Global Deforestation Demoed In Google Earth

eldavojohn writes "On Google's official blog, they claim a 'new technology prototype that enables online, global-scale observation and measurement of changes in the earth's forests.' Ars has more details on what Google unveiled at Copenhagen. If you have Google Earth installed, you can find a demonstration here. Many organizations and government agencies are on board with this initiative to put deforestation before the eyes of the public. If only satellite data of North America existed before the logging industry swept in!" It's interesting to contemplate the implications for intelligence gathering of Google's automated tools to compare satellite photos.

Comments

We can fix this!

[Quiet_Desperation]

We must think BIG and GLOBAL like GOOGLE! We will launch saplings into orbit on vast arks and scattershot them into the ground, thusly reforesting the world! Mwa ha ha! We call it the Forest Continuity Project and pay for it with lumber credits and carbon back bearer bonds and the illegal unicorn horn trade out of Romania! Yes, most of the trees will shatter on impact and fail to achieve a planted state, but if just one tree saves just one child then $50 trillion is worth it! Follow me, boys, into the glorious future and let the trees rain down o'er me!

Re:You might not be as right as you think

[Rei]

Can you explain the massive deforestation evident from satellite imagery in South America? Huge swaths of land that used to be rainforest are now used for grazing cattle and soybean/palm oil farms.

The satellite deforestation record doesn't completely match up with the surface deforestation record, so both of them are suspect. Plus, ten years ago, a scientist made an error on a non-peer-reviewed graph that was later used as the cover of a report on deforestation.