This evening, whilst having dinner with some friends, the remarkable technological historical source that is Google Earth was mentioned. It is an amazing record of our times and charts the impact that human beings have had on this planet over a relatively short time span (roughly 30 years). The record is made up of over five million pictures from five different satellites and anybody who uses the tool can plainly see the changes that are taking place, literally before our eyes. In this time period Dubai has sprung from the desert, Chinese cities have grown from mere villages,the Amazon rainforest has slowly decayed, the Aral Sea has gradually disappeared, deserts have grown in eastern Africa, London and other major European cities have spread outwards and the Arctic and Antarctic ice has retreated.
Take a look and use the tool here.
thinkingcountry.com 