Netflix for the Planet? Dive into Waterbear - a new streaming platform for earth and climate crisis documentaries
A/UK is continuing its research into and advocacy for a new, alternative media system - see this post, and our A Better Media category - and in that pursuit, we are always looking for pieces of the puzzle that already exist, and can be benchmarked against. Certainly, the idea that we could have a streaming service of audio-visual content, fed in by motivated partners, that was “dedicated to the future of our planet” is exactly one of our intentions.
And here comes one, ready-made. Waterbear describes itself this way:
Not so long ago, a group of passionate people got together to use storytelling as a tool to make a difference.
That team created WaterBear, the first interactive streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet. Whatever you feel passionately about in the world of climate action, biodiversity, sustainability, community, diversity and more, WaterBear provides access to award-winning and inspirational content that empowers members to dive deeper, learn more and take action.
WaterBear members control what content they want to watch, when they want it, with no ads and with one simple sign up - all for free, in all English speaking countries, on mobile app and web.
WaterBear is a big fan of documentaries, locally-told stories, NGO campaigns, on-the-ground grassroot outreach, volunteering, eco-travel, sustainable products and much more; and members can find all of this on the WaterBear platform at the touch of a button.
We’re always looking to help members find the next story to make a difference - so sign in, lean forward and start taking action.
More here. And from this Fast Company article and podcast:
Throughout her time as a documentary producer at Off the Fence, the productiond company she founded, Ellen Windemuth consistently heard the same refrain: “You can’t say that, because it won’t get ratings,” she says, “or you can’t film that because our advertisers won’t like it.” Feeling constrained as she sought to make more pressing content about the Earth and its survival, she decided to launch a streaming startup, offering users on-demand environmental programming—for free.
Windemuth joins us on this week’s episode of the World Changing Ideas podcast to discuss that streaming service, WaterBear, which launched in January. “If your passion is whales, or giraffes, or climate change, or ocean plastics,” she says, “you can watch something about it.” The site features such programs as The Breakdown, an explainer series on climate change for the previously unprimed; Mother of the Sea, a story told by Inuits in Greenland that warns about the perils of Mother Nature; and The True Cost, about the human and environmental tolls of our fashion choices.
The backbone of all the stories is theUN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. “These are 17 words that good storytelling can turn into real values,” Windemuth says. The new programming streaming in each quarter in 2021 is dedicated to a different segment of Earth stories: First up was biodiversity, then climate, followed by circularity, and community. “After four quarters of WaterBear, we will have told stories pertaining to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals,” she says, “and I think people will have a really thorough grasp of what they mean.”
More here. Particularly notable are the range/consortium of content partners Waterbear has assembled - see from the front scroll-down of the website - which are a source of content and support for the enterprise.