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
Sustainable construction is moving from ambition to delivery as policy, procurement and building performance converge around whole life carbon, embodied carbon and life cycle cost.
Record uptake of Boiler Upgrade Scheme vouchers in Britain indicates that heat pumps are entering the mainstream for housing, retrofit and low carbon building specification. Germany’s 2045 phase-out of oil, gas and coal reinforces the direction for net zero carbon buildings across Europe: electrification, energy-efficient buildings and low carbon design are becoming market requirements, not optional sustainability claims.
The industry’s capacity to deliver remains the decisive constraint. Calls for stronger construction training and reskilling underline a core risk for environmental sustainability in construction: policy can drive demand, but competent labour determines whether sustainable building design performs in practice. The post-Building Safety Act regime raises the bar for building control, fire-safety competence and verifiable compliance.
Net zero whole life carbon ambitions depend on robust whole life carbon assessment, lifecycle assessment, sustainable material specification and evidence such as environmental product declarations (EPDs), not on poorly installed systems or untested green building products.
Circular economy in construction is shifting into practical specification. New guidance on reusing doors shows how embodied carbon in materials can be reduced through repeatable procurement, inspection, warranties and end-of-life reuse in construction. The next phase of green construction will rely on circular construction strategies, resource efficiency in construction, low embodied carbon materials and low carbon construction materials as much as new technology. Standards including BREEAM and BREEAM v7 will sharpen expectations for building lifecycle performance, carbon footprint reduction and credible eco-design for buildings. The sector’s credibility now rests on proving that sustainable building practices, eco-friendly construction and carbon neutral construction can withstand the scrutiny of installers, inspectors, clients and quantity surveyors.
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