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☆ Floods in Brazil spark conspiracy theories over the cause, including toxic jet vapor trails and antennas in Alaska
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Floods in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul have sparked a number of online conspiracy theories. Jefferson Bernardes/Getty Images"What's happening in Rio Grande do Sul is definitely not natural," one user wrote on X. Advertisementvapor trails — "chemtrails" — spread by the government and then activated by HAARP antennas in Alaska to alter the weather, AFP reported. In the 1990s, a conspiracy theory evolved that they contained dangerous chemicals purposely put in the trails. Advertisement"The warmer atmosphere can store much more water vapor, fueling more frequent and intense episodes of rainfall that lead to disasters like this," he said, while also dismissing the HAARP theory.

Persons: —, Eduardo Leite, El Niño, Porto Alegre . Jefferson Bernardes, Hugo Chavez, Russell Brand, nesta, Gc4PiOiPv1 — Frederico Athia, Carlos Nobre Organizations: Service, National Institute of Meteorology, Research, AFP, BBC, Brazil's National Institute of Science, Technology, United Arab Emirates, University of Cambridge Locations: Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Porto Alegre ., American, Haiti, Alaska, Dubai

☆ A Surprising Shadow Was Created by the Total Solar Eclipse
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Chloe Rose Stuart-Ulin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Viewers of last week’s solar eclipse were treated to stunning celestial phenomena up and down the event’s path during totality. The first was an unusually sharp shadow caused by a passing airplane just after the total eclipse concluded. The plane passing over Montreal during the partial phase of the eclipse left a typical contrail in its wake. In this case, the sharpness of the shadows was explained by the eclipse. Eclipse” for his knowledge of the events.

Persons: ”, Fred Espenak, “ Mr Locations: Montreal

☆ UK economy posts 0.1% growth in February in further sign of recession rebound
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — U.K. gross domestic product rose 0.1% in February, the Office for National Statistics said on Friday, providing another sign of a return to sluggish economic growth this year. The economy contracted in the third and fourth corners of 2023, putting the U.K. in a technical recession. Construction output, which boosted growth at the start of the year, fell 1.9% in February. The reading "all-but confirms the recession ended" last year, Paul Dales, chief U.K. economist at Capital Economics, said in a note. British inflation fell more than expected in March, to a nearly two-and-a-half year low of 3.4%.

Persons: Paul Dales Organizations: Street, LONDON, National Statistics, Capital Economics Locations: London, England, U.S

This is a critical moment for Ukraine, especially as international fatigue starts to set in and the world’s attention shifts to the Middle East. “These days, our attention is focused on the Middle East,” Zelensky told the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in a video address on Monday. Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty ImagesZelensky delivered a similar message to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, led by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, on Wednesday. The Ukrainian president acknowledged Russia was putting up some stiff resistance to Kyiv’s counteroffensive but said his country remained on the offensive. Despite Austin’s vow of support for Ukraine, the new package was one of the smallest provided by the United States.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Jens Stoltenberg, “, ” Zelensky, Zelensky, ”, Ali Jadallah, shockwaves, Anna Voitenko, Joe Biden, Biden, Ronaldo Schemidt, Defense Lloyd Austin, Putin, ” Austin, Austin’s Organizations: CNN, NATO, Ukraine Defense Contact, Getty, Israel Saturday, Ukraine’s General Staff, NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Reuters, US, Defense, Terrorists, Hamas Locations: Brussels, Belgian, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Israel, Russia, Kyiv, It’s, Gaza City, Gaza, Anadolu, Hroza, “, Moscow, Europe, Washington —, United States, Donetsk region, Bucha, AFP, Washington

☆ UAE calls Hamas attacks on Israel a 'serious and grave escalation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The contrails of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel are seen from Sderot, southern Israel October 8, 2023. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun Acquire Licensing RightsOct 8 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates on Sunday described attacks carried out by Palestinian Islamist faction Hamas against Israeli towns as a "serious and grave escalation." The UAE foreign ministry in a statement also said it was "appalled" by reports Israeli civilians were taken as hostages from their homes. The UAE became the first Gulf country to normalise relations with Israel in 2020, breaking with decades of Arab policy toward the Palestinian cause. Reporting by Hatem Maher; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ronen, Hatem Maher, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, United, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Sderot, United Arab, UAE

☆ Curbing Contrails: A Climate Solution in the Skies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( David Gelles | More About David Gelles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Case in point: contrails, those wispy white lines that trail some airplanes flying high in the sky. Contrails, short for condensation trails, are produced when exhaust from jets mixes with water vapor at extremely high altitudes, forming minuscule ice particles. Scientists have known for decades that in some cases, contrails spread out across huge areas, trapping heat in the atmosphere. Yet studies have estimated that contrails are responsible for as much as 35 percent of all of the planetary warming attributable to aviation. “We now know enough about contrails and their impact to know we need to do something about it,” said Andrew Chen of RMI, a nonprofit that promotes sustainability.

Persons: ”, Andrew Chen Organizations: RMI

☆ British tycoon plans to launch an electric airline that will serve plant-based food
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"The question of how to create sustainable air travel has plagued the green movement for decades," said Dale Vince, founder of British energy firm Ecotricity. Ryan Hiscott | Getty Images Sport | Getty ImagesBritish entrepreneur Dale Vince on Monday announced plans to launch an electric airline that will be powered using renewable energy — and those behind the project hope it will mark the start of a new era in air travel. Vince, who is the founder of British energy firm Ecotricity, was bullish about Ecojet's prospects. "The question of how to create sustainable air travel has plagued the green movement for decades," he said. He went on to describe Ecojet as "by far the most significant step towards a solution to date."

Persons: Dale Vince, Ryan Hiscott, Ecojet, Vince Organizations: Getty, Getty Images, Monday, Civil Aviation Authority, CAA Locations: Ecojet, Europe

But some researchers and environmental groups - supported by companies claiming to be able to help solve the problem - say airlines have done too little to handle the issue. According to such experts, research shows that non-CO2 emissions can actually be more harmful than carbon emissions. New European Union rules on emissions trading that will come into force in 2025 will force airlines to track and report their non-C02 emissions. Airlines have pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, mainly by adopting Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), scarce alternative fuels made from renewable sources - like biofuels or synthetic fuels - that are used to power aircraft. Based in Cambridge, England, SATAVIA says that by focusing so heavily on carbon emissions, the industry will be paying more money for a solution that could take years to have an impact.

Persons: Roger Teoh, SATAVIA, Adam Durant, Padraic Halpin, Tim Hepher, Aurora Ellis Organizations: International Air Transport Association, Imperial College London, New, Union, Airlines, Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Istanbul, Paris, contrails, Cambridge, England

☆ Cosmic Aerospace is working on an electric plane with real range
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Denver startup Cosmic Aerospace is developing a fully electric plane to reduce air pollution from regional flights. The aim is to build an electric plane that operates without any emissions but that can still fly for just over 600 miles. Alex Teng, a partner at 50 Years, told CNBC his firm invested in Cosmic partly owing to the cofounders' experience in aviation. The fund also liked that Cosmic is tackling a problem that other developers of electric planes and air taxis have not solved yet -- getting beyond the short hop flight. "Electric aviation has always suffered from a range problem," Teng said, "but my average flight is over 500 miles personally.

☆ Europe is trying to move from planes to trains. Here's how that's going
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Miquel Ros | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Aviation emissions in Europe increased an average of 5% year-on-year between 2013 and 2019, according to the EU. Not surprisingly these moves have set alarm bells ringing in the aviation industry. “For many decision-makers, banning short-haul flights and showing support to the rail industry is an easy win to gain favor with the public, especially in Europe,” Montserrat Barriga, the ERA’s director general, told CNN. “Governments continue ignoring the biggest source of aviation emissions – long-haul flights, that remain unpriced and unregulated,” says T&E’s Dardenne. Better connectivity between intercity rail and airports would also reduce the need for short-haul flights.

☆ Fact Check-Video does not show meteor in Mission, Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A video showing a luminous object shooting across the sky was filmed in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is unrelated to reports of a meteor crashing in Texas on Feb. 15, contrary to claims on social media. in a 10 mile radius.”Reuters identified the location of the recording in Daytona Beach. Two experts ruled out the object seen is a meteor. More information about the meteor near Mission, Texas, published by CBS Media, The Dallas Morning News and CNN can be seen (bit.ly/3Ibjgpf) (bit.ly/41i4t5d) (bit.ly/3lBdzcC).

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