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Best Environment, agriculture & food systems videos, as recommended on Hacker News

78 videos about environment, agriculture & food systems that Hacker News commenters keep recommending, mentioned between 2010 and 2026. Mostly explainer, documentary, talk. Channels that come up most: Veritasium, TEDx Talks, Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, TED. Sorted by how consistently HN recommended them over the years.

The most recommended is Dominion (2018) - full documentary [Official]: HN commenters push it, often forcefully, as the video to watch to see what factory farming really involves, and some say it changed their diet.

• documentaryDominion (2018) - full documentary [Official]Farm Transparency Project · 10 HN recommenders · 2019–2024
• talkTreating the Farm as an Ecosystem with Gabe Brown Part 1, The 5 Tenets of Soil HealthLiving Web Farms · 12 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• lectureThe Most IMPORTANT Video You'll Ever See (part 1 of 8)wonderingmind42 · 13 HN recommenders · 2010–2025
• talkHow to green the world's deserts and reverse climate change | Allan SavoryTED · 9 HN recommenders · 2013–2023
• documentaryLife in SyntropyAgenda Gotsch · 4 HN recommenders · 2017–2023
• explainerEating less Meat won't save the Planet. Here's WhyJoseph Everett - WIL · 10 HN recommenders · 2021–2026
• explainerWhy Grocery Shopping is Better in AmsterdamNot Just Bikes · 7 HN recommenders · 2020–2025
• talkGabe Brown: Keys To Building a Healthy SoilTranscend Productions · 5 HN recommenders · 2015–2023
• explainerHow Much Do Rockets Pollute? Are They Bad For Our Air?Everyday Astronaut · 6 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• explainerThe Man Who Accidentally Killed The Most People In HistoryVeritasium · 6 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
• explainerYou are being misled about renewable energy technology.Technology Connections · 12 HN recommenders · 2026–2026
• lectureArithmetic, Population and Energy - a talk by Al BartlettlXlSalemlXl · 6 HN recommenders · 2016–2023
• explainerThe Agricultural Revolution: Crash Course World History #1CrashCourse · 4 HN recommenders · 2015–2021
• talkThe Roots of Your Profits - Dr Elaine Ingham, Soil Microbiologist, Founder of Soil Foodweb IncOxford Real Farming Conference · 2 HN recommenders · 2015–2024
• explainerFeeding Bill Gates a Fake Burger (to save the world)Mark Rober · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• explainerThe Carbon Offset ProblemWendover Productions · 5 HN recommenders · 2022–2023
• lectureWhy Vertical Farming Won't Save the PlanetUtah State University Extension · 4 HN recommenders · 2017–2025
• commentaryDAIRY IS SCARY!Erin Janus · 3 HN recommenders · 2019–2023
• talk6 ways mushrooms can save the world | Paul Stamets | TEDTED · 4 HN recommenders · 2018–2022
• lectureExponential Growth Arithmetic, Population and Energy, Dr. Albert A. BartlettHiroob · 5 HN recommenders · 2019–2021
• documentaryMan Spends 30 Years Turning Degraded Land into Massive Forest – Fools & Dreamers (Full Documentary)Happen Films · 4 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• documentaryPlagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea | KQED Truly CAKQED Arts · 4 HN recommenders · 2017–2025
• lectureTurning Photons Into FoodApogee Instruments Inc. · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2021
• commentaryPFAS: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)LastWeekTonight · 4 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• explainerPlastic Recycling is an Actual Scam | Climate TownClimate Town · 5 HN recommenders · 2021–2026
• documentaryNebraska retiree uses earths's heat to grow oranges in snowKirsten Dirksen · 4 HN recommenders · 2019–2026
• explainerHow Wolves Change RiversSustainable Human · 4 HN recommenders · 2014–2022
• talkHow to use one paper towel | Joe Smith | TEDxConcordiaUPortlandTEDx Talks · 3 HN recommenders · 2016–2025
• documentaryChinampas of Mexico: Most Productive Agriculture EVER?Andrew Millison · 3 HN recommenders · 2023–2026
• documentaryThe Biggest Chemical Coverup In HistoryVeritasium · 3 HN recommenders · 2025–2026
• documentaryChai Jing's review: Under the Dome – Investigating China’s Smog 柴静雾霾调查：穹顶之下 (full translation)Christopher He · 3 HN recommenders · 2015–2018
• documentaryExposing The Dark Side of America's AI Data Center Explosion | View From Above | Business InsiderBusiness Insider · 2 HN recommenders · 2025–2026
• documentaryIndia's Water Revolution #1: Solving the Crisis in 45 days with the Paani FoundationAndrew Millison · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2022
• talkLife is easy. Why do we make it so hard? | Jon Jandai | TEDxDoiSuthepTEDx Talks · 3 HN recommenders · 2015–2025
• documentaryPermaculture Greening the Desert - Geoff LawtonSDA-Network · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2020
• explainerA Third of America Belongs to AmericaCGP Grey · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2020
• explainerWho’s Taking America’s Water? | Climate TownClimate Town · 3 HN recommenders · 2024–2026
• documentary50 Years Ago, This Was a Wasteland. He Changed Everything | Short Film ShowcaseNational Geographic · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2022
• documentaryInside Africa's Food Forest Mega-ProjectAndrew Millison · 3 HN recommenders · 2025–2026
• explainerIf You Eat Meat You Should Know ThisKurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 3 HN recommenders · 2025–2026
• explainerHow Wolves Change Rivers [REMASTERED HD] - George MonbiotSustainable Human · 2 HN recommenders · 2023–2025
• talkIowa Swine Day 2022: Agriculture at the End of the WorldIowa Pork Industry Center · 2 HN recommenders · 2022–2023
• explainer#Earth 🌏 Will we survive this ? Amazing⚡️ #crashcourse on #collapse & #environment by #ArthurKellerNEXT - Les Mondes Sensibles (byThePassengerStudio) · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2023
• documentaryInternet of food: Arduino-based, urban aquaponics in OaklandKirsten Dirksen · 2 HN recommenders · 2013–2018
• demoCody's Algae PanelCody'sLab · 2 HN recommenders · 2022–2023
• comedyGeorge Carlin - Saving the PlanetDadniel · 2 HN recommenders · 2014–2024
• explainerIs Organic Really Better? Healthy Food or Trendy Scam?Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• talkFreeman Dyson: Heretical Thoughts About Science and SocietyBoston University · 2 HN recommenders · 2014–2023
• explainerIs Meat Really that Bad?Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2022
• documentaryTractor Hacking: The Farmers Breaking Big Tech's Repair MonopolyMotherboard · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2018
• documentaryRegreening the desert with John D. Liu | VPRO Documentary | 2012vpro documentary · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2023
• tutorialScavenging rechargeable lithium cells from the roadsidebigclivedotcom · 2 HN recommenders · 2022–2024
• explainerWhy Meat is the Best Worst Thing in the World 🍔Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell · 2 HN recommenders · 2018–2021
• explainerIs Our Food Becoming Less Nutritious?Veritasium · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2022
• talkHow to grow fresh air | Kamal MeattleTED · 2 HN recommenders · 2016–2026
• explainerGay Frogs: A Deep DiveOki's Weird Stories · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2023
• documentaryFinal Warning Limits to Growthbiopilz · 1 HN recommender · 2017–2020
• explainerCan We Terraform the Sahara to Stop Climate Change?Real Engineering · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2021
• explainerWhat *Really* happens to used Electric Car Batteries? - (you might be surprised)JerryRigEverything · 2 HN recommenders · 2023–2025
• explainerWhy Are 96,000,000 Black Balls on This Reservoir?Veritasium · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• podcastJoe Rogan Experience #1385 - Paul StametsPowerfulJRE · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2021
• documentaryPlastic Wars (full documentary) | FRONTLINEFRONTLINE PBS | Official · 1 HN recommender · 2020–2023
• talkCows, Carbon and Climate | Joel Salatin | TEDxCharlottesvilleTEDx Talks · 1 HN recommender · 2017–2022
• documentaryForgotten wrecks are a time bomb | DW DocumentaryDW Documentary · 1 HN recommender · 2020–2021
• explainerThe Problem with BiofuelsReal Engineering · 2 HN recommenders · 2021–2023
• talkTom Chi: How to Address our Carbon Debt to Heal the PlanetForesight Institute · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2022
• demoLiam – An Innovation StoryApple · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2020
• documentaryWhy Farmers Can't Legally Replant Their Own SeedsVeritasium · 1 HN recommender · 2025–2025
• commentaryPlastics: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)LastWeekTonight · 1 HN recommender · 2021–2021
• podcastWhat Microplastics Are Doing to the Brain, Body, and Reproductive SystemsFoundMyFitness · 1 HN recommender · 2024–2026
• documentaryForest ManWilliam D McMaster · 1 HN recommender · 2014–2021
• explainerIf these pumps ever stop, part of Germany floods.Tom Scott · 1 HN recommender · 2021–2026
• documentaryThe Story of Al Baydha: A Regenerative Agriculture in the Saudi Desert. قصة مشروع البيضاءAl Baydha · 1 HN recommender · 2022–2023
• talkRestoring the ancient Caledonian Forest Alan Watson Featherstone TEDxFindhornTrees for Life · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2022
• explainerHow H&M’s Recycling Machines Make New Clothes From Used Apparel | World Wide WasteBusiness Insider · 1 HN recommender · 2022–2026
• podcastAn Arizona Farmer on How to Grow Alfalfa in the Middle of the Desert | Odd LotsBloomberg Podcasts · 1 HN recommender · 2023–2025
• documentaryRunning out of Time | Documentary on Holistic ManagementSavory Institute · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2021
• talkWhy is India so filthy? | The Ugly Indian | TEDxBangaloreTEDx Talks · 1 HN recommender · 2014–2025