Actor Benedict Cumberbatch is promoting a new documentary titled “How to Live on Earth,” set to release on YouTube this month. The film features the actor delivering monologues from London’s Natural History Museum, interspersed with short features about activists, scientists, and culinary professionals who are developing alternative approaches to human interaction with the environment. Cumberbatch described the project as a potential “blueprint” for humanity’s future relationship with the planet.
The actor has maintained a focus on environmental causes for the past two decades, adopting a vegan lifestyle and working to reduce his ecological footprint. However, his commitment was tested during the production of “The Courier,” where his character’s imprisonment required him to abstain from dietary fiber. The physical toll prompted him to reconsider his dietary restrictions, and he now sources meat ethically when consumed, favoring venison from the UK’s overabundant deer population. Cumberbatch collaborates with the Green Rider movement, an initiative that encourages actors to make emissions reduction contractual obligations when participating in film projects. He cited current partnerships with major studios, including work on an Avengers project in the UK, as examples of how environmental considerations are scaling up within the entertainment industry.
Cumberbatch addressed the accusation of hypocrisy sometimes leveled at environmental advocates, noting that industries beyond entertainment—fashion and food production among them—represent larger sources of pollution. He expressed support for direct-action climate protests and has been critical of recent government crackdowns on climate activism. Unlike many environmental documentaries, the film emphasizes positive outcomes and viable solutions, featuring individuals such as a biologist studying big cats in remote rainforests and a chef developing alternative proteins. The documentary’s YouTube release was highlighted as significant for reaching audiences in remote areas where such messaging traditionally does not circulate widely.
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