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Celebrating SkyTruth’s 2022 Program Accomplishments

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As we enter a new year, we face two of the greatest challenges of our time: a changing climate and a biodiversity crisis

At SkyTruth, we’re making sure the impacts of poorly regulated industrial activity on ecosystems and people don’t go unseen. By sharing the view from space, we’re removing the veil that protects those who pollute oceans with bilge, degrade critical habitats through mining, and warm the Earth by emitting methane. If people see with their own eyes the damage being done, they can put pressure on governments and businesses to clean up their acts.

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The 138 meter Russian flagged tanker KAPITAN SCHEMILKIN

Russian Tanker Falsifies AIS Data, Hides Likely Activity Around Malta and Cyprus

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A first-of-its kind discovery of deceptive ship location broadcasts by a Russian tanker underlines a growing risk of unregulated vessel activity

The maritime world is likely entering an unprecedented period of deceptive shipping practices by tanker operators seeking to avoid sanctions. The recent announcement of a price cap on Russian crude—and a new ban on Western companies insuring Russian cargoes—sets the stage for an increase in clandestine activities by ocean vessels. Not only does this intentional deception provide cover for possibly illegal activity: The misuse of the AIS collision avoidance system jeopardizes safety at sea by ratcheting up the risk of collisions, oil spills, and other serious accidents.

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New Partnership Unites Marine Governance Advocacy and Tech to Defend Indonesian Waters

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SkyTruth and Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative join forces to catch ocean polluters, improve compliance, and strengthen enforcement

SkyTruth’s efforts to hold ocean polluters accountable just received a big boost in Southeast Asia. SkyTruth and the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI), an environmental policy think tank based in Jakarta, have established a formal collaboration to detect chronic oil pollution from vessels in Indonesian waters.

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Dynamic World land cover data in SkyTruth Alerts

SkyTruth Showcases Novel Use for Dynamic World Dataset at Geo for Good

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A new, free collection of data—in tandem with Alerts—bolsters our ability to detect habitat change in near real-time

This Thursday (October 6) SkyTruth’s Chief Technology Officer Jason Schatz will speak at Google’s Geo for Good plenary session alongside conference organizers from Google and World Resources Institute (WRI). Jason will present technology developed at SkyTruth that focuses on the value of Google and WRI’s new Dynamic World (DW) dataset. DW is a near real-time, land use/land cover (LULC) dataset that we’ve incorporated into SkyTruth’s Alerts application.

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SkyTruth Intern Detects Oil Spills in Niger Delta and Rio Del Rey Basins

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Close inspection of satellite imagery reveals sources of oil pollution off Africa’s coast, near vulnerable communities

Nigeria is not only the largest economy in Africa, but also the largest exporter of crude oil on the continent, exporting 1.27 million barrels per day in 2021. The Nigerian economy is—and historically has been—reliant on the hydrocarbon industry for foreign exchange income and tax revenue. The reliance on crude oil in particular for income generation has led to the widespread proliferation of offshore drilling operations in the petroleum-rich Niger Delta Basin.

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