6 minute read
How satellite tracking is making great strides in the fight to tackle global climate change
In recent years, satellite tracking has started to unearth some of the worst emissions offenders with measures put in place to both pinpoint and monitor the sheer amount of global greenhouse gas emissions. But understanding where the issues lie is just the start. Satellite tracking coupled with the Internet of Things (IoT) will take the fight against climate change a giant step further.
Alastair MacLeod, CEO of Ground Control
Climate TRACE, which collates CO2 emissions findings through a combination of satellite, other remote sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI) found that in 2022, the actual emissions from global oil and gas productions were around double that which had been selfreported to the UN
While this is clearly a move in the right direction, and one which will no doubt bear significant fruit, it’s equally crucial to have a wider picture of the impact of climate change, and likewise, how we measure and mitigate this. Satellite tracking and IoT are at the forefront of this technological revolution, particularly in areas where no cellular coverage exists. These technologies are playing a vital role in understanding and addressing climate change by providing invaluable data and insights across many sectors and demographics, from monitoring endangered species and tracking glacial retreat to combating illegal fishing and preserving forest health.
Here are five ways satellite tracking and IoT are making a difference:
1. The tracking of endangered species
The extinction rates of species are alarmingly high due to habitat loss, climate change, and poaching. Estimates from a 2019 United Nations report suggest that 30 to 50 percent of all species could go extinct by 2050. This loss of biodiversity threatens ecosystems that support all life, with severe implications for medicine, agriculture, and recreation.
Technology plays a critical role in arresting this decline. Animal tracking through collars and tags helps in several ways:
• Prioritising Habitat Conservation - Data captured helps scientists identify critical habitats and justify seasonal closures of sensitive areas to the public.
• Understanding Climate Impact - Tracking helps us understand how climate change and natural or humandriven disasters affect wildlife, such as the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on sperm whales.
• Preventing Poaching - Predicting endangered species’ movements—and the hunters targeting them—tracking collars often combine with intelligent camera traps to give security forces actionable information.
Satellite connectivity is essential for tracking animals travelling outside cellular coverage. Lightweight modems such as the Iridium 9603N can be built into collars for mammals weighing as little as 15 kg.
2. Monitoring glacial retreat
Glaciers are shrinking rapidly, impacting local hydrology, global sea levels, and natural hazards like iceberg formation. However, the processes behind glacial retreat are not fully understood, leaving gaps in predictive models.
Environmental scientists, such as those at the University of Southampton, are deploying Subglacial Probes and Ice Trackers to measure glacier change and flow. These devices, using the RockBLOCK 9602, transmit data reliably and cost-effectively, even in remote areas.
Similarly, the Water and Ice Research Laboratory at Carleton University has developed a satellite-enabled device to track icebergs. As Arctic Sea ice retreats, more icebergs are calved, increasing risks to shipping and fishing vessels. Tracking icebergs helps predict their behavior, allaying risks and supporting research into iceberg melt effects on ocean infrastructure and marine life.
3. Combating Overfishing
Overfishing is a major problem, with 29 percent of the world’s fish stocks overfished and up to 28 percent of fishing being illegal and unregulated, according to Fishforward.eu. This has devastating effects on marine life, with significant declines in shark populations, with 70 percent of specific shark populations having been wiped out, and other species facing extinction.
Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) are crucial for enforcing regulations against overfishing, and satellite IoT devices are now being used to capture telemetry on a vessel’s location, fuel use, and catch size, using cellular networks where available and switching to the Iridium satellite constellation when needed. This ensures continuous monitoring and compliance with robust, and enforced, fishing regulations.
4. Preventing deforestation
Forests are both affected by climate change and also key in combating it. They capture and store carbon, but deforestation and degradation release this carbon back into the atmosphere. Deforestation contributes 12 to 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, around ten million hectares of forest are lost annually, an area roughly equivalent to the size of Portugal, according to OurWorldinData. Efficient environmental monitoring requires cost-effective sensors that operate with low power consumption and use low-power connectivity protocols like low-power wide-area networks (LPWAN), LoRaWAN, L-band, S-band, or NB-IoT.
The Rainforest Foundation UK supports authorities by providing an early warning system for illegal logging. In a film in our own blog on this very subject, Five ways to Tackle Climate Change with Satellite Tracking, we demonstrate how indigenous people use the ForestLink system to send alerts when they detect illegal activities. When cellular coverage is unavailable, the system switches to the Iridium satellite constellation, ensuring data exchange anywhere with a clear sky view.
5. Measuring, and understanding, our oceans’ currents
Ocean currents distribute heat around the globe, moderating temperatures and supporting habitable land. Climate change is believed to be speeding up these currents by up to 15 percent, damaging marine life and accelerating sea ice melt.
Fixed and drifting data buoys, many of which are outside of cellular coverage, require satellite connectivity to capture and transmit data on surface and subsurface water temperature, atmospheric pressure, winds, salinity, and wave patterns. All this helps to profile ocean currents, while reliable satellite modems enable long-term data transmission, essential for predictive weather and climate modelling.
In Summary
Integrating satellite tracking and IoT technologies offers powerful solutions to some of our most pressing environmental challenges and creates a dynamic picture of the world’s atmospheric conditions. These technologies generate massive datasets that help identify and understand climate patterns, detect subtle changes in environmental conditions, and track long-term trends. Furthermore, the expansion of LPWAN is poised to extend the reach of IoT devices, enabling the deployment of sensors in previously inaccessible areas.
By enabling real-time data collection and analysis, these technologies empower scientists, conservationists, and policymakers to make informed decisions to protect our planet. As we continue to innovate and expand these tools’ applications, their role in combating climate change will become even more significant. Embracing and investing in these technologies is essential for creating a sustainable future for generations to come.
