Agric/EnvironmentTech World

AI-powered satellite to track methane emissions from space

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MethaneSAT, a satellite project backed by Google’s AI, is poised to revolutionize how methane leaks are identified and managed globally by tracking methane emissions from space.

The mission, which will launch in March, was developed in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and aims to provide the most comprehensive assessment of methane emissions, a major contributor to climate change.

With methane responsible for a third of the globe’s warming emitted by greenhouse gases, countries around the world are increasingly motivated to tackle climate change head-on, utilizing artificial intelligence.

Once deployed in orbit, MethaneSAT’s sophisticated software and spectrometers will analyze various wavelengths of light to precisely identify methane emissions. The technology will not only pinpoint specific locations of concentrated methane plumes but also detect the broader areas where these gases disperse and spread.

Additionally, MethaneSAT will leverage Google’s image detection algorithms to generate the inaugural comprehensive global map of the oil and gas sector’s infrastructure.

Steve Hamburg, EDF’s chief scientist, envisions this as a breakthrough, offering unprecedented clarity on emission sources.

“We’re effectively putting on a really high-quality set of glasses, allowing us to look at the Earth and these emissions with a sharpness that we’ve never had before,” Hamburg said.

Following the identification of methane leaks by the MethaneSAT collaboration, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) will utilize the global Methane Alert and Response System established by the United Nations.

Also Read: COP28: Challenge Launched to Harness Artificial Intelligence for Climate Action

The Methane Alert and Response System promptly delivers data on methane leaks to governments and policymakers, empowering them to take the necessary action to address environmental concerns.

Methane experts say, however, that the path from finding a leak to getting a company to plug it will be arduous, and one that the collaboration cannot solve on its own.

Rob Jackson, a Stanford professor, said translating this data into action poses challenges, noting the complexity of holding responsible parties accountable.

Jackson noted that identifying the owners of leaky infrastructure and persuading them to act requires more than just awareness.

Millions of oil and gas operations globally remain shrouded in secrecy, with access to their locations often restricted and costly. Moreover, certain countries impede researchers from studying their infrastructure or employing low-flying planes to monitor emissions.

However, the advent of satellite technology holds promise for overcoming these obstacles.

“I believe AI holds the key to revolutionizing this field, enabling us to establish comprehensive databases of various infrastructure types,” remarks Jackson, underscoring the potential for satellites to transform data accessibility and transparency in monitoring methane emissions.

Nevertheless, the project aligns with global efforts to curb methane emissions. As governments adopt stricter regulations, tools like MethaneSAT could become pivotal in achieving climate goals.

However, the journey from awareness to action remains uncertain, especially in regions less responsive to environmental data.

Despite these hurdles, MethaneSAT offers a promising step towards a more transparent and accountable approach to mitigating methane emissions, crucial in the fight against climate change.

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