Silver lining to expensive oil? Canceled flights and cleaner skies?

[suziedemocrat]

It seems like the night sky has been very clear lately. Could it be because there are fewer airline flights because of expensive oil? Or is it just a dry fall?

[yourout]

1. The biggest silver lining is that R&D into alternatives including Algae Biodiesel is now.....

becoming cost effective.

[tblue]

2. I have cut back on everything -- driving, shopping, getting my nails done

In many ways, it's better for the planet, if not for the economy.

[kestrel91316]

3. Well, burning less fossil fuels is a very good thing, but the law of

unintended consequences also kicks in with respect to the decrease in airplane flights: global dimming. So yes, the air is cleaner and clearer, and we see more TRUE blue than that awful hazy blue that has come to prevail. But we will see more SEARING heat, too.

On the up side: global dimming is bad in that it decreases rainfall due to less evaporation of water. So searing sun is better for getting water into the air to produce rain.

After 9/11 when air travel abruptly stopped, global dimming was discovered and documented.

[NNadir]

5. So your contention is that we should keep as many particulates in the air as possible?

Why am I not surprised?

[NNadir]

4. We noticed that a few weeks ago. For the first time in his life my son could see the milky way

from our front yard - faint from light pollution - but still present.

High oil prices are necessary. We should tax that crap heavily.