Over the last week, I have been watching the eight-episode documentary series “Down to Earth with Zac Efron” on Netflix, and it has earned a spot in my top ten favorite documentaries.
“High School Musical” star Zac Efron and his friend Darin Olien, an expert in living and teaching about sustainability and clean living, traveled the world to see how other countries are living sustainably and in a way that is fighting against climate change and the many other major issues in the world.
The first place the two visited was Iceland. Here they learned about the major ways the country is making renewable energy efforts. Civilians use the ground as a means to cook their food. As a result of having an active volcano in the country, the ground stays hot enough for people to cook foods like fish, bread, and eggs by placing them in a hole in the ground and letting them sit for several minutes.
France was their next stop, where they learned about the country’s use of a clean tap water system, reducing the usage of single–use plastic. In the cities, there are numerous water fountains that provide free and clean water to everyone. This allows clean water access to those who are homeless and are unable to pay for water much like other countries.
Costa Rica and the way of living there was the topic of the third episode. Many people created their own eco-friendly community where they grow and harvest their own foods while also teaching children how to do the same. The community’s school allows the children to learn how to contribute to the community while also learning skills like building and planting.
The crew next visited Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy. This island is considered a blue zone, which means that people in this area live longer than other places in the world. Scientists have been working to find the reason for the longer life expectancies for these people. It is believed that it is in correlation with the low protein diet they partake in, which is the opposite of the diet trends in the United States.
In the fifth episode of the series, Efron and Olien experienced the lifestyles of those living in Lima, Peru. Scientists in this area of the world are working to make copies or “backups” of different plants, especially potatoes. They believe that, with the changing climate, they need to train various plants to adapt to different environments. Essentially, these scientists are working to make sure people do not experience a global food shortage with the rising temperatures and changing climate. Thankfully, these scientists have copies of their original copies, a precaution to the possibility of the different cities experiencing a natural disaster or other fatal event.
During Efron’s and Olien’s time in Puerto Rico for episode six, they were able to see the devastation that was left over from Hurricane Maria in 2017. A lot of the country is without a safe home and electricity. While filming, the crew decided to clean up one area around a family’s home since they were physically unable to do it themselves. Puerto Rico is currently in the process of building concrete houses that are powered by solar panels in order to provide electricity and a safe place next time there is a major storm.
The seventh episode features Efron and Olien in London. Bees play a significant role in our world by pollinating all of the trees and other plants. Without them, we would be unable to breathe oxygen that is produced by the trees. In London, concrete walls of large buildings have been turned into a place where plants and vines can grow, along with creating safe places for bees to make their hives.
Iquitos, Peru, was the crew’s last stop for the series. Here, Efron and Olien learned about holistic medicine and healing and were able to participate in traditional healing practices. The natives use their knowledge about the plants around them to perform these healings. Additionally, many natives that were living in this area voiced their experience with the drastic change in their environment that they continually see.
While filming the episode, Olien found out that his home was completely burned to the ground from the massive forest fire in southern California in 2018. His being directly affected by climate change affected this episode as he was dealing with the sadness and devastation he was feeling, along with his anger that these events are happening and that people don’t care or believe in climate change.
Our world is changing drastically because of climate change, and it’s imperative that we take action if we want to leave a safe and healthy Earth for future generations.
Efron’s documentary series keeps you engaged by the funny commentary and the adventures the crew experiences. It is definitely not a documentary that will bore you or put you to sleep. 10/10, I recommend this documentary for anyone who wants to learn ways to take action against climate change.
Filming for a second season of “Down to Earth with Zac Efron” has begun, Efron revealed on social media in a March 8 post. The exact release date has yet to be announced, but it is currently projected to be released on Netflix in 2022.
