Apr 21st, 2012 at 8:00AM: Today is Earth Day, an annual event that is meant to remind us of how fragile our planet's natural environment is and the importance of protecting it. All across the globe millions of people are taking part in events designed to celebrate this amazing rock we call home, while simultaneously looking for ways to preserve it for the generations that will follow.
At the heart of this year's Earth ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
climatechange posts
How Are You Celebrating Earth Day?
Apr 21st, 2012 at 8:00AM: Today is Earth Day, an annual event that is meant to remind us of how fragile our planet's natural environment is and the importance of protecting it. All across the globe millions of people are taking part in events designed to celebrate this amazing rock we call home, while simultaneously looking for ways to preserve it for the generations that will follow.
At the heart of this year's Earth ...Karakoram Glaciers Defy Trends, Actually Grow In Size
Apr 17th, 2012 at 8:00AM: Scientists are once again demonstrating that we actually don't really have a clue about how our planet works. A team of researchers from the University of Grenoble in France has released a new report that indicates that glaciers in the Karakoram mountain range are actually growing in size. This is, of course, counter to what is being observed elsewhere across the planet and defies the theories ...Video of the Day: Earth Hour 2012
Mar 6th, 2012 at 6:00PM:
The imagery is powerful: people from around the world, holding hands and candles in the dark, while iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Coliseum shut down their lights in recognition of Earth Hour 2012, one of the world's largest voluntary actions for the environment. The evocative Sigur Rós soundtrack doesn't hurt either.
Earth Hour calls upon individual citizens to switch ...
Impact of climate change on the Himalaya far less than estimated
Feb 12th, 2012 at 9:00AM: A new climate change study, released this past Thursday, has surprised some experts and blown some major holes in the doom and gloom predictions that have been given out in recent years. In fact, the new study, which was published in the scientific journal Nature, found that there has been virtually no ice lost in the Himalaya over the past decade, which runs contrary to reports that many ...Man arrested for stealing glacier in Chile
Feb 5th, 2012 at 8:00AM: Late last week, law enforcement officials in Chile detained a man for allegedly stealing part of a glacier from inside Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, located in the Patagonia region. It is believed that the thief intended to sell the ice to various clubs in the capital city of Santiago, where it would be put into expensive designer drinks.
Police stopped the man, who was driving a large ...Famous Sherpas to hike the length of the Great Himalaya Trail
Dec 31st, 2011 at 9:00AM: Two famous Nepalese Sherpas are preparing to hike the entire length of the Great Himalaya Trail in an effort to raise awareness of the effects of climate change on the region. The duo will set out on January 15th and hope to encourage economic development along the new trekking route as well.
Apa Sherpa and Dawa Steven Sherpa will begin their journey in eastern Nepal in the village of Ghunsa ...Waldorf Astoria Maldives launches coral reef regeneration project
Dec 21st, 2011 at 1:00PM: The Maldives coral reefs comprise the eighth largest reef system in the world. But active tourism and fishing industries, as well as global phenomena like climate change and El Nino, are taking its toll. And because the islands of the Maldives are low-lying, the coral reefs are even more important as a barrier against sea-level rise and storms.
To do its part, the Waldorf Astoria Maldives is ...Explorer to make back-to-back journey to North and South Pole
Nov 13th, 2011 at 9:00AM: British adventurer Mark Wood is currently in Punta Arenas, Chile where he is preparing to start an epic journey. If all goes as planned, later this week, Mark will fly to the Antarctic, where he'll begin a four-month odyssey that will take him to both the North and South Poles back-toback. While he certainly won't be the first person to visit those two remote places, he does hope to become the ...Scientists install webcam to spy on Mt. Everest
Oct 8th, 2011 at 8:00AM: Research scientists focused on the impact of climate change on the Himalaya have installed a new webcam to keep an eye on Mt. Everest. The high-definition camera is part of a larger initiative called SHARE, or "Stations at High Altitude for Research on the Environment," which hopes to track the retreating glaciers on the world's tallest peak – something that is already having a profound ...New study finds national parks at risk
Jun 29th, 2011 at 8:00AM: The National Parks Conservation Association released a comprehensive report yesterday that paints a grim picture for the future of the national parks in the U.S. The report, which is entitled "The State of America's National Parks," examines a number of economic and environmental threats to the parks and is the result of more than a decade of research. The non-profit NPCA also calls on the Obama ...National Geographic announces Emerging Explorers for 2011
May 20th, 2011 at 8:00AM: National Geographic has revealed their selections for the 2011 Emerging Explorers program, which spotlights outstanding scientists and adventurers who are doing great things, even at the early stages of their career. The awards, which are given on a yearly basis, include a $10,000 grant to assist the recipients in furthering their work, which can be in any number of diverse fields.
There are 14 ...Bowermaster's Adventures: Navigating the hordes of jellyfish
Oct 5th, 2010 at 9:00AM:
Jellyfish -- those gelatinous, stinging, floating-condoms-of-the-sea, the pint-sized boogeyman of the ocean are fast becoming the equivalent of a coal mine's canaries. Appearing this summer en masse along coastlines around the globe, jellyfish are evidence of just how badly we're treating the ocean and with painful results.
During the last days of summer jellyfish swarmed the Atlantic coast ...Photos show effects of climate change on Everest
Jul 21st, 2010 at 8:30AM: A new series of photos from the Himalaya reveal the undeniable effects of global climate change on the glaciers there. This is especially evident on Mt. Everest, where comparative shots from 1921 show just how much the Rongbuk Glacier has retreated over the past 89 years.
Filmmaker and mountaineer David Breashears made the journey to Everest's North Side, where explorer George Mallory once took ...On the Front Line of Rising Sea Levels, A Conversation with President Mohammed Nasheed, the Maldives
Apr 21st, 2010 at 9:00AM: Forty-two-year-old President Mohammed Nasheed is the first democratically elected president in the island nation of the Maldives, home to 375,000 people in the Indian Ocean off the tip of Sri Lanka. A former human rights activist and journalist, he was jailed and tortured by his predecessor. Today he is one of the most outspoken politicians in the world on the impact of climate change and its ...Explorer attempts solo balloon flight over North Pole
Apr 5th, 2010 at 2:30PM: Explorer Jean-Louis Etienne already has two solo expeditions of the North Pole under his belt. First was his 63 day hike by foot back in 1986. Then in 2002, Etienne drifted alone on the Artic Sea for four months in a specially-designed research pod. Now the determined explorer is planning the third part of his solo Artic exploration "trilogy," with plans to pilot a helium-air balloon back over the ...Film illustrates how climate change affects ski resorts
Jan 14th, 2010 at 11:00AM:
We all hear plenty of talk about climate change on a daily basis. But we often don't see it in terms that relate to us. Teton Gravity Research sought to remedy that by producing the short film Generations. The film focuses on how climate change has affected the ski industry. Rather than discussing the topic in overly generalized terms, it looks at the issue from a perspective that anyone who ...
Could global warming solve Greenland's problems?
Nov 29th, 2009 at 8:00AM: Melting icecaps could turn Manhattan's streets and avenues into canals someday, but why focus on the negative? This could be a real perk for the 57,000 people who live in Greenland. For now, the Inuit are stuck hunting seals and freezing most of the year. As the permafrost recedes, though -- thoroughly screwing up their environment -- the locals are finding oil and mineral resources. So, the ...Underwater cabinet meeting highlights need to save Maldives
Oct 17th, 2009 at 2:30PM: The president of the Maldives and his cabinet met underwater today to urge global cuts in carbon emissions. The Maldives are a beautiful archipelago of more than 1,000 islands in the Indian Ocean, famous for their clear waters, clean beaches, and coral reefs. But with the majority of the islands standing less than five feet (1.5 meters) above the water line, the whole country could disappear if ...Responsible Travel changes their mind
Oct 16th, 2009 at 4:30PM: ResponsibleTravel.com, a website known for providing eco-friendly vacation options, has changed their mind about something important. Especially after all our climate change talk yesterday (Blog Action Day), with the topic fresh in our minds, let's talk about carbon offsets. A recent report by Friends of the Earth states: "Carbon offsets distract tourists from the need to reduce their emissions. ...Choosing the right company for your carbon offsets
Oct 15th, 2009 at 3:30PM:
According to Carbonfund, with the amount of flying I do annually, I "produce" about 21,000 pounds of CO2 per year. If I want to make up for the environmental damage I've done, I can pay $125 to offset my carbon contribution.
But what does that really mean? How can paying $125 make the air cleaner or the ozone layer stronger? Where does that $125 go? Am I just paying to make myself feel ...
