Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

An Appropriate Use of Tracking Technology

Sometimes being findable is a very good thing. Here's an article about using GPS beacons in wilderness rescues. While I wouldn't approve of making it mandatory for people to carry locators, it is extremely prudent to do so if you are going on a long trip, into risky terrain, places that are hard to reach, avalanche zones, etc. When considering how to apply technology responsibly, balance the potential for abuse against the potential for benefit. We lose a fair number of people to wilderness accidents -- and some of those are among our boldest and brightest. I'd rather offer them better safeguards than clip their wings.

This lifesaving device is brought to you courtesy of NASA. Your tax dollars at work, doing something that actually does not suck.
Tags: news, safety, science, space exploration
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  • 7 comments
ionotter

ionotter

September 3 2010, 04:49:54 UTC 10 years ago Edited:  September 3 2010, 04:50:05 UTC

Yes, well, sometimes these "electronic wonders" are cheating people of a richly deserved Darwin Award.

I have a Spot I, and I carry all my safety gear with me, as well as my phone, water and other emergency supplies. I also tell people where I'm going, what I'm wearing, driving, doing, and when I'll be out. And when to call the LOCAL police to report me as overdue.

The rescue services are starting to call these things PBLs instead of PLBs. Personal BODY Locators.
ysabetwordsmith

Well...

ysabetwordsmith

September 3 2010, 04:59:52 UTC 10 years ago

>>Yes, well, sometimes these "electronic wonders" are cheating people of a richly deserved Darwin Award.<<

So are ambulances. We often make choices, out of a human desire to preserve life, that may not be the best for the gene pool in terms of natural selection.

>>I have a Spot I, and I carry all my safety gear with me, as well as my phone, water and other emergency supplies. I also tell people where I'm going, what I'm wearing, driving, doing, and when I'll be out. And when to call the LOCAL police to report me as overdue.<<

It sounds like Nature would have to work extra-special hard to kill you. This is good.

>>The rescue services are starting to call these things PBLs instead of PLBs. Personal BODY Locators.<<

*laugh* That's right up there with donorcycles.

There are times when someone does all the right things, and the mountain wins anyway. I'm okay with that; there is no dishonor in losing a great challenge to a worthy opponent, even if the result is fatal. Other times, people lose life and limb because they were simply arrogant, ignorant, and/or careless -- when such was preventable with the right precautions, and didn't need to happen. I'm okay with that in terms of cleaning the gene pool, but I'm also disgusted by the waste and the collateral damage to friends and family members.

I think too many people forget the awesome power of the Earth and its creatures, besides which our most gallant achievements are more fragile than we realize. But there are some experiences that can only be had in exchange for risk -- and they are worth it, for they define the edges of our greatness.


ionotter

Re: Well...

ionotter

September 3 2010, 06:44:40 UTC 10 years ago

I think too many people forget the awesome power of the Earth and its creatures,

Eeehhhhh, I disagree. My personal view is that too many people think the "outdoors" is Disneyland, where you can go anywhere where there's no guard-rail or fences. I saw a LOT of this in Hawai'i.

People would get off the plane and do crazy shit they would NEVER do at home, not in a million years!

One bright star tried to get a blowjob at Halona, and got more than he bargained for. Blown 3 feet in the air, then sucked head-first down the hole and wedged under the reef for two days.

And in May of 99, eight people were killed by a rockfall at Sacred Falls. The park is now closed. Forever.

I admit, I've done some really stupid things, and I've gotten lucky many times. But I have *always* understood that Nature is not my friend, and She needs to be respected at all times. The problem with people today, is that like with Sacred Falls, when someone is stupid, they always wanna blame someone else.
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Well...

ysabetwordsmith

September 3 2010, 16:52:36 UTC 10 years ago

>>My personal view is that too many people think the "outdoors" is Disneyland, where you can go anywhere where there's no guard-rail or fences.<<

That's pretty much what I meant. Sorry that didn't come through clearly.

>> One bright star tried to get a blowjob at Halona, and got more than he bargained for. Blown 3 feet in the air, then sucked head-first down the hole and wedged under the reef for two days. <<

O_O DarwinFAIL. Especially in Hawai'i where the gods are rather more active than in most places these days.

>>The problem with people today, is that like with Sacred Falls, when someone is stupid, they always wanna blame someone else.<<

That's a pervasive and worsening problem, and not just with nature.
ionotter

Re: Well...

ionotter

September 4 2010, 16:37:37 UTC 10 years ago

Oh yes. The Gods are *very* close to the surface in Hawai'i.

Any time I'd go into the wild places, I'd always make an offering of water. Water is sacred in Hawai'i, and the very name of the place translates directly to "Law of Water", with the meaning that all water is to be shared equally.

When I'd hike at Kaena Point, I'd give water to the Four Directions before and after. When I visited Haleakala on Maui, I made sure to offer water before taking any pictures. (There's a funny story of the Gods giving me a reminder about that.)

As a direct result of my paying such respect, I always got warnings of danger, and protection when I was being less than smart about some things.

Funny story?

At Haleakala, I was being more careful than I was on my visit to Mauna Kea. At Mauna Kea, I was still a stupid haole, so I brought no water and somewhat insufficient clothing. I took all kinds of pictures, but almost none of them came out. The camera malfunctioned, the film broke, the back of the camera popped open? UGH!

At Haleakala, I borrowed a fire-fighting jumper from the ship-with permission of course-along with gloves and a hood. I also brought LOTS of water to offer.

I was getting ready to take a picture, and adjusting my handheld light meter to get the right exposure, when the needle swept all the way to the right. I re-adjusted, and it went all the way to the left. I blinked, as this was odd. I twiddled and fiddled, and *zoop!* All the way to the right again. This stopped me in my tracks, as this was NOT normal at all. Not in the slightest.

A few seconds later, realization dawned and I apologized to the mountain and made my offerings.

*bing!* Right in the middle, on the proper reading and settings for a perfect picture.

"Right! Got it!" I said out loud, giving the sky a shaka.
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Well...

ysabetwordsmith

September 4 2010, 17:57:06 UTC 10 years ago

>>Water is sacred in Hawai'i, and the very name of the place translates directly to "Law of Water", with the meaning that all water is to be shared equally.<<

Ah, I didn't know about that part! So cool, thanks for sharing. The language of Hawai'i is among the ones I've explored, for writing and spiritual purposes. And it's one of the big success stories in language-revival.

>>Funny story?<<

*chuckle* That's a good one!