Educational Media Reviews Online

“Humans have the advantage to damage the planet in ways no other species on Earth can.” This quote is indicative of Everything Connects. Thanks to the Internet and advancing technologies we have become more and more productive and more or less efficient across many venues. At the same time though as this film points out, we have also created many problems. For everything we have and buy, there is what the film calls a ‘back story’ behind the product.

To make paper, we cut down trees; to make computers, we mine metals; the clothes and food we eat come from animals; when we shop at the local supermarket on any given day, disposable plastic is used to pack the goods we buy; these same bags are then used for garbage at home; when we dispose of our personal garbage, we tend to forget about where it goes. And that is part of the problem.

The film shows that only 3.5% of our planet now produces food to feed our planet’s growing population. We are destroying our ecosystem by the things we do through overconsumption, mismanagement of our natural resources and maximizing production of the things we use globally. Everything Connects, shows how young people, along with their adult counterparts can help with recycling through what is called sustainability as well as other examples.

I was intrigued by this film because it clearly illustrates in a short time frame the connection between us and the condition of our ever changing planet by the destructive things we do on a daily basis with little or no consideration of the impending consequences on our well-being and the environment.