Friday, NASA launched the Argentine SAC-D satellite with NASA’s Aquarius ocean salinity sensor instrument. Hallelujah and rejoice, as we have given scientists a greatly improved space-based view into the mysteries of the liquid two-thirds of our planet. In this day of denying or not caring about climate change, here is a small step forward in capturing the crucial bits of data on the processes that drive the biggest engine of our climate, ocean currents.
Hardly noticed by the media, the launch should be heralded by all who give a damn about our planet, and our way of life, whether convinced of climate change or not. We have unblinded science a bit, on one of our species’ greatest risk factors. It is a bit of action when the risk of inaction is epochal.
Why should you care about a satellite the news is filled with budget train wrecks, congressional deadlock and tweeted genitals? Only because it shines a light on key data about how the oceans work, and will provide vital input and feedback to oceanic and climatic models to improve their accuracy. The oceans consume roughly half of the carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere, so they are essential to understand if we care about reducing greenhouse gases.
Just as much as those concerned about emissions seek to reduce every ton of CO2 possible, so should we be gathering as much global data as possible on climatic drivers and carbon flows, both on land and sea, and that means putting instruments into orbit. Along with MPG’s, coal plants and rainforests, the conversation about climate change needs you to challenge climate change deniers with calls for radically more data collection and research on land and especially ocean climate, carbon and related systems. In recent years, we have lost two climate satellites at launch and the Deep Space Climate Observatory has been repurposed. We desperately need (to invest in) more environmental research, not less. That’s why you should care about SAC-D and Aquarius’ view of the blue.
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