Earth's Upper Atmosphere Cooling Dramatically

Earth's Upper Atmosphere Cooling Dramatically
(Space.com) December 17, 2009, By Andrea Thompson
When the sun is relatively inactive — as it has been in recent years — the outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere cools dramatically, new observations find. The results could help scientists better understand the swelling and shrinking of our planet's atmosphere, a phenomenon that affects the orbits of satellites and space junk. The data, from NASA's TIMED mission, show that Earth's thermosphere (the layer above 62 miles or 100 km above the Earth's surface) "responds quite dramatically to the effects of the 11-year solar cycle," Stan Solomon of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., said here this week at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union.

NASA Uses Algae to Turn Sewage Into Fuel

NASA Uses Algae to Turn Sewage Into Fuel
(Space.com) December 16, 2009, By Jeremy Hsu
NASA may concern itself largely with space exploration, but it also wants to keep Earth on a steady course in the face of rising energy costs and climate change. Now the U.S. space agency has thrown its weight behind a clever method of growing algae in wastewater for the purpose of making biofuel. The OMEGA system consists of algae grown in flexible plastic bags floating offshore, where cities typically dump their wastewater. Oil-producing freshwater algae would naturally clean the wastewater by feeding on nutrients in the sewage. The cleansed freshwater could then release into the ocean through forward-osmosis membranes in the sides of the plastic bags.

NASA AIRS Satellite Monitors Greenhouse Gas

Weather Device Also Tracks Greenhouse Gas
(New York Times) December 15, 2009, By Kenneth Chang
A satellite instrument designed to improve weather forecasts has provided a wealth of data on the flow of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, scientists said Tuesday. The data also verified a mechanism in which rising temperatures increase the rate of ocean evaporation, and the increased water vapor, also a potent greenhouse gas, raises the earth’s temperatures further. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder — called AIRS for short — aboard NASA’s orbiting Aqua spacecraft measures temperature and cloud cover by recording infrared emissions across the entire globe twice a day. The data helps meteorologists predict major storms.

NASA and Cisco partner for Climate Change Monitoring

Cisco, NASA launch climate monitoring venture
(Reuters) December 15, 2009
Technology firm Cisco Systems and the NASA space agency launched a $100 million plan on Tuesday to monitor the earth's resources, aiming to boost transparency of national commitments under a new climate treaty. World leaders and ministers from more than 190 countries are meeting this week, trying to agree the outline of a new climate pact to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. Proof of compliance with many commitments under a new deal, for example to cut carbon emissions and preserve forests, will depend on more sophisticated data monitoring than available now.

UN using Satellite Imagery to Show Impact of Climate Change

European Atlas of Environmental Change and Climate Communities shows impact of global warming seen from space
(Reuters) December 14, 2009
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Copenhagen 13 December - The rapidly changing environment of parts of Europe is chronicled in a new atlas of change, launched today by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The significance of global warming and its alterations in Europe's climate and economy are vividly depicted via 'before-and-after' satellite imagery. At the same time, the Atlas provides an important opportunity to show some positive environmental changes thanks to community initiatives on the ground, emphasising the importance of local action to combat climate change.

2010 Appropriations for Space

The Conference bill that includes appropriations for space activities has been released. Here is the summary of the bill: http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/FY10_CJS_Conference_Summary.pdf

Some highlights regarding climate research:

"National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): $18.7 billion, $942 million above 2009, for scientific discovery, national security, and space exploration.
• Earth Science: $1.5 billion to support NASA’s continuing work to develop and launch space-based and suborbital sensors to study climate change and the global environment."

"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): $4.7 billion, $372 million above 2009, to increase important ocean, weather, and climate research and provide for satellite acquisitions. NOAA research focuses on weather forecasts including hurricanes and tornadoes; on protecting and managing the nation’s coastal and ocean resources, and on planning for and responding to climate change."

"Global Climate Change Research: $2 billion, $75 million above 2009, to study and respond to global climate change, one of the greatest challenges facing our country. This includes:
• NASA: $1.32 billion, including nearly $940 million to develop and demonstrate space-based climate measurements identified by the National Academy of Science and the science community.
• NOAA: $375 million to enhance climate change research and regional assessments; climate data records, data access and archiving requirements; and climate change educational programs.
• NSF: $310 million for climate change research, modeling and education.
• Economic Development Administration: $25 million for green building initiatives.
• NIST: $5 million for the development of greenhouse gas emission standards."

A couple of budget-related items out today. The NPOESS program will be important for gathering climate measurements - this article talks about its current development and funding issues.

Legislation Ends NPOESS Cost-Sharing Arrangement
(Space News) December 14, 2009, By Turner Brinton
The U.S. Congress is on the verge of sending the White House an omnibus spending bill that provides no additional funding for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) and eliminates a cost-sharing agreement between the Air Force and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the troubled weather satellite program. The NPOESS provisions are included in the 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act (HR 3288) that passed the House of Representatives Dec. 10 and as of press time was awaiting a vote in the Senate.

AIAA Starting Climat Change Task Force

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) today announced the formation of a new task force to assist in development of a national roadmap and strategy for the United States to address changes to the Earth’s climate. Such a plan would support informed national decisions for investment in critical climate-change understanding, mitigation, and adaptation by using technology to monitor the environment and analyze the information collected. This critical objective can best be achieved by fully leveraging the combined strengths of the government and private sectors. To enable this, the task force membership is drawn from leading experts on climate monitoring technology and policy from within AIAA and in collaboration with others.

http://intranet.aiaa.org/industryresources/PDF/EO_PR_8Dec09.pdf

NOAA to get Additional Funds for NPOESS

Though the NPOESS program is primarily focused on weather data, it will be an important resource for the climate change community as well.

"NOAA Budget Passback Includes Additional Money for Satellites
(Space News) December 4, 2009, By Turner Brinton

WASHINGTON — The White House’s budget office has added $87 million to the $428.8 million the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) planned to request for the troubled National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) for 2011.

The NPOESS weather satellite program has encountered massive cost growth and schedule slips in recent years, and an independent review panel concluded in the spring that the program is hobbled by ineffective management structure and needs a near-term infusion of cash to succeed. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy assembled a task force in the summer to make changes to get the program back on track."

http://www.spacenews.com/policy/091104-noaa-budget-passback-includes-satellites.html

NASA to attend Copenhagen climate meeting

Article from UPI, December 7, 2009:

"The U.S. space agency says its Earth science research and educational programs are in Copenhagen, Denmark, for this week's U.N. climate change conference.

"The 12-day United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change began Monday and NASA is one of several U.S. government agencies supporting the first-ever U.S. Center -- an outreach initiative housed in Copenhagen's Bella Conference Center."

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/12/07/NASA-to-attend-Copenhagen-climate-meeting/UPI-52151260190932/

Space and Climate Change

Our ability to understand, monitor, and react to climate change is based on our ability to observe ongoing environmental transformations. This information is gathered through monitoring networks on Earth as well as systems of Earth-observing satellites. This data aims to improve our prediction of the effects on agriculture and energy, and the management of weather-related risk. Data is needed for research on health outcomes, changes in the distribution of vector-borne diseases, and air quality. Understanding the potential risks is necessary in order to develop the adaption and mitigation strategies to be undertaken by the United States.

In this blog, I plan to follow developments related to space and climate change.