Column: In search of the elusive green nickel premium
Just about every Western producer will tell you metal produced to higher environmental and social standards should command a premium.
New York Times reports that unmanned drones are finding applications in a variety of fields, such as mapping, surveillance and even construction work.
But while entrepreneurs find more and more uses, the U.S. government has been pushing back against commercial use while it figures out how to regulate the industry:
For Patrick Egan, who represents small businesses and others in his work for the Remote Control Aerial Photography Association in Sacramento, the new law also can’t come fast enough. Until 2007, when the federal agency began warning against nonrecreational use of drones, he made up to $2,000 an hour using a drone to photograph crops for farmers, helping them spot irrigation leaks. “I’ve got organic farmers screaming for me to come out,” he said.
And in case you haven’t seen it yet, here is a swarm of quadrotors that fly in formation. The YouTube video went viral with over five million views.
