Technology Vrs Nature

Technology, when used properly can benefit society. Geeks do good. Case in point, in the days following Katrina, grassroots efforts across the net have popped up with invaluable information using Google earth and Google Maps. The community has come together to use both these tools to provide information to friends/family and survivors of hurricane. I came across this information like most other users. I was exploring the Google earth site, and to my delight, the community has provided overlays for use with the Google Earth software. Using Google earth, I can compare a city like Hamilton, On, to New Orleans to see just how terrible the flooding is. I can fly can pan in 3D over major land marks in New Orleans. In addition, the community has come together to release detailed post-hurricane overlays. These overlays provide with a real visual sense of where the levee breaks took place and others point to news events. Now, NASA, Carnegie Mellon University, and Google have come together to provide even more overlays. You can use Google earth to fly over much of New Orleans and view the devastation for yourself. No other piece of a software or media outlet has ever before provided so much detialed infrormation. No other media source has come close to the visual impact that Google Earth provides.

Following that discovery, I found another awesome use for Google maps. A Google map hack has begun to update information on specific sites/homes using the maps as reference. Now, a friend or family member can use the site to see brief comments on specific houses.. Comments like "the Ashley's are in Prattville AL". . So very cool. I think this has so much potential in major world catastrophes. The best part, it's a grass roots idea, supported by a major corporation and university. People coming together to help people. Geeks unite!

Katrina Information Map: "Katrina Information Map - This map is intended for the use of people affected by Hurricane Katrina who have or are trying to find information about the status of specific locations affected by the storm and its aftermath. If you have information about the status of an area that is not yet on the map, please contribute by following the instructions below so that others may get that much needed information."

Google Earth - Hurricane Katrina Imagery: "Hurricane Katrina Imagery
The Google Earth team is working on adding imagery of the impact of Hurricane Katrina. We will be posting links to this imagery for viewing as 'image overlays' in Google Earth."