Satellites are burning up in the upper atmosphere – and we still don’t know what impact this will have on the Earth’s climate

Spread the love

Paul Fleet / shutterstock

Fionagh Thomson, Durham University

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has announced it will dispose of 100 Starlink satellites over the next six months, after it discovered a design flaw that may cause them to fail. Rather than risk posing a threat to other spacecraft, SpaceX will “de-orbit” these satellites to burn up in the atmosphere.

But atmospheric scientists are increasingly concerned that this sort of apparent fly-tipping by the space sector will cause further climate change down on Earth. One team recently, and unexpectedly, found potential ozone-depleting metals from spacecraft in the stratosphere, the atmospheric layer where the ozone layer is formed.

The relative “low earth orbit” where satellites monitoring Earth’s ecosystems are found is increasingly congested – Starlink alone has more than 5,000 spacecraft in orbit. Clearing debris is therefore a priority for the space sector. Newly launched spacecraft must also be removed from orbit within 25 years (the US recently implemented a stricter five-year rule) either by moving upwards to a so-called “graveyard orbit” or down into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Lower orbiting satellites are usually designed to use any remaining fuel and the pull of the Earth’s gravity to re-enter the atmosphere. In a controlled reentry, the spacecraft enters the atmosphere at a pre-set time to land in the most remote part of the Pacific Ocean at Point Nemo (aka the spacecraft cemetery). In an uncontrolled re-entry, spacecraft are left to follow a “natural demise” and burn up in the atmosphere.

Nasa and the European Space Agency promote this form of disposal as part of a design philosophy called “design for demise”. It is an environmental challenge to build, launch and operate a satellite robust enough to function in the hostility of space yet also able to break up and burn up easily on re-entry to avoid dangerous debris reaching the Earth’s surface. It’s still a work in progress.

Satellite operators must prove their design and re-entry plans have a low “human-hit” rate before they are awarded a license. But there is limited concern regarding the impact on Earth’s upper atmosphere during the re-entry stage. This is not an oversight.

Initially, neither the space sector nor the astrophysics community considered burning up satellites on re-entry to be a serious environmental threat – to the atmosphere, at least. After all, the number of spacecraft particles released is small when compared with 440 tonnes of meteoroids that enter the atmosphere daily, along with volcanic ash and human-made pollution from industrial processes on Earth.

Bad news for the ozone layer?

So are atmospheric climate scientists overreacting to the presence of spacecraft particles in the atmosphere? Their concerns draw on 40 years of research into the cause of the ozone holes above the south and north poles, that were first widely observed in the 1980s.

Today, they now know that ozone loss is caused by human-made industrial gases, which combine with natural and very high altitude polar stratospheric clouds or mother of pearl clouds. The surfaces of these ethereal clouds act as catalysts, turning benign chemicals into more active forms that can rapidly destroy ozone.

Colourful cloud in night sky
Mother of pearl cloud in the stratosphere above Norway.
Uwe Michael Neumann / shutterstock

Dan Cziczo is an atmospheric scientist at Purdue University in the US, and a co-author of the recent study that found ozone depleting substances in the stratosphere. He explains to me that the question is whether the new particles from spacecraft will help the formation of these clouds and lead to ozone loss at a time when the Earth’s atmosphere is just beginning to recover.

Of more concern to atmospheric scientists such as Cziczo is that only a few new particles could create more of these types of polar clouds – not only at the upper atmosphere, but also in the lower atmosphere, where cirrus clouds form. Cirrus clouds are the thin, wispy ice clouds you might spot high in the sky, above six kilometres. They tend to let heat from the sun pass through but then trap it on the way out, so in theory more cirrus clouds could add extra global warming on top of what we are already seeing from greenhouse gases. But this is uncertain and still being studied.

Cziczo also explains that from anecdotal evidence we know that the high-altitude clouds above the poles are changing – but we don’t know yet what is causing this change. Is it natural particles such as meteoroids or volcanic debris, or unnatural particles from spacecrafts? This is what we need to know.

Concerned, but not certain

So how do we answer this question? We have some research from atmospheric scientists, spacecraft builders and astrophysicists, but it’s not rigorous or focused enough to make informed decisions on which direction to take. Some astrophysicists claim that alumina (aluminium oxide) particles from spacecraft will cause chemical reactions in the atmosphere that will likely trigger ozone destruction.

Atmospheric scientists who study this topic in detail have not made this jump as there isn’t enough scientific evidence. We know particles from spacecraft are in the stratosphere. But what this means for the ozone layer or the climate is still unknown.

It is tempting to overstate research findings to garner more support. But this is the path to research hell – and deniers will use poor findings at a later date to discredit the research. We also don’t want to use populist opinions. But we’ve also learnt that if we wait until indisputable evidence is available, it may be too late, as with the loss of ozone. It’s a constant dilemma.The Conversation

Fionagh Thomson, Senior Research Fellow in Space Ethics and Sustainability, Durham University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Continue ReadingSatellites are burning up in the upper atmosphere – and we still don’t know what impact this will have on the Earth’s climate

Supreme Court Hears Koch-Backed Cases Designed to Unleash Deregulatory Bonanza

Spread the love

Original article by JAKE JOHNSON republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch attends an event in Hagerstown, Maryland on March 11, 2022.  (Photo: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

The conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday heard oral arguments in a pair of cases taking direct aim at a critical precedent that, if overturned, would gut federal agencies’ ability to set and enforce regulations—a potentially massive blow to the climate, civil rights, public health, and more.

Central to Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce is the so-called Chevron doctrine, which stems from a 1984 Supreme Court opinion that said judges should defer to federal agencies’ reasonable interpretation of a law if Congress has not specifically addressed the issue.

The precedent has long been a target of the fossil fuel industry and right-wing groups that are backing the plaintiffs in Loper and Relentless, both of which involve herring fishermen who challenged federal rules requiring them to pay for onboard compliance monitors.

Organizations that have received millions of dollars from the oil-soaked Koch network are supporting the effort to overturn the Chevron doctrine. In Loper, the plaintiffs’ lawyers are “working pro bono and belong to a public-interest law firm, Cause of Action, that discloses no donors and reports having no employees,” The New York Timesreported Tuesday.

“However,” the Times added, “court records show that the lawyers work for Americans for Prosperity, a group funded by [Charles] Koch, the chairman of Koch Industries and a champion of anti-regulatory causes.”

Relentless plaintiffs are represented by the New Civil Liberties Alliance, a right-wing group that has received millions from the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation.

Caroline Ciccone, president of the watchdog group Accountable.US, said in a statement Wednesday that “the special interests who spent big to stack the court may get their way if the Supreme Court weakens the government’s ability to hold industry accountable when they pollute for profit.”

“Everything from the climate to consumer safety could be worse off thanks to this potential decision and the corporate lobbyists who brought us to this point,” Ciccone added.

Earlier this week, Accountable.US urged right-wing Justice Neil Gorsuch—who has criticized the Chevron doctrine—to recuse from Loper, citing his ties to a billionaire oil tycoon who is positioned to benefit from a ruling that scraps the decades-old precedent. Justice Clarence Thomas also faced calls to recuse over his ties to the Koch network.

Neither agreed to step away from the case.

At the start of the Supreme Court’s hearing Wednesday, liberal Justice Elena Kagan expressed concern that gutting Chevron would give judges who lack subject-matter expertise power over policy decisions previously made by agencies staffed with scientists and other experts.

“You think that the court should determine whether a new product is a dietary supplement or a drug, without giving deference to the agency where it is not clear from the text of the statute or from using any traditional methods of statutory interpretation whether in fact the new product is a dietary supplement or a drug?” Kagan asked Roman Martinez, an attorney for the plaintiffs in Relentless. “You want the courts to decide that?”

The U.S. Supreme Court, which includes three justices appointed by former President Donald Trump, has recently shown a willingness to curb federal agencies’ power to enforce key laws. In its 2022 ruling in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency, the court’s conservative supermajority limited the EPA’s authority to regulate power plants under the 1970 Clean Air Act.

But environmentalists and others warned that a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs in Loper and Relentless would strike a far more sweeping and devastating blow.

“The consequences of this case will be serious for fishery management, yes,” said Meredith Moore, director of Ocean Conservancy’s fish conservation program. “But it also puts at risk all of the environmental and social programs that keep our air and water clean, our homes and workplaces safe, and ourselves and our children healthy.”

“If the Supreme Court eradicates Chevron deference, it will overturn 40 years of foundational administrative and environmental law that has provided stable public resource management,” Moore added. “It will allow science-based management and agency expertise to be replaced with the inexpert policy and ideological preferences of unelected judges, potentially resulting in dramatically different interpretations of law across the country.”

Tishan Weerasooriya, senior associate of policy and political affairs at Stand Up America, echoed those concerns, saying in a statement that “if the MAGA justices of the court overturn another decades-old precedent, it will greatly reduce the ability of scientists and experts at government agencies to defend every Americans’ right to clean water and air, worker protections, healthcare, and more.”

“Billionaires and elite corporations have been gunning to overturn this precedent for years, hoping to increase their profits even further if experts and scientists are no longer setting safety standards,” said Weerasooriya. “If the Roberts court overturns Chevron, it will continue to erode our fundamental freedoms and safety in deference to the wealthy and corporations.”

Original article by JAKE JOHNSON republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Continue ReadingSupreme Court Hears Koch-Backed Cases Designed to Unleash Deregulatory Bonanza

Just Stop Oil responds to The Last Leg’s call for disruption of every event.. With disruption of The Last Leg

Spread the love
Just Stop Oil disrupt Channel 4's live comedy show 'The Last Leg' 14 July 2023.
Just Stop Oil disrupt Channel 4’s live comedy show ‘The Last Leg’ 14 July 2023.

Three Just Stop Oil supporters have disrupted the TV comedy talk show, the Last Leg on Channel 4. They are demanding that the UK government halt any new licensing or consents for oil, gas and coal extraction in the UK.

At around 10.00pm, three Just Stop Oil supporters ran onto the set of the Last Leg, during the live show, in a cloud of confetti and jigsaw pieces blasting the song ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ by Britney Spears- in reference to the viral video featured on the program last week. The three supporters thanked the Last Leg presenters, Adam Hills, Josh Widdicome and Alex Brooker for their support and gifted them their own hi-vis vests.

Tonight’s action comes after the presenters called for a disruption before every sporting event on last week’s show. 

A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said:

“Be careful what you wish for! Thanks to the Last Leg for their kind words of support. We have taken on board their suggestion to provide disruptions before every event, and have decided to begin with The Last Leg. We would like to extend an invite to Adam, Alex and Josh to join us on the streets next week, as we continue demanding an end to new oil, gas and coal licences in the UK.”

One of those taking action today, Kush Naker, 33, a doctor of infectious disease from London, said:

“I’d like to thank The Last Leg’s Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker for their support of Just Stop Oil’s action at Wimbledon last week, and their proposal to take time at every sporting event to highlight the climate crisis. We need to be taking non-violent action everywhere and all the time in order to force this cruel and inept government to make the only sensible decision which is to end all new oil and gas licences”

“I love The Last Leg, this action is not against them in any way, but in fact an opportunity to invite the hosts of the show and all its viewers to join us in civil resistance against this criminal government.”

William John Ward, 66, a retired civil engineer from Epsom, who gained notoriety by throwing a jigsaw and confetti at Wimbledon, last week, said:

“I don’t want my grandchildren, nieces and nephews to suffer. Right now, millions of people are being forced to live in conditions that are beyond those necessary to support human life.”

“I can’t let this happen. I’ve had five meetings with my MP, Chris Grayling, and he simply doesn’t get it. He doesn’t seem to understand the warnings from the United Nations, from the International Energy Agency and from the governments’ own climate change committee. I have no choice but to get the message out in whatever way I can. I’m retired and want to enjoy my retirement, but I feel I have no choice but to take action. I’ve tried everything else.”

Continue ReadingJust Stop Oil responds to The Last Leg’s call for disruption of every event.. With disruption of The Last Leg

Tens of thousands to descend on Westminster this weekend in biggest protest against climate inaction

Spread the love
Activists from Extinction Rebellion demonstrate on Oxford Street in central London. Picture date: Saturday April 9, 2022.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/tens-thousands-descend-westminster-weekend-biggest-protest-against-climate-inaction

TENS of thousands of people are expected to descend on Westminster this weekend to join Britain’s biggest ever protest against the combined climate emergency and political crisis.

The four-day action organised by Extinction Rebellion (XR), which will be joined by actors, authors, musicians, trade unionists and human rights activists, is demanding that the government takes immediate action to tackle the linked crises.

“People’s pickets” were formed outside 16 government buildings earlier today to kick off the campaign of protest, calling for urgent new policies to tackle the climate emergency affecting people and communities across the country.

Further details can be found on the XR website.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/tens-thousands-descend-westminster-weekend-biggest-protest-against-climate-inaction

Continue ReadingTens of thousands to descend on Westminster this weekend in biggest protest against climate inaction

Climate crisis reality check

Spread the love

26 Nov 22: There is an updated post here

You are welcome to disagree with any point although I contend that it is clear.

The climate is fekked. We’ve witnessed extreme weather events on every continent. The climate is fekked because governments worldwide refused to act and instead facilitated rich people – as corporate entities or individuals – fekking it.

Big oil has known for decades that it was fekking the planet and continued regardless.

Thousand of people have already died due to the climate getting destroyed by rich people and governments and thousands more will die. Governments are still failing to accept reality and address the climate crisis. Some have started to in small measure.

People should be held to account for their actions and inactions. People are likely to get killed over it whether legally i.e through a legally sanctioned death penalty, or not.

The US has historically had and the UK repeatedly has and continues to elect political leaders who are incompetent through imbecility.

We are going to suffer extreme food shortages due to the climate being fekked.

Everything is blamed on Russia. Ukraine is not the only place that grows food. Harvests throughout Europe have / will fail.

We should try to make sure that politicians responsible for fekking the climate and planet are not re-elected.

I’m sorry to say that it’s clearly going to get worse.

Continue ReadingClimate crisis reality check

We’re occupying schools across the world to protest climate inaction

Spread the love

Youth activists involved in End Fossil: Occupy!

We can’t keep sitting in school, pretending everything is all right, and studying as if the planet wasn’t on fire

The bottom line is: we can’t keep pretending everything is all right, studying as if the planet wasn’t on fire. As other students did before us – from the students of May of ’68 in France to the Arab spring, from the Chilean Penguin Revolution and Primavera Secundarista in Brazil to Occupy Wall Street, we will stop our business-as-usual lives to show our governments and society that we need to change everything, now. From Lisbon to California, from Peru to Germany and from Madrid to Ivory Coast, we call on young people to get together and organize an international revolutionary generation that can change the system.

Continue ReadingWe’re occupying schools across the world to protest climate inaction

COP26 News review day 8

Spread the love

Obama implores world leaders to ‘step up now’ to avert climate disaster

Barack Obama has called on world leaders to “step up and step up now” to avert climate breakdown, singling out China and Russia for being foremost among countries that are failing to cut planet-heating emissions quickly enough.

Obama said that while progress has been made at the Glasgow climate talks, including significant pledges made by countries to reduce methane emissions and to end deforestation, “we are nowhere near where we need to be at” in cutting emissions and that “most nations have failed to be as ambitious as they need to be”.

HSBC led big banks’ charge against climate change action

HSBC coordinated efforts to try and water down action on climate change in the banking sector by seeking to delay a key deadline and scrap mandatory science-based targets for a major net-zero alliance, the Bureau can reveal.

Revealed: 1,000 fossil fuel and big business reps at COP26

Nearly 1,000 representatives from the fossil fuel industry, big business and nuclear power companies have registered to attend the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, according to an analysis by The Ferret.

They include executives from Shell, BP, Equinor, Chevron, Total, Gazprom and other major oil and gas companies, as well as multinational corporations such as McDonald’s, Bayer, Walmart, HSBC, PepsiCo, Nestlé and Microsoft.

There are also delegations from the coal industry, tobacco companies and pesticide manufacturers. Eleven people from two climate sceptic think-tanks have registered for the summit.

Wera Hobhouse MP: Tory fossil fuel funding is delaying an end date for fossil fuels

‘As long as we have a Government dominated by vested interests, the UK will make no progress on climate action.’

Wera Hobhouse is the Liberal Democrats’ justice spokesperson and MP for Bath.

To reach net zero, we need an end date for the use of fossil fuels. Yet, the Government is taking us backwards on tackling climate change. Any wonder when they are bankrolled by fossil fuel interests and climate sceptics? As long as we have a Government dominated by vested interests, the UK will make no progress on climate action. 

Earlier this week, an investigation revealed that the Conservative party and its MPs received £1.3m in gifts and donations from climate sceptics and fossil fuel interests since the election in 2019. 

How the UK Government is funnelling billions into fossil fuel projects abroad

While spinning itself as a ‘leader’ in fighting climate change, the UK is funnelling billions into climate wrecking fossil fuel projects overseas

Continue ReadingCOP26 News review day 8

‘Cut the crap’ say Extinction Rebellion on their ‘Free the Press’ protest

Spread the love

Extinction Rebellion protested today about UK’s press and politics being dominated by the politics and interests of 5 [ed: 4] non-dom tax evading billionaires. The political agenda is largely set by these sihts who often engage in criminal behaviour e.g. phone hacking, or facilitate criminal behaviour e.g. corruption of high elected politicians like Boris Johnson and Priti Patel. Surely it must be a crime for Priti Patel to be Rupert Murdoch’s Private Secretary instead of UK’s Home Secretary.

Extintion Rebellion deliver manure to press barons and call to cut the crap.

Extinction Rebellion protests take on media tycoons’ silence on scale of climate crisis

https://twitter.com/bearwitness2019/status/1409214113151078401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1409220452053098502%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.readingchronicle.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fnational%2F19402504.23-arrested-extinction-rebellion-dumps-manure-outside-newspaper-offices%2F

Continue Reading‘Cut the crap’ say Extinction Rebellion on their ‘Free the Press’ protest