#4 Cooling Contrails and Climate Impact (feat. Prof. Ian Poll, Cranfield University)

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In today's Episode 4, we have the privilege of hosting Professor Ian Poll, a distinguished figure in the field of aerospace engineering. Renowned in both academic and industrial circles, Professor Poll is an emeritus professor at Cranfield University, former Chairman of the Defence Scientific Advisory Committee, and has held esteemed positions within the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering. He was also a member of NERC.

Join us as we delve into Professor Poll's significant contributions to aerospace engineering. Our discussion will cover a range of thought-provoking topics including the dual role of aviation in the climate crisis, the concept of demand management within the aviation industry, strategies for contrail management, the potential of cooling clouds in combating climate change, and the metrics for assessing contrail management. We'll also examine the financial aspects of contrail management and the risks airlines face without proactive measures in this arena. Welcome to the show, Ian!

Talking points

• Why is aviation both part of the problem and part of the solution for the climate crisis?

• What would demand management mean for the aviation industry?

• What ways are there to implement contrail management?

• Can cooling clouds be used to reverse climate change?

• What is the right baseline which contrail management should be measured against?

• What factors determine if a contrail is warming or cooling for the environment?

• Where does contrail management end and where does geoengineering start?

• Is there money to be made in contrail management?

• Which risks are airlines running if they don’t act proactively?

Resources

• Poll Schumann Model: https://elib.dlr.de/135592/1/Poll_Schumann_estimation_method_fuel_burn_performance_aircraft_cruise_part_1_fundamentals_2020.pdf