Getting to know our planet

From the David Suzuki Foundation

We know that our planet is heating up. And we know that international climate negotiations like the ones that are winding down in Bali this week are critical steps towards a global action plan to reduce heat-trapping greenhouse gases. But how will we be able to gauge if such a plan actually works?

In spite of all we have learned about our climate and our planet's natural systems over the past two decades, relatively big holes exist in our capacity to monitor where exactly global greenhouse gases are coming from and where they are going. That's going to have to change in the coming years, because we can no longer afford to leave such important measures to guesswork.

It may be hard for many of us to remember a time when global information was not readily available at our fingertips, but the amazing ability to access such vast amounts of data is a relatively recent phenomenon. Today, with supercomputers and the internet, we can now share, combine, calculate and analyze information like never before. For a simple example, think about the software program Google Earth. The capacity for anyone with a computer to see the entire planet in one instance, and then zoom down to view a close-up of virtually anywhere on the globe is simply astounding.

Still, even with all this data available, we need much more. The earth is incredibly complex. To be able to understand how it works, even in a basic sense, requires vast amounts of information to be acquired and monitored over time. Living sustainably within the planet's limits will require that we really get to know Earth in the most intimate of details.

Recently, a special edition of the journal Nature looked at this issue and how well we are doing in monitoring the planet. The results are mixed. Huge strides forward have been achieved in some areas, while others limp along with sporadic funding or political changes that may stop projects entirely.

One of the most obvious measurements that must be tracked over time is the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As the principle greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide is a key mechanism in global warming. But critical questions remain. Half of the carbon dioxide we put into the atmosphere gets soaked up again. Where it goes is the subject of much debate. Some say the oceans; others say soils or plants. The reality is, we don't know for sure.

Two satellites, to be launched in the next year should help us get a better understanding of what's going on. One, called the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, will circle the earth measuring carbon dioxide levels a half-million times every day. This information will be combined with models of how our atmosphere circulates to give us a better understanding of how the earth absorbs carbon dioxide. Another project is called the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite. It will measure carbon dioxide as well, but also other important greenhouse gases such as methane, ozone and water vapour.

Many other projects are also planned or are underway that will measure variables such as ice cover, soil moisture, urban growth and desertification, wind speeds, ocean temperatures, phytoplankton growth and many more. Yet for every planned project, there are budget shortfalls, delays, political interference, international overlaps and duplications that can result in critical gaps in data. This can be a serious problem.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other human impacts on the planet is of course a vital task. But measuring and accounting for these changes is just as important. It's the only way we'll ever know if what we're doing is having an effect. Accumulating basic data sets about the planet over long periods of time may be the scientific equivalent of watching paint dry, but it is absolutely essential work for us to understand and protect our complicated little world.
Take David Suzuki's Nature Challenge and learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.