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Greenhouse gases
Aircraft use an incredible amount of fuel and they burn it high up in the sky where the air is thin and the chemistry is complex and fragile. Some of the chemicals emitted by aircraft heats the planet and some cools it. (1) The overall impact of aircraft emissions is a warming effect that is 1.9 times that of carbon dioxide alone. (2)
The key greenhouse gases and materials emitted by aircraft are
•Carbon dioxide (CO2) – Air travel produces almost as much carbon dioxide per passenger per kilometer as having a single occupant in a small car. (3) However, instead of going to work or to the store for groceries, plane trips are hundreds or thousands of kilometers. A small car creates about 5 tonnes of CO2 a year. A plane trip to London and back generates about 1.4 tonnes of CO2, (4) or more than 3 months driving – and that’s just the carbon dioxide.
•Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ozone – Nitrogen oxides are greenhouse gases and the NOx that planes produce also increase ozone concentrations. Increases in ozone in the upper troposphere are more effective at warming the planet than increases at lower altitudes.
•Water vapour – Water vapor is a greenhouse gas. Most aircraft water vapour is released at lower altitudes where it’s removed by precipitation within 1 to 2 weeks but whatever is released in the stratosphere (above 10,000 metres) builds up.
•Contrails and cirrus clouds – Those thin trails behind high flying aircraft tend to warm the Earth’s surface, especially at night.
•Sulfate and soot aerosols – Soot tends to warm while sulfate tends to cool the Earth’s surface. Because aerosols influence the formation of clouds, their accumulation from aircraft plays a role in enhanced cloud formation and changes the properties of clouds.
Top of page
Greenhouse gases
Aircraft use an incredible amount of fuel and they burn it high up in the sky where the air is thin and the chemistry is complex and fragile. Some of the chemicals emitted by aircraft heats the planet and some cools it. (1) The overall impact of aircraft emissions is a warming effect that is 1.9 times that of carbon dioxide alone. (2)
The key greenhouse gases and materials emitted by aircraft are
•Carbon dioxide (CO2) – Air travel produces almost as much carbon dioxide per passenger per kilometer as having a single occupant in a small car. (3) However, instead of going to work or to the store for groceries, plane trips are hundreds or thousands of kilometers. A small car creates about 5 tonnes of CO2 a year. A plane trip to London and back generates about 1.4 tonnes of CO2, (4) or more than 3 months driving – and that’s just the carbon dioxide.
•Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ozone – Nitrogen oxides are greenhouse gases and the NOx that planes produce also increase ozone concentrations. Increases in ozone in the upper troposphere are more effective at warming the planet than increases at lower altitudes.
•Water vapour – Water vapor is a greenhouse gas. Most aircraft water vapour is released at lower altitudes where it’s removed by precipitation within 1 to 2 weeks but whatever is released in the stratosphere (above 10,000 metres) builds up.
•Contrails and cirrus clouds – Those thin trails behind high flying aircraft tend to warm the Earth’s surface, especially at night.
•Sulfate and soot aerosols – Soot tends to warm while sulfate tends to cool the Earth’s surface. Because aerosols influence the formation of clouds, their accumulation from aircraft plays a role in enhanced cloud formation and changes the properties of clouds.
In response to be called a stupid, lazy old nay sayer. Also ignorant.