According to one Australian scientist, yeah.
Has anyone ever heard of the "Global Dimming Effect"?
According to Tim Flannery (A somewhat well-known Australian Global Warming activist), Air travel is actually doing more to combat global warming than it is to amplify it.
The basic idea is that the jet contrails emitted by Jumbo Jets form lots of artificial clouds in the atmosphere, which then reflect more of the sun's incoming rays back out to space before they can warm the planet.
Sound too good to be true? Maybe it is.
Most of this theory is based on the events that occured immediately after September 11th, 2001.
From September 11th to 14th 2001, all civilian air traffic in North America was grounded. During this time period, cloud cover over North America declined significantly and surface temperatures inexplicably rose by a full degree Celsius all over the continent.
Admittedly, a sample space of four days
is a pretty small amount, but if Doctor Flannery is right, maybe we won't have to feel so guilty about all those long haul flights anymore.
Reply to this That would be just too good for people like me who gets really sea sick and panic on the open ocean, but are feeling too guilty every time we get a plane...it's not easy to make a choice: do I get a boat and I spent a week pucking on the sea or do I take a plane for a few hours and destroy the planet my children will inherit?...
Reply to this It seems to make sense CanadianViking. Would u mind posting a link to a blog so we can read about it.
Mel
Reply to this My original information came from Tim Flannery's book, "The Weather Makers". Since
that isn't available on the web, this site presents a comprehensive review of global dimming, including it's cons as well as it's pros.
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