High
resolutions Google map offers an opportunity to monitor forest growth and
decline worldwide. The University of
Maryland offers this interactive map to help people understand how their environment
is changing. There was a total of 2.3 million square kilometers lost and .8
million kilometers gained. Brazil was one of the best countries on ending
deforestation while Indonesia experienced the most loss.
Such
interactive and constantly updating maps offer an opportunity to understand
global climate change and pollution reduction effects in history. Each time the
satellites pass the earth, they collect pictures of the forest changes.
Scientists believe that this information will help policy makers understand the
benefits and detractors of certain policies.
The
benefit of technology and Google computing power helps solves problems. Even
though deforestation can come from many different causes some of the most notable
are deforestation and climate change. Sometimes these decisions are based in
poverty to create more farmland, coal, and burnable fuel for homes.
Most
of the images are taken from the U.S. Geological Survey's Landsat 7
satellite and were offered for analysis. A sort of partnership between
government and business. The cost of developing such open systems is declining
and some businesses have taken a first hand in trying to understand big
problems. This map allows people to see the overall success or failure of
decisions on a global scale. We are slowly moving from a local to a global
development concept and that may make all the difference.
Hansen,
et. al. (November 2013). High-resolution global maps of the 21st-century
forest cover change. Science, 342
(6160). Read Here
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