National Geographic Magazine - UK December 2019

THE DOW INITIATIVE, Recycling for a Change, is transforming an underdeveloped, yet crucial, link in Brazil’s waste management chain—Separation or Recycling Cooperatives. Testing the program’s merits in Brazil’s largest waste producer, São Paulo, has produced rapid improvements in productivity, income, and social impact value for workers and communities. To learn more about these initiatives, go to DONT-WASTE.DOW.com “For years we’ve been looking for this kind of model—more efficient production, better management, and bigger incomes.” JAIR DO AMARAL, PRESIDENT, COOPERATIVE CRESCER A mother whose paycheck solely supports her family of five. A homeless man reporting to his very first job. A newly released prisoner ready for a chance to rebuild. Recycling for a Change wants to change their lives—and the future of waste management in Brazil. Waste picker cooperatives are responsible for…

NAT GEO BOOKS The ultimate guide for planning Epic Journeys Whether your idea of a dream trip is rafting the rapids of Africa’s Zambezi River or taking in the pristine beauty of Canada’s Moraine Lake (above), this photo-filled compendium is for you. It’s brimming with details on the best destinations for outdoor adventures, cultural excursions, wildlife-watching, and much more. Epic Journeys: 245 Life-Changing Adventures is available wherever books are sold and at shopng.com/books. BOOKS Go exploring with our Atlas of the National Parks The first book of its kind, this inspiring and informative atlas showcases the 61 beloved parks of the U.S. National Park System. Packed with maps, graphics, and photographs, it’s available where books are sold and at shopng.com/books. TELEVISION A hog-wild new season for Dr. Pol From a…

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC helps people understand our world. Guided by that purpose, we tell stories across all content platforms where people seek them. We’re building on the work of the 131-year-old National Geographic Society, which gives innovative grants to amazingly talented individuals worldwide. We’re embracing opportunities to increase our impact like never before, thanks to our new partnership with The Walt Disney Company. Through our involvement in platforms like the new Disney+ streaming service, and taking advantage of Disney’s unrivaled success in touching millions through parks, experiences, books, and other products, we will expand our reach across the globe. We’re incredibly excited about all the possibilities that lie ahead for this new partnership. This year we took our storytelling to new heights with award-winning journalism. We highlighted important concerns—the scourge of…

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LOOKING AT THE EARTH FROM EVERY POSSIBLE ANGLE…

FOR CARTOGRAPHERS and cartophiles, Harold Fisk’s 1944 maps of the lower Mississippi River are a seminal work. In the mid-20th century the geologist charted the river in stunning detail and accuracy, using aerial photos and local maps. The centerpiece of his report was 15 maps showing the meandering Mississippi and its historical floodplains stretching from Missouri to southern Louisiana. More than seven decades later, Daniel Coe, a cartographer for the Washington Geological Survey, wanted to re-create Fisk’s maps with greater accuracy and a new aesthetic. Coe had the advantage of hyperprecise U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data collected using lidar, a system of laser pulses sent from aircraft to measure topography. The lasers detect the river’s shape along with everything around it—every house, tree, and road. Strip away these layers of…

THE DISCOVERIES OF TODAY THAT WILL DEFINE THE WORLD OF TOMORROW NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ON THIS WINTRY DAY along the shores of Canada’s Hudson Bay, five of us are rumbling over the tundra in a purpose-built vehicle, searching for polar bears. Outside, a snowstorm has created near-whiteout conditions; it is, observes one of our number, as if we are driving inside a Ping-Pong ball. Then the heat goes out in our Tundra Buggy, and despite repeated attempts at resuscitation, it refuses to sputter back to life. There is nothing but a thin layer of glass and metal protecting us from the elements. The sun is setting. It is cold. But we are perfectly safe; we’re within range of warm accommodations, even if we’ll be feeling the effects of the elements by…