On Monday, March 4, scientists, spectators, and surfers getting in an evening sesh, witnessed Space X’s Falcon 9 Rocket lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
According to a new report, the rocket carried 53 new satellites into orbit. One of these satellites is a brand new methane detection instrument that will monitor methane pollution around the world.
Methane gas is more damaging to the planet’s atmosphere than CO2. Long a mystery, the sources for methane gas pollution were hard to find and track.
Now, with the new satellite, scientists will monitor where these leaks and emissions are coming from. With this data, they can push to curb methane emissions globally.
MethaneSAT
The satellite MethaneSAT carries advanced monitoring systems that can check for methane gas being released into our atmosphere. By reducing methane emissions into our atmosphere, experts say we’ll be one step closer to reaching our climate goals.
Some of the suspected sources include leaks and controlled releases by oil and gas companies. For years, these governments have kept their emissions data private, making it impossible for researchers to detect the methane’s sources.
Now, with MethaneSAT’s data made public in a few months, more can be done to hold companies and countries accountable.
What About Cows?
Global agriculture, especially the meat and dairy industry, is the world’s largest methane polluter. However, the team of scientists and engineers behind the Environmental Defense Fund’s MethaneSAT project decided to focus on the oil and gas industry instead.
According to the team, the oil and gas industry is more organized and strategic. Going after single farms would be much less cost effective and timesaving than finding a single oil and gas polluter.
For now, the team hopes its data will influence people, governments, and companies globally to pay closer attention to greenhouse gasses like methane. If this will lead to fixes and decreased emissions, only time will tell.