California is planning to launch its own satellite to “track climate change-causing pollutants,” said Governor Jerry Brown at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco on Sep. 14.
The satellite would be able to detect the “point source” of climate pollutants, said Brown.
The project would be a joint effort between the state of California and San Francisco-based earth imaging company Planet Labs. Meanwhile, the data collected by the satellite will contribute to a new Climate Data Partnership, which serves as a platform that provides references for the government in reducing greenhouse gas emission.
It’s not clear when the satellite would be launched or how much the project will cost. However, Brown claims it’s part of a strategy that could potentially reduce emissions equivalent to 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide globally every year.
The satellite project is initially funded by Dee and Richard Lawrence and OIF, as well as The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust.
In 2016, Governor Brown made a similar announcement at the American Geophysical Union’s fall meeting in San Francisco. He stated that California possesses enough resources both scientifically and politically to launch its own satellite.
California lawmakers have taken several controversial actions in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including cap-and-trade policy and a 100% clean energy requirement from generating electricity by 2045. Governor Jerry Brown also signed two bills this month aimed at blocking the federal government from expanding offshore oil drilling along the California coast.
