Remember 2020? The year we all learned to bake sourdough bread and perfect our Zoom backgrounds? Well, The Year the Earth Changed, a documentary, takes a peek at how that year affected our furry, feathered, and scaled friends. It's like a feel-good nature movie with a side of historical context.
Where can you watch it? Luckily, it's readily available on Apple TV+. So, if you've got that free trial gathering dust, now's the time to dust it off!
Nature's Wild Vacation
Imagine the Earth taking a deep breath. That's kind of what happened when we all stayed home. Less noise, fewer cars, and suddenly, nature was like, "Hey, nobody's looking! Let's party!"
The doc shows us some amazing scenes. Think penguins waddling down empty city streets in South Africa, completely unfazed by the lack of humans. It’s like they finally got to explore the neighborhood!
And get this: in Yosemite National Park, the bears were loving the peace and quiet. They weren't having to compete with tourists for scraps, so they could just chill and be bears. How's that for a vacation?
Hear the Ocean Roar
One of the coolest things was how much quieter the oceans became. With fewer cruise ships and cargo vessels buzzing around, whales could actually hear each other better.
Scientists were able to record whale songs traveling much farther than before. Imagine trying to have a conversation at a rock concert versus in a library. That’s the difference we made!
Smog-Free Skies? Yes, Please!
Remember seeing those pictures of cities with crystal-clear skies? It was like someone had used a giant eraser on the smog. The air cleared up so much in some places that people could see mountain ranges they hadn't seen in years.
In India, people could see the Himalayas for the first time in decades. It was a powerful reminder of the impact we have on the environment, for better or worse. We are just so used to the smog that it is a pleasant reminder to see the beauty again.
A Wake-Up Call, Served with a Smile
The Year the Earth Changed isn't all sunshine and roses, of course. It touches on the hardships people faced during the pandemic. But it uses nature's resilience as a hopeful counterpoint.
It shows us that even small changes in our behavior can have a huge impact on the planet. Maybe we don't all need to stay locked inside forever, but perhaps we can be a little more mindful of our footprint.
So, grab some popcorn, settle in, and watch The Year the Earth Changed. It's a heartwarming and thought-provoking reminder that we're all in this together – humans and animals alike. And maybe, just maybe, we can learn to share the planet a little better.
Who knows, maybe it will inspire you to take up birdwatching, advocate for cleaner air, or just appreciate the squirrels in your backyard a little more. Consider it a little nature therapy, courtesy of Apple TV+ and a very unusual year.
