Resources for the Future (RFF) has joined a global network of over 120 participating organizations and more than 100 national governments committed to encouraging the use of Earth observations for societal benefit. RFF announced it was joining the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) as a participating organization as part of RFF’s long-term commitment to using Earth observations to improve natural resource and environmental decisionmaking.
“Resources for the Future recognizes the enormous power that information about the Earth’s natural systems has to inform decisions that affect our daily lives,” said Ann Bartuska, RFF’s Vice President of Land, Water, and Nature. “We are looking forward to joining the GEO community and using our expertise to illuminate the real benefits that satellite observations provide to society.”
RFF brings unique expertise in environmental and natural resources economics to the Earth observing community. Economics offers the tools to value the information generated by satellites—a key step in helping to ensure that investments in Earth observations are made with an eye toward maximizing their benefits to society.
Through the VALUABLES Consortium, a cooperative agreement between RFF and NASA, RFF researchers are exploring how to quantify the value of satellite data applications in areas that range from air quality monitoring to climate observations to wildfire response and recovery. The consortium is also working to build capacity within the Earth science community to facilitate better understanding of the terms, concepts, and methods that economists use to conduct this type of work.
The views expressed in RFF blog posts are those of the authors and should not be attributed to Resources for the Future.
