We see contrails every day in the Boulder skies. Colored like clouds, they are the straight lines in the sky that trail jet planes. And what are they? Why do they appear at all? Some of the Most Interesting Contrails I’ve Seen       pic Lensworth Contrails, short for “condensation trails,” are cloud-like trails left behind by aircraft as they fly through the sky. These are a specific type of cirrus cloud formed when the water vapor from an airplane’s exhaust mixes with the cold air at high altitudes. The interaction between the hot exhaust gases and the cold air causes... Read More

After the publication of the International Report on Climate Change by the United Nations, a few things were made very clear according to an article on TheGuardian.com. One of the truths that rang loudest is that carbon emission reductions will be a necessity in order to decrease the severity of the impacts of climate change. Reducing the amount of atmospheric carbon an individual pollutes can be very difficult. While someone might be very carbon conscious, they may have no control over certain aspects of life that create pollution. The U.S.’s Energy Information Administration’s website and... Read More