u.s. gov wiring the world to monitor vital signs

the new "strategic plan for the u.s. integrated earth observation system" was announced monday, its aim to create a worldwide network able to collect and monitor earth's "vital signs." envisioning a collaboration between 60 networked nations, information will be collected and shared from a wide array of satellites, ocean buoys, weather stations and other surface and airborne instruments, creating a collectively accessible data pool for researchers, scientists and environmentalists to work from.

their proposed goals and outcomes of the project include "improved weather forecasting and climate modeling, better estimates of crop yields and energy resources, and more knowledge about air and water quality," as well as a better ability to track and control disease outbreaks.

full article at enn news