Earth's green canopy gets an online protector

[Judi Lynn]

Earth's green canopy gets an online protector
Source: Reuters - Thu, 20 Feb 2014 03:20 PM
By Marcelo Teixeira

SAO PAULO, Feb 20 (Reuters) - A new online monitoring system will make it possible to quickly check the condition of tropical forests around the globe that were previously under no surveillance, potentially increasing pressure on governments to stop deforestation.

Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI) will provide public access on Thursday to the new tool to evaluate forests worldwide. Global Forest Watch (GFW) was developed by dozens of institutions with the help of Google Inc's Earth Engine.

It promises to improve scrutiny of changes in forest cover in vulnerable areas of Southeast Asia, Africa and the Amazon.

"For the first time, we have united in one place powerful satellite information analyzed in a way that is easy to understand," said Nigel Sizer, director of WRI's Global Forest Initiative.

More:
http://www.trust.org/item/20140220150154-cnhvc/?source=hpeditorial

[hunter]

1. This is interesting.

So much is vulnerable to further human exploitation.