Update: Getting Out of the Catch-22

It's been just brilliant to watch the news about the article travel around the world. It started with Reuters, then took another spin after the article by Wired and Treehugger.com. You can also find some blog-entries here, here and here. Some of the comments posted online, have been positive. Others however, have been quite skeptical.

I think Glen Barry's comment in this blog captures our challenge pretty well: "While I welcome this avenue of inquiry, I am a little disappointed that you have not more effectively carried out this research already". I couldn't agree more, and that was also some of the comments I got from people at the Skoll Forum. But I want to be totally frank about a problem we have.

Discussions about this idea started already two years ago with colleagues at the Natural Resource Management group at Stockholm University. Since then, we have been applying for funding at least three times to do an actual test of this idea. And we get the same response every time: "interesting idea, but prove to us that it works before we can grant you some funding". Which is actually why we need funding in the first place. Welcome to the Catch-22 of academic innovation.

But, never give up, and here is I see the process progressing in the future:

Step 1 - make sure the idea is peer-reviewed to build scientific credibility (done)

Step 2 - building an alliance between leading ecologists, ICT experts, and interested government bodies, NGO's and other with "on the ground " experience (getting closer)

Step 3 - run a few pilot-projects to prove the practical applicability of the idea (pending funding, applications in the pipeline)

Step 4 - join forces with data visualization experts, example here. Only way to convince people that this might actually complement conventional environmental monitoring.

Step 5 - support others that want to explore the idea

Step 6 - it becomes obvious to the world that ecological monitoring will never be the same...

I'll get back to you all with how things proceed, and of interesting suggestions by colleagues and others. But until then, you can still post your comments to the article here. Let us know what you think.

Can information and communication technology help us save the planet?

We believe that it can as highlighted by an article published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. Here is the basic problem: the planet is changing. Very rapidly. Scientists call it the Anthropocene - the most recent period in the Earth's history when activities of the humans have a significant global impact on the Earth's climate and ecosystems.

The challenge is that existing monitoring systems are not at all in tune with the speed of social, economical and ecological changes. The implication: rapid and often irreversible loss of ecosystem services vital for human well-being and security for example, clear water, food from marine resources and agricultural landscapes, and mitigation of natural hazards. 

Meanwhile, the development of informal communications and information sources across the internet offers a novel source of monitoring data to track, identify and perhaps even foresee vital changes in ecosystem services. For example the potential for webcrawlers to detect disease outbreaks based on news reports on the web has already been demonstrated. We explore the potential for similar technologies to revolutionize ecological monitoring.

We need your ideas, comments and experience. Where in the world do you see this application as possible? For what ecosystems? What ICT tools are out there that could be applied to make better use and sense of "data mining"? Would you like to collaborate? Contribute to this emerging debate by adding your expertise, tips, links and innovative ideas here. 

The best contributions will be presented - as a start - at a session of the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship, Oxford, 25-27 March 2009.

Read the article, and contribute to an emerging discussion about how ICT can help us prepare for the challenges of a turbulent future.