Personal Note of Good News Close to Home

When the new administration slashed federal programs and DOGE made their most egregious cuts, my son-in-law lost his job with the U.S. Dept of Agriculture in the international division of forestry. It was a shock to see what happened to our international forestry program that existed to share U.S. Forest science and management expertise, strengthen global forest governance, reduce deforestation and wildfire risk, protect biodiversity, and support climate goals, all while advancing U.S. environmental diplomacy and international cooperation. All gone with a swipe of the pen.

The silver lining to that dark cloud finally showed itself about a month ago when my son-in-law found a new job with a non-profit (I had never heard of) and so proud to see him working for. It is truly an organization shining a light on environmental problems needing rectification and providing valuable data and analytical tools to anyone interested in exposing and studying human-induced environmental degradation. To learn more about that organization, called SkyTruth, read on with links included for more in-depth information.  

SkyTruth is a US-based nonprofit environmental organization that uses satellite imagery, remote sensing, machine learning, and big data to monitor and reveal environmental harm and promote conservation worldwide. It describes its mission as “sharing the view from space to promote conservation for people and the planet.” (Wikipedia)

Core Purpose

• Environmental watchdog and transparency advocate — SkyTruth makes hidden or hard-to-see impacts from industries like oil and gas, mining, fishing, and urban development visible to the public, researchers, journalists, policymakers, and advocates. (Wikipedia)
• Its work is data-driven, science-based, and publicly accessible: all imagery, analyses, and tools are provided for free to maximize transparency and accountability. (SkyTruth)

What It Does

• Satellite & Remote Sensing Analysis: Identifies and monitors environmental threats — such as oil spills, offshore drilling impacts, fracking, mountaintop removal mining, and illegal fishing — by analyzing satellite and aerial data. (Wikipedia)
• Technology Tools: Creates and supports platforms like the 30×30 Progress Tracker (for tracking protected lands and oceans) and Cerulean (a machine learning system that detects oil slicks and identifies likely polluters at sea). (MPA Community Network)
• Partnerships & Impact: Collaborates with conservation groups, governments, and media to equip them with credible evidence that can drive stronger environmental policy and enforcement. (MPA Community Network)

Approach & Philosophy

SkyTruth emphasizes that better transparency leads to better environmental outcomes, empowering local communities, scientists, journalists, and policymakers to hold industries and governments accountable. It leverages the rapid growth in satellite data and modern computing (including AI and cloud technology) to scale its monitoring globally. (SkyTruth)

History & Notable Contributions

• Founded in 2001 by geologist John Amos to fill a gap in conservation by making satellite imagery usable for environmental advocacy. (SkyTruth)
• It has helped expose the true scale of events like oil spills and long-term leaks and contributed foundational data for global conservation initiatives. (SkyTruth)

In summary, SkyTruth is a conservation technology nonprofit that uses advanced earth observation data and analytics to make environmental impacts visible, fostering transparency, accountability, and stronger environmental protection worldwide. (Wikipedia)