Login to Continue Learning
At least eight states have introduced legislation regarding so-called “chemtrails”—a conspiracy theory suggesting chemicals are being released into the atmosphere by aircrafts. **Newsweek** has created a map highlighting these states.
#### Why It Matters
Chemtrail conspiracy theorists claim that the government or other groups use aircraft to release chemicals or metals, visible as white lines in the sky. People believe these chemicals can modify weather or control minds. However, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these trails are contrails—condensation from jet exhaust meeting cold air at high altitudes—and pose no risk.
Federal agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have publicly denied any experiments involving weather modification as described by chemtrail conspiracy theorists.
#### What To Know
At least eight states have introduced bills related to chemtrails:
– **Louisiana**: Republican state Representative Kimberly Landry Coates defended a bill to ban chemtrails, which passed the House 58-32. It directs the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to record reported sightings and pass complaints to the Air National Guard.
– **Florida**: GOP state Senator Ileana Garcia introduced legislation in December 2024 to prohibit weather modification activities. Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign it.
– **Tennessee**: In April 2024, lawmakers passed a bill banning chemical releases but did not explicitly mention chemtrails.
– **Kentucky and Minnesota**: Bills seek to ban geoengineering activities including atmospheric pollution.
– **Rhode Island and New Hampshire**: Senate bills would ban certain weather engineering activities and emissions release, respectively.
– **South Dakota**: A Senate bill aims to ban polluting emissions.
– **Texas**: State Representative Wesley Virdell introduced an anti-chemtrail bill.
#### What People Are Saying
**Mark Shanahan**, who teaches American politics at the University of Surrey in the UK, told **Newsweek** that these legislations show a “disconnect from reality.” He noted how politics has shifted towards celebrity and credibility issues, allowing fringe ideas to gain prominence.
**Louisiana Representative Kimberly Landry Coates** explained: “This bill is to prevent any chemicals above us in the air, specifically to modify the weather.”
**Florida Senator Ileana Garcia** previously told **Newsweek**: “The bill essentially repeals outdated provisions related to various aspects of the weather modification law, including definitions, licensing requirements, and application processes.”
#### What RFK Jr. Has Said About Chemtrails
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., hosted chemtrail activist Dane Wigington on his podcast in March 2023. They discussed whether chemtrails are real. Kennedy Jr. speculated about the potential dangers, including the accumulation of aluminum in remote areas.
Scientists surveyed by Carnegie Science at the University of California, Irvine, rejected the claim that excess environmental aluminum was due to spraying, with most finding no increase in concentrations.
#### Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Weather ‘Control’ Comment
After Hurricane Helene killed 227 people in the Southeastern U.S., Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X: “Yes they can control the weather. It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.” She suggested that the hurricane path was set to target Republican-leaning counties, though this claim has been debunked.
#### What Happens Next?
Whether other states will follow remains uncertain as legislative sessions continue.
📚 Reading Comprehension Quiz
Which state has introduced legislation specifically related to chemtrails as of December 2024?
Please login or register to take the quiz and earn points!
