Integrity Score 2097
No Records Found
No Records Found
No Records Found
Satellites will play a key role in helping the world slash emissions of the potent greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide and methane in line with a global pledge introduced by global leaders at the COP26. Alongside carbon the pledge, has already been signed by more than 100 countries from all over the world.
Methane is the second most common greenhouse gas, accounting for only about 16% of global greenhouse gas emissions but 80 times more effective in warming the climate than carbon dioxide. The methane pledge challenges countries to cut emissions of the gas, which frequently leaks from oil and gas processing plants and landfills, by 30% by the end of this decade. (https://www.space.com/how-satellites-can-help-reduce-methane-emissions-cop26). Methane is responsible for at least a quarter of the current global warming, the European Commission said in a statement.
One new project, Climate Trace, which former Vice President Al Gore described Wednesday at an event alongside the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze satellite imagery and sensor data to come up with what it says are accurate emissions estimates in near-real time. NASA researchers reported on Wednesday that by plugging satellite measurements of CO2 into an Earth-systems model, they were able to detect small reductions in atmospheric concentration of the gas over the United States and other areas that were a result of coronavirus lockdowns in early 2020.
From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key lines of scientific evidence to understand the climate. Satellites have continuously observed the Earth over the past five decades to the present day. This information helps scientists to chart the evolution of the key components of the climate, better understand Earth system processes, predict future change and drive international action. Satellites are used to detect the smallest change in atmospheric concentration. They show carbon dioxide rose to 407 ppm in 2018, while methane concentrations are now around 150% above pre-industrial levels (Buchwitz, M. et al. 2018) – and continue to rise. (https://climate.esa.int/en/evidence/observations-change/)
READ MORE: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/03/climate/satellites-carbon-dioxide.html