Introduction
One of the most urgent challenges of our day is climate change, and greenhouse gas emissions play a significant role in this issue. Global temperatures rise as a result of greenhouse gases' ability to trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Monitoring greenhouse gas emissions and identifying their sources are crucial for finding solutions to this problem. The current condition of the infrastructure for monitoring greenhouse gases globally, the difficulties in doing so, and the possibility for new technologies to enhance monitoring capacities are all covered in this essay.
Infrastructure for Measuring Greenhouse Gases in the World Today
The
infrastructure for measuring greenhouse gases is currently in a poor state.
Although there are a few distinct monitoring systems in place, they are not
all-inclusive and frequently just cover a small area. The Global Greenhouse Gas
Reference Network, which is run by the World Meteorological Organization, is
the most well-known monitoring system (WMO). This network monitors greenhouse
gas concentrations in the atmosphere using a few hundred monitoring stations
located all around the world. The Earth's surface is only partially covered by
this network, and many places are not kept under observation.
The Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR), which offers estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from diverse sources around the world, is another significant monitoring system. To estimate emissions, EDGAR combines information from several sources, such as national inventories and satellite observations. Although EDGAR offers a thorough estimation of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, it has limits in terms of precision and level of detail.
The Difficulties of Monitoring Greenhouse Gases
Monitoring
greenhouse gases is not without its difficulties. Lack of coverage is one of
the greatest problems. Only a small portion of the Earth's surface is monitored
by networks like the Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network, while many other
areas are not monitored at all. This indicates that there are large gaps in our
knowledge of greenhouse gas emissions and concentrations.
The
precision of measurements presents another difficulty. It takes meticulous
calibration and quality control to accurately measure greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere since the procedure is so complicated.
Estimates of greenhouse gas concentrations and emissions can be significantly
affected by even minor measurement mistakes. Therefore, it is crucial to have
accurate measurement tools and strict quality control methods.
The price of monitoring is a third difficulty. Many nations and organizations might not have the resources to invest in monitoring infrastructure because it is expensive to build and maintain. This may result in underinvestment in new monitoring systems or a lack of coverage in some areas.
Innovative Technology for Monitoring Greenhouses
Several
innovative technologies have the potential to enhance the monitoring of
greenhouse gases. Satellite-based surveillance is one of the most promising.
The whole surface of the Earth, even inhospitable regions, can be covered by
satellites. Satellites can also give measurements of greenhouse gas concentrations
and emissions with high accuracy and precision. A satellite-based monitoring
system that is currently being developed is the Copernicus initiative from the
European Space Agency (ESA).
Drones,
also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are another promising
technology. UAVs can offer precise measurements of the emissions and quantities
of greenhouse gases in a given location. UAVs can be used to monitor locations
that are hard to get to or hazardous for people to be in, including volcanic
regions or regions with a lot of pollution. Although the use of UAVs for
greenhouse monitoring is still in its infancy, this technology has a great deal
of potential to advance monitoring capacities.
Monitoring
greenhouse gas emissions is crucial for creating efficient mitigation plans
since they play a significant role in climate change. The infrastructure for
global GHG monitoring is now in a poor state, with large gaps in coverage and
precision. Yet, there are intriguing new technologies that could enhance
monitoring capacities, like UAVs and satellite-based surveillance. Governments
and organizations need to fund and develop these new technologies.
Written
by Chitraksh Mayank
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