1 00:00:00,030 --> 00:00:04,040 Interviewer: Carbon dioxide is vital for life on Earth but an overload of greenhouse gas 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:08,050 is driving one of the most serious problems facing our planet, climate change. 3 00:00:08,050 --> 00:00:12,060 In just two weeks world leaders will come together in one of the most important 4 00:00:12,060 --> 00:00:16,240 climate conferences ever, to set new global limits 5 00:00:16,240 --> 00:00:20,250 on carbon emissions amid a slowing global warming. 6 00:00:20,250 --> 00:00:24,280 Here to tell us more about this is Peter Griffith at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Thanks for joining us. 7 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:26,470 Peter: Thanks for having me on. 8 00:00:26,470 --> 00:00:29,650 Interviewer: So world leaders will meeting in a couple of weeks to tackle climate change 9 00:00:29,650 --> 00:00:33,850 issues, what are NASA's observations telling us about how Earth is changing? 10 00:00:33,850 --> 00:00:39,040 Peter: NASA's observations are telling us that the Earth is warming. 11 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:44,050 Now we have a decades long view from 12 00:00:44,050 --> 00:00:47,240 satellites assimilated into models. 13 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,240 This particular one is showing the global surface 14 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:50,260 warming compared to the mid 15 00:00:50,260 --> 00:00:56,280 warming compared to the mid 20th century climatic average. 16 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:02,310 So you can see by the time we end up in 2014, particularly in the high latitudes 17 00:01:02,310 --> 00:01:08,500 and polar regions, that the earth has warmed up quite a bit. 18 00:01:08,500 --> 00:01:14,520 And we know why this is. We know it's because of carbon dioxide accumulating in the atmosphere. 19 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,520 Interviewer: So NASA has a new global portrait of carbon dioxide 20 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,710 the largest human produced driver of climate of climate change. 21 00:01:22,710 --> 00:01:26,720 Show us the view of the planet and what is the data telling us? 22 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,730 Peter: So this is the first year of data from the 23 00:01:30,730 --> 00:01:32,920 Orbiting Carbon Observatory. 24 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,940 Prior to the satellite we had 25 00:01:36,940 --> 00:01:41,090 scattered ground station around the world but now with this 26 00:01:41,090 --> 00:01:45,100 view from space we can see how high CO2 27 00:01:45,100 --> 00:01:49,110 concentration in the atmosphere at the end of the winter shown in red 28 00:01:49,110 --> 00:01:53,120 is being absorbed 29 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,130 taken up by the plants of the land and the oceans. 30 00:01:57,130 --> 00:02:01,310 And we can start to tease out what parts of the planet 31 00:02:01,310 --> 00:02:05,340 are responsible the emissions 32 00:02:05,340 --> 00:02:09,520 and for the removal of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 33 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:14,540 Interviewer: Scientist have been talking about the mystery of carbon dioxide for years. 34 00:02:14,540 --> 00:02:19,570 Half of all emissions stay in the atmosphere but where does the rest go? 35 00:02:19,570 --> 00:02:27,580 This next animation will show you plant growth on the land and in the oceans. 36 00:02:27,580 --> 00:02:35,650 We can see the seasonal fluctuations as the winter, and spring, and summer 37 00:02:35,650 --> 00:02:39,660 progress from year to year. 38 00:02:39,660 --> 00:02:43,690 Observe that the plants of the land and ocean 39 00:02:43,690 --> 00:02:45,750 are taking up this CO2. 40 00:02:45,750 --> 00:02:49,750 There are some areas where CO2 fertilization 41 00:02:49,750 --> 00:02:53,760 is taking place where the plants are growing a little bit faster. 42 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:57,970 Other areas that are regrowth forest like the eastern United States 43 00:02:57,970 --> 00:03:03,980 that are especially good at taking CO2 out of the atmosphere. 44 00:03:03,980 --> 00:03:08,990 This is a good thing, without what the biosphere is doing 45 00:03:08,990 --> 00:03:14,000 there would be even more CO2 in the atmosphere from human activates. 46 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:19,190 Interviewer: Now what is NASA doing to better understand how are Earth is changing? 47 00:03:19,190 --> 00:03:24,200 Peter: NASA has a fleet of satellites that are observing the Earth 48 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:29,220 from the unique vantage point of space. 49 00:03:29,220 --> 00:03:33,240 And we can simulate observations from these satellites. 50 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:37,250 This particular view is of carbon dioxide 51 00:03:37,250 --> 00:03:42,420 moving through the atmosphere and we can see the areas. 52 00:03:42,420 --> 00:03:47,450 Whether it's from cities or forest fires 53 00:03:47,450 --> 00:03:52,450 from fossil fuel emissions were the carbon is being added to the atmophere 54 00:03:52,450 --> 00:03:58,470 and where it is moving as the winds blow the 55 00:03:58,470 --> 00:04:00,470 around the planet. 56 00:04:00,470 --> 00:04:02,490 Interviewer: Tell us where can we learn more? 57 00:04:02,490 --> 00:04:04,690 Peter: You can on the internet go to 58 00:04:04,690 --> 00:04:10,700 nasa.gov/earth or follow #EarthRightNow 59 00:04:10,700 --> 00:04:12,700 on Twitter or on Facebook. 60 00:04:12,700 --> 00:04:16,710 Interviewer: Thanks so much for joining us. 61 00:04:16,710 --> 00:04:17,691 Peter: You're welcome