A lot of people have been putting in a lot of time over the last few years trying to raise awareness about the genoice occuring in Darfur. They have been greeted with mostly apathy. Now, Google has perhaps found a way to heighten that awareness and drive home the horror of what’s been taking place in this remote part of the world (remote, that is, from an American perspective).

Google Earth now features red flame icons over Darfur, and mousing over each one produces information about the death and destruction that has been the daily portion for people who live there. Zoom in and the flames spread out, showing even more destruction, and satellite images give you a close-up bird’s-eye view of the devastation.