Jerry Brown, the governor of California, has (in my opinion) made some pretty wild moves and claims over the years but this one may be a bit out there. On Friday, he says that the state will launch its own satellite… to combat climate change.
“We’re going to launch our own satellite — our own damn satellite to figure out where the pollution is and how we’re going to end it,” Brown told the audience at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco.
“We’re going to launch our own satellite — our own damn satellite to figure out where the pollution is and how we’re going to end it.” – California Gov. Jerry Brown
The plan? San Franciso-based company Planet Labs will work with the wayward state to get get the satellite rolled out. The company, according to Brown, has launched 150 satellites already.
“In California, with science under attack, in fact we’re under attack by a lot of people, including Donald Trump, but the climate threat still keeps growing,” Brown added. “So, we want to know, what the hell is going on all over the world, all the time?”
As reported by Fox News:
Brown’s office told the Washington Post that government scientists and staff will work on the project, but no money from the state’s coffers will be spent toward the development of the satellite. A number of donors have stepped up to fund the experiment, including San Francisco investment banker Richard Lawrence and the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust.
The intentionally worded announcement came nearly two years after the governor threatened the Trump administration that California will launch its own satellite.
“If Trump turns off the satellites, California will launch its own damn satellite,” Brown said back in 2016, before lamenting the “Governor Moonbeam” nickname the media gave him for previously considering similar plans.