SatSummit is here! The fifth SatSummit kicks off on Thursday, and a symphony of side events has already begun. I’m grateful to be a part of this community and to join you at a time of both urgency and opportunity.
Earth Science meets Earth Action
We started SatSummit nearly a decade ago to connect the space community with the humanitarian and climate communities. SatSummit attendees are a deliberately eclectic mix. We don’t travel the same conference circuits. We are united by an impatience for a future where the best data about the Earth guide decisions about the Earth. Each of us is blazing a portion of the path to that future. We come together in the spirit of action and collaboration. Our vision is for people to leave SatSummit with immediate actions and ideas for shaping a resilient future.
We come together in the spirit of action and collaboration.
SatSummit 2022
The Urgency and the Opportunity
As the SatSummit community prepares to convene again, the urgency and opportunity have never been so clear. When we held the first SatSummit in 2015, extreme climate scenarios were an increasing threat. Today, they are our reality.
Our planet is experiencing temperature records that our current climate models cannot explain. Unprecedented heatwaves in Southeast Asia are "rewriting climate history." Catastrophic climate conditions are driving humanitarian crises that push parts of the world into famine. Meanwhile, this year is pivotal politically, with five of the world's largest carbon-emitting countries facing elections. Decisions made this year will shape our climate futures for decades to come. Advances in AI, particularly those connected with generative AI, are accelerating our ability to understand, summarize, and predict complex earth systems. Advances in cloud data storage and browser technology allow people to access rich earth analysis.
SatSummit exists to help us collectively navigate this moment. A few of the conversations that I’ll be tracking this year are:
- What institutions are needed to drive data-informed action? Are 20th-century institutions up to the task?
- How are humanitarian organizations and governments preparing for new weather and temperature extremes?
- Where can Foundation Models open new use cases for citizens to access powerful earth analysis?
- What does the future of geospatial in a browser look like? How can we accelerate the pipeline from science discovery to application through cloud-optimized platforms?
- How do we modify our food system to survive likely climate futures and to sustain the species and the planet?
- How will we mitigate the disastrous toll on biodiversity and preserve the richness of this planet?
- How do we grow and support the vibrant open science and open geospatial movements at a moment of rapid tech advancement and shifting sector economics?
- What’s the quickest path to decarbonizing, particularly in areas least equipped to finance the transition?
With Gratitude
SatSummit is planned and organized by a small group dedicated to building this community and supporting its critical work. I am incredibly grateful to you all.
I am immensely grateful to build SatSummit with our partners at DevGlobal. Thanks especially to Rhiannan Price for her superhuman talent, vision, and humanity. Thanks also to the SatSummit Superheroes - a small advisory group - who helped shape the program by identifying the topics and voices they felt were most prescient.
SatSummit would not happen without the support of companies and organizations who also believe in the mission. This year, we’d like to thank NASA Lifelines, AWS, Element84, Esri, Impact Observatory, USAID, Earth Genome, and our media partner GeoAwesomeness. Y’all are top-notch.
See you there!
SatSummit is full. But all are welcome to join us Wednesday evening (RSVP) at Development Seed to socialize, scheme, and celebrate.
You can follow conversations and happenings on Twitter/X and LinkedIn using #SatSummit2024.
SatSummit would not happen without the support of companies and organizations who also believe in the mission.
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