Spurred by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) recent actions to cut environmental regulations, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on March 21 an accelerated plan to launch satellites to track and reduce methane emissions.
The move is part of Newsom’s new role as co-chair of America Is All In, a coalition of state and local leaders who vow to cut emissions in half by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
California’s plan is to use satellite-mounted methane sensors to send data to agencies such as the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
“Decades of progress to protect public health is on the line as the Trump Administration works to roll back critical environmental protections,” Newsom said in a statement on Friday. “California isn’t having it. Thanks to our state investment, we’re using satellite technology to detect methane leaks as they happen. With this new data, we’ll be able to move faster to cut harmful methane pollution—protecting Californians and the clean air we’ve fought so hard for.”…