A View of Climate Change Through The Eyes of Satellites

A fresh view of climate change through the eyes of satellites

Satellit View From Sustania Lab

 

Not accounting for space debris or the occasional UFO, there are in the region of 2,300 satellites rattling around in space. Sputnik was the first (and most iconic) to launch in 1957, and since then thousands of satellites have made their way up to the heavens to help with things most of us now take for granted, such as making a telephone call or checking the weather.

At the moment, 70 of those galactic satellites belong to a start-up called Planet Labs. This California-based gaggle of ex-NASA scientists say they are “using space to help life on Earth”, by “delivering a dynamic picture of our changing world”. And they’re not far wrong. Planet Labs now operates the largest constellation of Earth-imaging satellites ever, and they’re working towards providing the highest cadence imagery of the planet in existence. 

This laser-sharp view of the world has significant applications in the fight against climate change, such as evaluating the status and health of the forests. Satellite imagery is capable of revealing illegal logging, tracking near real-time carbon emissions, and ensuring that forestry operations are even more renewable. Planet Labs say their imagery is so fine it can detect not just clear-cut logging but also selective logging that can degrade forests.

It’s no accident that Planet Labs has become involved in the fight for sustainability. Rather, the team’s desire to make the world a better place sits at the very heart of their business plan – given their stated purpose to enable informed, meaningful and deliberate stewardship of the planet. It is a clearly defined shared value proposition – one that creates positive social change whilst delivering commercial returns. And they’re not just nibbling around the edges either, as evidenced by the additional $95 million they raised this year to help them on their way.

In some instances, applications can’t be planned for, but can be quickly mobilised. In the wake of the Nepal earthquake in April 2015, Planet Labs made the platform accessible to humanitarian aid organisations coordinating disaster relief. The original aid worker maps showed limited infrastructure, but Planet Labs was able to produce imagery of the same area that revealed two towns that were outside the areas covered by other crisis mapping. 

As the world experiences wetter and wilder weather, resilience becomes our key to survival. The more we know about the planet, the better we can manage our response to its shifting patterns, trends and behaviours. Detailed satellite mapping allows us to monitor carbon emissions, manage food and water security, respond to fragile ecosystems, and crowd-source crisis responses.

Planet Labs is on a path to doubling its number of satellites in orbit. The team follows a rule called Agile Aerospace, which sees them explore in the lab and test in space. When they fail, they fail fast; they learn, adapt and repeat. If they seem restless, it’s because the planet is too. The pace has been set.

At times it seems our world is changing faster than we can track it – with Planet Labs on a trajectory to put us back on the front foot however, we’ll be in prime position to use satellite technology as a fresh pair of eyes in our fight against climate change.  

This innovation is part of Sustainia100; a study of 100 leading sustainability solutions from around the world. The study is conducted annually by Scandinavian think tank Sustainia that works to secure deployment of sustainable solutions in communities around the world.

This year’s Sustainia100 study is freely available at www.sustainia.me – Discover more solutions at @sustainia and #100solutions.