Credit…Trent Parke/Magnum Photos Dr. Miodownik is professor of materials and society at University College London and the author, most recently, of “It’s a Gas: The Sublime and Elusive Elements That Expand Our World.” The airlines are magicians. They’ve positioned flying as a minor part of the environmental crisis using distraction, manipulation and psychology. And we want to believe in their fantasy of air travel that doesn’t roast the planet. The industry is responsible for about 4 percent of human-made climate change, an enormous amount given that only about 10 percent of the global population flies regularly. New technology and efficiency gains, the airlines say, will allow them to expand their number of frequent fliers, and reach the 7 billion people who don’t fly, without additional harm to the environment. Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.