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[pulsing music] Narrator: Our planet is the setting for dazzling 

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and interconnected webs of energy,

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physical phenomena, and life. 

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Amazing to behold from close up, and hypnotic when seen from above.

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From space, the fleet of Earth-observing satellites 

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operated by NASA and its partners illuminate 

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the links between these systems.

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Temperatures on the planet affect all of them, which means

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each one is impacted by a warming climate. During 2020

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global temperatures matched the warmest year we’ve measured, and we experienced 

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the most active hurricane season ever recorded, with many storms 

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quickly intensifying -- likely as a result of warmer seas.

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Heat in the oceans is like fuel that

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powers these massive storms. But incredibly, dust

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swept up from northern Africa actually plays a critical role 

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in the formation of hurricanes. 

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It’s also a key source of fertilization for the Amazon rainforest. 

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Due to climate change, dust plumes are expected

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to decline, and then so will their

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impacts on vegetation an ocean away.

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Our satellites and field research allow us to pay close attention 

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to the Amazon rainforest – and other vegetation across the world, 

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helping us track how fires, deforestation, and disasters 

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affect the world’s plant life. 

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We can also study how those vegetation changes, in turn,

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impact air quality, waterways, and the climate. 

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That same science helps the world’s farmers boost productivity 

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and deal with extreme weather, including drought, early freezes, 

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and heavy spring rains. The observations can 

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also help track some unwanted biproducts of food production.

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Fertilizers used in farming contain high amounts 

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of nutrients to help crops grow. But those same nutrients 

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can cause sometimes-dangerous blooms of algae in waterways, 

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which can affect local economies, recreation, fishing, 

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and human health. They're often so large, they're easily 

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viewed from space. Clean water and clean air 

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are two cornerstones for maintaining healthy people

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… and wildlife. Satellite data and NASA funding

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help map how animal migrations are affected by water sources,

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as well as light pollution and habitat loss,

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and also help find solutions.

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The view from space is especially important 

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in the Arctic and Antarctic, where animal habitats are rapidly changing due to climate change,

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and so is the ice itself, 

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with Greenland and Antarctica losing enough ice in just 16 years to raise sea level 

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by half an inch globally.

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We can also measure snow and ice farther from the poles, 

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such as vital snowpacks in the Sierra Nevada and Rockies, 

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and in the Himalayas

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where rapidly-draining glacial lakes 

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can cause sudden and dangerous bursts of water downstream.

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Earth’s climate is changing, and with it has come a new intensity 

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to weather events and hazards that can lead to disasters,

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including floods, fires, hurricanes, and heat waves.

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As disasters become more frequent and intense, 

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NASA will use its satellites and resources

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to study the effects of climate change on natural systems, 

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and to connect people to technology that can build a more resilient world.

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[music fades]