Did you know that contrails—the white lines you see trailing behind jets—are a surprising contributor to climate change, accounting for a staggering two percent of global warming? These contrails can morph into cirrus clouds that trap heat in our atmosphere, exacerbating climate issues. But there's a silver lining: By simply changing flight altitudes, we can significantly reduce their impact.

Enter the Global Meteor Network (GMN), led by Western's own Denis Vida. Backed by big names like Google and Breakthrough Energy, this initiative is poised to lead the world in monitoring contrails like never before. "We have a rare chance to put Canada at the forefront of a burgeoning scientific field," announces Vida, a renowned physicist and expert in meteor physics. Imagine this: if successful, this project could cut carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to all of Canada’s output!

Vida, along with physics and astronomy professor Lisa Schielicke, is tapping into GMN's extensive network of over 1,400 cameras worldwide to observe and analyze aircraft contrails in real-time. This isn't just a groundbreaking scientific movement; it’s a powerful collaboration with Breakthrough Energy's Contrails.org, aiming for smarter aircraft routing.

A Game Changer in Climate Science

In the atmosphere, contrails form in specific cold and humid areas. By forecasting these conditions using newly gathered GMN data, air traffic controllers can reroute planes to avoid contributing to global warming. "Contrail regions can be less than a kilometer thick but stretch for hundreds of kilometers. An altitude shift could easily sidestep them, making the cost of mitigation remarkably low," Vida explains.

The inception of this innovative project started with Luc Busquin, an Alaska Airlines captain, who sought Vida’s expertise to use GMN cameras for observing contrails for climate research. The response was incredibly positive, proving GMN is exactly what the contrail research community has been waiting for.

Setting New Standards