Drones For Good

In the recent media, drones have been portrayed in a very negative light. People perceive drones as a tool for mass killing, spying, and violation of rights. However, in this article, Google Earth and Drones Help Save Kenya’s Elephants, the author explains how drones are being used for good.

Poaching is a major issue in Africa as it has been for many years. Originally, the drones were used in order to view the landscape as well as look for possible poachers. The conservationists using the drones, however, quickly found that the elephants did not like the sound of the drone. Using GPS tracking collars that have been placed on some elephants, along with the drones, the conservationists are able to determine where the elephants are in relationship to possible dangerous situations. If there is a known threat, the conservationists can then use the drones to scare the elephants away from danger. There are also future plans to attach chili powder paint balls to the drones to further drive the elephants away from danger. One of the conservationists, James Hardy, advocates their effectiveness, “a drone can do what 50 rangers can do.” Although there is not a lot of long term evidence with these drones, it is clear that they are already proving their effectiveness in this environment.

(http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/10/google-earth-kenya-maasai-mara-elephants-drones-ipad)

Given this example of how drones can be used effectively for saving elephants, I have began to wonder whether there are other positive uses for drones. Another article I found explains how drones are actually one of the best options in warfare.

In, For Now, Drones are the Best Option, Christine Fair explains how in many circumstances, when given a target, the targets would be found in small villages. In these villages, there are no police forces, therefore it is significantly harder to find and kill these individuals without putting many soldiers at risk. Drones, however, provide an option to keep the soldiers safe and still find and kill the given target. Critics of drones claim that they, instead, put many innocent civilians at risk. However, Fair points out that many of the reports of injuries and deaths resulting from drones come from the Pakistani reports. Therefore, the credibility of these reports drastically decreases. It is difficult to assume whether these reports are accurate, but by using drones, it is clear that American soldiers are not at risk. Clearly this is a sort of catch-22 issue, but hopefully the drones are working more for the positive.

(http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/09/25/do-drone-attacks-do-more-harm-than-good/for-now-drones-are-the-best-option)

While the example of drones saving elephants is significantly less controversial than drones used in warfare, both of these examples show how drones can be used to save lives. Both of these examples have helped to make me believe that drones can  be used for good. While I am not entirely supportive of the use of unregulated drones, I do believe that they can exist for reasons more than spying on the public.