CLIMATEWIRE | NOAA and United Airlines are teaming up in a new initiative that will enhance the monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions across the United States.

Launching next year, the program will outfit a Boeing 737 with sophisticated equipment to measure carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases that contribute to global warming. This aircraft will traverse the nation, making stops in up to five different cities each day, and will gather crucial data on emissions across diverse environments, from urban centers to the countryside, according to researchers.

This data will be instrumental in validating emissions data collected from other sources like satellites or ground-based instruments. It will also assist local governments and land managers in identifying areas where emissions may be underestimated.

Supporting Science Journalism

If you appreciate this content, please consider supporting our distinguished journalism by subscribing. Your subscription helps sustain the future of our impactful reporting on important scientific discoveries and ideas that shape our modern world.

“This is a prime opportunity to delve into the core of emissions understanding,” noted Colm Sweeney, the associate director of science at NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory and the lead scientist for its aircraft program. “Our goal isn’t regulation; it’s purely to understand the emissions landscape.”

This project is a component of a broader federal initiative to enhance and coordinate the monitoring of greenhouse gases across various government bodies. This push is gaining momentum as the current administration wraps up, amidst concerns that the forthcoming administration under Donald Trump might neglect or dismantle the established national greenhouse gas monitoring framework.

The collaboration, announced during a White House summit on super-pollutants in July, operates under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement where NOAA supplies the expertise and equipment but does not provide funding.

While NOAA has traditionally utilized research aircraft for data collection, partnering with a commercial airline like United Airlines offers new avenues for continuous and expansive greenhouse gas monitoring. Utilizing commercial flights, which operate regularly, allows for cost-effective and extensive data gathering.

“This partnership marks a significant advancement in our capabilities to monitor and address greenhouse gas emissions,” stated Sarah Kapnick, NOAA’s Chief Scientist. “By leveraging commercial aviation, we are positioned to accelerate our understanding and inform effective policy measures.”

‘The Journey Has Begun’

In 2023, the Biden administration laid out a plan for a revamped national greenhouse gas measurement and monitoring system.

The strategy includes the creation of the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center, a portal that aggregates emissions data from numerous sources. It also recommends steps to expand and streamline these efforts across government agencies and private sector collaborators.

Effective coordination among federal science bodies like NASA, NOAA, and the EPA, which each have their unique emissions monitoring programs, is crucial for improving nationwide data accuracy. The recent NOAA project exemplifies these efforts.

However, until recently, there was no cohesive strategy to unify these efforts and consolidate the data.

“The abundance of information and the variety of sources can be overwhelming, even for experts,” commented NASA climate scientist Lesley Ott.

Federal scientists are now focusing on synchronizing their monitoring strategies and pooling their data, partnering with private entities and NGOs to enhance data collection. This push is critical as Donald Trump, who has often dismissed the science behind human-induced climate change, prepares for his second term. Trump’s policies may challenge the continuity of these scientific endeavors.

Despite potential policy shifts, federal scientists remain dedicated to their mission, buoyed by global trends and economic factors that favor continued emissions reduction efforts.

“Our main concern isn’t speculation about future policies but rather on fulfilling our current mission,” Ott added.

Riley Duren, CEO of Carbon Mapper, emphasized the ongoing shift towards data-driven regulatory and market mechanisms globally, suggesting a persistent trend that policymakers are likely to support moving forward.

Reprinted from E&E News with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2024. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environment professionals.