The state of the world’s environment is one of the most important stories of the new century. Debates over the impact of climate change reverberate throughout the globe. So do disputes about what actions might be necessary, both to preserve the environment and to develop sources of energy for a growing global community.
The World’s environment coverage, led by environment editor Peter Thomson, examines the health of the planet and explores the impacts of human activity on everything from the earth’s ecosystems to the food we put on our plates.
Environment
Senegal’s fishing crisis
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People in the West African country of Senegal have made their living from the sea for generations. But overfishing has put the region’s fish stocks in crisis. And the Senegalese are struggling to find a solution. Jori Lewis has this report. >>> See photos from Senegal
Geo Quiz
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Our daily geography puzzler.
Geo answer
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For today’s Geo Quiz we were looking for the name of the huge vortex in the Pacific that’s been accumulating massive amounts of trash. The answer is the North Pacific Ocean Gyer. A team from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego is visiting the site. Anchor Katy Clark speaks with Scripps graduate student Miriam Goldstein about what’s been dubbed the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.”
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
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Today’s Geo Quiz might have a bit of a smell. Far off the coast of North America there’s a huge spot where the Pacific Ocean swirls around and around…
Fighting drought with trees in Burkina Faso
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Most media stories about Africa convey gloom and doom. Add climate change and you might expect … double gloom and doom. But author Mark Hertsgaard recently found something quite different in the western Sahel. He was there researching a book on living with climate change. What he found was a small green miracle that offers a valuable defense against increasing heat and drought. It’s being pioneered by illiterate farmers… and their secret is trees. Hertsgaard prepared this reporter’s notebook from the West African country of Burkina Faso. (Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/rietje)
Protests over lead poisoning in China
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Chinese villagers broke into a smelting plant and smashed up equipment over the weekend. They were protesting the lead poisoning of hundreds of children living lear the plant. Anchor Lisa Mullins gets the details from The World’s Mary Kay Magistad.
Kamchatka: Salmon paradise in danger?
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We’re looking for one of Russia’s biggest peninsulas for our Geo Quiz today. Peninsulas, by the way, go by all sorts of names. A cape, an island promontory, or even something called a spit qualifies as peninsulas. But it’s an 800 mile long Russian peninsula we’re after and it’s more than 9 time zones away the Kremlin. We speak with Journalist David Quammen, who has just returned from a reporting trip there. ©2009 Randy Olson / National Geographic. >>>See more photos
The violence behind Congo’s mineral trade
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The World’s Jeb Sharp reports on how the trade in minerals used in cell phones and laptops fuels the conflict in eastern Congo.
Geo Quiz
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Our daily geography puzzler.
Geo answer
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The answer to today’s Geo Quiz is the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia’s far east. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with David Quammen who wrote about this remote area “where salmon rule” for this month’s National Geographic.
On the Road to a Climate Deal: Bismarck, North Dakota
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The World’s Jason Margolis tells us why Bismarck, North Dakota has such a major role in determining US legislation on climate change.
Afghanistan’s new national park
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For our Geo Quiz today we’re looking for the name of Afghanistan’s new national park. It’s nestled in the Hindu Kush mountain range of Central Afghanistan.
Geo Quiz
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Our daily geography puzzler.
Geo answer
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It’s nestled high up in the Hindu Kush mountain range of Central Afghanistan. Jessica Weinstein — says getting to this national park from the capital Kabul was a long and winding journey.
DDT use provokes political battle in Uganda
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The pesticide DDT, long banned in the United States, has made something of a comeback in Africa. DDT can be an effective weapon against malaria. The U.S. government, and the World Health Organization are encouraging African countries to use the insecticide, and say it is safe when handled properly. But in the East African nation of Uganda, DDT has provoked a fierce political battle. Reporter Alison Hawkes traveled to northern Uganda.
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