Radar Strange

Ever since Sept. 11, sophisticated surveillance systems have been the talk of the town, and fans have proposed installing them in all sorts of places -- airports, subway systems, sports stadiums. But rainforests? Yep. Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso flew to the jungle city of Manaus yesterday to inaugurate the Amazon Surveillance System, a $1.4 billion network of radar stations and high-tech equipment. The system, built by U.S. defense contractor Raytheon, will track everything from aircraft to climate conditions to soil composition. Its primary mission: to protect the Amazon from illegal miners, loggers, and drug runners, while unlocking the jungle's economic potential. Environmentalists question whether those goals can go hand in hand, and say the main focus of the surveillance system is national security, not environmental protection.

straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press, Michael Astor, 25 Jul 2002

only in Grist: Take the mahogany and run -- a cartoon by Suzy Becker

ADVERTISING POLICY

Comments: There are no comments. Be the first to post!

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have a Gristmill account, log in below. If you don't have a Gristmill account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

The comments of Grist users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?

News & Analysis In the News Gristmill Blog Muckraker Podcast Features Columns Ask Umbra® Victual Reality Weekly Recipes The Bottom Line From A to Green The Grist List top topics Barack Obama biofuels business celebrity climate coal dumbassery energy environmental justice food gas prices green living greenwashing hotties John McCain parenting polar bears politics presidential race 08 more ... Support nonprofit, independent environmental journalism. Donate to Grist.	about grist \| support grist \| job board \| archives \| grist by email \| RSS ADVERTISING POLICY Search [Advanced] Sign up to get Grist by email or RSS feed
	Read more about: Amazon \| rainforests \| wilderness \| all of these topics Tools: print \| email \| write to the editor \| subscribe \| RSS Share: digg \| hugg \| stumbleupon \| reddit \| newsvine \| fark \| facebook Bookmark: del.icio.us \| google \| yahoo Radar Strange Ever since Sept. 11, sophisticated surveillance systems have been the talk of the town, and fans have proposed installing them in all sorts of places -- airports, subway systems, sports stadiums. But rainforests? Yep. Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso flew to the jungle city of Manaus yesterday to inaugurate the Amazon Surveillance System, a $1.4 billion network of radar stations and high-tech equipment. The system, built by U.S. defense contractor Raytheon, will track everything from aircraft to climate conditions to soil composition. Its primary mission: to protect the Amazon from illegal miners, loggers, and drug runners, while unlocking the jungle's economic potential. Environmentalists question whether those goals can go hand in hand, and say the main focus of the surveillance system is national security, not environmental protection. straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press, Michael Astor, 25 Jul 2002 only in Grist: Take the mahogany and run -- a cartoon by Suzy Becker ADVERTISING POLICY Comments: There are no comments. Be the first to post! You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have a Gristmill account, log in below. If you don't have a Gristmill account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five. Username: Password: Forgot your password? Enter your username and click: The comments of Grist users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?	Also in Grist Toby ... or Not Toby Dixie Chicks not ready to make ~~nice~~ "we" campaign ad with Toby Keith. Meals on Wheels Chef Kurt bikes across Iowa, ending with a recipe for Danish pancakes. The Death of Environmentalist How to green your funeral. If By Clean You Mean Filthy Is clean coal an oxymoron? Umbra clears up the confusion. The Week's Most Popular Viewed Commented Emailed Ask Umbra on storing produce If you're going to eat meat, you can't shy away from the whole beast Ask Umbra on sea-level rise Blogosphere responds reservedly to Gore's call for 100 percent renewable electricity GOP leaders unveil new energy bill that calls for some of everything and lots of drilling Are biofuels a core solution? Time to stop using the phrase 'renewable energy' Animal rights group called out for repeatedly exploiting women A conversation with energy guru Amory Lovins Ask Umbra on storing produce New Nature Conservancy prez chats about jumping from Goldman Sachs to the green scene As summer heats up, a tasting of six 'natural' white wines How to green your day job From the Archives Thursday, 25 Jul 2002 The Bycatcher in the Rye, 24 Jul 2002 I Wish They All Could Be California Governors, 23 Jul 2002 Daily Grist Archives