Indians Use Google Earth and GPS To Protect Amazon

Damien1972 writes "Deep in the most remote jungles of South America, Amazon Indians are using Google Earth, GPS, and other technologies to protect their fast-dwindling home. Tribes in Suriname, Brazil, and Colombia are combining their traditional knowledge of the rainforest with Western technology to conserve forests and maintain ties to their history and cultural traditions. Indians use Google Earth to remotely monitor their lands by checking for signs of miners and GPS to map their lands. "Google Earth is used primarily for vigilance," says Vasco van Roosmalen, program director of a nonprofit involved in the project."

Comments

Heh.. For a second

[Anonymous Coward]

I was puzzled as to why a bunch of people in South Asia wanted to protect something in South America. :)

Bah

[corychristison]

But I always thought Amazon.com was bad. Why would anyone want to conserve it?

Oh... nevermind.

:-P

A certain Bash.org quote comes to mind

[Mikachu]

Reminds me of a certain bash.org quote...

<Rebbel> Man Google Earth is awesome
<Android18> Why?
<Rebbel> Im looking at my house
<Rebbel> brb, pizzas here
<BFMV> Now thats what i call technology

oblig. South Park reference

[alexhard]

There's a place called the rainforest; it truly sucks ass. Let's knock it all down and get rid of it fast. You say, "Save the rainforest," but what do you know? You've never been to the rainforest before.

Could the title be more ambiguous?

[meringuoid]

I mean, I got the mental image of a bunch of guys in Bombay using Google Earth to protect an online bookstore...

Re:Could the title be more ambiguous?

[natrius]

After 500 years, we still have to deal with namespace collisions caused by Columbus covering his ass.

Aw crap, we're lost. What do I tell the crew...
"Congratulations, everyone! We've made it to India!"

Re:Native Americans use Google Earth

[minus_273]

yeah, native americans in BRAZIL.