Follow Slashdot stories on Twitter

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
Communications Crime Earth IT Technology

In Brazil, Trees To Call For Help If Illegally Felled 130

Damien1972 writes "The Brazilian government has begun fixing trees in the Amazon rainforest with a wireless device, known as Invisible Tracck, which will allow trees to contact authorities once they are felled and moved. Here's how it works: Brazilian authorities fix the Invisible Tracck onto a tree. An illegal logger cuts down the tree and puts it onto a truck for removal, unaware that they are carrying a tracking device. Once Invisible Tracck comes within 20 miles (32 kilometers) of a cellular network it will 'wake up' and alert authorities."
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

In Brazil, Trees To Call For Help If Illegally Felled

Comments Filter:
  • by Pinky's Brain ( 1158667 ) on Saturday January 26, 2013 @07:52AM (#42699755)

    Why do they need to be recharged in a year? Simply checking orientation with a microcontroller in deep sleep the rest of the time shouldn't take that much power.

  • by Improv ( 2467 ) <pgunn01@gmail.com> on Saturday January 26, 2013 @07:53AM (#42699757) Homepage Journal

    Anything that raises the hassle level to untracably do illegal/harmful activity will probably either catch or deter a reasonable chunk of the would-be criminals. We live with knowing that the locks we use in our homes could be picked, and if someone *really* wanted to take the time and the risk or spend the money, they could probably get in in various ways, just like we never achieve 100% safety from other crimes. That doesn't mean our safety measures are worthless though.

  • Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Saturday January 26, 2013 @09:03AM (#42699901)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • by maxwell demon ( 590494 ) on Saturday January 26, 2013 @09:41AM (#42700045) Journal

    That would be great news for the tree cutters: They could use the heart beat signal to locate the valuable trees, and the device on the trees. Then it's just a matter of carefully removing that device and putting it on a nearby uninteresting tree before cutting the valuable one.

  • Tree phone home (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Andrew Rembrandt ( 141535 ) on Saturday January 26, 2013 @09:57AM (#42700103)

    Ripe for plenty of gags...

    Humour aside, this is a good use of technology, and much needed. I've seen what happens when deforestation is left un-policed (it doesn't take long for a developing nation to clear one, given the amount of money that it can generate). Seeing what's left of the 'Amazon of the southern hemisphere' as they call it in Borneo, was very sad. Less than 2% is left, and you can imagine the natural habit that's also gone. Not to mention the global impact on climate. The next 30 years will be a challenging time imho - unfortunately, the required action will no doubt after things have really gone downhill, as is usual when government and regulation is involved (e.g. someone has to die before safety regulations are improved).

  • by maeka ( 518272 ) on Saturday January 26, 2013 @11:18AM (#42700503) Journal

    Setup EMP charge. Bulldozers wait outside 'blast range'. Clean area. Move bulldozers in. Profit.

    This isn't an attempt to stop industrial-scale illegal logging. There are much easier ways to track and trace activity on that scale.

    This is an attempt to stop "sustinance" logging. Literally poor individuals poaching timber.

  • Re:Numbers (Score:4, Insightful)

    by volmtech ( 769154 ) on Saturday January 26, 2013 @11:41AM (#42700613)
    Brazil has to make up its mind, are the trees a natural resource, or national treasure? Trees are not immortal, they get old and die. Controlled harvesting can support the population and the forest. It's over two million square miles, does all of it have to remain pristine?

"It is easier to fight for principles than to live up to them." -- Alfred Adler

Working...