Imagery update for Tehran

Google

http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2009/06/imagery-update-for-tehran.html

Many of you have been letting us know through Tweets, emails, blog posts, message boards, and even an online petition that you're very interested in seeing recent satellite imagery of Tehran. Well, we've heard your requests and over the past few days have been working with our satellite imagery partner GeoEye to make this possible. We just received updated satellite imagery of Tehran, taken on Thursday the 18th at approximately 11:18am local time. Below are some screenshots the updated imagery, you can view the entire image in Google Earth with this KML file.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/tehran_iran_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/tehran_iran_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Kosi The Sorrow of Bihar

Raghu Katti

This KMZ file tells the story of the destruction caused by the river KOSI in the Indian state of Bihar in 2008. It gives details of the catastrophic floods caused by the river, various geological and manmade factors which lead to this destruction and some myths surrounding the river.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/kosi_river_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/kosi_river_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Waterkeepers

Ron Hall

Waterkeeper Alliance is an international grassroots advocacy organization that connects and supports local Waterkeeper programs (Riverkeeper, Coastkeeper, Soundkeeper, Lakekeeper) to provide a voice for waterways and their communities worldwide. This kml piece is a project by the Spokane Riverkeeper to use Google Earth (and other free Google offerings) to increase public awareness of the Waterkeepers Alliance program. Programs protect the ecology, ecosystems, watershed, and water quality of various rivers, lakes, seas, bays, sounds, and coasts around the world. (Center for Justice, pollution).

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/waterkeepers_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/waterkeepers_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Create Rainforest

BOS Deutschland e.V.

http://www.bos-deutschland.de

Borneo Orangutan Survival aforestation project in East Kalimantan.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/create_rainforest_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/create_rainforest_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Spokane River Issues

Ron Hall

On April 14, 2004, the Spokane River was recognized as the 6th most endangered river in America (American Rivers). The objective of this piece is to "promote regional dialogs for sustaining a healthy river system while meeting the needs of a growing population" (Spokane River Forum). The Spokane River flows from Lake Coeur d'Alene in northern Idaho approximately 90 miles northwest through Spokane, Wash., before emptying into the Columbia River above Grand Coulee Dam. The river's flow is partially fed by the Spokane-Rathdrum Aquifer, which provides drinking water to 400,000 people in the region. The river is a vital part of the quality of life in its namesake city, offering riverfront trails and parks, a prized trout fishery, whitewater recreation and dramatic, natural scenery (Spokane Falls). The river is affected by crop irrigation, low flows (dams for power generation), wastewater discharges (treatment plant discharge, "cso"'s), and toxic pollution from former mining activities. CELP, Center for Justice.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/spokane_river_issues_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/spokane_river_issues_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

UNHCR Refugee Camps Around the Globe

UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)

http://www.unhcr.org

Every year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) gives assistance and shelter to millions of people forcibly uprooted from their homes. UNHCR is putting refugees on the map - a virtual map - with a new Google Earth tour that shows UNHCR's refugee camp across the globe.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/unhcr_camps_showcase_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/unhcr_camps_showcase_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Rebuilding faces, changing lives

Project Harar

http://www.projectharar.co.uk

Project Harar is a health outreach charity that secures professional surgical treatment and after-care for children and young people with severe facial disfigurements from remote and very poor areas of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world and its children suffer from all the associated impacts on health. There is a dramatic lack of affordable, accessible medical care, especially outside the main cities. Since 2001, Project Harar has secured in-country surgical and rehabilitative care for hundreds of young people affected by facial disfigurements caused by cleft lip/palate, burns, animal attacks and noma - a devastating infection. Explore the KML to see the areas where Project Harar operates and find out more about Ethiopian healthcare and the experience of living with a facial disfigurement in isolated and impoverished communities.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/project_harar_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/project_harar_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

U.S. Coast Guard Environmental Stewardship Efforts

United States Coast Guard

http://www.uscg.mil

The U.S Coast Guard is a maritime, multi-mission, military service within the Department of Homeland Security and one of the nation's five armed services. The U.S. Coast Guard is also a strong environmental steward and this layer showcases Coast Guard efforts to protect and conserve the environment in the Pacific including environmental response, energy conservation, marine debris cleanups, fisheries and sanctuary enforcement, polar operations and wildlife conservation initiatives. Come explore the Coast Guard and learn how to assist them in protecting the environment by providing direct feedback on illegal fishing, pollution, and issues relevant to Coast Guard missions!

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/us_coast_guard_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/us_coast_guard_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

The 2009 Goldman Environmental Prize Recipients

Goldman Environmental Prize

http://www.goldmanprize.org

Circle the globe on a tour narrated by Robert Redford that explores the stories of the 2009 Goldman Environmental Prize recipients. The Prize annually honors inspiring grassroots environmental leaders from around the world with a cash prize of $150,000 and spreads the word about their important work. Through this KML,visit massive mountaintop removal coal mines in Appalachia, majestic waterfalls in the Congo Basin Rainforest, ship breaking yards lining the beaches of Bangladesh, and other locations where Prize winners are taking on extraordinary challenges on behalf of the environment.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/goldman_prize_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/goldman_prize_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Protected Areas and Energy Development

NRDC and Audubon

http://www.nrdc.org

The National Audubon Society and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) have created maps of restricted lands and sensitive wildlife areas in the western U.S., to help plan development projects by avoiding such areas.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/protected_areas_energy_development_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/protected_areas_energy_development_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

The Sumatran Forest

David Gaveau

http://sumatranforest.org/

This high informative KML provides an examination of the Sumatran forests of Indonesia, which support an amazing array of flora and fauna. This file looks at deforestation in the region to show nature reserves along with their rates of deforestation and at the general land cover in the form of data overlays.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/sumatran_forest_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/sumatran_forest_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Extreme Ice Survey

Extreme Ice Survey

http://www.extremeicesurvey.org

The Extreme Ice Survey uses time-lapse photography and video to document the rapid changes now occurring on the the Earth's glacial ice. The EIS team has installed time-lapse cameras at 15 locations in Greenland, Iceland, Alaska, and the Rocky Mountains. Through this KML you can visit the locations of our cameras get a through-the-lens view of the glaciers the cameras are watching.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/extreme_ice_survey_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/extreme_ice_survey_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Audubon Priority Bird Areas and Responsible Wind Development

Audubon Society

http://audubon.org/campaign/energy/sagebrush/

Audubon strongly supports properly-sited wind power as a clean alternative energy source that reduces the threat of global warming. Wind power facilities should be planned, sited and operated to minimize negative impacts on bird and wildlife populations.

This layer shows important bird areas in Wyoming, Montana, and parts of the surrounding states. These are sensitive areas which should be avoided when planning the siting and development of energy infrastructure. See the layer content and the website linked above for more information.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/audubon_ibarw_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/audubon_ibarw_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Solar Jobs Growth 2009-2016

The Solar Energy Research & Education Foundation

http://www.seref.us/solarjobsmap.html

Solar energy has long been touted as a clean alternative to traditional electricity generation, but building a clean energy economy will also create jobs. Thanks to federal and state policies to support renewable energy, it's estimated that the solar industry will create hundreds of thousands of green jobs in coming years.

Based on a study by Navigant Consulting Inc., and with the help of Google.org and Google Earth Outreach, the Solar Energy Research & Education Foundation (SEREF) have developed a U.S. solar jobs map in Google Earth. You can also view this as a KML in Google Earth by clicking on the "Open this KML" link below.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/solar_jobs_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/solar_jobs_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

USA CO2 emissions

Purdue University

www.purdue.edu/eas/carbon/vulcan/GEarth/

This KML from Project Vulcan team shows CO2 emissions on Google Earth. This emissions data product along with the Google Earth representation can be found at www.purdue.edu/eas/carbon/vulcan. It represents all fossil fuel CO2 emissions in the United States. The data product was constructed by researchers at Purdue University in collaboration with researchers at Colorado State University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and was funded by NASA and DOE with additional support from Purdue's Showalter Trust and Knauf Insulation.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/usa_co2_emissions_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/usa_co2_emissions_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

US Unemployment Rates December 2008

GreenInfo Network

http://www.greeninfo.org

Gina Clemmer at New Urban Research, Inc. posted on the Society for Conservation GIS email list, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and represent unemployment levels as of December, 2008. We felt this data would interest the GE community enabling them to both see their county, how it compared to those around them as well as others throughout the country. Nationally this is a powerful image and there are some incredibly high numbers, look at Mackinac County in Northern Michigan that have an unemployment rate of 24.2%, or pan to Puerto Rico.

Special thanks to The Swordpress for posting the KMZ

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/unemployment_rates_december08_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/unemployment_rates_december08_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Naturschutz Gruenes Band

BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany)

http://www.bund.net/

Fast 40 Jahre lang teilte der Eiserne Vorhang Europa. Gleichzeitig gab diese Grenze der Natur eine über 30-jährige Atempause. Der innerdeutsche Grenzstreifen wurde zum Refugium für viele seltene Pflanzen und Tiere. Der BUND sorgt dafür, dass dieses Gebiet erhalten bleibt und weiterhin Heimat vieler seltener Pflanzen und Tiere sein kann. Um die Geschichte des innerdeutschen Grenzstreifens zu erzähhlen und der Natur, die sich dort entwickeln konnte, kreierte der BUND diese wunderschöne KML-Datei. Schauen Sie mal rein!

Almost 40 years the Iron Curtain divided Europe. At the same time this border gave nature a more than 30-years reprieve. The border area within Germany became a hideaway for rare plants and animals. The BUND got involved to conserve this area and makes sure it stays home of many rare species. In order to tell the story of the German border area and the nature that developed there during the time, the BUND now created this beautiful KML. Have a look!

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/bund_gruenes_band_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/bund_gruenes_band_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Per Capita CO2 Emissions

World Resources Institute (Earth Trends)

http://earthtrends.wri.org/updates/node/335

In this powerful geospatial visualization, you can view the CO2 (Carbon dioxide) emissions per capita for each country around the world for 2004. By using polygons to present their data, the World Resources Institute (Earth Trends) provide an easy to understand and accessible form of data regarding one of the "hot" topics in the news. It could be interesting to see this same KML presentation in 20 years time to see what countries are truly playing their part to reduce emissions.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/co2_emissions_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/co2_emissions_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

NSIDC Glaciers and Climate Change

National Snow and Ice Data Center

http://nsidc.org/

Here, you can explore a KML providing a rich geospatial presentation illustrating the changes in glaciers over the years. By providing documented photographic evidence, you can see first hand the changes that have taken place. Since glaciers can contribute to sea level rise, understanding the changes that have occurred over the years can provide us with a greater knowledge of the impacts we are having on our own planet with regards to climate change.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/nsidc_glaciers_showcase_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/nsidc_glaciers_showcase_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Righteous Among the Nations

BeadieJay

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1194419

January 27th marked International Holocaust Remembrance day; a day set by the United Nations General Assembly to commemorate the victims of the Nazi regime. In this highly informative KML, you are able to geographically explore the lives of people designated "Righteous among the Nations". These people are defined as non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. BeadieJay, a member of the Google Earth Community uses her passion for all things geospatial to pay tribute to each of these "righteous" people.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/righteous_among_nations_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/righteous_among_nations_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

All The Water

David Tryse

http://david.tryse.net/googleearth/

This fascinating geographical visualization created by David Tryse, illustrates how all the world's water would appear if gathered into a sphere. Alongside the 'Total Water' sphere, are several other smaller spheres, each one decreasing in size to represent other water sources - for example the amount of water found in soil moisture. These kinds of visually impacting and easy to understand KML's can prove so useful in enabling a better understanding of our own, 'blue planet'.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/all_the_water_o_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/all_the_water_o_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Global Fisheries Catches From 1950-2004

The Sea Around Us Project

http://seaaroundus.org/

Overfishing, driven by subsidies of over $30 billion USD per year, has depleted fish populations worldwide, and is compromising ecosystem structure and function. The costs are becoming increasingly unacceptable. We have assembled global databases of catches, distributions of commercial marine species, countries fishing access agreements, ex-vessel prices, marine protected areas and other data, and mapped these. This information, integrated using powerful new analyses, enabled us to illustrate worrying ecosystem impacts of fisheries.

This Google Earth layer presents the data in three ways:
1. Clickable points that provide static summaries of total catches made in countries' territories and on the high seas;
2. A dynamic animation of the annual catch rates (in tonnes per square km per year), showing where fisheries started, collapsed, and subsequently moved to;
3. A dynamic animation of the spread of fisheries catch across the globe.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/global_fisheries_catch_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/global_fisheries_catch_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth

Francis Gary Powers: The U-2 Incident

BeadieJay

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1270728

On May 1st 1960, an experienced pilot working on a secret CIA mission to photograph missile sites was flying over the USSR in a top secret aircraft. That aircraft was the U-2 spy plane and the pilot was Francis Gary Powers.

In an event that had a profound effect on the cold war, this incident has been re-told through KML.

By collecting a vast array of information from a range of historical repositories, BeadieJay, a member of the Google Earth Community communicates the story of the U-2 incident in Google Earth and through textual and photographic information, this KML facilitates a greater understanding of the locations involved and provides the story with a geospatial voice.

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/small/francis_gary_powers_sm.jpg

http://earth.google.com/gallery/images/large/francis_gary_powers_lg.jpg

Open in Google Earth