NEW – Heros use Google Earth!

An avid surfer will completely understand how one click leads to the next and …the next and …the next. This kind of chain reaction started simply with a special television broadcast about the Surui Indians in the Amazon. The Macintosh laptop in the midst of the Amazon Rain Forest and the mention of Google Earth immediately caught my attention.

The Surui Indians are part of a special Google Earth Heros project which allows ordinary people to use Google Earth along with other technologies to change the world (video below). It was surprising to see that they maintain a website and  “aquaverde news” sharing videos of their efforts to save the Forest.  The Surui Indians have also embraced modern communication technologies to send global alerts as vandalism is happening in the Forest.

[youtube]riYSJBD8gEM [/youtube]

Overall the Google Earth website is an truly exciting resource of on-going global projects. Checkout the  first two issues of the new Sightseer  newsletter  ( February 2011 issue and January 2011 issue)  and the subscription option.

Both the Google Earth website and the Google Earth Heros project demonstrate how technology can empower individuals to “make a real difference”!