The Rising Challenge of Space Debris: ESA’s 2023 Space Environment Report Highlights the Need for Sustainable Practices

November 5, 2023 / activist360

LEO - Low Earth Orbit - Credit: NASA ODPO. — *LEO stands for low-Earth orbit and is the region of space within 2,000 km of the Earth’s surface. It is the most concentrated area for orbital debris. Credit: NASA ODPO.*

Navigating the Crowded Cosmos

As the Earth’s orbital space becomes increasingly populated with satellites crucial for scientific research, communication, and navigation, the burgeoning issue of space debris poses a threat to our sustainable future in space. The ESA’s 2023 Space Environment Report casts a sobering light on the crowded and hazardous orbits, underlining the urgency for effective space debris mitigation measures.

The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee’s guidelines set forth in 2002, aimed at reducing space debris, have become the foundation for space policy. However, with a record-breaking 2,409 new satellites launched in 2022, these guidelines are being outpaced by the sheer volume of space traffic. Many satellites remain in their operational orbits post-mission, creating potential debris clouds that could linger for years. With the rise of commercial satellite constellations in low-Earth orbits, the risk of collisions has grown exponentially, necessitating more frequent collision avoidance maneuvers.

Despite improvements in adopting debris mitigation measures, the ESA report suggests that current efforts are insufficient given the rate of satellite launches and existing debris. Over half of the 30,000 tracked debris pieces are cluttering low-Earth orbit, which doesn’t account for the countless smaller, untracked objects. The report warns that if we continue on this path, the dream of a sustainable space environment could slip through our fingers.

A Silver Lining

Nevertheless, there is a silver lining. A record number of satellites and fragments reentered Earth’s atmosphere in 2022, showing that adherence to guidelines — like vacating protected orbits within 25 years of end-of-life — is improving. Moreover, more than 80% of constellation satellites are now designed to deorbit within two years post-mission. Yet, most of these reentries are uncontrolled, posing risks of debris landing unpredictably on Earth.

ESA’s proactive steps include the novel “assisted reentry” technique, successfully demonstrated with the Aeolus satellite, and pioneering the ClearSpace-1 mission for active debris removal. These initiatives are part of ESA’s Zero Debris goal for 2030, aiming to leave no new space debris in critical orbits. By setting a precedent with the ClearSpace-1 mission, ESA aspires to catalyze a new commercial sector focused on debris removal and promote sustainable space operations industry-wide.

Time to Act

The 2023 report from ESA serves as a call to action for the global space community. The space around our planet is a finite, invaluable resource that demands our immediate attention and stewardship to prevent the dire predictions of Kessler Syndrome from becoming a reality.

…. fragments from future collisions will be generated faster than atmospheric drag will remove them.”
The Kessler Syndrome, as discussed by Donald J. Kessler, March 8, 2009

With continued focus and innovation in space sustainability, we can ensure that the benefits of space advancements are not overshadowed by the growing cloud of orbital debris. It’s time to act and safeguard our space environment for future generations.

A Glimpse at Climate Change’s Strain on American Household Finances

October 1, 2023 / activist360

The Impact of Climate Change on American Household Finances

The U.S. Department of the Treasury recently unveiled a revealing report, drafted in collaboration with the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (FLEC), titled “The Impact of Climate Change on American Household Finances.” This report is a culmination of governmental and academic insights and aligns with President Biden’s objectives outlined in Executive Orders 14030 and 13985, emphasizing climate-related financial risk and advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities.

The report scrutinizes the multifaceted impacts of climate change on American households, focusing predominantly on the finances of the most susceptible ones. Climate hazards, such as extreme weather conditions and natural disasters, pose an imminent threat, causing significant damage and harm to individuals, properties, and the environment. Several populations are identified as being exceptionally vulnerable, including outdoor workers, single-parent households, and lower-income families, facing diverse financial strains like income loss, reduced childcare availability, and diminished access to credit respectively.

Households nationwide are grappling with severe financial repercussions, ranging from loss of income due to disrupted business operations, to heightened expenditures related to damage repairs, transportation, healthcare, and utilities. The lack of preparation and access to financial services like credit and insurance exacerbate the situation, leaving many in dire straits during climate events.

Regions across the U.S. illustrate varied exposure to climate hazards, with half of the U.S. counties experiencing elevated exposure to flooding, wildfires, or extreme heat. The report exemplifies this by profiling regions like Appalachia, the U.S.-Mexico border areas, and the Mississippi Delta, facing severe financial strains due to their distinct climate exposures.

In response, the report outlines strategic recommendations and current initiatives by FLEC to bolster household financial security and resilience against climate hazards. It emphasizes promoting awareness, building both physical and financial resilience at community and household levels, and utilizing resources and aid from governmental programs and agencies like FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

It’s imperative for households to assimilate knowledge about potential climate hazards, build physical resilience through government incentives, and shield their finances from climate-related impacts by adopting strategies like electronic payment of income and expenses. Access to pertinent information and support mechanisms are crucial for communities and individuals to navigate the daunting challenges posed by climate change and to ensure their financial well-being in the face of escalating climate hazards.

Asset Managers’ Climate Pledges: Bold Promises or Mere Rhetoric?

August 6, 2023 / activist360

InfluenceMap Asset Managers and Climate Change Report: Climate analysis of the sector’s portfolios, stewardship, and policy influence, August 2023.

Despite the wave of global commitments towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, the recent study InfluenceMap Asset Managers and Climate Change Report: Climate analysis of the sector’s portfolios, stewardship, and policy influence by FinanceMap paints another picture. The world’s largest asset managers, controlling an astounding $72 trillion, are falling dramatically short of their ambitious climate pledges.

FinanceMap’s analysis scrutinized the strategies of 45 titan asset management firms. Their threefold criteria encompassed portfolio alignment with climate objectives, effective stewardship of their invested companies, and genuine engagement with sustainable finance policies. The results are concerning: a staggering 95% of portfolios failed to align with the imperative IEA Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario.

The research also revealed that these financial behemoths are holding nearly three times the equity value in fossil fuel enterprises compared to their ‘green’ investments. The definition of ‘green’ here leans on the EU Taxonomy and Bloomberg data. Equally alarming is the 45% dip in top-tier Stewardship asset managers since 2021, those once hailed for their groundbreaking climate stewardship practices.

Though European asset managers, such as Legal & General Investment Management, BNP Paribas, and UBS, demonstrate commendable engagement with their investee companies, their American counterparts present a grim scenario. US firms like BlackRock, Vanguard, and Fidelity Investments have shown declining or consistently low stewardship scores, hinting at a worrying trend in the US’s approach to environmental, social, and governance factors.

Even as these revelations come to light, the irony lies in the fact that 86% of these asset managers are members of at least one industry group that actively oppose the very sustainable finance policies needed for global decarbonization.

Daan Van Acker, FinanceMap’s Program Manager, summarizes the situation aptly: “While they may talk the talk, most asset managers are not walking the walk.”

For access to the report, readers can visit FinanceMap.org.