National Geographic Explorer Abu Dhabi

[Regenia Junke]

Inthis collection you will find resources and activities specifically designed to accompany National Geographic MapMaker, a Geographic Information System (GIS) tool for the classroom built in partnership with Esri. The maps in this collection showcase information and data related to Planetary Health, one of six focus areas of National Geographic Explorers.

Maps are powerful devices that allow us to find our way, analyze and visualize complex datasets, solve problems, and tell stories. They also facilitate learning. The materials featured here are built on the National Geography Standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Today's students need to understand how the world is interconnected, and master the geographic competencies and knowledge necessary for sustainably enhancing economic competitiveness, preserving and improving quality of life, sustaining the environment, and ensuring national security.

Learn more about using the latest version of MapMaker.

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the amount of single-use plastic in the world's oceans continues to grow, National Geographic is announcing a new, global commitment to tackle this pressing problem. Today, National Geographic is launching Planet or Plastic?, a multiyear initiative aimed at raising awareness of this challenge and reducing the amount of single-use plastic that enters in the world's oceans. Doing so will not only benefit the thousands to potentially millions of marine animals that become entangled in, suffocated by, or ingest plastic each year, but will also contribute to the overall health of the planet's marine ecosystems and all who rely upon them.

Today's launch is tied to the release of the June issue of National Geographic magazine, which takes an in-depth look at the role single-use plastics play in our society and the impact they are having on our environment. Starting with this issue, National Geographic announced that it will begin wrapping the U.S., U.K. and India subscriber editions of the magazine in paper instead of plastic, with the goal of wrapping all global editions in paper by the end of 2019. The June issue is available online at natgeo.com/planetorplastic on May 16 and on print newsstands on May 29.

Each year, 9 million tons of plastic waste ends up in the ocean. Some estimates suggest this plastic could remain in marine environments for 450 years or longer, and the problem is only getting worse. Addressing a challenge of this magnitude requires an unprecedented approach. In concert with the release of the June magazine, the Planet or Plastic? initiative will also kick off with the following:

"For 130 years, National Geographic has documented the stories of our planet, providing audiences around the world with a window into the earth's breathtaking beauty as well as to the threats it faces," said Gary E. Knell, CEO of National Geographic Partners. "Each and every day, our explorers, researchers and photographers in the field witness firsthand the devastating impact of single-use plastic on our oceans, and the situation is becoming increasingly dire. Through the Planet or Plastic? initiative, we will share the stories of this growing crisis, work to address it through the latest science and research, and educate audiences around the world about how to eliminate single-use plastics and prevent them from making their way into our oceans."

The efforts announced today are just the beginning of this multiyear initiative. Next month, National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey in New York City's Times Square, an entertaining and immersive adventure across the ocean from the South Pacific to the coast of California, will highlight this initiative during World Oceans Day on June 8. National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle will also be in New York City for the festivities to raise awareness about the damaging impact of plastic pollution in our world's fragile oceans. On June 15, National Geographic will host a "Party for the Planet" as part of its annual Explorers Festival in Washington, D.C., a night dedicated to the elimination of single-use plastic.

About the National Geographic SocietyThe National Geographic Society is a leading nonprofit that invests in bold people and transformative ideas in the fields of exploration, scientific research, storytelling and education. The Society aspires to create a community of change, advancing key insights about the planet and probing some of the most pressing scientific questions of our time, all while ensuring that the next generation is armed with geographic knowledge and global understanding. Its goal is measurable impact: furthering exploration and educating people around the world to inspire solutions for the greater good. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.org.

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