I’m a data scientist I can say that with impunity because no one knows what that
impunity because no one knows what that
impunity because no one knows what that means I don’t even really know what it
means I don’t even really know what it
means I don’t even really know what it means honestly my working definition for
means honestly my working definition for
means honestly my working definition for nothing else than just self-preservation
nothing else than just self-preservation
nothing else than just self-preservation is that data science is the practice of
is that data science is the practice of
is that data science is the practice of denim unike ting patterns from within
denim unike ting patterns from within
denim unike ting patterns from within from within data it’s the broad
from within data it’s the broad
from within data it’s the broad discipline of parsing signal from noise
discipline of parsing signal from noise
discipline of parsing signal from noise and it’s so broad in fact that their
and it’s so broad in fact that their
and it’s so broad in fact that their data scientists everywhere they’re in
data scientists everywhere they’re in
data scientists everywhere they’re in healthcare online advertising even
healthcare online advertising even
healthcare online advertising even policing anywhere that data can be used
policing anywhere that data can be used
policing anywhere that data can be used in order to inform decisions or change
in order to inform decisions or change
in order to inform decisions or change behavior me I work with environmental
behavior me I work with environmental
behavior me I work with environmental data I work with data on forests and
data I work with data on forests and
data I work with data on forests and oceans on water and weather any data
oceans on water and weather any data
oceans on water and weather any data that can be used to help identify better
that can be used to help identify better
that can be used to help identify better ways more sustainable ways in which to
ways more sustainable ways in which to
ways more sustainable ways in which to use our natural resources I’m
use our natural resources I’m
use our natural resources I’m particularly proud of a project that I
particularly proud of a project that I
particularly proud of a project that I helped to work on and help to start
helped to work on and help to start
helped to work on and help to start about 10 years ago called global forest
about 10 years ago called global forest
about 10 years ago called global forest watch global forest watch is a was
watch global forest watch is a was
watch global forest watch is a was conceived as an open-source platform to
conceived as an open-source platform to
conceived as an open-source platform to identify deforestation in near-real-time
identify deforestation in near-real-time
identify deforestation in near-real-time using satellite imagery it distills
using satellite imagery it distills
using satellite imagery it distills petabytes of information to get to
petabytes of information to get to
petabytes of information to get to something that we can actually
something that we can actually
something that we can actually understand and use for example country
understand and use for example country
understand and use for example country reports by country deforestation by
reports by country deforestation by
reports by country deforestation by country for example in Indonesia or even
country for example in Indonesia or even
country for example in Indonesia or even something more detailed like the way
something more detailed like the way
something more detailed like the way deforestation moves across the landscape
deforestation moves across the landscape
deforestation moves across the landscape pixel by pixel here you can see
pixel by pixel here you can see
pixel by pixel here you can see deforestation as it marches through the
deforestation as it marches through the
deforestation as it marches through the Amazon you know it’s scary but but you
Amazon you know it’s scary but but you
Amazon you know it’s scary but but you get it you can immediately get it even
get it you can immediately get it even
get it you can immediately get it even though this information originated from
though this information originated from
though this information originated from a tiny piece of hardware that sits 400
a tiny piece of hardware that sits 400
a tiny piece of hardware that sits 400 miles above the Earth’s surface the data
miles above the Earth’s surface the data
miles above the Earth’s surface the data and this project it just translates a
and this project it just translates a
and this project it just translates a lot of disparate and esoteric data
lot of disparate and esoteric data
lot of disparate and esoteric data sources into something meaningful and
sources into something meaningful and
sources into something meaningful and actionable there are a lot of data
actionable there are a lot of data
actionable there are a lot of data source a lot of projects that are like
source a lot of projects that are like
source a lot of projects that are like this now
this now
this now they monitor snow fish water and all are
they monitor snow fish water and all are
they monitor snow fish water and all are very necessary and they’re necessary to
very necessary and they’re necessary to
very necessary and they’re necessary to craft environmental policy because you
craft environmental policy because you
craft environmental policy because you can’t change what you can’t see but none
can’t change what you can’t see but none
can’t change what you can’t see but none of them are sufficient more than just
of them are sufficient more than just
of them are sufficient more than just understanding what’s going on in the
understanding what’s going on in the
understanding what’s going on in the world we need to understand why it’s
world we need to understand why it’s
world we need to understand why it’s happening in order to design policy that
happening in order to design policy that
happening in order to design policy that sticks you know it’s the difficult part
sticks you know it’s the difficult part
sticks you know it’s the difficult part however is is that is that understanding
however is is that is that understanding
however is is that is that understanding why things are happening the mechanisms
why things are happening the mechanisms
why things are happening the mechanisms for change in the environment that that
for change in the environment that that
for change in the environment that that depends on on local history and culture
depends on on local history and culture
depends on on local history and culture and politics and me as a data scientist
and politics and me as a data scientist
and politics and me as a data scientist sitting in San Francisco removed from
sitting in San Francisco removed from
sitting in San Francisco removed from reality I can’t train a computer to find
reality I can’t train a computer to find
reality I can’t train a computer to find out why deforestation is occurring in
out why deforestation is occurring in
out why deforestation is occurring in the in the remote forests of Borneo
the in the remote forests of Borneo
the in the remote forests of Borneo there is no global sensor for local and
there is no global sensor for local and
there is no global sensor for local and centers that that those words don’t even
centers that that those words don’t even
centers that that those words don’t even make any sense let alone the concept
make any sense let alone the concept
make any sense let alone the concept behind them so my only hope is to
behind them so my only hope is to
behind them so my only hope is to empower those that actually do know why
empower those that actually do know why
empower those that actually do know why things are happening who can
things are happening who can
things are happening who can contextualize this environmental change
contextualize this environmental change
contextualize this environmental change as part of a broader narrative here’s an
as part of a broader narrative here’s an
as part of a broader narrative here’s an example this is an extension off of the
example this is an extension off of the
example this is an extension off of the global forest watch data this is a map
global forest watch data this is a map
global forest watch data this is a map where each dot represents a point where
where each dot represents a point where
where each dot represents a point where people there were users of GFW left the
people there were users of GFW left the
people there were users of GFW left the site that is this is where they were
site that is this is where they were
site that is this is where they were looking when they left it’s the last
looking when they left it’s the last
looking when they left it’s the last thing that they saw it’s the forest that
thing that they saw it’s the forest that
thing that they saw it’s the forest that they were most interested in or at least
they were most interested in or at least
they were most interested in or at least what threw them off the site there are
what threw them off the site there are
what threw them off the site there are clusters of activity and interest
clusters of activity and interest
clusters of activity and interest everywhere across this whole map but I
everywhere across this whole map but I
everywhere across this whole map but I found one in particular in Peru that
found one in particular in Peru that
found one in particular in Peru that that was inside of a United Nations
that was inside of a United Nations
that was inside of a United Nations protected area why for example were
protected area why for example were
protected area why for example were people looking at this particular place
people looking at this particular place
people looking at this particular place how do they know to look there well I
how do they know to look there well I
how do they know to look there well I have no idea I still don’t know however
have no idea I still don’t know however
have no idea I still don’t know however I did pull this image from a saddle from
I did pull this image from a saddle from
I did pull this image from a saddle from a commercial satellite provider which
a commercial satellite provider which
a commercial satellite provider which shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that
shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that
shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was there was gold mining in this
there was there was gold mining in this
there was there was gold mining in this protected area
yeah this is this is a this is powerful
yeah this is this is a this is powerful just to be able to sort of identify and
just to be able to sort of identify and
just to be able to sort of identify and see why this is happening and again I
see why this is happening and again I
see why this is happening and again I don’t really know why this is happening
don’t really know why this is happening
don’t really know why this is happening but I do know that the people who knew
but I do know that the people who knew
but I do know that the people who knew to look in this area they probably do
to look in this area they probably do
to look in this area they probably do know why it was happening they do they
know why it was happening they do they
know why it was happening they do they can contextualize this and took in terms
can contextualize this and took in terms
can contextualize this and took in terms of the broader narrative that includes
of the broader narrative that includes
of the broader narrative that includes indigenous property rights that includes
indigenous property rights that includes
indigenous property rights that includes local politics and gets us much closer
local politics and gets us much closer
local politics and gets us much closer to a solution my best bet here is to
to a solution my best bet here is to
to a solution my best bet here is to affect change in this area as to empower
affect change in this area as to empower
affect change in this area as to empower these change makers I just sit behind a
these change makers I just sit behind a
these change makers I just sit behind a computer screen
computer screen
computer screen but what I can do is I can match those
but what I can do is I can match those
but what I can do is I can match those users to content that’s actionable
users to content that’s actionable
users to content that’s actionable incredible something that they can
incredible something that they can
incredible something that they can actually use to affect that change the
actually use to affect that change the
actually use to affect that change the idea here is that this is targeted
idea here is that this is targeted
idea here is that this is targeted content that we can use and for a better
content that we can use and for a better
content that we can use and for a better outcomes so I’m not sure if you’ve ever
outcomes so I’m not sure if you’ve ever
outcomes so I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of precision medicine but this is
heard of precision medicine but this is
heard of precision medicine but this is very similar to precision
very similar to precision
very similar to precision environmentalism the idea that that
environmentalism the idea that that
environmentalism the idea that that targeted content can actually create
targeted content can actually create
targeted content can actually create change in other ways that that couldn’t
change in other ways that that couldn’t
change in other ways that that couldn’t have existed before and I’m doubling
have existed before and I’m doubling
have existed before and I’m doubling down on this interaction there are
down on this interaction there are
down on this interaction there are thousands of stories like this every
thousands of stories like this every
thousands of stories like this every week the world is big and it’s
week the world is big and it’s
week the world is big and it’s constantly changing there are stories
constantly changing there are stories
constantly changing there are stories about algal blooms and melting snowpack
about algal blooms and melting snowpack
about algal blooms and melting snowpack and and solar installations all of which
and and solar installations all of which
and and solar installations all of which can be materially enhanced by satellite
can be materially enhanced by satellite
can be materially enhanced by satellite imagery this is a low cost source of of
imagery this is a low cost source of of
imagery this is a low cost source of of credible consistent and compelling
credible consistent and compelling
credible consistent and compelling information about our earth and our
information about our earth and our
information about our earth and our planet and our environment I’m now
planet and our environment I’m now
planet and our environment I’m now working on a project called overview
working on a project called overview
working on a project called overview media which seeks to deliver this
media which seeks to deliver this
media which seeks to deliver this imagery to journalists people who are
imagery to journalists people who are
imagery to journalists people who are telling stories about environmental and
telling stories about environmental and
telling stories about environmental and humanitarian events it is in effect a
humanitarian events it is in effect a
humanitarian events it is in effect a news wire an environmental news wire
news wire an environmental news wire
news wire an environmental news wire from space this imagery isn’t just
from space this imagery isn’t just
from space this imagery isn’t just relevant though it is beautiful this
relevant though it is beautiful this
relevant though it is beautiful this data is beautiful these particular
data is beautiful these particular
data is beautiful these particular images were captured and produced by
images were captured and produced by
images were captured and produced by damos imaging a Spanish company now one
damos imaging a Spanish company now one
damos imaging a Spanish company now one of about a hundred image providers
of about a hundred image providers
of about a hundred image providers globally this industry though was
globally this industry though was
globally this industry though was created around enterprise customers like
created around enterprise customers like
created around enterprise customers like the
the
the Department of Defense it wasn’t created
Department of Defense it wasn’t created
Department of Defense it wasn’t created for normal people it wasn’t created for
for normal people it wasn’t created for
for normal people it wasn’t created for consumers so there’s plenty of room for
consumers so there’s plenty of room for
consumers so there’s plenty of room for artistry and and just pure art to help
artistry and and just pure art to help
artistry and and just pure art to help convert this information into into
convert this information into into
convert this information into into something that evokes an emotional
something that evokes an emotional
something that evokes an emotional response overview media is is part of a
response overview media is is part of a
response overview media is is part of a new class of environmentalism it it’s
new class of environmentalism it it’s
new class of environmentalism it it’s it’s at the it’s at the fore it’s really
it’s at the it’s at the fore it’s really
it’s at the it’s at the fore it’s really cool it’s at the forefront it’s at the
cool it’s at the forefront it’s at the
cool it’s at the forefront it’s at the cutting edge and this combination of
cutting edge and this combination of
cutting edge and this combination of data science design and storytelling has
data science design and storytelling has
data science design and storytelling has the greatest potential for truly
the greatest potential for truly
the greatest potential for truly scalable impact in the environment and
scalable impact in the environment and
scalable impact in the environment and very happy to be a part of it thank you
”
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