National Geographic and Globescan teamed up for the third annual Consumer Greendex study, which evaluates the "greenness" of shoppers in various countries around the world. The study monitored 17,000 consumers in 17 countries, taking into account energy use, transportation, food, housing, and knowledge of environmental issues. The end result is a vaguely scientific index of sustainable......read more
And so on, and so on, and so on: Zoom in on National Geographic's infinite National Parks photo, which reveals hundreds of pics making up each original. The magic box: Trunz Water Systems' portable, solar/wind-powered water filtration unit is the next level of disaster relief. (via Core77) Oh, super. Wired tells us about new research showing that the plastic garbage patch in the North......read more
Um, wow. WOW. After unprecedented monsoons caused massive flooding in Pakistan in 2010, millions spiders near the village of Sindh found refuge in above ground in trees, where they wrapped the branches in ghostly webs. Although the disaster didn't grip the attention of the media the way the Japanese earthquake has, it was a devastating event, killing nearly 2,000 people and affecting almost 20......read more
For all you photographers out there, the National Geographic 2011 Photo Contest is well underway but there's still time to submit. If you have a great picture that falls into one or more of the categories of people, places, or nature, enter it here by November 30. The photos will be judged on creativity and photographic quality by a panel of Nat Geo pros, with one grand prize winner......read more
A selection of the best images from National Geographic Wallpapers Gallery. All the photos are from the book Visions of Earth. Stunning stuff across a wide breadth of subjects. Go Nat Geo - keep em coming. First image: Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; Photograph by Patrick di Fruscia second image: Scrap Yard, Canada, Photograph by Pete Ryan thrid image: Cave of Crystals, Mexico, Photograph by......read more
The National Academy of Science published new reports Thursday recommending that lawmakers act now to combat climate change. The reports, which were requested by Congress, explain the data behind global warming and highlight the links between climate change and human activity. Going well beyond a simple explanation of the evidence, the Academy declares that immediate action to curb greenhouse gas......read more
The University of North Carolina, best known for its basketball prowess, is celebrating a different sort of victory this week. The Chapel Hill, NC school was named winner of the Environmental Protection Agency's National Building Competition to see who could get the most energy savings out of their respective buildings over the course of a year. The winning team, from UNC's Morrison......read more
In a split-second, a photographer captures a striking image of a rare Iberian wolf on the hunt, leaping over a farm gate. The image is selected from over 43,000 entries, netting photographer Jose Luis Rodriguez the award for Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Unfortunately for Rodriguez, allegations have been raised challenging the photo's "veracity". It seems that his......read more
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration just released its 2010 Arctic Report Card, and things aren't looking good. The report warns that the Arctic is warming at such a rate that it's becoming increasingly unlikely that "normal" Arctic conditions will return in the near future. The first half of 2010 saw average Arctic temperatures 7 degrees higher than normal, the......read more
In 1962, acting on a whim, British newspaper editor Brendon Grimshaw bought the tiny deserted island of Moyenne in the Seychelles for £8,000. He moved to the island permanently in 1972 and now, a half century later, the 86 year-old lives there all alone but for with the giant tortoises that he reintroduced to the island. In addition to the tortoises, Grimshaw has planted 16,000 trees,......read more