'We used to go to the climate conferences together. We are not anymore': ESA official Simonetta Cheli tells us how the political landscape for Earth observation is changing

FRASCATI, Italy — Observing Earth from space provides a much-needed insight into the evolution of our planet's health. This is particularly important in the face of climate change, as environmental degradation, food insecurity and extreme weather events can all reveal themselves in stark images taken from high above our planet's surface.Simonetta Cheli is the director of Earth observation programs at the European Space Agency (ESA) and the head of the European Space Research Institute (ESRIN) in Frascati, Italy. With nearly 40 years of experience in the field, she is one of the world's leading experts on Earth observation. Live Science spoke with Cheli on a recent visit to ESRIN to talk abou...