National Geographic

The iconic yellow border. The spectacular photography. The ground-breaking research and writing. The stacks of magazines in homes and libraries. The spine that always tells you what is in the issue. Of course, I’m talking about National Geographic (the title was something of a give-away).

I have been a subscriber for decades and there is no reason to stop now. The topics covered are legion. For instance, the spine of the June 2020 issue reads: World War II Voices, Hiroshima Memories, Emperor Penguins, Women in Politics, Skateboarding. I’d call that a little something for everyone.

Trivia – what river has the largest inland fishery? (Definition not provided – I take it to mean, the river where the most fish are caught annually.)

In May, there was an article about an American couple, Doug and Kris Tompkins, who founded North Face and have been buying land in Argentina and Chile for the express purpose of donating it for parkland. The pictures showcase a wild land, devoid of humans. The prose describes a love of the desolate landscape and the animals who live there. And the efforts to reintroduce several species that have been extirpated: macaws, jaguars, tapirs, and rheas.

The article also includes a map. I love National Geographic maps. Every couple of issues, the magazines includes a standalone map, the most recent is Asia’s Vital Rivers. National Geographic also offers maps for sale. A friend and I had one in our office, the largest single map that I have ever encountered. It was awesome and, though we abandoned that office, the map remains, providing a big picture view of the world to the office’s current occupants.

Another recent article entitled Where Have All the Insects Gone? describes the disappearance of annoying but vital species. Scientists determined that, between 1994 and 2016, the insect biomass in the areas of Germany that were tested declined approximately 75%. As much as we hate mosquitos and other biting insects, they are an essential part of the food chain. Insects live as high as 18,000 feet above sea level in mountains and as much as 3,000 feet below ground in caves. Insects are vital to ecosystems, performing the following roles: they are food, they help decompose organic matter, they eat other pests, they pollinate, and they engineer the soil. And we don’t have to pay them or even thank them.

Some insects even live on your face. That’s comforting, I’m sure. A different article from May states that face mites were first discovered in 1841. They live everywhere on your body that has hair – so not on your palms or the bottoms of your feet. They are, as you might imagine, rather small:  as many as 14 have been found in a single pore. Turns out, we still aren’t sure whether they are harmful or beneficial.

Sometimes an entire issue is dedicated to a single topic. The July issue is Everest, Journey to the Roof of the World. A different recent special issue has more broad-based appeal. One side (cover) was titled How We Saved the World, an optimist’s guide to life on Earth in 2070. The other side (can you have two front covers) was titled How We Lost the Planet, a pessimist’s guide to life on Earth in 2070.

The optimist’s view is premised on our willingness to take action – reduce or capture carbon emissions, plant trees (it might take a trillion), drive electric cars, increase reliance on renewable energy. It’s possible. Not easy, but possible. And there could be residual benefits.

The world has seen incredible gains in many areas since the first Earth Day in 1970. Correlation – causation. Who knows. But calories consumed, life expectancy, time spent in classrooms, access to clean water and electricity are all markedly better around the world than they were in 1970.

The cost of solar panels has fallen 99% since the 1970s; leading California to require them to be installed on new homes. Still, solar energy provides only 2% of U.S. electricity, another 7% comes from wind. There is plenty of room for improvement.

Trivia answer – largest inland fishery – Mekong River. Derivative trivia – name any of the six countries through which the Mekong flows.

Different trivia – how many gas stations are there in the US?

The pessimist’s view is premised on an unwillingness or inability to effect change. It’s possible that the die has been cast, that our efforts are already too late. Ice in Greenland, the Andes, and the Third Pole (the many glaciers of Asia in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges) has already shrunk considerably. This will raise the ocean level and release less water to the billions of Asians who rely on it, primarily for irrigation. Chaotic weather could continue with more and worse wildfires and hurricanes. More land could become arid, decreasing food production. Cities (Venice, Dhaka, Miami) could sink under water, countries (the Netherlands, Bangladesh) could lose much land. Temperatures in already hot areas could soar. More flooding could result in less water, as dry places become drier and wet places become wetter. Obviously, this is truncated, but it’s all from one issue of National Geographic. There is so much that can be gleaned from every issue.

One hundred fifty thousand gas stations in the US. And about 4,500 electric charging stations.

I couldn’t remember the six countries of the Mekong watershed or find the answer in the magazine. A web search provided the answer easily from: of course, National Geographic. “Originating in the icy headwaters of the Tibetan highlands, the Mekong River flows through the steep canyons of China, known as the upper basin, through lower basin countries Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia, before fanning across an expansive delta in Vietnam and emptying into the South China Sea.”[1]

National Geographic is a true non-profit and a subscription costs just 19 tax-deductible dollars. Even if you only look at the pictures, the magazine is a great value. Now it you’ll excuse me, I have a couple of back issues that need reading.

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[1] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/01/southeast-asia-most-critical-river-enters-uncharted-waters/#:~:text=Originating%20in%20the%20icy%20headwaters,into%20the%20South%20China%20Sea.