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Photo of contrails from EPA fact sheetThe Tennessee Senate passed a bill with wording that targets the controversial "chemtrails" conspiracy theory, calling for a ban on the intentional injection of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere to affect temperature, weather or sunlight. The bill has not advanced in the House at the time of publication but the wording has led many to believe it targets a disproven theory and is being masqueraded as a bill aiming to protect the environment and public welfare.
Senate Bill 2691/ House Bill 2063, sponsored by Rep. Monty Fritts and Sen. Steve Southerland passed in the Senate on March 18 and is heading to the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee for a vote on Wednesday. The bill states that it has been documented that the federal government or entities working on the government's behalf conduct geoengineering experiments by intentionally releasing chemicals into the atmosphere, risking human health and environmental welfare. The bill added a new section, stating that the "intentional injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight is prohibited."
If the bill passes, the act will take effect on July 1. The bill does not explicitly refer to the chemtrail theory but includes wording that references the disproven actions believed by chemtrail conspiracy theorists. USA Today debunked the initial publications that claimed chemtrails and geoengineering were banned in Tennessee, reiterating that the bill would prohibit some forms of emissions linked with the theory, but had not been signed into law at this time. Without naming chemtrails, the bill claims that the government is conducting geoengineering experiments by dispersing chemicals into the atmosphere that harm the public and the environment. While the bill is laden with wording to suggest the baseless theory is factual, the passage could ultimately lower climate emissions - just not from chemtrails.
What are chemtrails?
According to one Harvard University research group, chemtrails refer to the theory that the government or other parties are involved in a secret program to add toxic chemicals into the atmosphere with aircraft, forming visible plumes in the sky that resemble contrails. The theorists allege different motivations for the spraying, including sterilization, reducing life expectancy, mind control and weather control.
"We have not seen any credible evidence that chemtrails exist," David Keith's Research Group said. "If we did see any evidence that governments were endangering their own citizens in the manner alleged in the chemtrails conspiracy, we would be eager to expose and stop any such activities."
The group continued, stating that there are theoretical proposals to combat global warming called solar geoengineering, which would involve adding materials into the Earth's atmosphere to reflect sunlight back to space and reduce climate change. Still, this study is not actuated and is seen as highly controversial due to the possible associated physical risks and ethical concerns. There is no evidence that chemtrails exist. The Harvard Research Group noted that if there were a large-scale program emitting chemicals from aircraft, this would require a large program to operate, manufacture and disperse materials. If such a large-scale program existed, it would require thousands to tens of thousands of participants, which would be impossibly hard to keep secret.
"Moreover, if such a program was intended to cause harm to their fellow citizens—as is alleged by people who believe in the chemtrails conspiracy—then people working in the program would have very strong personal motivations to reveal it," David Keith's Research Group said. "We don't trust that governments will always do the right thing, but we do trust the goodwill of individuals who take risks to blow the whistle, exposing government misdeeds."
A study done by IOP Science found that 17 percent of people in an international survey believed that there was a large-scale atmospheric program releasing chemtrails in the sky. However, according to the scientists who took part in the study, 76 of the 77 said they did not encounter any evidence of a secret large-scale atmospheric program and that data cited as evidence could be attributed to other factors like aircraft contrails.Photo from EPA fact sheet
Contrails vs. chemtrails
While the chemtrail theory is a widespread conspiracy that has largely been disproven, the white streaks seen trailing behind jets are a real concept known as contrails. Contrails, or condensation trails, are clouds that form when the water vapor condenses and freezes around small particles in aircraft exhaust, according to the Center for Science Education. These contrails are essentially man-made clouds and will remain in the atmosphere longer when there is a greater amount of water in the air. As water in the clouds evaporates, the contrail will disappear. With hot water vapor coming from a plane engine, it cools down in the atmosphere, forming man-made clouds, or contrails. The David Keith Research Group stated that some contrails will look different due to a region's temperature and humidity.
Conspiracy or fact
The EPA reports that the chemtrail hoax has been around since 1996, accusing the Air Force of spraying the U.S. population with various mysterious substances and sprays in unusual contrail patterns. The chemtrail conspiracy theory has been around for decades, and disproven for nearly as long. The EPA reported that the observation and scientific analysis of chemtrails and their duration dates back to about 1953. Whether the bill is based on conspiracy or solely to protect the public and environment, it reaches the House on Wednesday.