Drone Pilot Hobbyist Discovers River of Meat Blood in Texas

[drokhole]

(had this in LBN, was told it would be better suited here)

Dallas Meat Packing plant investigated after drone images reveal pollution
source: sUAS News



A good news drone story for a change. Showing once again just how useful simple platforms can be for aquiring imagery. Every environmental department really ought to have one.

A Dallas sUAS enthusiast testing his camera equiped drone noticed something awry with the images he had taken. Speaking to sUAS News he said.

"Having flown in this area before, I knew that there was a “packing plant” close by, but before that day, I thought a packing plant and a slaughterhouse were different things.

I was looking at images after the flight that showed a blood red creek and was thinking, could this really be what I think it is? Can you really do that, surely not?..."

(more at the link: http://www.suasnews.com/2012/01/11389/dallas-meat-packing-plant-investigated-after-drone-images-reveal-pollution/)

Couple of points that came to mind:

1. It's an instance of gross (and illegal) pollution. This has an impact on not only the environment, but the health of humans and wildlife. Not to mention the possibility of it entering into waterways, and effecting the drinking water of said human and/or wildlife - and most certainly fish and vegetation.

2. The fact that this is technically illegal, yet still demonstrated, points to the fact that it in all likelihood is not an isolated incident.

3. It's a concrete example of drone use in the United States. What makes it even more interesting is that it was used by a "private" citizen, and not the military/police. Hell, I'm - for all intents and purposes - against domestic drones. But I can see legitimate good when used for stuff like this (and other environmental causes). Still, the issue of privacy remains - and how will it be handled when this technology becomes even more readily available/accessible to society at large?

3b. Speaking of which, don't expect the drones of the future to look like the tried and true favorites:


The Next Hummingbird You See Could Be a Spy

4. It is also a reminder of the horrors of factory farming - including the brutal and callous indifference towards towards health standards AND the animals. Factory farming is not only poisoning our bodies in the meat it produces (thanks to the animals grain/soy diet), but in the way it handles the animals and the waste it produces in processing those animals. And, like someone else mentioned in the old/previous thread, there's already bills in motion to prevent the filming of inside factory farms/processing centers - who knows if they'll try to apply it to this as well.

[Blue_Tires]

1. the phrase "River of Meat Blood" alone makes me say jesus.fucking.christ

[jberryhill]

2. This "technology" has been accessible to the general public for a long time

People have been putting cameras on RC planes, helicopters and model rockets for a very long time.

There is nothing magic about it.

[enlightenment]

3. I'm not sure what is more disturbing -

the illegal dumping of waste or the fact that 'private citizens' are flying camera equipped drones. It's bad enough thinking that the government and the military are probably doing it . . .