Imaging Science Seminar: The Role of Satellite Imaging Technology in Climate Change Mitigation and Emergency

Imaging Science Seminar
The Role of Satellite Imaging Technology in Climate Change Mitigation and Emergency

Eric Choi
Director of Business Development at GHGSat
Alumnus of the International Space University

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Abstract:
Satellite imaging technology is addressing the growing need for global transparency in greenhouse gas emissions. Several past (e.g. SCIAMACHY) and current (e.g. Sentinel-5P/TROPOMI) space agency missions provide greenhouse gas data on regional and global scales. An exciting development is the operational availability of commercial remote sensing companies like GHGSat that are pushing the boundaries with innovative and complementary Earth observation imaging capabilities that would otherwise not be possible with either a space agency or private sector mission alone. GHGSat’s satellites enable the quantification of facility-level greenhouse gas emissions for stakeholders in the energy, resource, power generation, agricultural, waste management, and sustainability sectors to make informed environmental decisions. This presentation will include an introduction to the career of the speaker, an overview of the science and engineering of satellite-based methane detection and quantification, a summary of GHGSat’s satellites and their capabilities, a description of how GHGSat works synergistically with space agency missions, and conclude with examples of the relevance of GHGSat observations to emergency management such as the Nord Stream pipeline incident of September 2022 and the Türkiye earthquake of February 2023.

Speaker Bio:
Eric Choi is director of business development at GHGSat. Over the course of his career, he has held positions of increasing technical and managerial responsibility in both the aviation and space sectors, the latter including work on QEYSSat (Quantum Encryption and Science Satellite), the Meteorology (MET) payload on the NASA Phoenix Mars Lander, the Canadarm2 on the International Space Station, the RADARSAT-1 Earth-observation satellite, and the MOPITT (Measurements of Pollution on the Troposphere) instrument. Eric holds a B.A.Sc in Engineering Science and an M.A.Sc in Aerospace Engineering, both from the University of Toronto, an MBA from York University, and he is an alumnus of the International Space University. He is also an award-winning science fiction writer.

Intended Audience:
All are Welcome!

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