Today, humanity’s demand for resources vastly exceeds nature’s ability to supply them. Food, water, climate and extinction emergencies are unfolding before our eyes.
8 Billion Angels exposes the conflict between the size of our global population and the sustainability of our planet. It dispels the misperceptions that technology can save us, that reducing consumption is the only answer, and that the blame lies solely in the developing world.
The 55-minute film will have its broadcast premiere on PBS on Saturday, April 1 on San Francisco’s KQED station (check here to see if your PBS station has scheduled a broadcast). Following the premiere, the film will be available for streaming through 2023 via the PBS App and on the World Channel.
William Ripple, lead author of 2020’s The World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency, calls 8 BILLION ANGELS “an absorbing tale, revealing the shocking truth.” It is the first environmental documentary to connect the dots between the symptoms of our ecological overshoot, including climate change, species extinction, and aquifer depletion, with our global population of almost 8 billion people. Featuring an international cast of scientists and educators; activists and politicians; fishermen and farmers, the film not only exposes the greatest existential threat facing our planet but examines the reasons why it is relegated to the shadows of personal, political and environmental discussions.
“Unsustainable population growth is a controversial subject. It conjures up all kinds of emotions across the cultural, economic, political and religious spectrums,” said Producer Terry Spahr. “This film attempts to rise above our fears by addressing the issue honestly, thoughtfully and with a load of common sense.”
The film is also available on the 8 Billion Angels website and through Apple TV, Amazon Prime and Google Play.