I’m Back! Sort of…

I’m sure you’ve all been wondering (probably not) where I’ve been.  I’ve been extremely busy recently with job changes and we also just got back from a trip to DC.  It was good to see friends and meet some new ones too.  We got to get a good grasp on the city and only get lost a few times.  All and all, it was a fun, productive trip.

dnoll takes a mean photo

dnoll takes a mean photo

Next time, it will be time to get super touristy.  For now, Dnoll’s photos will make me feel like I actually did all that.  In the meantime, I’m bringing you some Monday Thoughts.

So today’s thoughts, are not really about DC at all.  In fact, it’s back to my favorite topic: The Cloud!  Last Thursday, I read a nice little diddy about Google’s use of the cloud in helping measure deforestation.  It’s always been easy to see the deforestation, but measuring it has been quite the chore.

Using historical aerials, one can easily spot the deforestation.  Pictures, like the one below really show you what’s happening in previously extremely dense rainforest.

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Two scientists, Carlos Souza and Greg Asner, have created a software capable of using this satellite imagery to measure the forest cover change.   But it’s expensive to run and hard to find coverage globally.  Well, that’s where Google and the Cloud have stepped in.  By using cloud computing and Google’s vast satellite imagery database, they are able to run this software easily and cheaply, as well as relatively quick.  The end product is a nice “heatmap” style map that really illustrates and measures the lose of canopy cover.

Maps, cloud computing…what better way to start a week.  Oh man, I’m a nerd.  Happy Monday, Folks

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