Enrique Chagoya, “Road Map”

As regular readers know, I’m a strong advocate of mapping as a form of media education because it is the clearest example of how visuals can represent perceptions about reality and space. Thus, I was very pleased by the article below, because it links to a variety of interesting resources now available to DIY global information mappers.

In These Times: We Can Now Map Everything — from Illness to Endangered Species:

Google Earth is the crown prince of the search engine’s mapping realm. The downloadable, interactive globe combines the thrill of a first-time flyer — Look, Mom, the people look like ants! — with a near-superhuman sense of control and mobility. With a click you can stand the Earth on its head and shake change out of its pockets. Selecting Google Earth icons can lead you to offbeat video clips to the all-important location of the nearest Starbucks. As the Google Sightseeing blog puts it: “Why Bother Seeing the World for Real?”

The program comes with its own built-in “layers” that pinpoint the locations of parks, landmarks and boundaries. Through its Google Earth Outreach initiative, the company has supported efforts by nonprofits to use the program for advocacy and activism. Early adopters have included the Global Heritage Fund (mapping endangered historical sites), the Jane Goodall Institute (mapping endangered primates) and Fair Trade Certified (mapping sites that protect endangered coffee growers).