Posts in “Environment” Category

Scientists in Denmark wondered if global warming could make Greenland's wolf spiders bigger. During a ten-year study, they tracked spider sizes. In years when spring came 30 days earlier than usual, some spiders grew exoskeletons that were thicker than average, resulting in bigger bodies! In colder winters, spiders grew thinner exoskeletons. What's more, during warmer springs female spiders grew larger than the male spiders did.



Photograph by Tom Uhlman/AP

As the Earth's temperature warms, bigger spiders could become the norm. Researchers aren't sure why warmer temperatures mean bigger wolf spiders. It could be because their prime hunting season is longer. Or perhaps longer summers allow the spiders to molt--shed their old exoskeletons--more often, letting grow bigger during their lifetimes. The study's co-author, Toke Høye, is pretty sure that bigger spiders will also mean MORE spiders, because larger female wolf spiders have more offspring than smaller ones.

Read more about this spider study on National Geographic News.

Watch a jumping spider video on National Geographic Kids.

Photograph by Enric Sala


NG Fellow Enric Sala and a team of scientists are starting out on a six-week expedition to study undisturbed reef systems in the Southern Line Islands. This research will create a model of what healthy coral reefs and other healthy marine ecosystems should be like. Damaged coral reefs can be compared with the model, and scientists will be able to better understand what steps are needed to help the reefs recover.

Turn off your lights this Saturday, March 28 from 8:30 to 9:30 local time and participate in a global observance called Earth Hour. Individuals, businesses, and organizations across the world will be participating (National Geographic included). Earth Hour is a demonstration of how much we can do to cut back power use and prevent climate change if we all work together.

The first lights-out will be in the Chatham Island off the coast of New Zealand. From there, the wave of darkened buildings, streets, and monuments will ripple through all 25 time zones. Even the Eiffel Tower will go dark.

The more participants there are, the bigger the impact will be. So get ready to power down!

Learn more about Earth Hour.

Read about last year's Earth Hour on National Geographic News.

Get more power saving tips on National Geographic Kids.

True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do To Save the Planet by Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin was named the Best Hands-On Science Book by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. True Green Kids is packed with simple things you can do to help save the planet!

Read kids' reviews about True Green Kids, including how Jordan earned eco-points and how Parker shortened his showers on the DogEared Books Blog.

AD: True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do To Save the Planet

Get green tips on National Geographic Kids.

Being green has nothing to do with the seasons and everything to do with protecting the Earth year-round. February 2-8 is National Green Week. Schools and students can sign up and help teach the world how to be environmentally aware. Is your school participating?

Learn about National Green Week.

Get tips on how to go green.

Photograph by Enric Sala


In the last few days of his presidency, President George W. Bush created three new national monuments in the Pacific Ocean in the largest ocean conservation effort ever. The new monuments will protect Kingman Reef  (as part of the U.S. Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument), Rose Atoll, and the Mariana Trench, which is home to Earth's deepest spot.

All three of the protected areas are home to many species, including the giant coral colony shown in the photo above.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's report, one out of every four species of mammals is facing extinction. Many of the most threatened species are found in Asia, a continent with a growing human population.

"This is leading to habitat loss due to agricultural expansion; development of infrastructure such as roads, which fragment critical landscapes; and increasing areas for industrial crops such as oil palm and pulp for paper," said Barney Long, a biologist at the World Wildlife Fund in Washington, D.C.

Worldwide, habitat loss affects about 40 percent of threatened mammal species, while human hunting affects 17 percent, Long said.

There is hope for mammals, but keeping them off the endangered list will take a lot of hard work. According to the report, 5 percent of threatened species have seen rebounds due to conservation efforts.

Learn More