Former Vice President Al Gore has expanded his Climate TRACE initiative to track soot pollution worldwide using satellites and artificial intelligence. The system, announced Wednesday, monitors 137,095 pollution sources, including nearly 4,000 classified as “super emitters.” Data is drawn from 300 satellites and 30,000 sensors.
Unlike methane, soot does not directly warm the planet, but it comes from fossil fuel combustion and is linked to millions of deaths globally each year.
Al Gore’s satellite and AI system is now tracking sources of deadly soot pollution https://t.co/xH7kC799vA
— CTV News (@CTVNews) September 24, 2025
Gore said his goal is to make the information accessible to the public, potentially integrating it into weather apps so citizens can see pollution levels in their own neighborhoods.
The platform highlights cities most exposed to harmful particles, including Karachi, Guangzhou, Seoul, New York City, and Dhaka. Gore argued that transparency will “empower” people, citing heavily polluted areas such as Louisiana’s industrial corridor, often called “Cancer Alley.”
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