This project could put aviation conspiracy nuts out of business
Chemtrail spotters rattled by the sight of clouds streaking the sky, sit tight: researchers in Europe are working on eliminating contrails, the high-altitude condensation trails on which the conspiracy theory rests.
A European Union-backed project called PACIFIC is focused on understanding climate-neutral aviation with the goal of minimising non-CO2 emissions from planes. Non-CO2 emissions are made up of water vapour, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and soot, which together create the streaks of clouds in the sky.
These streaks have spawned the well-established chemtrail conspiracy, which is the mistaken belief that contrails are actually chemical or biological agents being sprayed on the public for nefarious purposes. And contrails are a problem when it comes to our world getting hotter.
Just 10 per cent of flights create 80 per cent of planet-warming contrails. They most commonly occur on long-haul flights, which are essential to almost all Australian international travel.
Under certain conditions, contrails form when water vapour, non-CO2 emissions and soot emitted from engines freeze to form streaks of ice crystal clouds.
The streaks run for an average length of 150 kilometres, or about 10 minutes of flying. Most – but not all – contrails warm the atmosphere.
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While only 10 to 15 per cent of contrails are persistent, and most of these last only a few hours, 'they can exacerbate climate change by trapping heat radiating from the Earth's surface', says Airbus.
Understanding more about the specific conditions that create warming contrails is part of the mission of the Particle emissions, Air quality and Climate Impact related to Fuel Composition and Engine Cycle (PACIFIC) consortium. It's a gathering of 11 European partners organised to advance climate neutral aviation to cut non-CO2 emissions.
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