Silicon Valley Students Experience DigitalGlobe's Satellite's-Eye View of Environmental Degradation and Improvements Fostered by Restoration - Seite 2

Dr. Stanley Rose III, superintendent of the Santa Clara Unified School District said, "The reduction of the State's water table, the increasing temperatures that have -- among many other things -- affected the learning environment for children, and the erosion of our Pacific shores, all exemplify why it is so critical that we all treat the human effect on climate with the highest urgency. As we speak, districts across the State are changing science curriculum to account for a long overdue emphasis on environmental science. This event brings into sharp resolution an issue that no one can afford to disregard any longer. We thank Congressman Honda and DigitalGlobe for making this important effort part of Earth Day for Santa Clara Unified Students and our larger community."

Students contrast and compare "living color" views of the Bay Area

To provide students with visual evidence of change, DigitalGlobe experts will present images taken at different points in time of marshes and wetland that document damage as well as positive effects of restoration projects underway. DigitalGlobe's WorldView-3 satellite is the first commercial satellite to incorporate 16 high-resolution spectral bands that capture information in the visible and near-infrared and the short-wave infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. DigitalGlobe's 70-petabyte time-lapse image library contains images dating back to 1999.

The satellite images powerfully depict changes in ecosystems throughout the state, including four in the Bay Area:

• Before and after images of Knight Island wetlands in 2011 and 2015
• Dumbarton Wetland Restoration project
• Lake Shasta in 2011 and 2015
• Lake McClure in 2010 and 2015
• Peterson Middle School, Sunnyvale, Calif. in 2016
  
  

Beyond the Bay Area, DigitalGlobe satellites are actively monitoring environmental changes throughout the world, driving awareness among citizens, communities and governments.

"Because our planet is constantly changing, there is a great need for accurate, current, visual evidence to support critical business and social decisions," said Taner Kodanaz, Global Sustainability Director for DigitalGlobe. "The most valuable insights require seeing what others can't see. DigitalGlobe combines our unique vantage point and our industry-leading technology with the highest resolution imagery available to inform strategies to manage natural resources with confidence. We need to empower our children to take action with events like this that demonstrate the changes that are occurring in their backyard and around the globe."