Featured - Saturday, September 6, 2008 19:53 - 2 Comments

UN, Google Earth Show Dramatic Effects on Environment

For some, the effects of humans on the environment are debatable.  For those who need proof that we are having a dramatic and negative impact on the planet, one needs only to look at the United Nations Environment Programme’s Atlas of our Changing Environment.

People can ‘fly’ to some of the world’s most dramatic environmental hotspots courtesy of this tool created by UTEP and Google Earth. Armchair environmentalists, politicians, researchers and business executives monitor nearly 200 sites across the globe. Many of the sites offer “before and after” satellite images of the areas with stories attached to each to depict what happened and why.

Highlights include the appearance of road networks in the remote rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the dramatic expansion of many West African cities.

Here, you will see an example of the detail and story behind one of the spots:

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