Arctic Seed Vault Opens Video -- National Geographic

Arctic Seed Vault Opens Video February 26, 2008—An Arctic island north of the Norwegian mainland marks the opening of an underground vault set to store millions of plant seeds to protect species from disasters.Welcome to the National Geographic video player.Video Sections

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- $20-Million Contest Announced - April 2, 2008—Scotland plans to award 10 million pounds (about 20 million U.S. dollars) for the first viable technology to harness the sea's energy for electricity.
- "Kite Ship" to Use Wind Power - January 17, 2008—Not a sailboat and not a parachute—this German-built ship aims to save fuel by towing a kite to capture wind power high above the water.
- 'Annoying' Bird Mimics Sirens - July 14, 2008—Having mastered some of the world's most grating sounds—sirens, cell phone ringtones—a blackbird is irritating Britons with its powers of mimicry.
- 'Giant Fish' Faces Big Trouble in China - September 11, 2007—Join biologist Zeb Hogan of the National Geographic Society's Megafishes Project as he explores the threats facing the giant Chinese sturgeon and the efforts underway to save it.
- 'Mutant' Mosquitoes Created - June 20, 2008— U.K. scientists are genetically modifying mosquitoes to be resistant to malaria, which kills millions annually. But some experts fear these supermosquitoes would upset the ecosystem.
- 'Shark Island' Swarms With Jaws - October 24, 2008— Costa Rica's Cocos Island National Park, nicknamed 'Shark Island,' has what might be the highest concentration of sharks anywhere. But even here, sharks are vulnerable.
- Afghan Winter Kills Hundreds - February 8, 2008—Unusually severe winter weather in mountainous Afghanistan has caused more than 650 deaths, according to an Afghan official.
- Airliner Flies on Plant Fuel - December 31, 2008—Air New Zealand says a test flight Tuesday was the first commercial-jet journey to use a fuel that is equal parts biofuel and standard jet fuel.
- Alaskans Choose Mine Over Fish - August 27, 2008—Alaskans voted down protections that would have stopped the huge proposed Pebble Creek mine, which may boost the area economy but could harm economically important fisheries.
- Albatross Fall for Fish Bait - December 19, 2007—The magnificent, poet-inspiring sea bird is under serious threat, and fishhooks are a key problem. Conservationists say 17 of the 24 albatross species face extinction.
- Algae Threaten Olympic Sailing - July 2, 2008—Officials are working to clear a huge algal bloom that has struck the waters near Qingdao, where the Olympic sailing events are scheduled for August.
- Algae to Power Jets? - October 2, 2008—Research is underway to turn algae into biodiesel that developers hope could eventually fuel jet airplanes.
- Amazon Forest Burned - October 1, 2008—Amazon forests in Brazil are shrinking three times faster than in 2007, officials say. A key culprit is the national government itself, according to reports.
- Animal Dung Fuels Gas Stoves - October 10, 2008—In Ethiopia, farmers are being taught how to use livestock dung as a renewable energy source to create gas for cooking.
- Antarctic Survey's Stunning Species - December 2, 2008—Scientists have discovered that islands near Antarctica's main peninsula harbor more species than even the Galápagos Islands, the experts claim.
- Antarctica Ice Collapses - March 26, 2008—A section of Antarctic ice seven times the size of Manhattan has broken away from a large ice shelf. Scientists say it is a sign of continued global warming.
- Antarctica Images Best Yet - November 28, 2007—A nearly cloudless satellite image is the most geographically accurate and true-color map of the southern continent—at ten times the resolution of previous NASA views.
- Anti-Whaling Activists Released - January 18, 2008—Two anti-whaling activists were returned to their ship in Antarctic waters Friday after a tense standoff with Japanese whalers.
- Arctic Ice in "Death Spiral" - September 17, 2008—NASA animations show dramatic Arctic ice melt again in 2008, which saw the second smallest Arctic sea ice cover on record, scientists announced this week.
- Arctic Seed Vault Opens - February 26, 2008—An Arctic island north of the Norwegian mainland marks the opening of an underground vault set to store millions of plant seeds to protect species from disasters.
- Asian Illegal Logging Exposed - March 20, 2008—A British group has released footage it claims shows illegal logging in Laos that helps feed Vietnam's booming furniture trade to the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere.
- Asian Plate Caused Quake - May 13, 2008—Monday's devastating earthquake in central China occurred along a fault where South Asia pushes against the Eurasian land mass, scientists say.
- Atlantis Volcano Devastated Ancient Egypt? - April 4, 2007—See the freshly uncovered evidence that may prove ancient cities on Egypt and Palestine's coast were devastated by a massive Mediterranean volcanic eruption.
- Australian Wetlands Threatened - August 22, 2008—Australia's Coorong wetlands, long a haven for migrating birds and the fish they feed on, are threatened by the shrinking Murray River, the wetlands' primary source of water.
- Baby Sales Among Threats to Monkey - October 31, 2008— Already threatened by deforestation, rare Peruvian yellow-tailed woolly monkeys face doom as their babies are sold for a few dollars and their genital hair is taken as a trophy.
- Biggest Trout Fished in Asia - November 13, 2007—Fishing the world's largest trout, Mongolia's taimen, is encouraged—to help save it.
- Billboards Become Stylish Bags - April 21, 2008—Just in time for Earth Day, conservationists in the Philippines are recycling huge vinyl billboard advertisements as totes for everything from food to laptops.
- Cemetery Is Solar Source - December 8, 2008—Near Barcelona, Spain, a large solar power plant is in an unlikely location: a cemetery.
- Cheaper Solar? Just Add Steam - June 16, 2008— In the Israeli desert, a U.S.-Israeli team is testing a new technology that uses mirrors to harness the sun's rays and create electricity-producing steam.
- Cheetahs Return to Zebra Park - November 8, 2008— For 70 years, zebras at South Africa's Mountain Zebra National Park have had few predators. But now, conservationists are reintroducing cheetahs to the landscape.
- Chicken Feathers to Build Houses - October 8, 2008—A Philippine scientist has developed wallboard using chicken feathers. He says it could replace traditional woodchip wallboard used in construction.
- China Pandas' Bamboo Dwindling - June 16, 2008—Landslides following the May 12 earthquake have destroyed forests and blocked roads, leaving just a five-month bamboo supply for pandas in a Chengdu breeding center.
- China Quake Lake Drained - May 27, 2008—Fearing landslides or a dam collapse, Chinese soldiers opened a drainage path for one of many new lakes formed by the May 12th earthquake.
- China's Snow Worst in 50 Years - January 29, 2008—Heavy snows in southern China have wreaked havoc for residents heading home during the busy Lunar New Year travel season.
- Chocolate to Save Forests? - March 19, 2008—Destruction of Dominican Republic forests could be offset by farmers growing organic cacao used for chocolate.
- Christmas Lights Dazzle Sydney - December 24, 2008—Spectacular displays of Christmas lights draw thousands of spectators in Sydney, Australia.
- Clay Eating Discouraged - November 8, 2007—Poverty and tradition drive some Haitians to eat cakes of clay, salt, and butter. Nutritionists fight local beliefs about the dish's merits.
- Climate Change Satellite Launched - June 20, 2008—Early today NASA launched its new satellite, Jason 2, which will monitor how ocean masses move in an effort to understand climate change's effects.
- Climate Drives Nomads to Cities - February 21, 2008—Mongolia's harsher, less predictable, and increasingly warmer weather is helping to drive a migration of nomadic herders from the steppe into cities.
- Commercial Jet Uses Biofuel - February 25, 2008—The first commercial jet flight powered with biofuel lands in Amsterdam. Virgin Atlantic's Boeing 747 used a biofuel mixture in one of its fuel tanks.
- Cuba Gets Green Cred - November 14, 2008—Cuba is the only country that meets the criteria for sustainable development from the conservation group WWF. But concern persists for once thriving Caribbean marine turtles.
- Cutting Cows' Gas Emissions - October 24, 2008—Cow's emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas, can be reduced with a more natural diet, farmers are learning. Methane is a powerful contributor to global warming.
- Cyclone Kills Thousands in Asia - May 5, 2008—Tropical cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar (Burma) Saturday. The death toll may climb to 10,000, according to government statements.
- Daring Rescues in Peru Floods - April 8, 2008—Dramatic rescues are underway to help people stranded by devastating rains and floods in north and west Peru.
- Deadly Hanna Deluges Haiti - September 4, 2008—"If I couldn't swim, I would have been dead," said one Haitian survivor after tropical storm Hanna caused massive flooding, cutting off one city and killing dozens.
- Deep Sea Robo-Help - November 26, 2008—Scientists searching the depths of the ocean for undiscovered marine life off the coast of Maine get help from a well-equipped robot.
- Deep Sea Robo-Help - November 26, 2008— Scientists searching the depths of the ocean for undiscovered marine life off the coast of Maine get help from a well-equipped robot.
- Deforestation Fear in Indonesia - October 21, 2008—The environmental group Greenpeace warns that if Indonesia doesn't eliminate rapid deforestation in the country, its forests could be gone in 10 years.
- Desperate Maasai Feed Cows Trash - December 17, 2008—Climate change is threatening the way of life for Africa's Maasai herders—even forcing some to take their cattle to feed at garbage dumps.
- Dogs vs. Rabbits in Eco-War - October 1, 2008—Springer spaniels are training to do battle to save an Australian island from a rabbit boom. The rabbits are destroying vegetation, thereby threatening other species.
- Doomed New Orleans - September 21, 2005—For years man-made changes to the landscape of New Orleans have affected how well it could withstand the wrath of a powerful storm.
- Ecotourists Aid Aussie Rangers - August 14, 2008—Vacationers are helping rangers in Australia's Grampians National Park study the effects of wildfires on the park's wildlife habitats.
- Ecuador Volcano Erupts - February 8, 2008—The Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador erupted again this week. The volcano has been active on and off since 1999.
- Ecuador Volcano Spewing Ash - January 9, 2008—The recently rumbling Tungurahua volcano is spewing more ash and smoke.
- Eruption Changing Galapagos - June 6, 2008—A Galápagos volcano is spewing lava for the second week in a row—changing the geography of the chain's largest island, experts say.
- Explosions May Save Wetlands - October 31, 2007—The Nature Conservancy has blasted through 1950s-era levees in the Williams River Delta in southern Oregon to save the wetlands and endangered fish species.
- Farm Fish Threaten Wild Fish? - January 31, 2008 —Fish farms currently provide sustainable populations of fish for eating, but fish raised in open-net farms can spread disease and parasites to wild fish.
- Fast Flood Wreaks Havoc - June 3, 2008—Amateur video shows cars piling on top of one another as a small stream swells over its banks in Jungingen, Germany.
- Flowers Losing Their Scents? - June 10, 2008—Air pollution may be stifling flowers' sweet smells, making it harder for bees and other pollinators to find them, say University of Virginia researchers.
- Freak Wave Kills Nine - May 5, 2008—A wave estimated at up to 16 feet (5 meters) tall struck a sightseeing spot in coastal South Korea.
- Freak Wave Pushes Cars - March 14, 2008—An unusually high wave crashed onto a boulevard in northwestern Spain, pushing people and cars aside. Much of Western Europe saw harsh weather this week.
- Galapagos Volcano Erupts - June 2, 2008—A volcano on a Galápagos island has erupted after ten years of relative silence.
- Giant Waves Crash Over Buildings - September 9, 2008—Surging over buildings as tall as five stories, waves from Hurricane Ike pounded a Cuban town on Monday. The hurricane is headed for the U.S. Gulf Coast.
- Giving Fish a Bath - December 19, 2008—Biologists literally give fish a bath to try and eliminate parasites in the sea near a coral reef in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Glacier Tunnel Collapses - July 10, 2008— A recently formed tunnel in Argentina's Perito Moreno glacier collapsed on Wednesday. This is the first time in decades such an event has occurred during the Southern Hemisphere's winter.
- Global Warming Good for Sharks? - October 16, 2008—Warmer waters around Antarctica could actually benefit a threatened population of gray nurse—or sand tiger—sharks, scientists say.
- Grand Canyon Skywalk - April 13, 2007—See what it's like to walk on a glass walkway 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) above the canyon floor in this un-narrated video.
- Green Dream Machines Debut - July 22, 2008—By turns spacey, electric, and just plain cute, fuel-saving car designs from Ford, Saab, Mini, and others took center stage at the British International Motor Show.
- Green Roofs Are Nothing New - June 4, 2008—Plant-covered roofs may seem like cutting edge eco-architecture. But the practice is an old tradition on the remote Faroe Islands.
- Grisly Whaling Video Released - February 7, 2008—To call attention to Japanese whaling practices, the Australian government released video captured on the ocean near Antarctica. Warning: graphic imagery.
- Grisly Wildlife Trade Exposed - February 25, 2008—An activist uses a video camera to expose what many would consider a grisly illegal wildlife trade in Myanmar. Warning: graphic imagery.

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