US: Tennessee Senate passes bill banning geoengineering amid ‘chemtrails’ conspiracy theories
On April 1, the Tennessee state House of Representatives passed a bill to prevent geoengineering. In geoengineering, the atmosphere is intentionally modified to counteract global warming.
What does the bill cover?
The bill targets various methods of geoengineering, including theoretical ideas about cooling the climate by solar radiation modification, cloud seeding, etc.
Fact vs. fiction
While the motive of the bill seems to be straightforward: to stop geoengineering, lawmakers discussed the proposal straddled between fact and fiction because most geoengineering options are theoretical and untested.
Many of the concepts grouped together under the broad term “geoengineering” are little more than the wild notions that scientists created while trying to figure out how to slow down global warming.
Some suggested that solar geoengineering projects are already underway and others referred to fears and misunderstandings that appeared to stem from the “chemtrails” conspiracy theory.
“This will be my wife’s favourite bill of the year. She has worried about this, I bet, 10 years. It’s been going on a long, long time. If you look up — one day, it’ll be clear. The next day they will look like some angels have been playing tic-tac-toe. They’re everywhere. I’ve got pictures on my phone with X’s right over my house. For years they denied they were doing anything,” Republican Sen. Frank Niceley said at a hearing about the bill last month.
What is chemtrails theory?
The chemtrails theory suggests that airplanes are not making trails of condensation known as contrails but instead disperse government-controlled chemicals. Despite its lack of scientific basis, variations of this theory have gained traction, with some suggesting it ties into weather and climate manipulation. However, experts dismiss these claims as conspiratorial nonsense.
Anti-geoengineering policy wave
Tennessee is not the only state to enact an anti-geoengineering policy. Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Dakota have seen/introduced similar bills.
The trend is emerging from a mix of conspiracy theories and concerns about the possibility of climate modification taking hold in the public consciousness.
(With inputs from agencies)
