Though both MOZAIC/IAGOS and CONTRAIL have been very successful, a large piece of the puzzle was missing — data over the Pacific Ocean, which pertains to emission behavior in China and other Southeast Asian countries.
To the scientists’ excitement, starting next year, the gap will be filled by Pacific Greenhouse Gases Measurement (PGGM), a Taiwan project sponsored both by the government and two businesses — China Airlines (CAL) and Evergreen Marine Corp.
“Our motivation is simple — by collecting important data, [policymakers] will eventually recognize our work and start using our data [to stop global warming,]” said the man behind the project-union operation, PGGM project leader Wang Kuo-ying (王國英), a professor at National Central University.
“MOZAIC/IAGOS lack data from the Pacific Ocean because its aircrafts do not fly to Asia. With Taiwan’s prime geographic location, CAL and Evergreen can offer them just what they need,” he said.
The structure of PGGM is both vertically and horizontally sound, Wang said.
“On the satellite level, Taiwan’s FORMOSAT-3 [a climate satellite] data will be cross-examined with the US’ OCO satellite [to be launched this year] and Japan’s GOSAT satellite; in addition, we will observe the upper and lower atmosphere with CAL flights and Evergreen cargo ships,” he said.
Data obtained by airplanes can also offer valuable information on climate satellite accuracy, since satellite technologies are relatively new, he said.
The data, together with IAGOS in other parts of the planet, cross-referenced with CONTRAIL statistics, will piece together a picture for long-term global pollutant transport, and may change the world’s perception of the environment, Wang said.
“PGGM will be one of the best presents Taiwan can give to the world — though we are not bounded by the Kyoto protocol, we are still making efforts to combat global warming,” he said.
Asked whether the international community was dealing with climate change with enough urgency, both Machida and Volz-Thomas replied with a firm “no.”
“The question is not ‘how much time do we have until we must take action’ — global warming has already started,” Machida said.
“What scientists can do is to increase the public’s awareness of the problem and prompt politicians to form laws accordingly, however, there is a long way between good data and policy reform,” Volz-Thomas said.
However, some changes in this country may already be on the horizon, as the PGGM marks the first time Taiwanese businesses have participated in a not-for-profit effort to fight climate change on an international scale.
“Though few [in the airliner industry] are touching the issue, global warming is a problem that will confront us head-on soon enough — short of making carbon-free planes [which is the industry’s aspiration in 50 years], by taking action now, CAL can be the leader in aviation in fighting climate change,” CAL corporate safety division vice president David Tai (戴旭東) said.
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