In rare instances, a practical solution to a thorny problem emerges faster than the understanding of the problem itself. This is what may be happening with condensation trails, or contrails, and their climate impact. Most experts agree that aviation's non-CO_2 effects account for the lion's share of its contribution to global warming. A consensus has yet to be reached in the industry, and scientists have yet to accurately describe every complex phenomenon in contrail formation, persistence and environmental impact. But trials and early commercial efforts linked to contrail formation-avoidance measures seem to point in the same direction, suggesting that minor changes to trajectories on a limited number of flights may eliminate most contrails.
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