
Also these new fangle CRT and LED use around 50 watts of energy compared to 100 watts that a CRT Tv uses.
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Did anyone stop to weigh the fact that most electricity comes from coal against the value of the awareness the TV brings?
while their virtue signalling EV is charging up in the garage
Ax Men (Score:2)
Fun show.
That's Kid's Stuff (Score:3)
One of my favorite episodes is "(#194) Tony Santoro's Guide to Illegal Tree-Planting" where he examines the copious mistakes of California public beautification projects (such as planting Japanese Maples in a desert), and episode "(#195) The Plant Ecology of Concrete, Garbage and Urine" which is self-explanatory.
In his words, "I kinda like seeing trees. It makes the nausea easier to deal with; makes the turd of modern society easier to swallow." Like a eco-conscious Spider Jerusalem.
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Nature documentaries are not usually kids stuff, it is just kids are interested in learning about nature and stuff. Watching a Lion hunt down a majestic elk, or a hawk swoop down to grab a bunny. Or seeing an animal slowly die because they have eaten some plastic, isn't really kids stuff.
While shows with Vulgar language, kids love because they are like ohh they said a naughty word!! However despite the language, much of the show is sanitized to prevent people of any political persuasion from getting too o
The hivemind says I should agree (Score:1)
After burning too much karma in the "Tetris Movie" story for daring to suggest that feature-length documentaries are boring, I'm just going to smile and nod at this one. Yep, nature documentaries sound good to me. I'll go make some organic popcorn in an eco-friendly reusable bowl and enjoy the show.
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As an adult one should be able to learn stuff without the media forcefully trying to entertain you, like Sesame Street to a 6 year old. Learning information in general, is entertainment enough for a mature mind. Also as an adult we should be able to learn that we may be doing things that have negatively impacted the world in some way, and not go crazy and do a 180 (like a pre-teen who learned that their shoes were made from Cow, and goes threw highschool in plastic flip flops). But just take steps and ma
Our Universe on Netflix (Score:3)
Yeah, off the core topic, I know.
But, this is the most amazing documentary I've ever seen.
Good science level (how heavier elements are created by stars for example), no pulled punches on nature's brutality (the turtles) and Morgan Freeman (outside his usual roles playing US President or god...). Fantastic production values.
It's actually probably too dense for the general public.
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You and me, baby, ain't nothing but mammals... (Score:2)
So let’s do it like they do it on the Discovery Channel!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
I used to love nature documentaries (Score:2)
I used to love nature documentaries. Watched them all the time. But now they all feel the need to talk about how climate change is endangering this or that, humanity is destroying the planet, and... yeah, you're basically murdering baby koalas, you monster. The constant guilt trips kind of turned me off of them.
I moved onto space travel and astronomy documentaries. Next up... let's see, a feature on light pollution, space junk... damnit!
Re:I used to love nature documentaries (Score:4, Informative)
A documentary is supposed to document, not make you feel good. Someone spending months or years filming a species in decline, but totally avoiding the subject, would be weird A.F. It sounds like what you're really looking for is Disney.
You might even have a hard time with Disney though. Bambi is out, there's a forest fire. The Lion King is out, that has lions killing each other. The Aristocats had a butler poisoning the kitties. The Rescuers Down Under has a poacher as the main antagonist.
Re:I used to love nature documentaries (Score:4, Informative)
Attenborough's documentaries over the last few years have often included a special episode at the end of the series, highlighting the deterioration of the environments they've been filming in. I recall reading that these "bonus" episodes aren't usually included in the American broadcasts as they're considered too "too political".
His series didn't used to be like that, however he is literally the person who invented the nature documentary format, with his first program being being broadcast in 1954. He's 96 now, and he's one of the few people who has witnessed first-hand how the world's biomes have been transformed by our hand. As he's gotten older, he's become more and more of a campaigner for protecting the environment.
Rather than yearning for feel-good Disney fluff, perhaps you should consider the decliing positivity of our nature documentaries as a warning that our world's ecosystems are also in decline.
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However, the claim that
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Attenborough's documentaries over the last few years have often included a special episode at the end of the series, highlighting the deterioration of the environments they've been filming in. I recall reading that these "bonus" episodes aren't usually included in the American broadcasts as they're considered too "too political".
His series didn't used to be like that, however he is literally the person who invented the nature documentary format, with his first program being being broadcast in 1954. He's 96 now, and he's one of the few people who has witnessed first-hand how the world's biomes have been transformed by our hand.
IMHO Attenborough is still the undisputed king of nature documentaries. I think a lot of it has to do with tone. I find a lot of American ones seem to be directed more at kids and try to be too cute, either that or they fall into lecture mode. Attenborough just comes across as genuinely excited and interested in the subject matter.
As he's gotten older, he's become more and more of a campaigner for protecting the environment.
Rather than yearning for feel-good Disney fluff, perhaps you should consider the decliing positivity of our nature documentaries as a warning that our world's ecosystems are also in decline.
There's definitely an art to finding the balance, convey the nature to the public so they learn its value, but also convey the reality so they understand the danger to the environ
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They do seem a downer. The night I met my smizmar, Attenborough's "Life of Birds" came up as something we both loved. Nowdays I can't even get her to watch anything from the BBC Natural History Unit because as much as she likes the footage, the last ten minutes are invariably "you're lucky we filmed this, because no one is ever going to see this in the field again, thanks to economic incentives creating huge externalities which are driving everything you just saw into extinction" and that takes the fun out
Makes me think of a movie quote (Score:2)
Here's one (Score:2)
Love canal https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Incredible footage and photos in that old documentary.
That kind of thing is still happening in many places in the world.