Episode 9: The Future of Forests (Part II)

Full Episode description

Jack spoke back in  Season 1, episode 8 about the future of forests and this episode offers part two, but with a twist. The future of forests by measuring the world’s forest biomass.
Jack talks to Vicki Lonnon, the quality assurance manager from Airbus who is working on a new European Space Agency (ESA) satellite mission, that will monitor forests from space using a special P-band radar that’s never been used before.  The data collected will look at how much carbon is being stored by forests across the world and how this is changing over time, allowing a 3D map of the world’s forests to be created. The satellite is due to be launched next year. 
The pair  discuss:
– what forest biomass is
-the role forests play in climate change
– the satellite mission and what’s involved
-why the mission is needed
-what impact the mission could have
-views of reaching net zero

Tune in to learn something new- a fascinating episode about technology that certainly will shape our future
@Airbus @ESA
Mentions/links
ESA: Ready to build the Biomass forest mission
The satellite will provide global maps of how much carbon is stored in the world’s forests and how this stock is changing over time, mainly through the absorption of carbon dioxide, which is released from burning fossil fuels.
Airbus Defence and Space to build Biomass – the European Space Agency’s forest mission
Airbus Defence and Space, the world’s second largest space company has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to build its next Earth Explorer mission, the Biomass satellite. Biomass is due to launch in 2021 and will measure forest biomass to assess terrestrial carbon stocks and fluxes for five years. Find out more: http://bit.ly/1Tt2bVf

News articles:
The Biomass satellite and disappearing ‘football fields’
Biomass forest sensing satellite shaping up
Successful deployment of giant reflector for forest monitoring satellite Biomass