The system can be monitored by satellite and by measuring trees in the forest, Drax says.

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The Esa satellite's radiometer works by measuring the natural emission of microwaves coming up off the planet's surface.

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To substantiate his argument, Dr Rosenfeld then turned to another satellite, the so-called Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission.

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So much so in fact that we can actually use those satellite photos at night as a method of measuring how well those lives are improving.

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Weighing 4.3 kg (9.5lbs) and measuring 10cm by 30cm (4in by 12in), the satellite has been developed by the University of Surrey's Space Centre (SSC) and Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL).

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In a study published in 2006, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University who rode 37 airline flights with a radio-frequency measuring device found emissions from cellphones that could interfere with global-positioning satellite systems.

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