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Tumbleweed
Photograph from Bruce Coleman/Alamy
Most people recognize this mature Russian thistle as common tumbleweed. But not many would recognize it in its green, succulent juvenile stage before it breaks from the ground to spread seeds.
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Prickly Pear Cacti
Photograph by Tim Laman
The yellow bloom of a prickly pear cactus brightens this view of a California desert. Cacti are often thought of as a stereotypical desert plant, but they are rarely the dominant species in an area of desert.
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Cacti
Photograph by Stephen St. John
Prickly pear cacti fill the foreground and saguaros cover the distant hills in Arizona's Saguaro National Park. A full grown saguaro cactus can hold as much as 201 gallons (760 liters) of water.
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Saguaro Cactus
Photograph by Todd Gipstein
Because it is so close to the ocean, the Sonoran Desert receives more rain than any other desert, about 10 to 14 inches (25 to 35 cm) a year. This precipitation allows cacti like this saguaro to grow extremely large.
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Mexican Poppies
Photograph by Annie Griffiths Belt
Golden-hued Mexican poppies surround prickly pear cacti in San Pedro Valley, Arizona. The Sonoran Desert has about 2,500 different native plant species, more than any other desert.
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Weathered Trees
Photograph by Richard Olsenius
The ravaged landscape of Snake Range in Nevada's Great Basin National Park stands as a testament to the power of wind and water erosion.
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Wildflowers
Photograph by Annie Griffiths Belt
Wildflowers like these attract bees to the otherwise forbidding Sonoran Desert in Arizona. Scientists think more than 1,000 different bee species may live here.
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Environment Video
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Edward Norton: Bag the Bag
Paper or Plastic? Edward Norton describes a simple, easy step everyone can take to help clean up the environment.
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Natalie Portman: "This Bulb"
Natalie Portman, Kyra Sedgwick and Chloe Sevigny explain how simply changing a light bulb can help reverse the effects of greenhouse gases. With music by Aimee Mann.
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Alternative Energy
A new wave of technologies is on the verge of producing energy that's clean, renewable, and most importantly, affordable.
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Vote Now
Over 14,000 photographs were submitted to the contest. Vote for your favorite finalists!
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Watch Video
Watch Casey Anderson with his lovable best friend Brutus, the 800-pound brown bear that he raised from birth.
The Great Energy Challenge
Better understand the need for clean energy and learn how to be part of the solution.
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Your Oil Spill IQ
You know the Gulf is a mess, but how much do you really know about oil spills?
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Personal Energy Meter
See how you measure up against others, and how changes at home could do tons to protect the planet.
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Your Energy Diet
Reducing power use is a like taking off extra pounds. These small steps may help heal the planet, and save you money.
