High Sierra Topix

Wow, I just saw this, and it does not look good. Time to mobilize. Excerpt from the article:

“Google announced its comprehensive “One World Initiative” to bring internet to underserved communities across the world, including most of Africa. “Information flow is the bedrock of democracy” stated Sergey Brin, which admittedly comes at an awkward moment in the face of Russian disinformation campaigns to disrupt western democracies……”

“One of the more controversial features of the proposal includes comprehensive blanket wifi coverage in national parks and along some of the more well known hiking trails and wilderness areas such as the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. The Sierra Club issued a statement that they have been consulting with Google and the NPS on minimizing the visual impact to nature areas and are “cautiously optimistic” that a series of self-powered solar cell satellite receivers and repeaters can be strategically hidden in high trees so as to minimize visual impact. Sierra Club President Loren Blackford admitted that there is serious disagreement among board members about endorsing any commercial effort that impinges on the wllderness but that they would rather work with the NPS and Google to hopefully influence the best outcome.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/31/one- ... ative/html

any commercial effort that impinges on the wllderness

From my point of view, ALL commercial efforts impinge on the wilderness. It's just at this point, the packers and professional guides infrastructure is located outside wilderness and so the impinging is relatively minor.

Considering Google's lack of transparency about their business and what they do with the data they collect, they have a lot of hypocritical hutzpah to be talking about promoting democracy. Also, equating unpopulated wilderness with settled communities in Third World countries is ridiculous. They are not the same.

Unfortunately, if the Sierra Club caves on this, it will happen, especially with our current administration's attitude about wilderness so the NPS will go along with whatever Google wants.

But then, I suspect vandalizing "repeaters . . . strategically hidden in high trees" will become a common occurrence.

Is this real? Or an April Fools joke? If you click the supposed NY Times link, it says "page not found".

I think you are correct about the April Fool's joke.

I see that the link does not work. Perhaps the veracity of the report is questionable....

My first thought was please no, please don't do it. And I always thought allowing more pack stock was the worst thing that could happen.

Glad it was just an April Fools joke - for now.

rightstar76 wrote:My first thought was please no, please don't do it. And I always thought allowing more pack stock was the worst thing that could happen.

Glad it was just an April Fools joke - for now.

Alowing more? Probably 10% of the level compared to 1950s and early 60s. There used to be 5 packstations on the road between Beasore Meadows and Clover meadow. Now there is one. Same situation all over the Sierra.

Once upon a time, Google's motto was "Don't be evil". Now they are, and they've become all powerful and overreaching, trying to control and monitor every aspect of the lives of as many people as possible, so nothing would surprise me. It's like "The Circle" come to life....everything to everybody...always "connected". People need a place where they can distance themselves from the rest of the world, and this is where the line needs to be drawn.