global carbon monitoring

Japanese space agency Jaxa launched a satellite in January called Ibuki, and NASA is launching one this month called OCO (orbiting carbon observatory), both of which will be monitoring the global carbon cycle. Earth's ecosystem circulates an estimated 330 billion tons of CO2 each year. The oceans absorb a lot of that, and there are many other carbon sinks. How much is absorbed by different sinks is a matter of scientific debate, but these satellites will create a global accounting system to see how CO2 cycling varies over time, perhaps even allowing us to see the effects of policy changes that change carbon emissions.