This TED Talk heralds a new era in fighting climate change, from space

Video: TED Talk by EDF President Fred Krupp announcing MethaneSAT

Watch this video to learn about a bold initiative that could change the course of global warming in our lifetimes.

Today Fred Krupp, EDF's president, unveiled a groundbreaking satellite project at TED’s flagship event in Vancouver, British Columbia, as part of The Audacious Project, successor to the TED Prize.

MethaneSAT will gather data about a pollutant — methane — that’s warming the planet, and put that data in the hands of people who can fix the problem.

Our goal is to cut methane emissions 45 percent by 2025, and the data gathered by this satellite will make that possible. Nothing else will have the same kind of near-term impact at such a low cost.

The power of information

To learn the magnitude of the problem with methane, we collected data with drones, planes, helicopters, even Google Street View cars. It turned out that emissions are up to five times higher than what government is reporting.

So we didn't wait for Washington. We published our research, shared it with everyone and saw them take action. Leading oil and gas companies replaced valves and tightened loose-fitting pipes. Colorado became the first state to limit methane pollution. California followed suit, and the public joined in.

By bringing the right people to the table — and leveraging the best of technology, science, data and partnerships — we were able to make the invisible visible, empowering everyone. This enabled us to find new solutions that can be taken to scale and make a lasting impact.