21 Nov 22:24
Airbus rewards young talent with the announcement of the winners of its international biodiversity photography competition, "See the Bigger Picture." Eight youngsters were chosen from 2,597 entries from 99 countries and took inspiration from surrounding nature for their unique shots.

The international competition, launched in July through a partnership between Airbus, National Geographic and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), part of the United Nations Environment Program, encouraged young people to engage in nature and consider the global loss of biodiversity. The competition was developed as part of Airbus' support for The Green Wave, a youth engagement program of the CBD to encourage young people to learn about the complexity of life on earth and its role in their future.

The winning images were captured by budding photographers from countries as widespread as Canada, Pakistan, Kenya and Estonia, and though divided by geography, all entrants showed a common love of photography, a passion for their natural environment and concern for their futures. Children of Airbus employees were also encouraged to enter and three internal prize winners were selected alongside the five global winners. A further 20 young people were awarded honorable mentions for their entries.

The eight talented winners will receive a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Washington, D.C., headquarters of National Geographic in December. The winners are Anthony Avellano, 12, from La Crescenta, California., USA; Chad Nelson, 12, from Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic; Alex Marttunen, 11, from Vantaa, Finland; Clemence Bonnefous, 8, from Tournefeuille, France; Vinzent Raintung, 8, from Halstenbek, Germany; Julia Kresse, 15, from Jork, Germany; Patryk Majchrzak, 16, from Ostrow Wielkopolski, Poland; Prerona Kundu, 11, from Lawrence, Kansas, USA.

Commenting on the competition, Tom Enders, CEO and president, Airbus, said: "The standard of entries from every corner of the world has been extremely impressive and a great reminder of the variety of living species we have around us. At Airbus, we are working with the CBD and using our global outreach to raise awareness of the need to preserve the variety of life on earth. Acknowledging our responsibility for the world of tomorrow, we are relentlessly pursuing eco-efficiency through innovative technologies, processes and products."

Executive Secretary of the CBD, Ahmed Djoghlaf, said: "We are delighted Airbus and National Geographic are working with us to inspire the next generation about the importance of protecting the rich biodiversity of the world we live in. This competition is helping to deliver that commitment, engaging and educating today's children in the task of safeguarding the planet."

The world is losing biodiversity at an ever-increasing rate as a result of human activity. "This is a global problem that needs to be addressed today if we want to retain the diversity of the natural world for the generations of tomorrow. It is about the food that we eat and the air that we breathe," said See The Bigger Picture ambassador and world-renowned National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore.
Sartore was a member of a global panel of judges who were impressed by the range of subjects that engaged the entrants. Photographs featuring insects, animals, plants and landscapes were submitted by photographers as young as 6 years old.

To view the winning entries and learn more about how to get involved in The Green Wave, visit www.seethebiggerpicture.org. A gallery of the winning photographs can also be viewed at the ftp site http://ftp.nationalgeographic.com/pressroom/see_bigger_picture.

username: press | password: press

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Notes to editors

"See The Bigger Picture" honorable mentions:
Afton Carpenter, 14, Gilbert, Arizona, USA
Julian Kiesel, 12, Nyack, New York, USA
Samantha Shapiro, 14, Chappaqua, New York, USA
Alex Sorensen, 14, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Joshua Hartmann, 12, S. Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Chaitra Godbole, 14, Pune, India
Arjun Shankar, 16, Chennai, India
Sachin Vijayan, 13, Thodupuzha, India
Vince Ellison B. Leyeza, 11, Laguna, Philippines
Eleanor Bennett, 13, Stockport, United Kingdom
Malik Babi, 6, Beauzelle, France
Lnag Allain-Le Drogo, 12, Saint Luce Sur Loire, France
Richard Guerre, 9, Blagnac, France
Zoe Hamelin, 16, Paris, France
Diego Adrados, 13, Tarifa, Spain
Sara Cuenca Uac, 13, Alicante, Spain
Maril Moreno Ruz, 15, Cdiz, Spain
Jonas Harms, 16, Norderstedt, Germany
Marvin Pulter, 14, Germany
Tobias Abrahamsen, 16, Sarpsborg, Norway


Competition statistics:
Total of 2,597 entries from 99 countries. This includes 247 entries from children of Airbus employees in 6 countries.
Over half of the photographs taken were of land-dwelling animals, and the greatest proportion of these were insects.
Some children experimented with underwater shots requiring a high level of skill.
Just over 40% of entrants took photographs at home, showing awareness that biodiversity can be found in our own back yard.


The Green Wave:
The Green Wave is a global biodiversity campaign to educate children and youth about biodiversity.
The CBD is a United Nations treaty promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
2010 is the United Nations' International Year of Biodiversity. On May 22, 2010 (The International Day of Biodiversity), as part of The Green Wave initiative, young people are invited to plant a tree at 10 a.m. to celebrate biodiversity. This will create a wave of tree planting as the activity passes through each time zone across the world.
Photos and stories from the moment can then be uploaded to The Green Wave website to create a virtual wave on the Internet
Visit http://greenwave.cbd.int.

Airbus specific notes:
Airbus believes that growth in air travel is a global need and that the essential social and economic benefits derived from a more connected world can still be unlocked and deliver a greener world, if everybody plays their part
Airbus acknowledges the 2% that aviation contributes to global man-made CO2 emissions, but believes that it also has a responsibility to support others in tackling the remaining 98% of CO2 emissions. Deforestation alone, for example, generates nearly 20% of man-made CO2, so Airbus is working with the CBD, and using its global outreach to raise awareness of the importance of the need to preserve the variety of life on earth
This is why it has committed to support the CBD's The Green Wave initiative

21 Nov 22:24
WASHINGTON (Oct. 22, 2009)--The National Geographic Society will launch the newest edition of its children's magazine in Indonesia, bringing the number of international editions of its National Geographic Kids publication to 18. The November issue will be available beginning Oct. 26, and the official launch event will be held at SeaWorld Indonesia on Nov. 19.

National Geographic Kids Indonesia will be published by PT Penerbitan Sarana Bobo, the children's publishing arm of Kompas-Gramedia Group, the largest media corporation in Indonesia. Each issue will be completely bilingual in English and Bahasa Indonesia.

Content for the magazine will be drawn primarily from the award-winning U.S. magazine National Geographic Kids and also will include local Indonesian content related to the environment, animal life and other topics that will excite kids about exploring their world. There will be 12 issues a year, and the magazine will be available by subscription, on newsstands and in Gramedia bookstores throughout Indonesia.

Local editions of National Geographic's children's magazine also are available in Bulgaria, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Latin America, The Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa (two editions), Turkey and the United Kingdom. This growth mirrors the global expansion of the famous yellow-bordered National Geographic magazine, now available in 32 local-language editions and read by more than 35 million people each month. The children's magazines, which accept advertising, also sport the familiar yellow border.

"The growth spurt of our children's publications allows National Geographic and the local-language publishers to reach an untapped youth market with this best-loved brand," said Society President John Fahey. "Giving young people in Indonesia a window to the world in their own language through National Geographic's incomparable photographs and storytelling is a compelling way to spread geographic knowledge and to extend the Society's mission to inspire people to care about the planet."

Founded in 1973, PT Penerbitan Sarana Bobo is the largest publishing company and market leader for children's magazines in Indonesia, with publications for children of all ages from toddlers to secondary school students. With a focus on information, communication and education, the Kompas-Gramedia Group has in the past four decades diversified its media business to include regional newspapers, books, magazines, a television channel, radio, bookstores, hotels, real estate development, travel bureaus and tissue paper production.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic knowledge," the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 375 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live events; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.

30 Apr 00:00
Many dogs experience gas. The problem can be dietary or medical. The first step is a physical examination to rule out a medical problem. The examination should include a fecal check for intestinal parasites and perhaps tests of pancreatic function. If all is normal, in some cases changing the diet may help. Purina ONE Lamb and Rice Formula is one possible choice for a different diet.

30 Apr 00:00
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