Emissions from air traffic

Following industrialisation in the 19th century, the greenhouse effect has become far greater than Mother Nature intended and the temperature on earth is steadily increasing. The exact reasons for climate change are the subject of furious discussion between researchers all over the world. The vast majority nonetheless agree that it is the greenhouse gases generated by human activity that have caused most of this temperature increase. Examples of human impact include the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and fossil gas.

This is where air traffic comes into the picture. Air traffic contributes to global warming by burning aviation fuel which then creates carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapour. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that remains in the atmosphere for a long time, at least 100 years. In global terms, it is estimated that air traffic accounts for about 4.6 per cent of man’s combined contribution to the greenhouse effect.