Friday, April 11, 2008

Earth Observation: Satellites for Sustainability




Satellites for Sustainability



Credit: ESA (click on image for larger video)


Earth observation (EO) provides objective coverage across both space and time, EO images show the world through a wide-enough frame so that complete large-scale phenomena can be observed with great accuracy. Satellites also remain in place for long periods, making them able to highlight environmental changes occurring gradually.

In the future it'll be harder to get away with unsustainable management of natural resources; EO from satellites will see to that. It is therefore very wise of multinational companies to start using this tool to their advantage rather than fighting it. Shell is one example of a company who sees EO from satellites as another useful and economic technique for their operations around the world.


Oil Sands, Athabasca



Credit: ESA

Land cover classification for the Lower Athabasca oil sands region, developed using ESA's Envisat data




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