Climate change, in soil, space and sea

Water is an essential requirement for life on Earth. It’s embedded in the products we buy and the services we use. But it’s not always used sustainably. Simon looks at the challenges to achieving sustainability of water supplies in the UK as well as globally. He’ll introduce concepts like planetary boundaries, virtual water and water footprints, as well as the solutions we have to addressing the challenges… including how many pints of water it takes to make a pint of beer.

To achieve net-zero and halt climate change, we need to not only reduce emissions but remove carbon from the atmosphere. There are a range of carbon removal approaches that are being studied and used in the UK and globally. Biochar is one of these approaches. It’s a charcoal-like material made from plant matter in a way that locks up carbon for centuries to come, it’s added to soil or construction materials to add extra value. Genevieve will talk about what biochar is, how it’s made and the research happening at the University of Nottingham, and other universities across the country.

As of 2023 there are over 2600 objects orbiting the Earth, from space telescopes to Starlink constellations to the International Space Station. Among these are many Earth Observation satellites designed to monitor our planet’s surface, atmosphere and weather systems. In this talk, we will explore the key space platforms and Big Data techniques that enable modern climate change monitoring, learning how geospatial scientists monitor carbon sinks, model hurricanes and track pollution - all from space! Finally, we will discover how GPS data, just like your phone uses for navigation, is used to track water security and disaster risk.