In the last 10 years public attention on global warming and other environmental challenges facing the earth have escalated.  Of all the resources we have at our disposal to fight these challenges perhaps the most powerful weapon is knowledge.  Earth Knowledge is an online community that builds on a sophisticated geographic information system overlaid with knowledge contributed by its publishing partners and members.  New data and information on preservation and conservation is emerging rapidly and Earth Knowledge uses it’s global network to apply internet-based community solutions to distribute the information globally.

Users of Earth Knowledge have the ability to create their own blog to comment on the day’s Earth news and participate in discussions on topics such as climate change, moderated by scientists and experts working in that field.  This area of the site allows people to connect with other like minded individuals and express their opinions on recent environmentally related stories and issues.

Earth Knowledge Portal

The mapping tool that is included in site is extremely impressive.  It displays a full-screen view of the earth geo-tagged with breaking news stories from the world’s best scientific and environmental research and news agencies. The Earth Knowledge Portal, the website’s core information center, allows users to choose from over 50 different environmental categories and investigate earth science developments in over 80 global regions.

The mapping interface is powered by Google Maps and allows users to focus on specific geographic regions to see what environmental stories are occurring there in real-time. Users can also greatly enhance their map view by choosing one or more of over 60 different map layers, instantly overlaying such geographic data as the Earth’s ecoregions or river systems. Viewing news stories against a table of authentic geographical data allows readers to gain a richer understanding into the world’s environmental issues.

The clip above is featured on “Our Planet” which will air on CNN Headline News in Boston on Thursday March 26th, and in New York on Saturday March 28th, and other dates and times regionally and nationally this year.

Note: In the spirit of full transparency, Earth Knowledge is a client of Awareness.

A video and audio podcast hosted by Paul Gillin is avaialble here