WORLDWIDE BROADCASTING OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES BY AMATEUR RADIO

March 14, 2001

by Roger Gould-King

Amateur radio as it is called today, is the originator of all radio, television and many forms of communication taken for granted by people. Millions of amateur radio operators, like myself, communicate around the globe using powerful equipment on short-wave frequencies. From South Africa I have been in contact with most countries, including Canada, Alaska, Russia, India, Japan and Australia.

This mode of communication is also used, illegally, by a host of organisations, including drug and arms cartels, poaching gangs, safari and hunting companies, NGO's and missionaries. By monitoring these people one is able to glean valuable information which can lead to the apprehension of illegal trafficking. It can also save lives. One example was the 90 men, woman children we helped save in far-off Central African Republic when I spent a week on the air assisting them fleeing the then war-torn country to the Cameroon.

One of the greatest benefits of amateur radio is that we can reach the majority of people who have no telephones or a PC connected to the Internet. Many a remote village, town or city in Africa can, and does, tune in to our frequencies. This has persuaded me to form a League of radio operators and SW listeners with the objective of sharing our ideas and news by means of radio - much the same way we do on the Internet. If you would like to join and have your environmental and related topics broadcast by me in this way, please email me.

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