U.N. joins Google Earth to spot hot zones

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- The U.N. Environment Program has teamed up with Google Earth to allow users to browse a virtual planet Earth and view natural crisis zones throughout the world.

Google and UNEP's "Atlas of our Changing Environment," announced by the United Nations Thursday, offers satellite views of 100 environmental hot spots. The program allows users to view "before and after" scenes of areas that have undergone major environmental and developmental changes, such as deforestation in the Amazon and rapid growth in cities like Las Vegas.

The partnership was developed in response to the success of the UNEP book, which was launched on World Environmental Day in June 2005. It was formed in an effort to reach Google Earth's more than 100 million users.

"These satellite pictures are a wake-up call to all of us to look at the sometimes devastating changes we are wreaking on our planet," said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. "By tapping into the global Google community, we are able to reach out to the millions of people who can mobilize and make a difference."

Other features include viewing locations on the globe from various angles and perspectives and in different time periods.