Re: How does using a Global Positioning System effect the environment?

There are no direct ways a Global Positioning system (GPS) can effect the 
environment.  The GPS network operates on a radio frequency similar to Cell 
phones, or hand held radios and therefore does no more damage than these 
other pieces of technology.  The GPS technology is quite safe, actually, 
because we are very far from the transmitters (those being the satellites).  
The unit you hold in your hand when you use a GPS does not transmit 
anything, it only receives.

Indirectly, GPS can help the environment in many ways.  To see a short list 
of ways you might want to visit this web site: 
 http://www.geocan.nrcan.gc.ca/geomatics/htmle/gps-g05.html.  

I use GPS in my work to allow me to return to field sites where I took a 
soil or plant sample. By linking several observations together,   I can 
"paint" a large picture of what the world looks like.  Then, by looking at 
how the earth changes with time, we learn what humans do to the landscape.

There are also a few ways GPS indirectly causes harm to the environment.  
These include, but are probably not limited to, pollution caused by the 
launching of the GPS satellites and pollution and destruction caused by 
people who now feel comfortable going where there were previously very few 
people.  When the GPS satellites become obsolete there will be more trash in 
space.  While space trash is becoming a larger concern with every space 
mission, I don’t think this problem even begins to overcome the benefits of 
GPS.