Reusing Old Cell Phones to Save Rain Forests | Nat Geo Live

in the summer of 2011 I visited the

in the summer of 2011 I visited the forests of Borneo the rainforests of

forests of Borneo the rainforests of

forests of Borneo the rainforests of Borneo for the very first time and as

Borneo for the very first time and as

Borneo for the very first time and as you can imagine it was the overwhelming

you can imagine it was the overwhelming

you can imagine it was the overwhelming sound that really struck me the most but

sound that really struck me the most but

sound that really struck me the most but in the backgrounds of the sound is

in the backgrounds of the sound is

in the backgrounds of the sound is overwhelming cacophony is the sound of

overwhelming cacophony is the sound of

overwhelming cacophony is the sound of chainsaws and in fact if you turn down

chainsaws and in fact if you turn down

chainsaws and in fact if you turn down the sound of the other forests there was

the sound of the other forests there was

the sound of the other forests there was actually a chainsaw noise behind that

actually a chainsaw noise behind that

actually a chainsaw noise behind that the entire time it’s very very hard to

the entire time it’s very very hard to

the entire time it’s very very hard to know where illegal logging is taking

know where illegal logging is taking

know where illegal logging is taking place even over a short distance of the

place even over a short distance of the

place even over a short distance of the forest because it’s such a loud place

forest because it’s such a loud place

forest because it’s such a loud place and because it’s such a dense place that

and because it’s such a dense place that

and because it’s such a dense place that you can’t move through so easily so

you can’t move through so easily so

you can’t move through so easily so here’s this idea right the moment that a

here’s this idea right the moment that a

here’s this idea right the moment that a chainsaw goes off in the forest a

chainsaw goes off in the forest a

chainsaw goes off in the forest a computer a device is able to pick up the

computer a device is able to pick up the

computer a device is able to pick up the sound pick it out of the the rainforest

sound pick it out of the the rainforest

sound pick it out of the the rainforest chainsaw it sent alerts local

chainsaw it sent alerts local

chainsaw it sent alerts local authorities who can show up in real-time

authorities who can show up in real-time

authorities who can show up in real-time and halt the loggers which needed advice

and halt the loggers which needed advice

and halt the loggers which needed advice right and so we’re talking about cell

right and so we’re talking about cell

right and so we’re talking about cell phones the amazing thing is that there’s

phones the amazing thing is that there’s

phones the amazing thing is that there’s sometimes pretty good connectivity

sometimes pretty good connectivity

sometimes pretty good connectivity there’s cell phone service out in the

there’s cell phone service out in the

there’s cell phone service out in the middle of the forest you have to protect

middle of the forest you have to protect

middle of the forest you have to protect it from the elements of the rainforest

it from the elements of the rainforest

it from the elements of the rainforest we put it in a box there’s a powerful

we put it in a box there’s a powerful

we put it in a box there’s a powerful microphone on it

microphone on it

microphone on it and you do have to put some solar panels

and you do have to put some solar panels

and you do have to put some solar panels on it to make sure it can stay powered

on it to make sure it can stay powered

on it to make sure it can stay powered this is actually what it looks like all

this is actually what it looks like all

this is actually what it looks like all put together this is the prototype

put together this is the prototype

put together this is the prototype there’s a phone inside that box and

there’s a phone inside that box and

there’s a phone inside that box and you’re able to listen to to the sounds

you’re able to listen to to the sounds

you’re able to listen to to the sounds of the forest we were able to pick up

of the forest we were able to pick up

of the forest we were able to pick up the sounds of chainsaws and send a

the sounds of chainsaws and send a

the sounds of chainsaws and send a real-time alert to myself and to the

real-time alert to myself and to the

real-time alert to myself and to the Rangers that were there