Earth’s ocean and atmosphere are changing as our planet warms. Launching in February 2024, @NASA’s newest Earth-observing satellite will help us understand how.
The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem satellite, or PACE, will allow @nasaocean scientists to study ocean health, identify different types of phytoplankton, study clouds and aerosols, understand the ocean’s role in the global carbon cycle, and more.
Video description:
:00 Two shots stacked atop each other. The top shows clouds. The bottom shows ocean water. Text reads “Earth’s ocean and atmosphere are changing as our planet warms.”
:05 Animation of the PACE satellite orbiting earth. “NASA’s newest Earth-observing satellite, PACE, will help us understand how. PACE= Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean, Ecosystem”
:09 Image of the turquoise swirls labeled phytoplankton bloom, followed by a shot of beach water that appears red from a phytoplankton bloom. “Climate change is affecting the abundance and types of phytoplankton. These tiny marine critters can sequester carbon and release it back into the atmosphere.”
:18 Shot of the PACE satellite in the clean room. An arrow points to a rectangular instrument covered by a hood and identifies it as “PACE’s Ocean Color Instrument (OCI)”.
:21 Close up of a scientist pipetting amber liquid into a beaker, followed by a satellite image of bright teal phytoplankton blooms swirling in blue ocean. “OCI will allow scientists to study ocean health and the ocean’s role in the global carbon cycle in a warming world.”
:28 Animation of GMAO model data of aerosols. “PACE will also investigate one of the trickiest components of climate change to model”
:33 Animation of blue water droplets around spiky gray aerosol particles. The shot transitions to a view of fire smoke. “How clouds and aerosols interact.”
:37 Animation of the PACE satellite orbiting a globe. As it passes over, it leaves a swath of colorful ocean and aerosol data in its wake. “As Earth’s systems change in a warmer world, PACE is soon to be on the case.”
#Earth #NASA #Ocean #Sea #PACE #Clouds #Atmosphere #Science #Satellite #EarthFromSpace #Climate #ClimateChange
The decarbonisation of construction is moving rapidly from policy to implementation. On Teesside, a major operation and maintenance award for the UK’s first commercial‑scale carbon capture project signals a shift from pilot schemes to large‑scale delivery. The East Coast Cluster development could significantly reduce embodied carbon in materials central to sustainable construction. It aligns with growing demand for low embodied carbon materials and whole life carbon assessment in both new projects and retrofit schemes.
Advances in low carbon design are reshaping plant and logistics. JCB’s introduction of excavators operating on 100% biodiesel offers an immediate pathway to cut the carbon footprint of construction equipment, complementing the move towards carbon neutral construction. Tevva’s hydrogen‑electric truck extends zero‑emission transport options in daily site logistics, supporting the transition to energy‑efficient buildings and greener supply chains that improve lifecycle assessment outcomes and life cycle cost efficiency.
The workforce and regulation are evolving to sustain environmental sustainability in construction. New government funding to address building‑safety competence could accelerate sustainable building design, digital quality assurance, and modern methods using eco‑friendly construction processes. Regulatory tightening on waste management reinforces the importance of circular economy in construction, verified waste routes and end‑of‑life reuse in construction to minimise the environmental impact of construction operations.
Boards across the sector are being urged to embed sustainable building practices and apply life cycle thinking in construction procurement. By locking in low carbon construction materials from carbon capture hubs, piloting renewable fuels and hydrogen drivetrains, and aligning projects with standards such as BREEAM and future BREEAM v7 frameworks, companies can position for net zero whole life carbon performance. The current momentum places the industry closer to achieving true decarbonising of the built environment, where green construction, sustainable material specification, and eco‑design for buildings underpin every decision from design to demolition.
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