Japan To Track Greenhouse Gases From Space

In attempts to better understand the ‘Greenhouse Effect’, Japanese scientists have announced their plan to launch satellites in order to watch the Earth “breathe”. The Ibuki satellite (named after the Japanese word for breathing) will measure carbon dioxide and methane emissions, which are said to make up 80% of greenhouse gases. Unfortunately, the project doesn’t come cheap. Its price tag is going to be 34.6 billion yen (around USD $380m, if my calculations are correct). But hey, isn’t knowing how the Earth is breathing worth it?