New NASA Satellite To Analyse Worst Of Climate Change
NASA will launch a satellite within the next few days that will track the effects of carbon dioxide on the atmosphere. PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem). The satellite will track ocean color, atmospheric aerosol, and information about cloud changes. Its primary purpose will be to measure these effects on light, which is critical to green gas production.
NASA’s official statement says, “PACE’s data will help us better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide. In addition, it will reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean.” The use of the data is meant to “benefit society.”
What is not clear, and may not be clear for years, is whether the data collected can be practically used to reverse the effects of climate change. The US government and other nations have invested huge amounts of money into climate change studies. Unless the results are used to drive legislation or orders from the executive branches, the information may be interesting and useful to science. However, the data benefits to society are unlikely.
The goals of PACE and its possible advantages are part of a much broader federal government initiative with ambitious goals. The Biden Administration has described its goals in great detail. The June 27, 2021, “President Biden’s Actions to Tackle the Climate Crisis” included targets of driving greenhouse gas emissions down by 50% to 52% below 2005 levels by 2030, reaching 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, and hitting net-zero emissions on a national level by 2050.
This shows the extent to which the federal government is sometimes at odds with itself. With so many moving parts, that may be inevitable.
