Eliminating contrails from flying could be incredibly cheap
4 hours ago
- #aviation
- #contrails
- #climate change
- Contrails, or condensation trails, from aviation contribute significantly to global warming by trapping outgoing irradiation, despite some cooling from sunlight reflection.
- Only about 3% of flights generate 80% of the warming impact from contrails, making targeted rerouting a cost-effective solution.
- Rerouting flights to avoid contrail-forming atmospheric conditions could cost as little as $5 per flight, adding minimal time (e.g., 2 minutes to a 3-hour flight).
- Eliminating contrails could reduce aviation's climate impact by about half, with immediate effects, unlike CO2 emissions which persist for centuries.
- Current barriers to implementation include lack of awareness, perceived costs by airlines, and the need for regulatory policy to mandate contrail avoidance.
- Public awareness and regulatory action are key to adopting contrail avoidance strategies, which are much cheaper than sustainable aviation fuels.