Deforestation is destroying our planet. The carbon emitted as a result is the second largest contributor to climate change. It’s a problem so overwhelming that it seems impossible to control. Yet Topher White is saving the rainforests with an innovative tech device. “One of the things that’s overlooked is that people on the ground would stop deforestation if they could,” he says. But because 90% of logging is illegal and done stealthily, locals don’t know where the problem is until the damage is already done. What they need is a connection to the forest - a way to hear when it’s crying out for help.
White founded Rainforest Connection, a non-profit tech startup based in San Francisco that creates acoustic monitoring systems made from old smartphones. These listening devices are installed at the top of trees and powered by solar panels. “It captures all the sounds of the forest 24 hours a day,” White explains. The audio is then streamed to computer systems where it is analysed for sounds such as chainsaws, logging trucks, gunshots, or even animal noises that could indicate a disturbance. Should anything suspicious be heard, a text alert is sent to locals who are able to respond in real time.
Anyone can donate their old cell phones to the project, or download the app and hear the soundtrack of the rainforest. As well as halting deforestation and its disastrous effects, White is giving people an opportunity to tune in to the forest and listen to what it really needs.