Gelles, David. “Curbing Contrails: A Climate Solution in the Skies.” The New York Times, 8 Aug. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/08/08/climate/curbing-contrails-a-climate-solution-in-the-skies.html?smid=url-share. Accessed 27 Jan. 2024.
Contrails from jet airplanes have been known to trap heat in the atmosphere. Studies have shown that contrails are responsible for 35% of all planetary warming attributable to aviation. They also account for upward of 1% of human-caused global warming. Scientists have concluded that flying a couple thousand feet lower in altitude reduces the chance of contrails forming by 54%. Climate scientists are really excited about this finding because it can be implemented in years, not decades like some other possible solutions.
I believe that the team between Google, American Airlines, and Breakthrough Energy have made an amazing discovery. I didn’t know that contrails contributed so much to aviation’s part of global warming. The practice of reducing contrails is a great step forward in the journey to reduce aviation admissions. I think that other airlines should follow American Airline’s example and have some of their flights fly at lower altitudes to reduce contrails. The next step is to find an affordable alternative fuel with a smaller carbon footprint.
This is a very interesting study that I had no idea about. I hope that airlines start implementing it soon. Do you think it is possible to pass laws forcing planes to fly at lower altitudes? Why do planes fly so high anyways?
It’s really interesting that the contrails trap heat, I never knew this and am now interested on why that it. It’s also great that they have a viable solution to limit the amount of heat trapped, hopefully, this is a step towards reducing it!