Should this guy be scared of technology?

Capuchin Monkey, Costa Rica

While most of this blog has been about the way technology is impacting human society, it may also be relevant to inquire how technology is impacting the rest of life on our small planet. With one of the world's most dense and important reserves of biodiversity, Costa Rica is an excellent place to start. While I was in Costa Rica an ecotourism guide told me that technology and modernization were wiping out the flora and fauna that make this beautiful coast so rich. Clearly, we would think, the march of human modernization is taxing the natural habitat of other species. Some aspects of technology and modernization may be pushing in the other direction, however.

The National Biodiversity Institute (Inbio) of Costa Rica is using information techonology to create a catalogue database of Costa Rica's species in an attempt to protect them from the risks of traditional industries such as farming and logging. By using technology to make information about biodiversity available in an organized format on a global level this project is expected to help teachers, legislators, and biologists.

Read more about the project here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2794535.stm

So, while this little monkey may have no idea, technology may be being used in a way that will end up helping him.