NASA will offer key data on climate change

The White House has announced plans to enhance the tracking of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. through a dedicated Observation Center. This center will focus on studying and monitoring data related to climate change.

NASA will coordinate the center, serving as a comprehensive resource for individuals seeking to understand more about our climate and the risks posed by human-induced global warming. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the critical role of NASA’s data in driving climate protection efforts.

The U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center will serve as a valuable resource for scientists conducting research, policymakers making climate-related decisions, and citizens interested in understanding the impact of climate change on their lives. The center will collaborate with the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The public, the US government, the private sector and other non-governmental organizations will access data, observations and computer models monitoring greenhouse gases.

Free access to data

“A goal of the Center is to accelerate collaboration by sharing Earth science data,” said Argyro Kavvada, director of the center at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

"He explained that they actively work to ensure the right data reaches the individuals who can utilize it to manage and track greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, he shared information on how human activities contribute to these emissions, the source of natural greenhouse gases, and how they use this data to identify any significant events related to methane gas emissions."

At COP28 held in Dubai, the US space agency announced that they created the center. They explained that the effort aims to promote the dissemination of key data that contributes to adopting measures to stop climate change.

In 2023, records were broken for global carbon dioxide emissions. The Global Carbon Budget released a preliminary report estimating that countries emitted a total of 40.9 billion tons of CO2. This marked a 1.1% increase compared to 2022.

The World Meteorological Organization announced that 2023 was the hottest year in recorded history. We urgently need to reduce emissions drastically, by no less than 28% between now and 2030, to prevent global warming from exceeding 2°C.

Algorithm that tracks tree planting

In February 2023, IBM and NASA jointly announced the construction of Artificial Intelligence models. They aim to accelerate the analysis of satellite images and data to optimize investigations. Three months later, they incorporated a geospatial-based algorithm to track and view tree planting and growing activities. They are also developing an AI system to predict natural disasters.

Open-source principles will make the databases available on a web page. The portal contains an advanced data analysis center and an interactive visual interface. Everyone can access the data, algorithms, and results. Kavvada explained that the catalog will concentrate on emissions from human activities, GHG sources, and sinks in the Earth's crust and ocean, and on identifying and quantifying large methane emission events.

The 2021 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicates that human emissions of heat-trapping gases have heated the climate by almost 1.1°C since the pre-industrial era (starting in 1750). Estimates suggest the global average temperature will exceed 1.5°C in the upcoming decades. These changes will impact the entire planet.

Predictions that came true

Scientists predicted the effects of climate change that are now a reality. Glaciers and ice sheets are melting, and sea levels are rising. The planet has sustained such severe damage that it will increase and intensify natural disasters. Forest fires will occur more frequently and drought periods will lengthen. Similarly, the duration and intensity of tropical storms will increase. Climate change is not a future problem. It is already causing widespread and irreversible effects.

The recent United Nations Environment Program report reveals that climate adaptation is slowing down. The report estimates the financing gap to vary between 194 billion and 366 billion dollars annually. It also states that international public financing for adaptation in developing economies decreased by 15% in 2021.

António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, warned, saying, "We are in an adaptation emergency. Climate change is terrifying because it is already here. The government should impose taxes on the windfall profits of the fossil fuel industry to assist the most vulnerable nations. If not, billions of people will continue to suffer the negative effects of climate change."

Emissions reduction of 43% by 2030

Global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 43% by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, to limit global warming to 1.5°C. But not all parties involved are on track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Countries must take steps to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency improvements by 2030. They must also multiply efforts to phase out coal energy.

In the short term, governments should present ambitious economy-wide emissions reduction targets in their next round of climate action plans by 2025.

The Green Climate Fund was supported by 6 countries pledging US$12.8 billion in funding from 31 countries, with more contributions expected. Additionally, 8 donor governments announced further commitments to the Least Developed Countries Fund and the Special Climate Change Fund totaling more than $174 million.

However, the financial pledges fall far short of the trillions of dollars that developing countries need to support their clean energy transition, implement their national climate plans, and adapt their efforts. If these nations do not meet the proposed objectives, we will lose the fight against climate change. We must ensure that at least 50% of total climate finance flows to low-income countries.

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