Impact of Global Warming on the World & Aviation

Impact of Global Warming on the World & Aviation

" We may have unwittingly begun a massive experiment with the system of the planet itself," Margaret Thatcher, 1988. With the rising temperatures and ocean levels, global warming has been mentioned in the media since the late eighties. However, recently global warming has been receiving more attention with the change in weather patterns across the western United States. "In fact, global surface air temperature has increased by between 0.3 to 0.6 degrees Celsius since the late nineteenth century." The Kyoto Protocol, formed to address these environmental issues, was primarily meant to: "reduce 5.2% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as measured at 1990 levels for the period of 2008 to 2012." To date, there exists not a larger nor precarious situation as global warming.

Due to the environmental impact that major cities cause, with unending stress on the natural environment, car pollution, refineries and human destruction have all caused the ozone layer great amounts of damage and loss. One only has to consider the ozone holes over Antarctica and Australia. Here the UV-B rays are harmful to the point of causing skin cancer from one outing because the ozone "protective," layer no longer exists. In addition to the added stress the human population has caused the shrinking ozone, the weather patterns have changed in response to stress, and polar icecaps are melting in the artic waters of the North Pole. As an aviation pilot, the changes in weather and weather patterns are extremely alarming for three reasons: 1) there is no stability in being able to control weather conditions which decide flight destination or route, 2) there exists a greater danger in flying planes when the weather changes suddenly, and 3) the risk of pilots and their crew is indirectly dependent on a non-controllable source, the weather.

While many environmentalists have provided options in which to control the amount of further damage inflicted on the ozone layer, none have been adopted. Perhaps the only pioneering feat was the signature of the Clean Air Act by Congress, and the presidential conference in which discussions of global air pollution were debated. However, as aviators, there are several solutions to protecting our "friendly skies," from further damage. First and foremost, although much attention has been given to cars and factory air pollution, air pollution aircraft have not been mentioned, airline pollution or other controllable sources within the field.

If one examines the United States history, the skies underwent major pollution which occurred in the Industrial Revolution, where massive amounts of carcinogens and toxins were being thrust into the fragile ozone layer and Earth's stratospheres. In fact, "carbon dioxide levels have risen by a third by the industrial revolution in the 1760's." The most illustrative example of this very effect on species and the skies is that of the famous moth study, in which the industrial moth adapts to blend in with the tree trunks, brought on by the heavy air pollution in which much of Europe and the northern industrial nations experienced. Another prediction made by experts is that the Earth's climate level and temperature is slowly rising, and "increasing levels of greenhouse gases will, by the year 2100, cause the Earth to warm by between 1 and 3.5 degrees Celsius." With this prediction, along with the charted increase in global temperatures, it remains critical to monitor the Earth's climate and weather patterns closely. The very fact that pollution has, in more ways than one, influenced daily life and affected different forms of life is notably disturbing. Our own human lives are dependent on the Earth's environment and climatic zones.

With this vast knowledge of the melting polar icecaps, there are several key questions to ask: for instance, how will the Earth cool itself without the polar icecaps? And how will weather patterns change? The answers lie within the weather pattern mapping over the last several decades. And the changing weather patterns will directly effect aircraft routes and destinations. The aviation industry should concern itself with air quality because clean air ultimately translates into a safer flight.

Global warming will effect weather patterns in the future, as extreme weather has already appeared worldwide, causing countless deaths and billions of dollars in damage. The environmental and ecosystem impact has been widespread and massive, and more importantly, extreme weather will affect the aviation industry. The weather effects the aviation industry by disrupting flight schedules, which attributes to a large net loss in profits, damages planes and causes injuries, if not death amongst the crew or passengers themselves. Due to the nature of extreme weather, the predictability with today's modern technological advances still does not allow for a good accuracy, which leads room for weather catastrophes. Extreme Weather is defined as: "Having higher and lower temperatures, fiercer winds, deadlier floods,

longer droughts, and an increased frequency of dust storms, tsunamis, storm surges, tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones." Due to the unpredictability of this type of dangerous weather, and the disasters it causes to the environment and ecosystems, extreme weather exists as a tremendous threat to not only human lives and the airline industry, but to the very environments and ecosystems they are created in.

In the recent fires in San Diego, an air traffic control tower, which is the air traffic control center for Southern California, was in the path of the fire and had to be evacuated due to the severe fire threat. This caused the ground aviation crew to be effected and reveals the weaknesses and vulnerability of conditions created by extreme weather. The San Diego and San Bernardino fires caused by severe drought and fierce Santa Ana winds, are typical of extreme weather conditions. With the tower being forced to evacuate, flights were cancelled until the fire danger was cleared. This effected anyone traveling from the Bay Area to San Diego and from San Diego to the Bay Area. This seemingly minor disruption for those who travel frequently cannot be discounted, as global climate changes and weather patterns ultimately determine travel safety and flight routes. What is a minor nuisance to some is a warning sign from the Earth's altering weather and climate patterns.

As an aviator, these changes in climate and weather are particularly alarming for several reasons. The first, is that humans cannot control the weather, and will directly be effected by storms, fires, floods, tornadoes, winds and