Dear readers, this week we explored how citizen science can help save the rainforest...
Some 15% of the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest and a crucial carbon repository, has been cut or burned down. And scientists are warning of an impending tipping point beyond which the Amazon will be irreparably transformed.
To help, experts have designed an artificial intelligence model that can recognize signs of deforestation. That data can be used to alert governments and conservation organizations where intervention is needed and to inform policies that protect vital ecosystems. It may even one day predict where deforestation is likely to happen next.
In order to better train the model, the researchers have turned to crowdsourcing. They invite users to visit their web app to flip through pictures of the Amazon looking for clues of human impact.
“You don’t have to be a climate scientist, you don’t have to be a data scientist, you just have to be a citizen that is concerned about the issue of deforestation,” said Elliot Inman, one of the researchers who helped develop the app. So, if you’ve got as little as 30 seconds and a decent internet connection, you can help combat the deforestation of the Amazon.
What do you think? We'd love to hear from you. Cheers, Laura, Amanda and Kyla | 
