EU puts digital Earth in orbit for climate-change fight

A software model of Earth, meant to simulate and monitor environmental hazards while findings ways to mitigate climate change, began its monitoring and predictive mission on Monday, the EU Commission said. Florence Rabier, head of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, called Destination Earth "a game-changer", not least because people would let people ask the model for responses to questions on climate change.