In today's connected world it's no secret that there is a wealth of information available at our fingertips, but as GeoDataPoint Editor Valerie King points out in her article "Giving Back with GIS", geographic information systems technology is being applied to less conventional causes. She references how the MapAction charity used GIS to help coordinate the response to Nepal's 7.8-magnitude earthquake (see the image in this post), how the Department of Health and Human Services offers a GIS tool to help with health disaster readiness, and the EPA's "environmental justice screening and mapping tool" to identify locations with elevated environmental issues. The technology behind these tools is nothing new, but the new applications of this technology showcase the power of GIS. See Valerie's full article here, including links to the various organizations mentioned.
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