NASA has scheduled its first satellite launch program dedicated to measuring carbon dioxide levels in the earth’s atmosphere on July 1.
The $465 million Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) mission will provide a global picture of human and natural sources of carbon dioxide as well as sinks where carbon dioxide is absorbed.
The NASA satellite will replace a spacecraft lost in a rocket launch failure in 2009. The satellite will be launched from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
In Florida, the Miami and Dade will release a report on the risk of sea level rise. Rise in sea level, storm and other climate changes put billions of dollars’ worth of properties and tourism activities at risk in South Florida.
Florida is considered as ground zero for sea level rise. The state has already seen between five and eight inches of sea level rise.
Another sea level rise by 2050 could destroy the majority of the coastal structures that protect Southeast Florida from flooding and saltwater intrusion, as per a research study by Florida Atlantic University.