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Global Forest Watch Maps The Deforestation Accurately

By Kamal Nayan | Update Date: Feb 21, 2014 09:44 AM EST

Global Forest Watch by The World Resources Institute is a new map that has been developed with an intention to accurately map the deforestation across the globe. The institute said a large number of groups are working to keep the project appropriately updated. 

"More than half a billion people depend on [forests] for their jobs, food, their clean water," commented CEO of World Resources Institute Andrew Steer on the importance of the issue, according to Liberty Voice

In the statement, Steer brought some alarming insights regarding the deforestation. Statistically, every minute, forests totaling the size of 50 soccer fields are falling. Till now, the task has been too cumbersome but with the help of Aqual and Terra - NASA's satellites - the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) has been able to update the deforestation.

The project involves geographers from University of Maryland and number of other partners like Google. The website that can accurately display deforestation changes has functions similar to Google Maps and is equally easy. 

"If you can find a friend's address, you can easily use this map," said Nigel Sizer, the director of the WRI Global Forest Initiative. 

In 2010, Nestle attempted to trace specific ingredients that ensured they were not using palm oil from companies that clear-cut forests. However many of the maps uncovered by the company appeared to be at least five years out of date. 

The site intents to show the public the truth about the alarming situations forests in the world.  The beta site can be tested from this link

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