Since the 1980s, people have grown more aware of their surroundings, the impact of industry on the environment, and the environmentally redemptive qualities of advanced technology. Whether it's a UV lamp optimized to detect mercury and other pollutants in the air and soil, an IR glow bar that illuminates hundreds of airborne chemicals or a coherent source somewhere in between, optical remote sensing methods are keeping tabs on our environment. Industrialists, concerned with meeting government regulations and optimizing production methods, expect optical sensing methods to provide timely information in the harshest environments while saving them money. Photonics does not let them down.