Published on 12, July, 2020
Apparently World space week has just started - This is what it's about this year:
"This significant week of space celebration will highlight the critical role of satellites and space technology in monitoring environmental shifts and formulating strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change.'
So, this "monitoring" of the earth by satellites is going to mitigate all the resource use and emissions produced in building and launching space technology, is it?
Yeah, space technology sounds exciting, but it's always been my opinion that problems like poverty and hunger need to be solved first.
Plus, the earth and climate changed drastically many times before humans even appeared. Maybe it's a bit egotistical for people to think they can control a planet?
Just my thoughts. Happy to hear yours, but please be respectful to each other if views differ.
Thanks
Pixiefox said:Plus, the earth and climate changed drastically many times before humans even appeared. Maybe it's a bit egotistical for people to think they can control a planet?
Speed is the important factor here. We are changing it much quicker than the vast majority of natural processes.
Pixiefox said:So, this "monitoring" of the earth by satellites is going to mitigate all the resource use and emissions produced in building and launching space technology, is it?
While I agree that it probably won't offset it, satellites have successfully been used to track down factories producing illegal contaminants such as CFCs, and places producing much more methane than they say they are. It is very useful in that way.
Interesting - thanks for the reply.
So how do satellites register that factories are producing illegal contaminants or high levels of methane? What type of factories are they, what do they produce, will production of what they make be stopped?
Great question!
CFCs are commonly used as reactants or inert refrigerants. This is used in many types of manufacturing including medication, technology, household appliances and in some cases clothing, but regulatory pressures are now being applied for them to find alternatives. Hence the massive success of the ozone layer holes slowly healing.
When light travels through gases, they get refracted in a specific way as they absorb or alter certain wavelengths, producing an almost barcode. We can then measure them using a variety of methods that all end in spectroscopy from satellites. When the satellites detect them in a certain area, this can then be tracked back, and for some which disperse slowly or react quickly (like CFCs and methane) we can track them back to their point source.
For CFCs which are pretty much entirely banned worldwide, this has lead to halts to production, massive fines, and in one case a company was forced to close. For methane this is less easy, as it doesn't have the same regulatory pressures, but mapping it does allow us to find which industries are producing the most and begin to find ways to avoid this. For example many aerobic digestion sites and landfills are using more capture technology to avoid it being released into the atmosphere.
I do more rocks and water than gases nowadays, but yes the special interest knowledge doesn't leave easily. I'm hoping I reduced the technobabble enough that it was understandable but please let me know if you want clarification on anything.
Just seen that this is your subject in your profile. Interesting stuff!