Vapour trails. Chemtrails. Contrails. Whatever you call them, no one likes the stuff that comes out of jet plane engines, except the airline industry which sees only puffy dollar signs in the sky.
Often their linear tailpipe clouds linger, smearing the sky with unnatural streaks of civilization. Who gave them permission to spray their graffiti all over our atmospheric commons?
When I was regularly backpacking 15 kilometres into the wilderness, I remember being miffed by having my experience being made less wild by hearing jets overhead, then seeing their trails taint the sky that is normally as wild and free as the ground we were camping on.
"There's no escape" I thought as I looked up at the vexing vapours that were the only evidence of humans for kilometres in every direction.
Fast forward a few, and finally - escape!
2020 has seen air travel reduced by over 90 percent in many parts of the globe.
That is a lot fewer planes in the sky, and that is also fewer annoying toxic trails across the dome above. It is also a lot quieter, and in a world that is as noisy as ours today, more quiet is welcome.
Earth's atmospheric wilderness is re-establishing itself as the deeply blue-tifull, pristine life support system it was meant to be, and I am grateful for that.
Thank you to everyone who is choosing to fly less.
Or not at all.
My home isn't far from Pittsburgh International Airport. It often sounds as if jets are about to land on my roof. I have noticed that it's happening much less now. Oh how the earth and sky needed this break. One thing that we can be thankful for in this scary time.
ReplyDeleteFewer vehicles on the streets/highways as well. More people walking or riding bikes. The fact that the entire concept of travel-as-we-now-know-it is no longer has led me to rethink the next few years and alter my mindset. The *plan* was to work until 75 and take at least an annual jaunt to a destination in Europe for a month or so, settle into a neighbourhood with my laptop and write. My thoughts are now closer to home - there is so much of this beautiful country (indeed my home province) I have yet to set my eyes upon that there is plenty to hold my interest for the next few years.
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