Mapping out Disaster with Kites and Balloons

The huge oil slick sitting off the South-East United States is an environmental tragedy of epic proportions. But it has also provided an opportunity for citizens to come together to fight for their economic and ecological survival. One group assisting them in this process is Grassroots Mapping who are ingeniously using kites, balloons and other 'home made' flying items to photograph and record the slick for future environmental and legal use. They are encouraging public access to spill imagery and are loading all material into the public domain. This project is another great example of the trend towards democratising technology and science - in this case providing a useful complement to official images produced by BP and the US Government. (Thanks to Raewyn Turner for forwarding me this item).