Can we fight carbon emissions from space?

Greenhouse gas reduction targets are a key topic of discussion at the COP21 climate talks in Paris. The hope is that world leaders will agree an international deal to cut carbon emissions to prevent catastrophic global warming.

But why is this element of the talks so important?

Carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is a natural part of the Earth’s ecosystem. Trees absorb more carbon dioxide during summer and less during winter. We can watch the Earth ‘breathing’  CO2 in and out, as shown in the video above. Our impact on that natural cycle, through the burning of fossil fuels, is staggering. Since 1979, there has been a 20% increase in the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases.

But how do we know this?

During his presentation at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian China earlier this year, David Crisp, Senior Research Scientist at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explained the latest methods being used to measure carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

‘We have 150 stations making these measurements right now.  How well could you predict the weather if you had only 150 weather stations? About as well as we could do in 1930? Not so good. One way to improve our chance of studying this system is to do just what we did with weather by making measurements from space using satellites.”

Space technology is now allowing scientists to map carbon emissions in real time. At present only the United States and Japan have such satellites, but Chinese and Franco-German projects are planned.

The data coming from these satellites is helping scientists monitor greenhouse gases with the kind of accuracy needed to answer crucial questions about carbon dioxide.  ‘We can only manage what we can measure.’ concluded Crisp.

Have you also read?

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Author: Donald Armbrecht is a freelance writer and social media producer.