Earth’s oceans are turning green with a warming climate, but exactly how and why is unclear.
Current satellites don’t have enough sensitivity to color to see subtle shifts in hue. PACE will see the ocean in more color than ever before, helping us discern what’s driving the shift toward greener oceans.
#Earth #PACE #Climate #ClimateChange #Ocean #NASA #PACE #KeepingPACE
Video description:
:00 Aerial view of the blue open ocean. In a new view of the ocean, arrows show how the water absorbs light. A diagram shows how phytoplankton, zooplankton, and lager marine life interact in the food web.
:20 Animation of a globe in green, blue, yellow and red, showing the presence of different type of phytoplankton. A circle appears. Inside of it are green phytoplankton, Prochlorococcus.
:30 Phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, sea lions, sharks, krakens and more appear on screen in succession.
:45 An animation shows blue and green colors on a globe of Earth’s oceans, showing where the ocean is changing hue. Another globe shows green pixels in the ocean labeled “areas with chlorophyll change.”
:55 An animation shows the color detection capabilities of several satellites: NIMBUS-7, SEASTAR, AQUA, TERRA, SUOMI-NPP, and PACE. All of the satellites except PACE have large gaps between the purple, blue, green, red, and other colors they can detect. Next to PACE is a rainbow bar showing the full spectrum of color.
1:05 The video ends on another aerial view of water.
Compressed earth block projects in Kenya’s drylands are signalling a shift towards sustainable construction that balances material performance with environmental sustainability in construction. By replacing kiln‑fired bricks and cement with locally produced low embodied carbon materials, these buildings achieve reduced embodied carbon while enhancing thermal comfort through passive design. The combination of thermal mass and vapour‑open walls supports sustainable building design adapted to warmer climates and delivers measurable gains in lifecycle assessment and life cycle cost efficiency.
As whole life carbon and embodied carbon in materials become central to regulation and procurement, codification and quality assurance will dictate how rapidly such natural materials scale to mainstream use. Compressed earth blocks in Kenya exemplify how local innovation aligns with sustainability targets and social benefits for communities adapting to climate stress.
European policy is steering the supply chain towards a circular economy in construction. Tighter controls on plastic imports are designed to foster a stable market for compliant recycled polymers and strengthen traceability. For manufacturers pursuing higher recycled content, this supports circular construction strategies and improves environmental product declarations (EPDs). For specifiers and project teams, it provides a stronger evidence base for whole life carbon assessment within sustainable building practices and reinforces the commitment to resource efficiency in construction.
The UK’s accelerating offshore wind capacity, now exceeding 16GW, deepens the transition towards net zero carbon buildings and reduces the carbon footprint of construction by decarbonising energy supply. As sites electrify and equipment integrates renewable sources, the alignment between energy‑efficient buildings and carbon neutral construction grows closer. This shift enables data‑driven evaluation of whole life carbon performance and encourages contracting models that value carbon intensity alongside cost, advancing low carbon design and net zero objectives across the sector.
In alpine zones and high‑risk regions, the integration of climate‑informed planning, geotechnical monitoring and enforceable safety zones underscores the need to view climate adaptation as a core aspect of sustainable architecture. Infrastructure such as Spain’s high‑speed rail demonstrates how green construction combined with whole life carbon accounting can deliver deep emissions cuts while improving resilience. The global construction industry must merge such systemic decarbonisation with eco‑design for buildings, green building materials and sustainable material specification, ensuring that every project contributes to long‑term building lifecycle performance and to decarbonising the built environment.
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